BARRIERS OF A FIRST LOVE
Chapter Eleven
"Rose, is that you?" Ruth
DeWitt-Bukater called through the spacious house as Rose entered.
"Yeah, Mom. It’s me."
"The school called. Said you weren’t at
first and second period."
Rose silently cursed Cal before coming into
the kitchen where Ruth was critically studying her goopy health drink.
"Girl troubles."
"Oh. Cal also gave me a call. He said
that he was worried about you."
"Uh...Cal’s just like that. He’s very
protective." Why wasn’t her mother getting any of the hints Rose was
dropping her?
"Is it about that boy that saved
you?"
"Well--I…um..."
Ruth put the green goop down and sternly
walked over to Rose. "Do I have to tell you again how important Cal is to
your social status? Ever since you lost the beauty pageant last summer, all the
girls have been trying to get your rank."
"Losing the beauty pageant isn’t the end
of the world, Mother."
Ruth sighed heavily and drooped her head.
Suddenly, she caught sight of Rose’s waist. "Didn’t you used to wear a
belt with those pants? Here, drink this." She handed Rose the green drink,
which had started to form a white foam on top, and walked out of the kitchen.
*****
"Rose? Can I come in?"
Rose opened the door to her bedroom and let
Ruth enter.
"All done with your homework?"
"Just about."
"Going out tonight?"
"Not tonight."
They sat in silence for a moment. "I
don’t want you to see him again," Ruth said.
"Who?"
"The boy."
"He has a name."
"If Cal leaves you..."
"I don’t want to hear this again! For
one thing, Cal isn’t going to leave me. And for another, social status isn’t
everything."
"Do you know what I would have given to
have been raised the way I’ve raised you? My mother didn’t take me to dance
recitals, gymnastics, cheerleading. She didn’t let me get my hair and nails
done, and I had to stay in every Friday and Saturday night until I was sixteen.
I had to work my toned butt off to be popular, and here you’ve been handed it
on a silver platter."
"Maybe that’s not what I want."
Ruth looked at her. "You’ll thank me one
day."
After Ruth had gone back downstairs, Rose
whispered under her breath, "Mothers shouldn’t live through their
daughters."