Part 21 (1/2)
When Holly lets Rose breathe again, the sister who answered the door the first time I was here says, ”I'm sorry, Rose. I shouldn't have said that.”
Rose shrugs. ”It's fine.”
Holly tilts her head at this, then she looks at me.
I shrug, having no idea what she's trying to relay.
The sister I haven't met is rolling her eyes and pursing her lips.
I can't even fathom what was said before Rose took off in her father's truck.
Holly tugs my sleeve. ”Let's give them some privacy.”
Running my hand on the back of Rose's arm, I tell her I'll be in the other room.
”You were right,” Holly says when we're in the front living room. ”We aren't dealing with the old Rose.”
”How can you tell already?” I whisper.
Barely above a whisper herself, Holly says, ”When her sister apologized, the old Rose would have said, 'It's okay, but...,' and proceeded to tell her exactly why she didn't like whatever it was her sister had said. This Rose just shrugged it off.”
”But is that bad?”
”I don't know. To me it is. It's a sign that her self-esteem, wait...you told me this a few weeks ago.”
”Yeah. Yeah. You're right. I wish I knew her before, just to see.”
”Maybe it's better that you didn't. Maybe Rose likes it that way.”
I'm contemplating that when she asks, ”So why are you here, anyway? Did Rose invite you? What's been going on?”
”No, she didn't invite me. I haven't even talked with her since that night you dropped me off.”
”Are you kidding me? Then what are you doing here now?”
”Out of the blue, she just...called me. Crying.” I move to the farthest side of the room and sit on the loveseat I sat on last time. Holly takes the rocker. ”She barely said h.e.l.lo before she started crying.”
”Really?”
”Then...I don't know. I shouldn't talk about it behind her back. Not like she won't tell you herself. Not that she even told me anything.”
”Wait. You're rambling. Why are you here?”
”Her phone died right after she told me she was alone in the woods with no place to turn her truck around.”
”Oh.” Holly's mouth turns into a c.o.c.ky grin. ”Man, you got it bad. You come running up because her phone died?”
I roll my eyes at my insanity. ”I thought she may have been in trouble or something.”
”Hey.” Rose walks in.
I stand.
”You okay?” Holly asks.
”Yeah. Just feel like an a.s.s,” Rose says. ”Ben, I'm really sorry you had to come all the way up here.”
”I didn't mind at all.” Sticking my hands in my pockets, because I'm just so nervous all of a sudden, I repeat what Holly asked. ”You sure you're okay? What happened?”
”Something stupid. Do you want something to drink, Ben? Coffee, tea, cider, anything?”
”I'm good, Rose.” I sit down, patting the s.p.a.ce next to me. ”Sit down.”
”I feel bad that Mick and them left,” Rose says to Holly.
”No. We came 'cause your mom asked. Mick actually felt funny coming anyway. And Griff and them, they only wanted to help.”
”Why did my mother even ask? That was stupid.”
”She's worried about you, Rose. She said all you do is farm work.” Holly hesitates. I think she's waiting to see Rose's reaction.
Rose just darts her eyes to me every now and then. We don't know each other well. I'm thinking I shouldn't be here.
”Rose,” Holly says. ”Come back to school. Live with me at Griffin's. We'll have so much fun.”
”And get to be lifelong friends,” Rose adds, and Holly and she laugh at something I'm not getting.
Holly winks at me and says, ”It's a line from the movie Grease.”
”Ah. Never saw it.”
”We used to watch it in the dorm,” Rose adds with a chuckle. Then she looks at me. ”I'm sorry I called you like that. It wasn't fair.”
”I really didn't mind. But...do you mind if I ask what prompted it?”
”I can leave,” Holly suggests.
”No. It's...it was nothing like that.” Rose leans back against the couch. ”My sister laced into me for not being grateful I'm alive...and for moping around and acting like I'm dead anyway.” She looks embarra.s.sed admitting this.
”Oh, Rose.” I take her hand and squeeze it.
”I reacted sorely. I just should have shrugged it off.”
”Do you think your sister is right?” Holly asks.
”Maybe. Yes.”