MORE THAN THAT
Chapter Two
Rose sat at her desk, talking to some people.
She didn't have many friends. She only had acquaintances, since her time was
mainly occupied with Cal. Her homeroom teacher, Mr. Malone, came in. Everybody
stood at the back of the room, knowing that seats were going to be assigned.
Mr. Malone seated the first row. The next row
she was going to be seated in.
"Jack Dawson, you must be new. Sit in
the second seat. Rose, sit in back of Jack." Rose walked slowly and sat
behind the new kid. "Fabrizio, in back of Rose," Mr. Malone
proceeded.
Rose sat down, and looked in the mirror she
grabbed out of her purse. She was distracted when the boy in front of her
turned around. She recognized that it was the same boy who had been staring at
her out in the hall.
"Hi. My name is Jack Dawson. I'm new
here," Jack said.
"I've noticed you were new here. Mr.
Malone already established that," Rose said. Jack gave a weak smile.
"So, what's your name?" Jack asked.
Rose seemed annoyed, but she had to admit that he was really cute.
"Rose DeWitt-Bukater," Rose
answered him, giving a half smile.
"I'm gonna have to get you to write that
one down," Jack said, and laughed. Rose laughed back.
"What school do you come from?" she
asked.
"You wouldn't know it. I lived in
Wisconsin. I moved here with my mom. My dad died of a heart attack over the
summer." Rose could hear the pain in Jack's voice.
"I'm sorry," Rose said, feeling
sympathy for Jack.
"It's all right." Jack was about to
speak more, but the bell rang.
Rose got out of her seat and walked out of
the room. She thought Jack was really nice. He seemed pretty interesting.
Mostly, Rose thought he was really cute. Rose blocked these thoughts out of her
head. She had a boyfriend. She wasn't supposed to think about other guys. What
would Cal do if he knew what she was thinking?
*****
Jack walked out of homeroom with Fabrizio, on
their way to their first class. They had almost the same schedule, except their
religion and math classes were at different times.
"I can't believe you had the balls to
talk to her," Fabrizio said.
"What's so hard to believe?" Jack
asked.
"First of all, her boyfriend is a man,
for Christ's sake," Fabrizio said.
"Oh, gee. Thanks," Jack said
sarcastically.
"You know what I mean! He's all built
up. He'd smash your face in just for looking at Rose," Fabrizio said. The
rest of the crew had caught up to them in the hallway, Hannah clinging to
Fabrizio's arm. Tommy and Christina were holding hands.
"What's up, guys?" Tommy asked.
"Jack was talking to Rose in
homeroom!" Fabrizio shouted. Tommy, Christina, and Hannah's jaws dropped
open.
"What's the big deal?" Jack asked.
"You have no idea what Cal would do to
you," Hannah said.
"He'd beat you to a bloody pulp!"
Tommy said.
"You'd be left in the hospital for a
week!" Christina said.
"He'd first throw you onto the ground.
He would step on your stomach. Kick your ribs until he hears them crack. Then
he'd choke you a bit. He'd do that finger in the mouth thing that they did in Gangs
of New York. Knock his head onto yours until it bleeds. Continue to punch
your face with brass knuckles and hang you up like a scarecrow!" Fabrizio
was getting carried away into detail. "He'd probably rip your guts out.
Spit on you! Your insides will literally become your outsides!" They all
looked at Fabrizio like he was crazy. "What?"
"You are such an ass, Fabrizio!"
Tommy said. He slapped Fabrizio on the back of the head.
"So, anyway, where are you guys going to
now?" Christina asked, avoiding the situation.
"Jack and I have English. Where are you
going to, babe?" Fabrizio asked Hannah.
"I have physics!" They all rolled
their eyes. Hannah was the only one who was taking physics.
"Tommy and I have Spanish
together!" Christina said.
"You don't have Mrs. Wallace this year,
do you?" Fabrizio asked.
"No, we actually have Mrs. Bianchi.
You'd think they give us an actual Spanish teacher!" Christina said. Her
family was from Spain, so she hated the way the Spanish teachers taught.
"At least you're not taking physics. I
have Mr. Ferragamo!" They all laughed at Hannah, who wasn't pleased to
have him as a teacher.
"Who is Mr. Ferragamo?" Jack asked.
"Some crazy nut who hates
freshmen!" Fabrizio answered. "Anyway! We have to get to class before
the late bell! We have the raging alcoholic, Mr. Connors! Come on, Jack!"
Fabrizio kissed Hannah. Jack followed Fabrizio. He walked up the stairs and saw
Rose going the same way. She turned and smiled at him, but quickly turned away
because she was with Cal. He wondered how bad Cal could possibly be.