The Rose Boys

Chapter Eighteen

I lay on my side in my small room, staring at the wall. My blanket pulled up to my chin, I'd feigned sickness to avoid The Rose Boys at any cost. My Mom had seen through my fake coughing and sluggish movements yet she still let me stay. I'm sure it had to do with the events of last night.

Nobody paid me a visit even though I'd wished they would. I'm sure Ben was sitting at the table, playing with one of the few laptops that had been left here and my Mom was most likely washing the dishes. My Dad wasn't home but if he was, he would most likely be lounging on the couch, reading the Newspaper for what seemed like the hundredth time.

Still I lay, wrapped up in self pity and a sense of helplessness. I'd failed in the end, much like what the others around me had predicted. The boy I ultimately fell in love with was not the one I would end with. 'Will my story cut here?' I thought bitterly. 'What would the readers of my life think if the last page were to end like this?'

I knew exactly what they would think and it wasn't nice. Still, with the cheque burning a hole in my pocket and the idea of Darren marrying someone who wasn't me on my mind, I was conflicted. His Parents did lay out a pretty sweet deal. All I had to do was pay him no mind. I guess it wouldn't be that hard, apparently he'd already submitted his transfer papers to the school and in one week's time he would be moving to Paris, to continue his education there.

I would be lying if I said that I wasn't hurt. To think of someone like that leaving without so much as a goodbye was harder to swallow than sand. I'd cried my eyes red and my runny nose was sore and warm.

The stupidest part of the entire scenario is my own doing. I took the cheque and let them usher me out without much of a protest. I'm sure that the guy who was willing to give up his wealth and family for me would do that much. He wouldn't think about the money when it came to me. I know he would have done all that he could have done to save me if someone had taken me away.

I stood from my bed quickly, grabbed the cheque up off of my bedside table and ripped it into a few pieces. I felt liberated by the action and quickly crossed the room to slip into my school uniform. Though it meant throwing away a fortune and possibly living off of the bottom of the barrel for the rest of my life, I was absolutely determined to get everything out into the open.

I stared down at my hand, that beautiful ring shone like nothing I'd ever seen. I looked over at my closet, the phenomenal dress seemed to urge me on. The shoes seemed to whisper my mission over and over. "Go to him, go to him."

I nodded, to myself more than the items in my room and then I left.

Not a single soul on the road today, which was strange. I ran the whole way, doing my best not to fall or slow down. The words continued to echo in my head, "Go to him, go to him."

'I will.' I thought. 'But only after one thing.'

I rounded that familiar corner and heard her voice. "We're going to get married," Tiffany gushed to her groupies. "The Johnson family asked for my hand and now I'm going to marry a Rose Boy."

"Funny," I scoffed, getting closer to her sleek black bob. "I thought you always wanted Kevin."

Tiffany shrugged. "Beggars can't be choosers."

I was shocked. "Wow, I'm surprised to hear you call yourself that. Is that how you got the proposal? Begging?"

Tiffany stopped smiling and looked over at me menacingly. "I'm starting to think that you aren't so funny."

I raised an eyebrow at her, standing my ground.

"Want to know what I think is really funny?" She asked, a smile on her face. "Everyone already knows what those Roses are for." She said, pointing at the roses on my neck and wrist.