The black rose's quality of being a rare flower renders it an apt symbol of profound love, or other such things of a rare nature.
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Gordie Lachance gently shut the door to his old beat up truck and walked into the phone booth. He was back in Castle Rock, it had been twenty years since he had stepped foot back in his home town. He had just attended the funeral of his late childhood friend Chris. He had seen familiar faces but one had been missing. Gordie scanned the phone book for the number of a friend, last name Merrill. However no name was found in the phone book. Goride remembered the first time he had run into a Merrill that changed his life. It was back in 1965, the summer before senior year of high school.
1965
Gordie walked down the familiar road of castle rock to the billiard hall where all the local teenager hung out at. He heard the music coming from the hall and he knew he was getting closer. His best friend Chris told him he would meet up with him after he was done working at the mill. Gordie didn't have any other friends than Chris and he preferred it that way. He jammed his hands into his blue jeans and made sure his black tee was still tucked into his jeans. Gordie was eighteen years old, a man according to his father. Senior year was approaching and than summer. He pushed opened the door to the billiard hall and noticed it was surprisingly crowded for a Wednesday night. No one was playing pool except two people, who everyone else was watching. He looked around for Chris who was nowhere to be found.
Gordie sat on a stool and watched the two people playing at the table. One was Eyeball, one of the town's trouble makers, who Gordie knew to well. The other was a girl he had seen at school. He didn't know her name but knew she grew up on the bad side of town. She had long brown hair that was tied back with a ribbon, the girl wore dirty but slim fitted jeans. Also with a button down white blouse, that was unbuttoned farther down than most girls and her black bra could be seen. She ran the pool game, calling every pocket and sinking every ball. Gordie noticed Ace sitting near by, laughing every time the young girl sunk a shot. The girl beat Eyeball by sinking the eight ball and Gordie noticed money being handed to Ace, probably from bets being made. The room cleared and Gordie watched Ace and Eyeball walk by the girl, Eyeball slapped the girl's butt and then left the hall with Ace. Gordie shook his head and went to the bar to grab himself a soda pop. Chris was still nowhere to be seen. He would wait another minute and then leave. Gordie lit a cigarette and took a drag.
"Do you have another one?" someone asked next to him. Gordie turned to see the girl who beat Eyeball in pool standing next to him
"A what?" Gordie asked, shocked this girl was talking to him.
"A cigarette, can I have one?" she asked. Gordie shook his head yes and handed the girl a cigarette and his lighter. In one movement the cigarette was lit and in her mouth. The girl inhaled and blew out smoke. She glanced at Goride and checked him up and down.
"Waiting for someone?" the girl asked.
"Yeah," Gordie said. "My friend Chris."
"Chambers?" the girl asked.
"Yeah, you know Chris?"
"I know his brother," the girl said. "Do you mind?" The girl patted the stool next to him.
"No go ahead," Gordie said. "My name is Gordie."
"Kennedy Ann." She said shaking his hand. "But you can call me Kay."
"You're really good at pool," Gordie said taking a drag from his cigarette.
"I have been playing for years." Kennedy said. She pulled the ribbon from her hair and it fell around her face. "I have seen you around school Gordie."
He liked the way his name sounded when she said it. "Your very smart." She added.
"Thank you I guess," Gordie said. He didn't know what to say to her comment.
"You going to a good college?" she asked. The questions she asked confused Gordie.
"Yeah, Oregon State," Gordie simply said.
"For what?" the girl asked blowing out smoke.
"Writing, what about you?" The girl turned to look at Gordie, and raised an eyebrow and laughed.
"I will never get out of Castle Rock." She said.
"Kennedy!" Gordie and Kennedy turned around to see Ace standing the doorway. "Lets go!" Kennedy signed and jumped off of the stool; she turned to walk away but stopped.
"Hey, Gordie," she called. Gordie turned to face her and she threw his lighter at him and he caught it. "Thanks." Kennedy passed Chris on the way out and gave him a smile and left the hall with Ace.
"Hey man," Chris said sitting down next to Gordie. Chris slid his hand on top of Gordie's and he did the same. "Why where you talking to her?"
"She asked for a cigarette," Gordie said, a smile on his face.
"You do know who she is right?" Chris asked.
"Yeah her name is Kennedy," Gordie said.
"Yeah Kennedy Ann Merrill, she is Ace's younger sister." All hope of ever talking to Kennedy again left Gordie's mind. Ace's sister was off limits, everyone knew that.