TRAPPED
Chapter Four
"She was out with him again,
was she?" Cal asked for the hundredth time of Lovejoy. Lovejoy was Cal’s
best friend, or the closest to a friend Cal would ever have. They have known
each other for many years, always there for each other. Lovejoy was otherwise
friendless and alone. He clung to Cal because of his power, and was willing to
do anything to stay there.
"Yes, Cal, for the
thousandth time. They were on the field, talking. Then they left
together…"
"And you didn’t think to
follow them further?"
"Well, I didn’t think it was
needed. If I got caught, you would never hear the end of it from Rose."
"Good point. So, she blew me
off for him? She turned down dinner to be with my stupid cousin. Well…"
"Planning isn’t going to do
you any good. She is a strong-willed girl, not to be controlled, Cal. You can’t
just say jump and expect her to jump. You need to be smarter than that. Much
smarter."
"You have a plan, don’t
you?" Cal asked. To his surprise, Lovejoy’s mouth turned into a mean
smirk, and he nodded.
*****
Jack and Rose sat by the river
for a long time. They had brought along flowers, like they had for the past
three years. Rose had come with him since he had started living with Cal. At
first, she went every month, or every time Jack needed to go. Then she went on
the one year anniversary, then the second and the third, and now the fourth.
Ironic as it sounded, she loved
this spot. And as horrible as it sounded, she loved the fact that his parents,
who she had been told were head over heels for each other, had died at the same
time with each other. Overall, Rose was a hopeless romantic. Cal was not. The
first time she came here with Jack, he had told her all about his parents, how
they met, how his father had brought his mom something everyday. His mother and
father had been in love.
And from that moment on, Rose had
loved Jack. She was only fourteen, but she just knew. And she was right. She
wanted to be with him. She should have left Cal the moment she knew. He
wouldn’t have cared much. He would have found another prize. But now, after
five years, she just couldn’t leave him. She had never dated anyone else.
She was awakened from her
thoughts when Jack spoke.
"Do you wanna go out with me
tonight?" he asked very timidly.
"Go out with you?" Uh-oh!
"As friends." He
blushed. This is the first time he had actually been alone with Rose since last
year. It seemed like the only time they talked was here. It felt weird, but
oddly right. This place was another world for him. This was where his parents
had died. This was the place he loved more than any other.
"What did you have in
mind?"
"Well, there is this place
my parents used to go to. This little dance club. Hardly anyone goes there,
only the regulars."
"I’d love to!"
And off they went. The club
wasn’t very far from the river. It was the last place his parents had gone
before they died. They were coming back from a regular Friday night dance party
when a drunk driver hit them head on and their car went off the road into the
river. Everyone at the club had known his parents. Therefore, they didn’t care
that he wasn’t of age yet. Nor did they care when he brought friends. They were
like family to Jack. More family than Cal would ever be.
*****
When they arrived at the door,
Jack was greeted by many faces Rose did not know. They were older than they
were, twenty-five or thirty, maybe. Jack seemed to know them all. Some got
handshakes, but most got huge hugs. Rose had an amazing time there. She felt
freer than she had in years. They danced and laughed, and she met some amazing
people. She didn’t care that she was engaged to Cal, nor did the people there.
She could have been the queen of the world, and in there, it would not have
mattered. It was a perfect night until Cal and Lovejoy showed up.