THREE
It’s
Monday and the hallway of Preston High was crowded with students moving to
their classes. Rose was closing her
locker when Samantha and Katrina cornered her.
“We saw you on TV Saturday,” Samantha crossed her
arms. “Why didn’t you tell us you were
going down there? We would have went
with you.”
“Because I wasn’t planning to go
down there. It just happened,” Rose
giggled. She knew she wouldn’t hear the
end of it. “Besides…I wasn’t
alone. I was with someone.”
“Don’t
tell me,” Samantha waved her hands excitedly.
“You were on a hot date with Caledon Hockley am I right?”
“Ewww no. In his dreams. No I wasn’t out with Cal.
And it wasn’t a date…not exactly that is. I was out with Jack Dawson.”
“You mean Heather Dawson’s
cousin?” Katrina asked in disbelief.
“How did you manage that one?”
“We met in the park. Went to lunch, and the rest of the day we
spent together,” Rose shrugged. “And he
listened to me. Really listened.”
Samantha laughed. “Girl you’ve got it bad. I think you’re in love.”
Rose smiled. “Maybe.”
“Well don’t expect to see him
again. When Heather finds out she’ll
change his mind,” Katrina shook her head.
“I don’t know Kat. We exchanged numbers, plus we’re going to a
movie Friday evening. This may be the
start of a wonderful relationship.”
Meanwhile at Titan High…
Jack and his group stood just outside the
cafeteria. The group was abuzz about
Jack’s hot date the other day.
“We’re just friends,” Jack once again insisted while
his friends laughed and poked fun.
“That’s not the vibe I was getting boy-o. I think you two are heels over head for each
other. She even resisted my charms and
that says a lot,” Tommy nodded.
“Especially when I offered her a tour you were glaring daggers at me.”
“That’s because I know how you are with women
Tommy. You’re into them one minute then
the next you move on. I don’t want to
see my friend get hurt like that,” Jack shrugged.
“What are you guys talking about now?” Heather
approached them.
“Jack’s date the other day,” Fabrizio laughed.
“It wasn’t a date!” Jack growled. “We’re just friends.”
“Oh yes, you and the mysterious Rose,” Heather rolled
her eyes. She had tried to get more
information out of her cousin about his mystery girl but kept coming up
empty.
“Yeah. Tell us
about this Rose Dewitt Bukater Jack?
From what I’ve seen she’s a catch,” Tommy crossed his arms and leaned
against the locker.
“Rose Dewitt Bukater?
Wait a minute, she’s the girl from Preston. I knew she sounded familiar,” Heather narrowed her eyes.
“Yes she does go to Preston and we’re just
friends. That’s it. Why is everyone making such a big deal out
of this!”
“Because it’s been six months since Megan moved away
and broke up with you. Ever since it’s
been like pulling teeth to get you to even look at another girl. Now all of a sudden, out of the blue you’re
seen with Rose,” Fabrizio explained.
“Don’t get us wrong. Tommy and I
are glad you’re moving on. We just
can’t resist teasing you a little.”
“But really Jack, you should be going out with a girl
from our school. The girls from Preston
have their nose stuck in the air too much,” Heather said.
“Rose isn’t like that. She’s the most down to earth person I met. And Heather, I suggest you wait to meet her
and get to know her before passing judgment on her like that. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have World
civilization to get to,” Jack scolded his cousin before pushing past his
friends to get to his next class.
“Yep. He’s got
it bad if he tells us off like that,” Tommy nodded.
“I think it’s time to have a talk with this Rose,”
Heather unhappily looked after her departing cousin.
School was over and Rose and her friends were at
the mall shopping for a pair of new
shoes. They're entering the food court
when Heather approached them.
“Rose, we need to talk,” She crossed her arms.
“Rose has nothing to say to you,” Samantha stepped in
front of her friend. She knew there
would be trouble sooner or later and she was prepared.
“Well I have something to say to her. I know how you Preston girls work. You flirt with guys then dump them when
something better comes along and I will not see you do that to my cousin.”
“Number one, Jack and I are just friends Heather. Number Two, I have never and would never do
that to anyone. Number three, you don’t
know me so you can’t stand there and pass judgement on something you know
nothing about. And four, if Jack wants
to be my friend or anything else for that matter, that’s our business not
yours. So I suggest you stick your nose
in someone else’s business,” Rose angrily stood her ground. She wasn’t going to let Heather scare her
away that easily.
“Jack is my business.
Especially now that he’s finally gotten over a bad breakup. I’m not letting you break his heart again.”
“Listen you two can we just set down and have a
civilized conversation about this?” Katrina stepped in. She could see that her friend was heading
for trouble. “Listen Rose, why don’t
you just agree not to see Jack anymore and leave it at that?”
“Because Jack’s my friend Katrina and I don’t run out
on friends. You know that! I’m not going to start now!”
“Hey Heather Rose, what’s going on?” Tommy slid in
between the two angry girls that were glaring daggers at one another.
“Tell your friend here to mind her own business,” Rose
glared one last time at Heather before allowing Samantha and Katrina lead her
away.
“Heather what did you do?” Tommy asked, staring at his
friend.
“I just told her in so many words to stay away from my
cousin. I don’t want to see Jack hurt
again.”
“They’re just friends Heather. Plus Saturday was the first time in a while
I saw Jack really happy. I suggest you
just leave them alone and let Jack take his own tumbles.”
Heather sighed shaking her head. “You may be right Tommy. But I can’t help but worry about Jack. He just moved here two years ago, not even a
true New Yorker. It’s so easy to hurt
him.”
“Well don’t you think you’re hurting him by trying to
convince Rose to break their friendship?
I think it is.”
“Shut up Tommy and mind your own business,” Heather
growled, stumping off towards the exit.
Tommy shook his head. If Heather
wasn’t careful, she’d lose her cousin.
Jack was up in his room staring blankly at his
portfolio when Heather arrived for another visit. It’s been two years since her Aunt Sarah and cousins moved to New
York and their house was still her favorite place to be.
“Jack!
Chrissie! Aunt Sarah!” Heather
called as she entered the house, in search of her cousins. It had been a long day and a bit of fun,
which she always had with Jack and Chrissie was just what she needed. She walked into Jack’s room and her eyes lit
up. “There you are. I thought no one was here. What are you doing?”
“Nothing. I
just had a phone call from Tommy,” Jack said, closing his portfolio since he
was getting no where in the way of inspiration anyway. To say he wasn’t too happy was an
understatement. He had a thing or two
to say to his cousin.
“Really? What
did he want?”
“He said that you had a little conversation with Rose
at the mall today. Something along the
lines of stay away from your cousin…” Jack glared at her.
“Jack listen…”
“Heather, I don’t know nor do I care what you have
against the kids from Preston. It’s
really none of my business.”
“Jack…”
“But it is my business when you start harassing and
threatening my friends and that’s what Rose is. A friend. Whatever your
beef with Preston is, Rose is out of it.
Starting now. You don’t talk to
her, you don’t approach her or anything else unless it’s to apologize and be
nice to her. Is this anyway unclear?”
“No Jack. It’s
not. Listen, I was just looking out for
you. I don’t want to see you get hurt
again. That’s what will happen if you
keep this thing with Rose up. I know
these girls Jack. They hurt
people. They get off on hurting
people.”
“Rose is not like that Heather, for the thousandth
time. I mean it, leave her and her
friends alone. Understand?”
Heather nodded, glancing at the floor.
“Good.”
“Mad at me?” Heather meekly asked.
Jack shrugged.
“No. Just annoyed. You don’t have to leave or anything. Mom and Chrissie will be back any minute
now. They’d like to see you.”
“Ok then. I’ll stay,” Heather shrugged, setting down,
grabbing his portfolio. She happens to
open it to a sketch of Rose on the gazebo at Preston. “Just a friend huh?”
“She’s easy to sketch ok,” Jack snatched the portfolio
back.
Heather just laughed. “Keep telling yourself that Jack. I just hope you know what you’re doing.”
“I do. Don’t
worry,” Jack shook his head at his cousin’s over protectiveness.
“So! What are
you up to Friday night? How about you
and me go to the Bowling Star? You
still have to beat my record. Come on
Jack, Tommy and Fabri will be there too.”
“Well…I kind of have plans.”
“Plans? And
what are these plans?” Heather placed her hand on her hips.
“Rose and I are going to catch a movie. But we can stop by afterwards though.”
“You really are serious about pursuing this girl huh?”
Heather sighed in defeat. By the look
of things, her cousin was determined to date the girl from Preston, rather she
approved or not.
“I’m not pursuing her. This is just two friends going to a movie and having fun. That’s all.
We’ll meet you guys at the Bowling Star afterwards okay?”
Heather shrugged.
“Fine. Besides, it’ll give me a
chance to really see what Ms. Dewitt Bukater is really made out of.”
“Heather,” Jack warned.
“What? I just
meant that I was going to get to know the girl that has enraptured my cousin’s
attention and inspires his beautiful artwork.
That’s all.”
Jack laughed.
“Yeah right.”
“Really.”
“Uh huh.
Sure,” Jack got to his feet.
“Just be nice to her. If you
can’t say anything nice, then don’t say anything at all.”
Heather rolled her eyes. “Of course. I guess
you’re going to call her now and apologize for my horrid behavior?”
“No. I wasn’t
going to call her. I was going to call
Fabri and tell him to keep you busy Friday night while I have my date with
Rose,” Jack laughed, earning a playful punch from his cousin.
“Joker,”
She growled.