NOW & FOREVER
Chapter Eight
Finally, they returned to shore. As much as
he liked boating, Jack hadn’t enjoyed the afternoon, and was glad that it was
over. He didn’t think he’d go again, even if he was invited. The snobbery of
these high society girls was more than he cared to deal with.
When they docked, he left without a backward
glance. Ordinarily, he would have made some rude remark to the person who had
insulted him for no reason, but he didn’t want to be around Rose long enough to
do even that.
Rose called after him, offering him a ride
home, but he ignored her, walking in the direction of the nearest bus stop. She
was as bad as the rest of them, he thought—and then wondered why it bothered
him so much.
As he waited for the bus that would take him
back to his own neighborhood, Jack sat and thought about Rose, and about what
she had said. Why did it bother him so much? He’d faced snotty people before,
people who thought they were better than anyone else because they had more
money or better jobs or nicer houses. The students he had met that very morning
were prime examples of that, especially Gary, who Jack already realized was a
bully. He planned to steer clear of the high society kids as much as possible.
But somehow, Rose’s words had hurt more than
the taunts of the other kids. It made no sense—she was one of them, after all,
and there was no reason why he should feel differently about her. To be sure,
she was pretty, and her laughter was music to his ears, but he’d liked other
girls before.
As the bus pulled up, Jack finally realized
why Rose’s comment had hurt more than those made by the other kids. He had
thought that she was different. She had defended him, after all, against the
taunts of their classmates, and had sat with him at lunch and offered to show
him around Thunder Bay. Everything had been fine until he had commented on her
beauty, and then she had gotten upset.
I guess she doesn’t like it when lower
class guys show an interest in her. She’s probably got some rich boyfriend
somewhere who showers her with everything she could want. Maybe the whole point
of her inviting me along was to show me just how out of place I am here. Well, she
won’t have to worry about me hanging around and embarrassing her in front of
her rich friends. I’m through with her and her society.
In his anger, Jack never stopped to consider
that there might be some other reason why Rose had said what she did, or why
she had gotten so upset when he had said she was beautiful. He only knew what
he had heard, and gave no thought to why Rose had spoken so harshly and called
him a gutter rat.
I tried to be friendly—I even helped her
when she fainted out there—but if she doesn’t want anything to do with me,
that’s her right. I won’t push it—I know where I’m not wanted. I don’t have to
stay here for long, anyway. In less than a year, I’ll be able to leave and go
back to the United States. Who cares about Rose and her society?
But as the bus made its way toward the
lower-income part of town, he knew that he did care about Rose. He couldn’t
help it. No matter how rudely she treated him, there was something about her
that made him care.
Sighing inwardly, he gazed out the window.
I really thought she was different.