Rose Garden :: MJ

Chapter 1 - Beautiful Mistake

Beautiful Mistake

Year 1958 San Diego, CA

Stefani Thomas sat on the faded, sea green bench at the bus stop awaiting the school bus.

It was senoir year and her mom promised her a car for graduation.

Thoughts swam in her head about her dad, when he died a few years ago she became a loner at school.

No one paid attetion to her and she didn't pay attention to any body either.

She would walk the hallways, where she once would walk and talk with all her friends freshman year, alone.

The loud, dirty white bus pulled up and screeched to a stop pulling her out of her thoughts.

She pulled the ponytail perched high upon her head tight, stood up, smoothed her skirt, and straightened her sweater.

She grabbed her school books and boarded the bus quietly saying good morning to the bus driver.

The only seat that was with a guy she had seen around school, her eyes searched the bus again for a completly empty seat.

"You can sit here," she heard him say.

She sat down next to him looking straight ahead.

"Hi, I'm Johnny," he said placing his hands on top of the seat in front of them.

He was wearing khaki slacks and a kind of checkered, button up shirts tucked into his pants.

His black hair was styled in a way the resembled Elvis Presley's hair, and his green eyes looked into her hazel ones.

She looked at him, "I'm Stefani."

"That's a pretty name. Hey, aren't you in my English class, your like the really smart girl," he said pointing a finger at her.

"Yeah, but I'm not that smart," she said, nervous.

"Sure you are," he said looking down.

The ride was silent until Johnny spoke again, "You know that burger joint downtown?"

She looked at him, "Yeah."

"Well, I would like to get to know you a little more, if you would like to accompany me tonight? I'll get you a burger and a chocalte malt," he said persuading her to come.

"Sure," she said as a bus shreeched to a stop in front of the school.

They got off the bus together, he called after her, "See you in English, Stefani."

"Bye," she called backed as she headed to her locker.

In English, Johnny came and sat beside, they talked the whole time while the teacher played a boring video.

"Still on for tonight?" He asked, walking Stefani to her locker.

"Yeah," she replied.

"Meet me in front of the school when the final bell rings," he said stopping as she opened her locker.

"Okay, I'll be there," she said shutting her locker door.

"Great, see ya," he said flashing his white teeth then walking off.

After school she stood in front of the school waiting for Johnny to meet her there.

"Hey," he said from behind her.

"Hi," she replied.

They rode the bus to downtown and walked into the small resturaunt.

'La Bamba' was playing on the juke box and they found a table and sat down.

They had a nice date and after Johnny walked her home, they stopped on her front porch.

"I had a great time tonight," he said quietly.

Me too," Stefani said looking down.

He gave her a small peck on the lips, "I hope we can do this again some time."

"Yeah, bye," she said as he walked away.

Early 1959

"How's the college life treating you," Johnny asked Stefani as they walked back to his car after another date.

"Pretty good," Stefani replied climbing in his cadilac.

They had been dating for almost a year now and were getting really close.

Johnny drove Stefani to a hillside and parked, he unbluckeled and leaned over kissing Stefani.

The kiss got stronger and they climbed into the backseat.

Johnny stripped off his clothes and Stefani procedded to do the same.

Later in the night after they gave themselves to each other, Johnny drove Stefani back to her house.

A few months later Stefani found out she was having his baby.

"Its alright, we can do this," he said reassuring.

Year 1961

Stefani picked up her two year old daughter Amanda at daycare and drove to the house her and Johnny were renting.

When she got there, Johnny's car was gone and most of the stuff in the house was gone.

"Johnny," she called, sitting Amanda down in the living room.

No answer, all his stuff was gone.

"He left," whispering to herself.

She sat down on the couch with her daughter and cried, knowing that the upcoming years were going to very hard.