Part 32 (1/2)
Not yet.
Hopefully someday.
29.
ROSE.
”Rosebud, I'm so happy you made this decision.”
”Dad. It's only two cla.s.ses.”
”But it's a start. That's all that matters.”
”I'm not promising anything, Dad. If people stare. If I feel uncomfortable. I'm gonna quit.”
My father sighs, his face sinks and all. ”Bud. You never cared about people staring. You got in front of hundreds of people at a time. You used to love the stares.”
”Dad. They were watching, not staring. And it was because I was good. Now it'll be 'cause I'm a freak.”
”You're not a freak, Rose,” Holly says, grabbing my last suitcase. ”You're a geek. Don't worry, Mr. Duncan, I'll make sure she doesn't quit.”
”Thanks, Holly.”
”And if people stare, it's only because she's so freaking beautiful.”
”Oh shut up.” I don't want to hear Holly's stupid praises. ”I'll be all right, Dad. Don't worry.”
”I love you, Rosebud.” I give my father a big hug goodbye, then he hands me my cane. ”Just in case you get tired walking.”
”Thanks, Dad.” They'll definitely stare if I use the cane. I'll have to make sure I don't get tired. With only two cla.s.ses to get to, I'm sure I'll be fine.
After my father leaves, Holly gives me a hug. ”Thank you, thank you for moving in with us.”
”Yeah, well, thank you for talking me into it. I guess I am kind of looking forward to school again.”
”You know it. You'll probably be kicking yourself for not taking a full load.”
”I doubt it, but yeah. So where's Griffin? I feel bad moving in when he's not here. You sure he's okay with this?”
”Of course he is. He's just as excited as I am. He's probably out with Cali. Sundays are their day together. They'll be back soon, I'm sure. But hey, so you're not alone, why don't you come to Donny's with me when I go into work?”
”I don't think so, Holl. I think I'll just unpack and get my room in order. I'll be fine. Really.”
”If you're sure. Listen, I gotta take a shower, but let me get this in your room for you.” She picks up the suitcase she set aside before.
”Holly. I can do it. Please. I can do everything you can do, really.” Then I admit, ”I just can't dance anymore.”
”I don't believe that, but...one step at a time.”
One step at a time. That's how Ben and I were supposed to take our relations.h.i.+p. Until he decided to take no steps at all. It still makes me sad to think about him, but he made the choice to disappear from my life. For whatever reason. I'll just have to respect that.
However...
Ben may have something to do with the reason I decided to come back to school. Maybe if I run into him, he'll tell me why he just stopped calling. I mean, after I checked online for any major accidents in the Cherry Hill area and, G.o.d forbid, the obituaries, I realized it most likely wasn't that. Then, I thought maybe it was another girl, but that would have meant he'd met her on the way up to visit me. But truthfully, as much as I worried about him being with another girl when I first started liking him, I got to know him enough to know that he'd be honest about it. I never met a more upstanding guy, so since Christmas Eve, I've had a sinking feeling in my stomach.
I don't have Johnny's phone number, and I don't even know his last name, so I can't call him. But since Dad gave me his old truck to get me around down here, I'm thinking about stopping at his house to see him. Maybe he'll know something about Ben.
It takes me about two hours to set up my new room. I like it. It's bigger than my dorm room, and I don't have to share it. I'm just a little worried about the parties Griffin likes to throw. They're not particularly wild, Griffin doesn't run like that, but he does have quite a few friends, and it makes me nervous to think of so many people coming into the house. Since Halloween, I've only been around my parents, my sisters, Holly, and Ben. And Johnny that one time.
When I venture down into the kitchen, Griffin and Cali are at the counter.
”Rosalie.” Griffin always liked my full name. ”I wanted to come up and say hi, but I thought I'd give you time to get situated.” He hugs me and kisses me on the left cheek. ”How are you?” he asks happily.
”I'm good. Thank you so much for letting me stay here. You sure you don't want more than a hundred a month?”
”I'm sure. If the utilities go up, we'll talk about it then. No worries.”
”Hi, Cali.” I feel bad, I haven't even acknowledged her yet.
”Hi, Rose. It's good to see you. I'm glad you'll be living here.”
”You don't mind?” She is Griffin's girlfriend. She might mind.
”Of course not. It'll be nice. I'm here whenever I'm not working or going to cla.s.s, so it'll be fun hanging together.”
”Yeah. I'm looking forward to it.”
”Is that your Chevy C-10 out there?”
”Yeah. The ugly orange thing out there? Unfortunately, that's mine.”
”Nothing unfortunate about it. It's a '65. It's a cla.s.sic. I love cla.s.sic cars and trucks.”
”That's right. You have that little yellow thing, right?”
”Right. That little yellow BMW 2002.”
”And that's not the year,” Cali says.