MORE THAN THAT
Chapter Three
It was the end of the school day. Jack walked
outside, where he saw Fabrizio, Hannah, Tommy, and Christina smoking
cigarettes. Tommy saw him and motioned for him to come over.
"How did you like your first day,
Jack?" Tommy asked.
"It was all right, good that I actually
know people now. I know my way around," Jack answered.
"You kept on looking at Rose during
history, Jack!" Fabrizio said. "Lucky Mr. Malone didn't catch you! He
would have blown up on the spot!" They all nodded their heads in
agreement. They were all in the same history class.
"There's a party at Marie Jones’ house
Friday night! You should come, Jack!" Christina suggested.
"I don't know," Jack said.
"Why not?" Hannah asked.
"Rose will be there," Fabrizio
said.
"Is that the way to get me there?"
Jack smiled.
"Yeah! Tommy will drive us. He has a
car!" Christina said.
"Yeah! Where do you live, Jack?"
Tommy asked.
"Sheepshead Bay," Jack answered.
"No shit! I live in the neighborhood
right next to it! Brighton Beach!" Christina said excitedly.
"I'll pick you guys up, then! Fabrizio
and Hannah live right by the party, so they can meet us there," Tommy
said. He asked Jack for his address. Jack took a piece of paper out and jotted
his address down. "Thanks!"
"Well, Fabrizio and I are gonna go
study! See you guys later!" Hannah said.
"Study? We don't even have homework
yet!" Tommy said, laughing at them.
"We are gonna go do something!"
Fabrizio said. Tommy and Christina laughed at them.
"We know you are gonna go do
something!" Christina said. Jack, Tommy, and Christina laughed at them
non-stop. Fabrizio and Hannah rolled their eyes and left.
"Well, seeing that I'm going to
Christina's house, I can drive you home, Jack," Tommy said.
"Thanks. That'd be great," Jack
said.
Tommy, Christina, and Jack made their way to
the car. Tommy opened the doors to his black jeep. Christina sat in the
passenger seat as Jack got in the back. Tommy turned the key in the ignition.
The radio blared out Everything, by
Lifehouse, in the CD player. Christina swooned over the song.
"Oh! Tommy dedicated this song to me on
the fourth of July," Christina said.
"How long have you two been
together?" Jack asked.
"Since Saint Patrick's Day!" Tommy
answered. "So that is almost six months."
Jack stared out into space when he saw Rose
from the car window. She was with Cal. It looked as if he were pushing her into
the car. Jack was interrupted by Christina's laughter.
"Jack, you are a dreamer!"
Christina said. She held Tommy's hand while it was on the stick.
"Buckle your seatbelt, man. You're gonna
fly out the window if you keep sticking your head out looking at Rose."
Jack blushed. He was hopeless. School was definitely looking up for Jack.
*****
Rose walked into her room. She quickly went
to go look into her mirror. There was a bruise on her arm. Cal had grabbed her
too hard when he had pulled her into the car. They had argued after school
after they spoke to his friends. It wasn't pretty.
Rose had met up with Cal at his locker like
she always did. Then they had gone to go talk to his friends, Brian Gordon and
James Asbury, along with their girlfriends, Tracy Autumn and Monica Hines. Cal
had left quickly.
At first he had had his arm over her
shoulder. Everything was fine. But once they had reached his car, he had turned
ugly. He had pulled her towards his car. His hand had held her arm strongly. He
had started to call her names, and had pushed her into his car.
*****
"You little slut!" Cal yelled.
"What makes you think you can go talking to other guys? In that skirt? Who
was that boy you were talking to?"
"Were you spying me on, Cal?" Rose
answered back.
"You won't talk to him again,
Rose," Cal demanded.
"I'm not your slave, Cal! I'm your
girlfriend!" Cal's face started to get red.
"My girlfriend! My girlfriend!" he
yelled. His temper was out of control, and he slapped her. "Yes, you are!
You will love me like a girlfriend is required to love her boyfriend. Because I
will not be made out a fool. Is that in any way unclear?"
"No." Rose was too scared to speak.
"Good."
*****
The whole ride home was silent. When he
pulled up in front of her house, he kissed her as if nothing had happened.
Rose was happy that no one was home. She ran
up to her room in tears, and was now left with a bruise on her arm. She went
into the shower and scrubbed her face. This wasn't the first time this had
happened. She had once spoken to a friend of hers, James Calvert, at a party.
Cal had been watching her. He had immediately pulled her away. He had taken her
outside and slapped her. James had witnessed the whole thing. Cal had beaten
him up as well, cracking his ribs. James had not spoken to Rose since.
Rose knew that Cal was talking about Jack. He
had seen Jack when he was looking at Rose earlier today. He must have seen her
talking to him in the cafeteria fifth period.
Cal had been so sweet and such a gentleman
when they had first started to go out. Her parents had liked him very well. She
blamed herself for everything.
If she hadn't dressed the way she did, or
spoke to those she wasn't allowed to, none of this would have ever happened.
Rose dried her hair, letting it down. She
changed into a pair of sweats and a tank top. Looking into the mirror, she
could see her tearstains.
She lay down on her bed, hoping that it would
never happen again.