A CALIFORNIA ROSE
Chapter Two
Ruth and Cal were waiting near the gate to
the parking lot. Rose approached them hesitantly, knowing that her mother would
have some caustic remark.
She was right. Before she could even say
hello, Ruth scolded her, "I thought you knew how to walk in those
shoes."
Rose, tired, sweaty, and trying to struggle
out of her cap and gown, snapped back, "I do know how to walk in them.
They just weren’t designed to deal with football fields."
Cal interceded before the argument could
escalate. "You looked beautiful out there, Rose."
Rose looked at him, almost gratefully.
"Thank you, Cal. I’m glad you could make it."
Cal just shrugged. "How could I miss the
graduation of my girlfriend?"
Rose looked at him suspiciously. To anyone
else, it would have been a perfectly innocuous statement, but Rose had known
Cal long enough to realize that slight emphasis on "my" was not an
accident. He was feeling possessive--more possessive than usual.
"Why don’t you go freshen up and get out
of that cap and gown?" he asked her. Rose was still struggling with her
graduation attire.
She nodded, and started to walk away.
"Don’t take too long," he called. "Remember, we have
reservations at Deveraux’s at 9:30."
Rose’s shoulders slumped as walked into the
crowd. She didn’t want to go out to dinner. She had been looking forward to
hanging out at Disneyland with Trudy and Sophie. She had purchased her ticket,
planned an outfit, and had been looking forward to the occasion when her mother
had informed her that she and Cal were taking her out to dinner on graduation
night. Rose had pleaded and sulked, but they refused to change their plans.
Trudy and Sophie were in the girls’ bathroom
when Rose walked in. Sophie was fixing her makeup and talking about a guy from
another school who would also be at grad night, and Trudy was rearranging her
hair. Rose envied them.
They turned around when she walked in.
"Rose! Over here!" Trudy called, waving. Rose slipped past another
group of girls, and joined her friends.
"I thought you weren’t going to grad
night," Trudy said, inserting a sparkly comb into her hair.
"You’re not going to grad night?"
Sophie exclaimed, shocked. They had been talking about grad night for weeks.
"Mother and Cal decided that we should
go out to dinner tonight," Rose told her, scowling.
"Cal’s probably going to ask her to
marry him," Trudy piped up, cheerfully.
"No, he’s not," Rose told them,
stripping off her cap and gown and brushing out her hair. "We’re just
going to dinner."
"Sure he will. Even if he doesn’t ask
tonight, he will soon."
Rose didn’t even want to think about it. She
just looked at Trudy. "Hey, Trudy?"
"Yeah?"
"Shut up."
"Well, excuse me for living." Trudy
looked offended for a moment, then, with her usual cheery tone, started
chattering away about Disneyland. Rose excused herself and left.
She walked slowly back toward the parking
lot. A few students gaped at her formal dress and shoes, but most were more
concerned with grad night or other activities. A few were even in formal dress,
like her.
Cal was waiting for her at the gate. Taking
her arm possessively, he led her toward his car, a black Saturn. Ruth was
sitting in the back seat, waiting for them.
Rose sighed inwardly. On the one hand, she
didn’t want her mother along on a date. On the other hand, Cal wouldn’t make
any unwanted advances with her mother along.
Mostly, Rose just wished she was going to
grad night.