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(Writing as Rose Goth)
“Count your blessings, your friends, your dreams and your pleasures.
Count your curses, enemies, fears and woes.
Then count the stars.
Which is more?”
[/SIZE]Count your curses, enemies, fears and woes.
Then count the stars.
Which is more?”
Riley and I dismounted the school bus and pulled out our classwork. Today had been a long day, and I was SURE of getting the A+++.
"Oh. An A++ is err...good too." I thought to myself. "Really." Time to see what Ri-
"Yesss: a B-!" exclaimed Riley.
I stared at him. He was pleased with a B-? How? Didn't he know that Mrs. Connell would only give a 'B-' for 'satisfactory work'? I was about to ask him – ask why he wasn't sad – after all, wasn't Riley used to whizzing by and getting perfect grades? I was sure Riley was getting good grades, simply because everybody loved him. But then, another emotion erupted inside me – not curiousity, or congratulations, more like an outrageous outburst of ...
"Yeah, yay you!" I blurted out sourly.
I was only eleven there, but already I found my dark, sarcastic humour developing. And what's so special about a B- anyway?
Riley raced inside while I lingered in the outside a little bit. Maybe I'll nestle down in a cosy spot of our garden and do my work out there. Yeah, that'll be better. The less I see Darren Dreamer, I guess the happier I'll be.
"Alright, what's first? Geometry? Perfect..."
So time ticked by slowly, I trudged my way through every maths question, then started translating some French and by the time I had completed my history assignment, it was getting late. I looked around for some clue as to what time it was exactly, but there was none. Our old house – my real house – was huge. Much bigger then this, anyway. There weren't clocks everywhere, but there was an engraved wooden outdoor one. The inscription read:
"B.B & M.G to wed..."
I always wondered who B.B and M.G were, but it didn't matter much. Our house had been owned for generations, whoever they were they were probably dead by now, anyway.
We're now living in a much smaller place, 190 Main Street, and the house rests in my possession, my inheritance that is. But I'm not sure I want it, such a big house, all for me. Somehow, it just wouldn't feel like it was mine. At least mother and Uncle Alexander lived in that house – well, for longer then I did anyway. But I'm the oldest, and grandfather Mortimer insisted that the house should go to ME. You can tell a certain Darren Dreamer isn't pleased with that.
Knackered, I laid back on my school bag and my eyes drifted around, catching each sparkly star in the black-velvet night sky. I began to wonder what each star meant, surely they must each have their own, special meaning? Or was I just think too hard? I don't think I do think too hard...it's better then not thinking at all, and filling your life with things that don't matter.
The night was perfect and silent, the occasional wind brushed by, that was all. I was beginning to admire my surroundings, and felt content with just lying there, not thinking on anything in particular. Just enjoying time.
Footsteps, approaching from the distance awoke my adrenaline, waking me up. It was like I was about to be caught doing something I wasn't meant to be doing, like I wasn't supposed to be here... My breathing - which was fast and heavy by now - shattered the silence, almost breaking it irreversibly. But why did I care so much? My back was turned to the road, and I wasn't doing anything I shouldn't be and the footsteps had faded away by now, their odd, sharp echoing shuffle decaying. The roads were clear, and for a while, silence looked like it would prevail again.
The footsteps soon passed, and I thought nothing of it. Judging by the deep black of the sky, I knew it was late, although why nobody had come to fetch me I didn't know. I picked myself up along with my belongings and headed inside, light spilling out from the moment I opened the door.
"Rosemary Dreamer, were on earth have you been?" wailed mum, realising her mistake when Venus began to wail herself. She carefully moved over to the cot and tried placing Venus in there.
"Just outside..." I replied. "And I'm Rosemary Goth"
"For God's sakes, Rose, just tell someone next time!"
"Where's your brother?" she asked, ignoring my request for her to use my dreaded name. Why Rose? Why not something prettier like Lilly, or Violet? Or something that meant pretty itself – like Belle. Or, Bella?
"Which one?" I replied angrily. In my defence, this was a perfectly reasonable request. Only Riley was my real sibling, but I had four other half-brothers that she could have been reffering to. Well, actually, seeing as Riley was the only one who could walk out of us siblings, it might have been obvious who she was reffering to. Not to mention, Riley - ha, of course - would be the first one out of any of us she'd worry about.
"Rose!" she exclaimed, horrified, as though she could read my mind.
"Sorry..." I mumbled as I shuffled past, noticing Riley's unfinished homework on the ground next to the computer, the screen blaring out the words "SSX III [Paused]".
Mother went off to nurse Venus, or tuck in Jupiter, but either way I couldn't care less. And for a few, brief moments, I didn’t mind that mum didn't care about me, either. Where I'd been, or what I'd been doing, but only about Riley. I laughed to myself. Why wasn't I surprised? Hadn't this been the way things always were? Even Darren, our step-dad loved him!
I began my long hike up the stairs. Tired, I flopped down on the bed. I glanced sideward to my bedside table and saw a odd scrap of paper. I picked it up and saw a mass of scribbles. I sighed and replaced on the table, wondering how Saturn had actually mounted the stairs. Then, I thought about it – thought about it hard. Well, not really, but I like to pretend I did. I could make out these scribbles – they were words. Words scribbled down in an obvious rush, though.
"Rose!
Gone out with freinds.
Be bakk before our curfeugh.
Don't tell mum.
Riley"
Riley's signature itself was an odd scribble, but I knew it was from him. No one else would make such horrendous spelling errors. I was going to pick up my bedside pen and correct them, but I let it pass. Today had been too long a day for me to actually care.
Notes: I like the "secret garden" photos, and to be honest, I just chucked everything together in five minutes! Half the stuff doesn't even belong there, e.g indoor plants and underwater lighting! Considering that though, I think Rose was happy with her little "alone place".
Ha!
who became more of a writer then a painter. And 
who had seven other kids.
