Chapter Three – New Beginnings Part I – Afterthoughts (Told by Rose Goth)"I was so high I did not recognize the fire burning in her eyes. The chaos that controlled my mind. We said goodbye - she got on the plane – never to return again (but always in my heart)" – Maroon 5 – This Love.
“Rose!” a voice shrieked, in an obvious panic. “Rose, wake up – now!” I roused, but the weight of so many days lack of sleep was heavy on my eyelids and I was at first unaware of where I was.
“Oh.” I said to myself, bluntly. “Home.”
“Well of course, Rosemary, where else do you think you’d be? Mars?” mother asked, her words blurring together she was talking so fast.
“No…” I replied, still half-asleep and attempting to climb out of bed. I’d been dreaming I was with Will, in a small, strange house with white, plastic fittings and he was lying down on a plaid sofa and it all seemed so real, that I was
sure that I’d be there now, but…
“Rose!” mother shrieked again at me. “Where is he? Riley, for God’s sake!” As if I didn’t know who she was talking about. Then I thought back to last night, and my insolence to my mother over my brothers. But that seemed so far away now.
“What
about Riley?” I asked, looking around. Today was the last day I’d be sharing a room with my brother, and Sunday I’d be a teenager.
“Rosemary Dreamer-Goth, I really
cannot stand for this right now. You tell me right now what smart antics you and your brother have been up to right this moment or I swear on Great Grandfather Papsy’s grave that I will get the cane…”
By now I had stumbled out of bed a pulled on my blazer - the first thing I could find. I shivered. The heating was down due to all the works going on in our house.
“Mum! Stop it!” I replied, now aware that this matter was of high important. She never swore on Great Grandfather Papy’s grave for any old thing. “Really, I don’t know what you’re talking about…”
Then I caught sight of the torn edge of paper Riley had left by my bedside table last night.
I looked right, and saw his bed perfectly made up, obviously unslept in. I glanced at my alarm clock – “7:28”. The maid hadn’t been yet, so that means that…
“Riley? He didn’t come home last night?” I asked, now feeling the vibe of this dire situation.
“Yes, Rose, yes!” Mother said, in an anxious tone as she sat down at the end of my bed. I shuffled up and saw her, a sad look on her face. I then looked back towards my small, wooden table and saw the note innocently lying there. “Oh Riley!” I thought to myself. “What I have to do for you!” I sighed.
“Don’t worry,” I began, a calm air to my voice. “Didn’t he tell you? He’s at Courtney Candarells 14th birthday sleepover!” I said, convincing myself. Mother was a little harder though.
“Why didn’t he tell me?”
“He did, mum. I was there. Don’t you remember? Courtney’s the new girl in school, and you said it would only be polite to say yes and go to her party.”
“Oh Rose, are you sure?” she asked. I could tell she was beginning to believe me now. Just the finishing touches, and she’d leave and – hopefully – I could get back to sleep!
“Yes, mother, it’s fine. It’s Riley, you know him, such the party boy – Mr.Popular and - ”
“Yes, Rose, that’s enough.” She finished, with just a trace of trouble stirring on her face. For the first time in, well, a long time, I properly looked at my mother’s face. I studied the lines, and creases and wrinkles from days gone by. How different she must have looked fourteen years ago, when Riley and I were mere thoughts. Maybe not born from love, but born into hope. Me and Riley were the heirs to the Goth fortune. Well, technically, I’m the heir, but I don’t see why there can’t be two inheritors.
The silence settled, and I didn’t feel right breaking it. I was still tired, and mother’s thoughtful and troubled look still rested on her, but neither one of us said anything to reveal our thoughts.
*****
Mother left, and I lay down in bed. My room was going to look so different by tomorrow, today was the last day to enjoy the simple wood-blue colouring. Maybe not the most glamorous, for a family who had enough money to renovate the whole house in two days – but at least it wasn’t pink!
The maid, Victoria, came in, breakfast on a silver tray. I wasn’t hungry, at least not for fat fried disgusting piles of bacon.
“Morning Mizz. Rose.” She said politely. “Hows ya feeling today?” she asked in her friendly tone. How was I feeling? A lot was going on, with Riley and Will and Darren and mother – and not least to mention everything at school! My head was clouded, my stomach churning and here was Victoria asking me how I was?
“I’m fine thank you, Victoria.” I replied simply. Oh how I wanted somebody to sort out my problems!
“Yous not lookin’ yez best, Mizz Rose, if it’s not too bold of me to say.” She said, putting down - with a clatter - the metal tea pot.
I agreed with a mumble.
“Well, ‘eres ‘oping some breakfast will to the trick, Mizz. Rose – yous lookin’ like yer needing some cheerin’ up! I could call for yeez mother?”
“No, Victoria, that’ll be fine.”
“Right then, Mizz. Rose – if that’ll be all?”
I nodded and she left. I flopped back down on my bed and reached out to my bedside table for the note he had left me.
“Oh Riley! Where could you have gone?”
