CHATROOM
LOVE
Chapter Twenty-Four
Tuesday,
October 2, 2001
"So, are you guys gonna go on the Vegas trip or
not?" Tommy asked Jack and Rose at school the next morning.
"We’re not sure yet," Jack admitted.
"I’d like to go, but I’m not sure my aunt and uncle will allow it. They’ll
probably think we need a chaperone."
"Well, could they be chaperones?"
Jack shrugged. "I don’t know. It would be pretty
expensive. I mean, the contest just covers all the expenses for Rose and I.
We’d need airfare, a hotel room, and all of that kind of stuff for a
chaperone."
"Well, what about Rose’s mom?" Helga asked.
"She could afford to go."
Rose grimaced. "Mom isn’t very fond of Britney
Spears. I don’t think she’d want to see her concert."
"She doesn’t have to. There’s plenty of other
stuff to do in Las Vegas besides watch a Britney Spears concert. Besides, what
kind of trouble could you guys get into at a concert? You’ve got…what…a few
thousand chaperones?"
"Well, the concert isn’t until November
eighteenth," Rose reminded everyone, shaking her head. "We have
plenty of time to think of something before then."
"Do you want to go?" Jack asked her. "I
mean, really?"
"Well…of course," Rose answered him, a hint
of uncertainty in her voice. "Don’t you?"
"Yeah…but getting there might be a problem."
"Well…let’s see what we can do before we give up
on the idea."
*****
Jack drove Rose home that afternoon after she was
finished with cheerleading practice. When they saw that Ruth was already home, they
steeled themselves to ask her about the concert.
"Mom?" Rose walked in the door, holding it
for Jack and then closing it quietly behind them.
"I’m in the den, Rose."
They followed the sound of her voice, finding her
sitting on an oversized chair, going through the mail.
"Mom?" Rose asked tentatively. "We have
a favour to ask…a big one."
"Rose…"
"Can you hear us out before you say no?" she
pleaded.
"I suppose. What is it?"
"Well…we were over at Dawn’s house last night,
and we were all listening to the radio…and it turns out that our friends
entered us into this contest where the prize was a pair of tickets to a Britney
Spears concert…you know, as a joke. But it turned out that we won…they
announced that the winners were Jack and Rose Dawson, the newlyweds. It was a
prank, but since we won…can we go?"
"Well, I don’t see why not. When is it?"
"November eighteenth…in Las Vegas."
"Las Vegas!"
"Yeah. See, I know that you don’t want me going
off on my own with Jack, and his aunt and uncle probably won’t allow it,
either, but if you came with us…"
"You are aware, aren’t you, that November
eighteenth is a Sunday, and you will have to somehow get back here that same
night and get to school in the morning?"
"It’s a Sunday?" Jack and Rose looked at
each other. They hadn’t thought of that.
"Yes, it’s a Sunday, and a school night. I’m sure
we could get back that same night, but you wouldn’t have much time to sleep,
and you certainly aren’t ditching school the next day—at least, Rose
isn’t."
"We could sleep on the plane coming back
home," Rose suggested, "and then get the rest of the sleep we need
before we go to school. I mean, we’ll have a few hours."
"And you’ll be keyed up after that concert. I
doubt you’ll be able to sleep on the plane."
"But, Mom…"
"I’ll think about it, Rose. That’s as much of a
promise as I can give you."
Rose sighed. "Okay, Mom."
"And don’t pester me about it. You know that
won’t help." She handed Rose a couple of envelopes and a Faze magazine.
"Here’s your mail." She looked at her daughter and sighed.
"Don’t look so mournful, Rose. I haven’t made any decision yet."
Rose tried to smile. "I know, Mom. I know."