The Rose Boys

Chapter Nineteen

Darren's room was decorated in red, red walls, dark velvet curtains, the kinds you see in the movie theater and even his blankets were a smooth, red fabric I ran my hands over the silky, smooth material as I sat at the foot of his bed with my legs straight out at the floor before me. Darren stood against the wall across from me with his arms folded across his chest, staring down at me. "What?"

I nodded, closing my eyes as I did so. "Everyone thought you were kidnapped Darren, you have no idea what we've gone through."

Darren shrugged. "I guess it's kind of like that."

"Nick had a gun in his hand as they stormed into that barn."

"Barn?" Darren's attention suddenly snapped to the details of the story, finally.

"Nick told me that the two of you were together when the kidnapping happened."

Darren's jaw set and I knew that I had crossed the comfortable line.

"I'm sorry." I sighed. "It's just the whole situation we're in."

"What do you mean?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

"I have this," I said, getting to my feet and reaching down to pull the cheque that Darren's parents had attempted to bribe me with out of my back pocket. I took the step towards Darren and held out the folded piece of paper.

"What is it?" Darren asked, pausing to ask the question before taking the slip from my fingers with his own. I watched his face change as he unfolded it and saw what it was. He repeated his question from before, his eyes full of unreadable emotion. "What is this?"

"I got it from your parents the other day." I coughed, feeling slightly guilty about still having it. Someone who had made up their mind completely wouldn't have even taken it in the first place. "They said that I could have the money if I stopped seeing you."

"So, you still have this cheque for ten million dollars in your back pocket? Are you waiting to see what I say before you cash it in?"

I was shocked by his response. "Excuse me? I came here for you. I wanted to make sure you are okay and you're questioning me?

Darren stepped away from the wall with a sigh, tossing the cheque to the floor and flopping onto the bed, messing up the perfect way the sheets had been drawn against the mattress that just happened to feel like laying on marshmallows.

I stood there watching him, feeling helpless. I was unable to do anything to make him feel better. "Your Mother has threatened my Dad's job as well. I don't know what we'll do if she fires him. I don't think he'll be able to find somewhere to work if he has to leave your family's company."

"Why worry about it?" Darren asked, sounding rather childish. "You always have ten million to burn through. I think with your family's cheap tastes, you'll have it for a long time."

"What is your problem?" I asked angrily, shooting Darren a nasty glare. "You've been acting strangely since we came up here." I motioned to his room around me.

Darren stared up angrily at the white ceiling in silence for a few long seconds before speaking. "Well, it's kind of hard to feel bad for you when I hear that you walked into an empty classroom with Kevin today at school." He looked over at me from his place on the bed. "What, are you surprised? Did you not think that I wouldn't hear about this?"

I shook my head. "You are unbelievable." I gritted my teeth together.

"Well, what's your excuse January? Or, do you have one this time?"

I shook my head. "I can't tell you."

"Oh? That's interesting." Darren sat up and looked at me. "This is new, you're not going to make something up? I'm starting to wonder if you really were attacked by Kevin on my Birthday too, maybe the two of you just-"