Rose
I typed a quick message to my mother, letting her know that she should go to the double date with my father, putting the cell phone away afterwards, dodging a cluster of students who seemed excited about something when a body crashed into mine. Within a second I felt the grass impact with the side of my body, causing a sharp pain to surge.
I sat up, looking at the skinned side of my arm and all my dinner on the ground. Today is definitely not my day!
" Careful there, pussycat. You almost made me miss a reception," the guy who ran me over joked, walking away without even helping me up.
" Pussycat? What's your problem, you jackass," I stood up, shouting in response.
The jerk, who had already walked a few steps away, stopped, turning to me with a grin on his face before shamelessly sizing me up and walking back over to me.
" Sweetie, I really don't have time to pay attention to you right now, but I can give you my number, so we can set something up at another time.” He put his arm around my shoulder, causing me to look questioningly at him.
This interaction was drawing attention from the people who had been watching the impromptu football game, and it was clear that he was trying to impress the group of veterans with whom he was playing. But to the boy's misfortune, I didn't give a damn.
" Sweetie, are you training to join the team? " I faked a dazzled tone, causing his smile to widen before my expression turned serious, "In that case, you'd better stop touching me before I rip your hand off.”
His expression turned a little dull, removing the arm that had been around me.
" Better that way," I murmured, about to start walking away.
" Give me your number," he called.
" Not in a million years," I denied.
He didn't seem willing to give up, but before he could say anything, a male voice sounded behind me.
" Hey O'Donnel, now you're going to start knocking out girls to try to get closer? Are you that desperate?”
I turned around to find Allie's friend standing there with an almost arrogant posture, one hand in the pocket of his jeans jacket while the other hand held a cell phone.
" Get out, Davis," the guy muttered, finally pulling away.
" You dropped it," he held out the cell phone to me, "Christian Davis.”
I took the device from his hand, feeling relieved that I hadn't suffered any damage in the fall.
" Thank you, Rosemarie Miller-Campbell, or just Rose Campbell.” I sighed as I bent down and picked up what was left of my dinner, then threw it in the trash.
" I have an extra slice of pizza if you want it," he offered, pointing to a tree a few yards away where a paper bag and a paper cup had been abandoned, probably when the idiot had hit me.
For a second I considered that invitation, he was definitely using me to get closer to my friend, but I was going to get a free pizza, so why not?
" Sure " I shrugged.
" Jax O'Donnel, he has a brain the size of a pea, we went to high school together.” He pointed at the asshole who had run me over earlier " I'm sorry to inform you, but he probably won't leave you alone.”
" What encouraging news " I muttered, sitting down under the tree next to him, opening a message from my mother.
"What will you get out of this?"
"He promised me three hundred dollars if you accept"
I put the phone away after sending the message, deciding to pay attention to Christian.
" So, you're Allie's friend," he commented, offering me the paper cup.
"And you're the guy who wants to get her into bed," I replied, taking the glass from his hand.
He frowned, giving me a questioning expression.
" Did she tell you this?”
" No," I took a sip of the contents, grimacing as I handed it back to him.
Christian took the bag, opening it before pulling out two pizza boxes, handing one to me.
" You should ask her to leave at once, she's waiting, and... " I opened the package, and then grimaced " Broccoli pizza, really? You're here drinking green tea and eating broccoli pizza?”
" What's the problem? " he took a bite of his pizza, seeming to enjoy it.
This had to be a joke! This is definitely not my day.
" Let me guess, you're one of those people with a childish palate who thinks broccoli is bad," he sneered.
" I don't have a childish palate for not liking a vegetable," I muttered.
" Yes, you do. And that's a bit ironic for someone who dreams of becoming a doctor," he teased me.
My cell phone vibrated in my pocket, but I ignored it, turning to him, raising both eyebrows.
" I'm not going to become a doctor, I study visual arts.”
The information seemed to have surprised him somehow, Christian finished eating, putting the empty package into the bag once more.
" You came to the university to play at coloring? Really?”
I felt a wave of anger start to wash over me as I realized that in the end, he is just another jerk. And to think that I was actually finding him to be a nice guy.
" And you at least chose chemistry after watching too much Breaking Bad, didn't you? " I returned angrily.
He narrowed his eyes, staring at me with a suspicious expression.
" You're nothing like your friend, you know. " he stretched, taking the pizza from my hand and beginning to eat it before standing up.
" Hey, you gave me this," I raised my voice as I saw him start to walk toward the entrance of the Dorm.
" And you acted like a spoiled child, so I took it back," he returned, looking undeterred by my irritation.
A few people standing there stopped to watch our little clash, and if he thinks he's going to stay like this, he's very much mistaken!
I stood up, taking the paper bag and the cup of green tea he had left behind, and walked quickly, catching up with him when he was almost at the door of the villa.
Without a second thought I hurled the cup toward his head, smiling as I saw his body react when the icy liquid hit the back of his neck. Christian cringed, turning toward me with an annoyed expression, as everyone stopped to see what was happening.
" You forgot your fucking tea, you asshole!”
" What's the matter with you, you freak? " he growled.
" My problem is the number of idiots that are crossing my path today," I returned before walking past him, entering the building to the muffled laughter.
I walked to my room, flopping down on my bed immediately. Great, here I am, hungry and cranky. How could it get any worse?
I remembered my mother's message, opening it, feeling my bad mood improve a little.
"I want a hundred dollars. Enjoy the weekend and don't drink too much."
A small smile broke out on my face as I read her message, at least the two of them would have fun together. Deciding to get some sleep, I closed my eyes, but my moment of peace didn't last long. Allie entered the room a few minutes later, looking as if she was about to take off with such excitement.
" Rose, you'll never guess, I was talking to Liam about my interest in joining Sigma Sigma Kapa, one of the most exclusive sororities here on campus and he knows the president.”
" He seems to know everyone," I yawned.
" He promised to introduce me to her at a party tonight, so get ready, we have to go.” She was ecstatic.
This could be interesting, I hadn't been to any parties yet and I wouldn't pass up the chance to have some fun, even if I had no interest in joining any sorority.
" Okay, but I want to get something to eat first.”
RoseLast weekend's party had good results for Allie, who charmed the sorority president she so idolized with her incredible charisma. Audrey Dixon was the evolution of her high school friends, she was perfect and idolized by everyone, and gave me the impression that she would do anything to keep up appearances.It was that realization that caused me to gently decline the offer to participate in the hellish fortnight of initiation into the sorority, much to the surprise of Allie, who was ecstatic at the opportunity." Rose, are you sure about this? Joining a good sorority is a lifetime benefit," Allie asked on Thursday, after the day's classes were over, while we were packing her bags for her to move into the Sigma Sigma Kapa house." Allie, don't take this the wrong way, but I'm not in the mood to give up my dorm place and humiliate myself to dozens of girls who consider themselves superior. I'm fine here," I denied, causing Liam to laugh.Initially, everyone had gone to help her pac
RoseLiam was right, I didn't hear from Allie the next few days and only met her again on Saturday, during the party he made sure to take me to.I parked my red 66 Mustang outside the frat house, where loud music was playing. A few girls in bikinis walked past us, attracting the boy's attention. I reached for my cell phone, activating the front camera, checking my appearance. After running my hands through my loose hair, I smoothed the flowery fabric of the blouse I was wearing, checking that the knot between my breasts that held it closed was firm." Come on, little Michelangelo wannabe, be ready to turn heads wherever you go," he winked at me before getting out of the car.I couldn't hold back a small smile at hearing that ridiculous nickname, and I got out of the car, walking beside him as I watched the movement around us. I could see two guys being barred for not belonging to any fraternity, and for a moment, I thought the same would happen to us, but Liam just walked into the hou
ChristianI slammed the door hard as I got into the car, what had I done to deserve everything that was happening? A mixture of feelings danced inside me. On one hand I was surprised, hurt and with my pride wounded by Alicia's attitude, on the other hand, Rose's presence could soften those feelings, since the irritation for her attitude drowned out everything that had happened. " Hey, watch out for Brigitte," Rose scolded before she started driving again.I watched her profile as she drove, her thick black hair preventing me from getting a clear view of her face, as if to make things easier for me, the girl tucked her hair behind her ear, giving me a skewed look. I couldn't deny that she was beautiful, she had perfect, delicate features on her face, but to me, all that beauty was overshadowed by an aura of petulance and arrogance that dominated her bad temper." I'm sorry about the situation at the party," Rose snapped after driving for a few minutes in silence." I don't need your c
Christian We were called in, entering the room afterwards. I looked at some of the pictures and artwork scattered on the walls while Rose explained to the tattoo artist, who was a man only a few years older than both of us, what she wanted." Are you going to stay here with her? " The man caught my attention.At first I thought to say no, but as I thought about the area that would be tattooed, I didn't feel comfortable leaving her alone with a complete stranger. Not that we had known each other for very long, but I decided to stay anyway." Yes," I shrugged, receiving an amused look in return." And here I thought you chose this place because it would look good, in the end, you just want to see me without a shirt." Rose scoffed as the tattoo artist instructed her to remove the garment and settle down on the gurney, where there was a sheet for her to cover herself while he adjusted the design on his computer. " That's not why I chose it," I approached her, looking into her eyes." Wh
Rose I started to rummage through my closet in search of an outfit still wearing a robe after getting out of the shower. I had decided to take advantage of Sunday and sleep late, forgetting that I had arranged to go out with Liam and the others. I removed the robe, turning sideways in front of the mirror to apply the healing ointment to the tattoo before placing a new clear bandage over it. I spread the ointment gently over the skin, resisting the temptation to scratch the area, admiring the delicate sunflower design surrounded by two daisies, forming a small bouquet." He's annoying but he has good taste," I outlined the small design with the tip of my finger. I placed the bandage carefully, smiling as I remembered everything that had happened yesterday, from that disastrous party to the moment when I was one step away from kissing Christian. I certainly would have if that nagging pain hadn't started up again at that moment. Christian Davis had aroused a mixture of emotions in me
RoseWe settled down at the table, and it was not long before a young waiter approached." Van Derr Waal, same as always?” " Just two beers this time, and cranberry juice for the girls," he decided. " Is he old enough to drink? " The waiter looked suspiciously at Theo. " And who says it's for him? I'll drink them both," Liam assured him. That was the most ridiculous excuse I had ever heard, but it seemed to have convinced the waiter, who took our orders and walked away after handing us the menu. " Are you going to drink both? " I sneered. " I could order three if you hadn't gotten a tattoo," he winked at me. " And Sky?” " I don't drink," she explained. " She thinks alcohol is Satan in its liquid form," Liam teased his friend, who was happy to ignore him. Once again I found myself wondering how it was possible for those two not to be a couple. And from the exasperated expression on Theo's face, he thought the same. " I could say that I was surprised by Alicia's attitude, but
RoseWe got back to campus about eight o'clock at night and the setting sun was painting the sky in countless shades of orange." You are her cousin, and she pretended not to know you," Sky muttered in disbelief.We were walking through the parking lot back to the villa, remembering how Allie had simply ignored our presence in the restaurant earlier." She was with Simmons, surely she couldn't even remember her own name," Liam chuckled, "It's nothing I wasn't expecting.”" And will she be allowed to remember her own name? I bet from now on she'll just go by babe, or whatever cheesy nickname he puts on her.”" Don't be mean, Rose. Not everyone can have the innate talent for nicknames like me," Liam winked at me.I was about to answer when a figure a few meters ahead caught my attention. Christian was lying under a tree with his eyes closed, seemingly oblivious to the world around him.Trying to resist the urge to approach, I turned my attention back to my friends, but to my surprise, t
Rose" As we discussed in the previous lesson, the upper Paleolithic period was a staple period, everything that is known about that culture was reconstructed from objects found in various parts of the world, and it was no different with the first artistic manifestations. The hunter man used to paint on the cave walls much of what he saw in nature. Here, for example, we can see the kind of painting they did, these hands in negative were found in a cave in France " Karen Martinez, our art history teacher was showing each of the slides she had separated for the class, while I tried not to fall asleep " At that time, they used colored powder, which they made from crushed stones and blew with bamboo around their own hands.”I took a deep breath, tilting my head back, watching the ceiling as my classmates took notes on every detail of that class. I was wearing a tank top, the irritation in the tattooed area and the lack of loose enough clothing had made me choose to wear it that morning.
Christian"Did you hear Liam's speech? "Rose asked.I turned my head to the side to watch her, she was sitting on the floor next to the bed, wearing only my boxer shorts while drawing on a pad. No one had come home yet and we were enjoying the silence.I felt exhausted after everything that had happened over the last few days, I couldn't believe that this nightmare had finally come to an end. After getting home and taking a long shower with Rose, the only thing I could do was lie down and stare at the ceiling in my room, imagining how everything would happen from then on."Could you not hear? "I sneered."Do you think he was serious about his vision of the future? "she turned her face to look at me."I don't know, maybe. But...I kept quiet, wondering what exactly I was going to say. Because more and more the whole scenario he described came to life in my mind, and every second I found it more enjoyable."But? "New Orleans is a nice city. We could live near each other and... I can se
ChristianI sat down, taking the bottle of beer from my sister, taking a sip before she grabbed the bottle from my hand and slapped me upside the head."Your father-in-law has guaranteed that you'll beat Bobby and Otto at pool, they've never lost at the bar "My father pointed to the table where Rose and Jack were getting ready to start the game."My father-in-law is... a bit competitive. Rose got that from him," I commented."A bit? That's a joke, right? Last time the two of them ended up in a snow race just to break a tie in a series of board games "Cam rolled his eyes."Snow race? "My mother raised both eyebrows."While they were taking off their clothes," Theo added."Taking their clothes off? "Amber choked next to me."They had a series of target games in the middle of the course, and every time they missed they had to take off a piece. At the end of the race, he was only wearing shorts and boots and she was wearing a gym top, shorts and boots "I explained, taking the bottle of be
ChristianI stopped the bike in a parking space in front of the bar where Rose met Josh at the beginning of the year. I frowned as everyone got off their bikes there. That place wasn't one of my favorites and Rose must have known that, since we hadn't been back there since everything happened.She got off before me, taking off her helmet, running her fingers through her hair to adjust it and standing next to me when she noticed my hesitation in getting off the bike."Come on, it's about time we gave this place a second chance "she winked at me "let's enjoy it like we should have done that day. That was enough to convince me, so I took off my helmet and got off the bike. From there we could hear a band playing a cover of Aerosmith. Everyone started to enter the venue, not bothering to wait for me. I took a deep breath, slung my arm around Rose's shoulder and started heading towards the entrance. Both Rose and I ended up with the backs of our hands stamped indicating that we were unde
ChristianI was lying in bed, watching the sunset light coming through the small window in the corridor facing the cell I occupied. My cell was the only one occupied in the police station, and that was no surprise. In a town as quiet as Grayfox Mills, it was difficult to see any movement at the police station during the week, when all the university students were busy with their classes.Everything I wanted. To get on with my classes without having to deal with some asshole who decided to play with my girl! But that asshole made it impossible.I'd been there for over twenty-four hours, and that had been enough time to calm my mind, at least as far as Jax was concerned. But even though I'd taken a few naps during the day, I couldn't stop imagining how Rose was doing, the look on her face as I was handcuffed never left my mind, and I just wanted the chance to talk to my girlfriend and make sure she was okay.My biggest concern with everything that had happened was just her. I didn't reg
RoseMy gaze wandered around that hellish scene without knowing what to do. Everything unfolded in slow motion in front of me. On one side, Jax was lying, moaning in pain in a pool of his own blood, being supported by a waiter. His friends were on the other side, keeping some distance with an expression that ranged from surprise to fear, keeping as much distance as possible from Christian, who was standing next to me with both hands raised in a sign of surrender after handing Theo the keys to the bike. The sidewalk outside was starting to fill up as well, several people crowded near the glass window watching what was happening, some taking pictures or filming with their cell phones as the police approached us." Dad, do something " I begged for a magic solution, one that would stop my boyfriend from being taken by those men. "Chris..." I tried to put one of his hands down to pull him to me, but he stood his ground, looking the other way while someone talked to one of the policemen,
Christian" Chris, you heard the dean, he'll probably be expelled... CHRIS! " Rose raised her voice as I stood up, heading for the exit." What's his problem?”" Damn it, Christian, get back here! " I heard Rose call before I got into the elevator that was standing on the floor, not waiting for her to arrive to press the button to close the doors.I checked the time on my watch, great, it's right on lunch break time, I'll find this bastard and finish him off wherever he is. Deciding not to waste any time, I got on the bike, driving inside the campus, heading towards the main cafeteria. I stopped the Harley anyway at the entrance to the cafeteria, ignoring the stares I was attracting, I opened the door without a care, looking around for my target. But to my dismay, the son of a bitch was nowhere to be found." Chris, what are you doing here? " I heard Sky's voice approaching.I turned towards her voice, finding her standing next to Theo with a frown as she watched me." 'O'Donnel, hav
ChristianSavannah and her friends stood up, looking satisfied with the outcome of that little meeting. All they wanted was to make sure that they would not be involved in that situation and they succeeded. " So? You can start " Rose took a deep breath with her arms crossed. " 'We're going to talk in a meeting with the dean,” Savannah said." 'That wasn't agreed,” Addison pointed out." We haven't agreed on anything yet, Mrs. Miller, and we're just making sure we don't get involved in any of this,” she returned.It was at that moment that Jack decided to get involved, seeming not to agree with the proposal." 'We're not going to guarantee any of this without knowing what you have to say.”" We can guarantee that Alicia and Audrey are responsible for everything, we will give the names of all those involved and we will tell you in detail everything we have discovered. " Savannah said " we even have message exchanges to prove it.”Everyone considered that information for a second befor
ChristianI hurried down the stairs and into the kitchen, finding Jack and Addison in an uncomfortable silence. Their gazes fell on me as soon as I walked through the door, causing me to stall in my seat." What?”" Were you arguing? " Addison asked." Ohhh no... Rose is just frustrated with the situation, I suggested she paint a little to distract herself " I explained " I was supposed to bring her breakfast at the studio.”" I'll do it," Addison volunteered, getting up.I didn't argue with the woman, sitting down in the same place as before, accepting the muffin Jack handed me. We sat there, eating in silence for a few minutes, until the sound of the doorbell interrupted us. Jack signaled for me to remain in my seat, getting up to go answer the door.Frowning, I remained silent, trying to hear something to find out who was at the door, but they were either talking very quietly, or not at all. I stood up, deciding to satisfy my curiosity at once, that's when Addison's voice reached m
ChristianI turned over in my bed, watching the face of Rose, who slept next to me curled up in a fetal position. My room was small and we didn't usually sleep there, but Rose couldn't bear the thought of sleeping in her room that night and I couldn't blame her. My girlfriend that day did not show all the usual tranquility when sleeping, which sometimes left me in doubt whether or not she had suddenly died in her sleep. On the contrary, she spent the whole night restless, and was not even sleeping on her stomach as usual.The silence outside the room showed that our classmates had probably already gone to class, only the two of us were left behind, trapped in our private hell. Deciding to let her rest a little longer, I got up, going to get dressed and brush my teeth before heading downstairs.The house itself seemed deserted, silence dominated the upper floor. I looked at the open door of Theo's room, where Jack ended up sharing the bed with Addison that night, finding the place empt