The Rose of Anthacena

Chapter 2

          "Rose?"

"Hi, Kase. What's up?"? Kaysey sighed.

"Nothing much, actually. I-I just wanted to see you. My dad's been having his...issue again," she said, her voice soft and sad. Rose looked at her friend sharply.
"Has he hurt you again?" she asked angrily. Kaysey shook her head quickly.

"No!" she said forcefully. Then she sighed again. "No," she repeated quietly. "Not me. My mom. Oh, Rose!" Kaysey wailed as she threw herself into her friend's arms. "I don't know what to do! I know I should be mad at him, and I am, but-he's my dad. And I love him, despite what he's done to me and Mom. But I don't want him to keep hurting us. Oh, Rose, help me!" Kaysey sobbed into Rose's shoulder. Rose patted her friend's back awkwardly.

"Kase..." she said hesitantly, "your dad-still doesn't know I'm your friend, does he?" Kaysey shook her head with a quizzical look on her face.

"No-o-o," she replied slowly. "No, he doesn't."

"Well, then!" Rose exclaimed. "It's easy! You see," she continued, "you come and live with me. You can share my room, or you can have one of your own, and all we'll have to do is have you write a note saying you've run away and don't expect to ever come back. You can tell your mom where you're actually going, but the note should convince your dad," Rose finished excitedly.

"Okaay," Kaysey said slowly. "I get that, but what about my mom? If I leave, all his anger will be vented out on-her. I don't want that." Rose bit her lip.

"Hmm...well...I don't know then. But Kase, you need to get away from your dad. Wait a minute! Your mom could come, too! I'm sure my dad wouldn't mind, and it would solve the problem," Rose suggested. Kaysey's face turned thoughtful.

"That might work," she agreed. Then she stood up. "My mom should be home right now, so I'll go home and talk to her about iy before Dad gets back. Bye, Rose."

"Bye, Kase. I hope it works out," Rose answered. Kaysey waved and left Rose's room. Then she came back.

"I'll call you to let you know how it turns out," she promised Rose.

"Okay. Sounds good. Bye, Kase." Kaysey left again, and this time, she didn't come back. Rose logged into her email and answered all the new messages from her few friends. Then she started reading one of favorite books, Rilla of Ingleside, by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Like Little Women, it was a few hundred years old, but she enjoyed it nonetheless.

* * *

When Rose was about halfway through her book, her phone rang.

"Hello?" she answered it. Kaysey's excited, but sad, voice came through to her.

"Hi, Rose."

"Kase, what's up?" Rose's voice was surprised.

"Lots of things. First, the good news. My dad won't EVER hurt me or my mom again!" Kaysey practically shouted.

"Oh...why not?" Rose asked. Kaysey sighed, and her voice turned sad.

"That's the bad part," she said quietly. "Um...Dad was on his way home from his job, and...he was hit by a drunk driver." Rose sat upright.

"Oh, my goodness!" she yelled into the phone. "Is he okay? Was he hurt? Tell me, Kase!!!"

"He's not hurt, no," Kaysey said slowly.

"Well, that's good, anyway.' Rose sounded relieved. Kaysey sighed.

"Would you let me finish, Rose?" she asked, her voice hurtful, sad, and angry, all at the same time.

"Sorry, Kase," Rose said meekly. Kaysey continued.

"He's NOT hurt, Rose," she said quietly. "He's-he's dead."

"WHAAAT?!?!?!? You mean he DIED?!?!" Rose shrieked. Kaysey laughed a little.

"That's exactly what I mean, Rose." Then she sighed again. "He was killed immediately. The car-crushed him." There was silence on both ends.

"Oh," Rose said awkwardly after some minutes. "Well-at least he apparently didn't feel it."

"Yes," Kaysey agreed. "That's true. Um...Rose, I talked to my mom, and now that Dad won't be earning money, we won't be able to pay the rent, even with Mom's job and mine. So-if it's okay with your dad, she'd like to stay there." Rose chewed on her lip.

"Hmm...well, I'll talk to Daddy about it when he gets home, and I'll let you know when I know." Kaysey gave a short laugh.

"Okay. Well, I've got to go, Rose, but I'll talk to you tomorrow, or later today, if you, uh, find out anything useful."

"Okay. Bye, Kase."

"Bye, Rose." Kaysey hung up, and Rose was left alone with her thoughts.

Kaysey's dad--dead! She thought back to the pictures of him Kaysey had shown her. They certainly hadn't helped her good opinion of him(if she had had one in the first place). He was big-tall and heavily built. His largeness, along with his coarse features and scarred face, lent him a look of toughness that was not at all flattering. Then Rose's thoughts turned to Kaysey's mom, whom she had met many times.

From old pictures she had seen, Rose could tell Mrs. Meyers had once been a beautiful woman. Now and then, Rose could see traces of beauty remained, but for the most part, Mrs. Meyers' face was a page heavily lined with worry, care, and pain. living with Kaysey's dad had transformed what was once a happy, gay creature into an old-looking woman whose face showed the trouble-laden life she lived.

Rose's mother had died in childbirth with Dereck, and the only memories Rose had of her were a beautiful singing voice (which Rose inherited), and an exhilarating scent. Rose's father had only just told her, on her 18th birthday three months ago, that the smell was roses. Whatever it was, it was a memory of her mother.

To Rose, Mrs. Meyers was like the mother she had never had. She always welcomed Rose with a smile, no matter how hard that particular day had been. Rose loved Mrs. Meyers all the more because of the way she went through her hardships.

Rose didn't even call her "Mrs. Meyers." She affectionately called her "Mother," and Mrs. Meyers called Rose Violet, which was actually Rose's real name. She was born with violet eyes, which was why they named her Violet. But between the ages of six months and two years, she got such rosy cheeks that they started calling her Rose, and the nickname stuck. Her full name was Violet Christina O'Reilly, and she was born on January 22, 2498, in Anthacena, Ireland. All in all, she was content with her lot in life--her father was a rich businessman, she had an awesome best friend, she lived in a nice city...but she had no clue just how soon it was going to change.