WHAT IF?
Chapter Seven

Rose woke up the next morning. She turned slowly and didn’t find Jack. She got up and went to the studio. He wasn’t there. Then she went to the living room. He wasn’t there. Then she saw him outside, talking on the phone. She slid the door open, wrapped her arms his waist, and began kissing him on the neck. Jack turned and looked at her, then smiled.

"Dude, I gotta go. I’ll call you soon." Jack hung up.

"Was that Fabrizio?"

"Yeah. He heard about the move in the magazine."

"Oh." Rose walked inside. "I hate the paparazzi."

"Hey, don’t worry. They won’t see us from here." He kissed her.

"Jack, when are we going to meet your family?"

"Soon."

"How soon?"

"Soon. Rose, trust me." He kissed her on the forehead.

Later That Day

Rose went out to take care of the house bills. She was walking and, as usual, the paparazzi were there. As she walked to her car, she noticed that Lovejoy, Cal’s trusty bodyguard, was watching her. She quickly got into her car when Cal knocked on her window. Rose quickly locked the doors and rolled down her window.

"Cal, what are you doing here?"

"Well, I heard you were in the city." He smiled.

"From who? Lovejoy?"

"No..."

"Cal, I have to go." Rose rolled up her window, then left. Lovejoy crossed the street.

"Sir, I think she’s not liking that you’re following her."

"Well, I want her to get my love, and that’s what she’s going to get."

*****

Rose grabbed her cell phone and called her mother. Ruth picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Mom, it’s me, Rose."

"Oh, hi, Rose. What happened?"

"Mother, if you see Cal, don’t tell him where I live or my phone number."

"Why?"

"Mother, I think he’s beginning to stalk me."

"What? But Cal wouldn’t..."

"Mom, just don’t tell him where I live, my phone number, or anything else. Okay?"

"All right. I won’t. Bye."

"Bye." Rose arrived home and locked all the doors. She called her brother and left a message, then called Jack.

"Hello."

"Jack, when are you coming home?"

"In a few more hours. Why?"

"Because I think I’m being stalked."

"By who?" Jack asked in a concerned tone.

"A guy named Caledon Hockley. Anyway, Jack, I’ll wait for you to get back home."

"All right. Bye."

"Bye."

"Dawson, who was that?"

"Rose."

"You mean Rose DeWitt-Bukater?"

"Yes."

"Oh, my God. You’re her new beau? Dude, what’s it like kissing her?"

"Devon, do I have to tell you how we make out?" Devon nodded. "You’re nasty."

"What? Jack, you are the luckiest guy I’ve ever met. I mean, you’ve got the babe and the money."

"Well, let’s just say it’s a miracle."

*****

Ruth was walking to her home when she noticed Cal at the front steps of her house. Ruth was shocked. She quickly grabbed her cell phone and dialed Rose’s number, but there was no answer. Ruth walked towards her house. Cal turned around, then smiled.

*****

The phone rang on the counter while Rose was outside swimming, so she couldn’t hear it.

Ruth swallowed hard, then smiled back.

"Mr. Hockley, I’m shocked to see you. What do you want?"

"Oh, hi, Ruth. I was wondering where Rose lives."

Ruth remembered what Rose had said. "I don’t know. I just know that she moved. Mr. Hockley, would you leave my daughter alone? Seriously, if you don’t, I’ll have to call the police. Now, excuse me." Cal glared at Ruth, then walked away.

*****

Rose got out of the shower. She put on her clothes, grabbed her car keys, and left. She and Taryn went to The Ivy to eat. After dinner, they went to the mall to buy some things, then went to Taryn’s house.

*****

Jack arrived home, realizing that the house was silent and Rose wasn’t home. He got his drawings out and drew one more thing. After that, he took a shower, then left.

*****

Rachel called Rose on her cell phone. It rang and rang and no one answered, so she left a message.

"So, did she answer?" Lisa asked.

"No, she didn’t. But I left a message."

"That’s good enough," Piper said.

"Yeah. But we need to continue to write music so we can get this right, and I need to pay my fucking bills," Kai said, sitting back on the couch. Tara sat next to her and wrapped her arm around her.

"Kai, we all do. We all do. Guys, let’s just be patient, all right? Rose will take care of this, and you guys know how she is. She’ll help us out."

Piper sighed as Lisa looked at her. "We hope so."

*****

Rose arrived home, checked her cell phone, and noticed that Rachel called. She couldn’t call her back because her phone was on low battery. She grabbed the phone book, wrote down Rachel’s number, and charged her cell phone. She grabbed the phone, then dialed the number. The phone rang and rang. There was no answer, so she decided to leave a message. Then she sighed. She locked the doors, then went upstairs. She took off her t-shirt and hit the shower.

After the shower, she went downstairs and ordered pizza. She wondered where was Jack, but she thought he had gone to the art gallery after the so-called dinner of hers. She grabbed her notebook and began to write another song, called Faith. Her aunt’s name and her middle name.

*****

Jack arrived that night and saw Rose writing. He sneaked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Rose smiled. She turned around.

"Where were you?"

"I went to pick up Fabrizio from the airport."

"Oh, he’s here."

"Yeah. Rose, why did you call today?"

"Do you really want to know?" Jack nodded.

"Caledon Hockley is a rich man because his father is the owner of a computer company. My mother introduced me to him to him at a party. And since then, he’s been…well, he thinks I’m in love with him." Jack laughed. "Jack, it’s not funny, and besides, he tried to attack me." Jack’s face changed. "First long before I met you, and then when we were in New York."

"Rose, why didn’t you tell me?"

"Because I almost broke his hands." She grinned.

Jack grinned, then began laughing. "You almost broke his hands? God, I love you. But did anything else happen?"

She nodded. "He saw me today when I went to take care of the house bills. He has this bodyguard--his right hand man--to keep an eye on me. I was about to leave."

"Did you tell your mother?"

"Yeah."

"And Garret?"

"No. Not yet."

"Rose, next time this guy follows you, call me right away, or you can scream for help. If that doesn’t work, call D and Joe, all right?" She nodded, then kissed him. Jack got up and went upstairs to change.

*****

As he left to change, Rose felt strange and had a bad feeling, so she picked up the phone and dialed her mother’s house number. The phone rang, then was answered.

"Hello, Mom?"

"Rose. Good, it’s you. Guess who was here?"

"Who?" Then Rose thought for a second. "Cal." She sat back in the chair.

"Yes. He was waiting for me at the house."

"Oh, God. He’s crazy. That’s it. I’m getting a restraining order. Mom, this is too much. I mean, the next thing he’ll do is spy outside of my house. Mom, did you tell him anything?"

"No, Rose. I know you don’t like him and you told me not to say anything to him."

"So you didn’t?"

"No."

"Good. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Bye."

"Bye." After they hung up, Rose sat back in her chair. Then she heard her cell phone ring. She answered. "Hello?"

"Faith? Hey, it’s me."

"Hey, Rachel."

"What are you doing tomorrow?"

Rose sat up. "Nothing."

*****

The next morning, Rose had told her she’d be there at Rachel’s house. She drove over to Rachel’s while she listened to some music. She reached Rachel’s house. She knocked on the door. The door opened.

"Ready to go?"

Rose nodded. "Yeah."

*****

At the gym, Rose was punching the boxing sack while Rachel kicked the other one.

"So, is this Caledon Hockley guy a hottie?"

Rose stopped and looked at Rachel, then went back to what she was doing. "Hell, no!"

"Then why is he following you? Does he have mental problems?"

"How the fuck should I know?"

"He’s the one who’s following you. When was the last time you saw him?"

"In New York, when I almost broke his wrists." Rose began to kick and punch the sack.

"You almost what?"

"Broke his wrist."

"You go, girl! Now, would you still break his wrists if I told you that he’s here and that he’s coming this way?" Rachel looked at Rose. She froze when she saw Cal coming over.

"Rachel, grab you shit and let’s go."

"But..."

"Now!"

Rose grabbed her things and walked out of the gym as Rachel followed.

"Damn it, he had to come to the gym."

"Holy shit."

"What?"

"Who’s that guy?"

"What guy?"

"That guy over there." Rachel pointed.

Rose looked in that direction. "Lovejoy."

Rose opened the car door. They got in, then left.

"Who the hell is Lovejoy?"

"Cal’s bodyguard and right hand man."

"Shit. He’s a crazy mother fucker."

"You’re telling me."

*****

They were quiet for a minute. Then Rachel began to speak. "Rose, I was wondering--can you hook us up?"

"Hook who up?"

"Us. Me, Lisa, Piper, and Tara."

"To get a record deal?"

Rachel nodded. "Yeah."

"So you asked me to come out with you to ask me for a record deal?"

"Not only for that."

"Then what?"

"And if we can have permission from you if we can put one of the songs you wrote along time ago in our songs?"

Rose looked at her, then back at the road. "Yeah, sure. Can I listen to the songs?"

"Yeah, sure." Rachel took out the tape and put it in the tape player. The song started.

"What’s the name of the song?"

"Floats Like Wine."

"Who plays the viola?"

"Tara."

"Sounds good."

"Our category is rock and gothic."

"God, I miss those days." They listened to the songs all the way home.

Chapter Eight
Stories