The Story of We

Introduction - Apple Juice Girl

Introduction

The cold apple juice dripping down Rosie's head put the whole crowd on mute.

Licking her lips and wiping her face, she was nothing but calm as she shook the apple juice off her body like a wet dog. The nearby frozen guests who had stopped being fancy to gaze at the show that had just gone down screamed in horror as cold juice wet over-expensive clothes.

"Are you done?"

Rosie's voice echoed and was colder than the awkwardness in the huge ballroom, making it seem like the expensive chandeliers shook from the chill. Her eyes were like a knife slowly being lifted and positioned to stab someone.

If someone was about to die, it would probably be Valerie, the one still holding on to the bowl that had previously held apple juice before being dunked over Rosie.

Throwing the container down, the crash shocked the crowd again as they gazed from the empty bowl to an angry Valerie and a wet Rosie.

"You useless bitch, you better know your place, it's bad enough you keep sucking up to Vang and use her for your own, ye-yet you still try to hook another person's wealth!

Valerie's voice shook a little at she saw the murder in Rosie's eyes. Encouraged by the gasps and spiteful chuckles in the crowd, she carried on.

"Isn't being a Vang dog enough for you?"

She clearly enunciated on calling Rosie a Vang dog and it got the extra laughter and scorn that Valerie anticipated.

"Are you done?" Rosie repeated.

Seeing Rosie remain so calm despite being a wet embarrassment made Valerie uncomfortable as she scoffed and eyed her.

Rosie calmly spoke, "My relationship with Millie is none of your business."

"There really was no need for you to waste perfectly good apple juice. Do better."

Valerie could not stand the smug Rosie and she rushed at her raising her hand to smack her in the face. Rosie grabbed her hand before it could land on her face and her tight grab sent a sharp pain to Valerie's wrist.

"Let's not resort to physical violence, do better."

Smacking Valerie's hand off, Rosie grabbed her old bag that was now an old wet bag off the floor and walked away from the shocked crowd.

Seeing Rosie treat her old gray bag that was clearly green at first with so much pride only infuriated Valerie further.

"How dare she? Acting all cool? "

"We all know she's a Vang dog,"

"Tom, can you imagine her daring to touch you?"

Seeing Valerie cling on to Tom, the crowd turned away as the show was over and things were back to the usual.

Valerie kept on talking and clutching onto Tom despite him ignoring her and staring at the apple juice girl that had walked away.

He was not the only one.

From a darker corner of the room, Steven smiled to himself.

"An acupuncture pin? Our stupid Val is going to hurt"

Although Steven did not sound or look like he cared, he emerged from the dark and waived a server who rushed to him so fast he almost spilled the drinks on his tray.

"Go tell Miss Rios to ice her wrist as soon as possible for three days"

Steven ordered the confused server and walked away.

"Sorry apple juice girl, calling me a creep and not appreciating my art is just rude."

The guests cleared the way for the tall man who kept smiling and talking to himself.

Rosie walked away with as much dignity as she could muster despite the stickiness, cold and anger she felt until she was far enough to see no guests. Then she started to run and entered a random room, slamming the door behind her.

"What an idiot! aRGH!"

Rosie kept kicking the door and trying to shake off the water from her body.

After quieting down from yelling nastier ways to describe Valerie, she finally sat down in frustration.

In her quiet anger, she heard faint sobs that sounded like a dying animal.

"Hello? Who is there? "

"Are you okay?"

Rosie rose up in shock and started to look around the weird room she had entered.

"Help, h-help me"

Rosie knew that voice.

"Millie! Millie where are you?"

Rosie's voice cracked and tears started to trickle down her face.

Unsure whether she was crying from fear or the embarrassment she had just faced, Rosie wiped her tears and checked under the large tables in the room. Frantically searching and crying out for Millie, she finally found her in the back of the room under a table, bleeding onto her long blue dress.

"Millie OH MY GOD"

Rosie was temporarily paralyzed by the sight of her friend bleeding and hurt on the floor.

Seeing Rosie reach for her phone in her pocket, Millie's hands tightened.

"Don't call the police! "

"Call home! Call Ally!"

Millie shouted with as much strength as she could.

Seeing the sick and bleeding Millie still be so stubborn, Rosie picked up her phone.

Her hands trembling, her heart in her mouth and tears falling down, she dialed Ally.

The phone seemed to ring for forever until Ally finally picked up.

"Ally! Millie needs help!"