The Secret of the Stone

Poor Roger - [Chapter 3]

It's 3. In the afternoon. I woke up around 12, since it is the Saturday custom, since I sleep at,like 4 in the morning. At that moment, I got a phone call. It was Des, according to the Caller ID no one knows I have. So I decided to have some fun.

" I TOLD YOU TO STOP CALLING ME, YOU CRAZY STALKER! IMA CALL THE COPS!"

"What?!" Des screamed.

I laughed.

"Very funny."

"Yes" I said, in between giggles. "Very."

I then recovered, and got serious.

"So... how'd tuba lessons go?"

"Oh... same old, same old."

"Yuh-huh."

"Oh,Rosie, don't do that to me. I hate it when you get mad at me."

I smiled through the phone. Well, a girl could forgive and forget, couldn't she?

"Fine. Your forgiven."

I could hear Des's relief through the phone. "Thank you. But I still wanna make it up to you. Wanna head down to the docks today?"

"Sure tuba won't interfere?"

"Nah, it's good."

We said our goodbyes and hung up.

I remembered I had a lunch date today with Roger, my on-again, off-again boyfriend. We were apparently on again. I put on a short cut off pink and white striped shirt with a white tank underneath. I pulled on some shorts and tied on some sneakers. It was June, it was super H-O-T. As I slicked my hair back into a ponytail, the doorbell rang.

I ran down the stairs as I yelled "DAD, DON'T ANSWER IT, IT'S FOR ME!"

My dad yelled back "Isn't it ALWAYS?!"

I opened the door to reveal Roger, in a polo shirt and some shorts, just like me. His hair wasn't that attractive, but since I don't look for that sort of thing, I decided to ignore it. 

"Madam Rose, shall we go?" He grinned.

I grinned back. "That depends, my good Lord Roger Lancoster the Third, is the carriage ready?"

"The buggy awaits you, my fair lady."

I climbed on the back of the "carriage"(his bike) and we rode off. We went to Green Spirit, this trendy restaurant everyone liked. The owners had put some outside tables, so we sat down at one of them and waited. Pretty soon, Gary, a sophomore boy in our school, came up to us. He was pretty clingy to the seniors, trying to boost up his popularity. I guess we didn't really mind, but it could get annoying at times. 

"Hey, hey, hey if it isn't old Rosie and Roger. I see you two are back together again. Pretty good, since everyone was saying how good a couple you would make."  See? He thought he was totally wired in the gossip vine of the seniors. He really got the gossip from this cool girl, Lorena, who was going out with some senior named Ben. Lorena apparently felt sorry for Gary, and, since they're kind of friends, she tells him this stuff.

Nevertheless, Roger smiled politely. "Why, yes, you know how enchanting Rosie is. I couldn't let her be taken away again."

Gary laughed, a little too hard if you ask me. "So, what'll it be? Oh wait! I already know. Chicken sandwiches, baked crust, hold the mayo. And some Sprite."

I smiled. "Your a mind-reader, Gary."

He smiled broadly. "Well, I do like to dabble in the supernatural." He then proceeded to laugh at his own joke. " I'll bring your lunch right away." 

As he left, Roger wiped his brow. "Phew, I thought he'd never go away."

I laughed. Still, I decided to take pity on old Gary. "Oh, give the guy a chance. He practically has no friends."

"I guess not. But, tell me this. Is this date about Gary? No. What have you been up to?"

And so it started. I responded, asked him a question, and then he gave me a long answer. We went back and forth. It was so easy talking to Roger. Even when we weren't going out, he just seemed like a nice friend. And when we were, it was kind of nicer. But I really didn't think of him as the love of my life. He was just another friend. But, in a sense, a friend with benefits. Which is kind of sounding all mean and everything, but it is true. 

As he walked me home, I realized I always did this to Roger, led him on and then crushed him, only to take him back again when he offered, and I had nothing else better to do. I think he really loved me, but I couldn't be leading him on like this. He's very fragile, and I don't want to break it to him too harshly.

"Roger..." I said tentatively "I have something to tell you."

Roger lit up. "I think I know what your going to say, and I've been meaning to say it as well."

With that, he stopped, and held my hands. "Rosie" he said, looking deep into my eyes " I want you to know that I don't consider you a friend. I never have. What I mean to say is.....I love you."

And, on that note, he kissed me. Nooooo, I thought. Not like I don't like kissing Roger, since I've done it before, but this was what I have been dreading! I broke the kiss very suddenly. He had a stricken expression on his face. 

"Roger, I.. I don't like you like that. I was actually going to tell you that.... I don't want to see you anymore."

"WHAT?!" He screamed. And then, very angry. "How could you not? Don't you know how much I love you?! How could you do this to me!? Well, Rose" he said, his face a thing of pure anger " You will RESENT the day you ever told me that!"

And with that, he ran off. And left me thinking, WHAT THE HELL MAN!