Hi,
Here's the second chapter; we meet here three old friends and four new ones. You want to know the details? Read it yourselves!
Enjoy!
VerMa
It was a bit cloudy, September day. In front of the Coolsville Elementary School stood eight-year-old Rose, a petite blonde with long curls and light brown eyes, squeezing the hand of her dad, who in her eyes was so tall that he could touch the sky.
"Daddy..." she began pleadingly.
"Yes, pumpkin?"
"Daddy, I really can't go back to my old school?"
"No, my little flower, it's impossible. Plymouth is too far away for you to still go to school there."
"Can't I live with Granny and Grandpa or Aunt Giggie and Uncle Will?"
"You really want to part with me?" the man asked softly.
"I don't" the girl clung to him for dear life. "But I miss Granny, Grandpa, Auntie, Uncle and my friends."
"We'll go to them for Christmas" Dad promised her. "Now off you go or in a moment, we both will be late" he added, crouching down by her and kissing her nose.
"I love you" Rose declared, wrapping her arms around the neck of her father.
"I know it" he replied, stroking her hair. "I love you too, sweetheart. But now let me go; I have to go to work and you to school."
The girl walked away a few steps, then ran back to her father and gripped his hand.
"Daddy, what if the other kids don't like me?" she asked, worried.
"Don't worry ahead, honey. Everything will be fine, you'll see" Dad assured her. "Well, now go."
Rose clung to him one last time and ran towards the school. At the door, she glanced back but Dad was no longer there. Thus, she swallowed nervously and slipped into the building. Almost at the same moment, the bell announced the beginning of the lesson – and the kid realized that she didn't have a chance to get to the right room on her own. No wonder that upon seeing a girl with long, dark brown braids, she ran up to her and grabbed her elbow.
"What is it?" the brunette was surprised. "Do I know you?"
"I don't think so" Rose admitted. "My name's Rose and..."
"Wait, let me guess. You're new?"
"Uh... yes. How did you know?"
"First, you're terrified like a first grader, but you certainly aren't six. Second, I know almost everyone in the school, but I've never seen you" the girl with braids explained. "I'm Jenny. Jenny Clark. Where do you have lessons now?"
Rose handed her a piece of paper with the timetable.
"English with Mrs. Graham..." Jenny muttered. "You're lucky; we're in the same course. Come on, I'll take you there" she added, grabbing Rose's hand and pulling her down the corridor. "Just hurry up so SHE doesn't arrive there before us or we'll be in for it at least until Christmas."
This time, the girls were lucky – the teacher wasn't in the classroom. Instead, there were many kids, including a red-haired boy who jumped up from his seat and waved to Jenny.
"Hi, Jen!" he cried out.
"Hey, Chris!" Jenny shouted back, waving to the redhead.
"Who is it?" Rose asked.
"My friend. Come on" Jenny grabbed her hand and pulled towards Chris. "I don't think you've met. This is my best pal, Chris Jones. And this is Rose... Rose... uh... sorry, Rose, I forgot to ask you about your last name..."
"Rogers. Rose Rogers."
"Are you new?" Chris guessed.
"How do you know?" Rose was beginning to suspect that she was in a school for clairvoyants.
"Easy" Chris shrugged slightly. "Jen and I know almost the whole school, but I see you for the first time in my life. Where are you from?"
"From Plymouth."
"The one in the UK?" Jenny asked.
"No. In Massachusetts."
x
A few hours later, during the long break:
"Why are we going so far?" Rose asked, surprised. "Next to that red-haired girl were many empty seats."
"Yes, but it's Violet Herring" Chris replied.
"So...?" Rose didn't understand a thing.
"Chris, she doesn't know the Herrings" Jenny remarked.
"Right" Chris realized. "Well, Violet isn't bad but her big brother, Ricky, called 'Bruise', is simply nasty. And he has equally nasty friends."
"'Bruise'?" Rose was surprised. "Why does he have such a strange nickname?"
"Because he often starts fights and leaves a lot of bruises" Jenny explained, looking around. "Oh, where is he? He was to keep us a seat!" she huffed in frustration.
"Who are you talking about?" Rose became curious.
"Him" Chris explained, with a slight movement of his head pointing to a lean, dark-haired boy, sitting at one of the nearby tables.
"Hey, kids!" the skinny boy waved to Jenny and Chris.
"Look at the adult one!" Chris took offense. "You're only a year older than we are!"
"Chill out. I was just kidding" the other boy chuckled. "Oh! Have you and Chris started adopting the first graders, Jenny?" he asked, noticing Rose.
"Shut up, Martin" Jenny hissed.
"Okay, don't be mad" Martin lightly ruffled her hair. "Are you going to introduce us or not?"
"Oh, fine" Jenny tidied her hair. "This is Rose Rogers. She moved in here from Plymouth, Massachusetts. And this lame joker is my cousin, Martin Dinkley" she added, pointing to the black-haired boy.
"Call me Marty. Nice to meet you" Marty grinned to Rose. "Well, now sit down; it's time to eat something" he added, pulling a sandwich out of his backpack and thrusting his teeth in it.
The other three immediately followed his lead.
"This looks very tasty" Chris remarked upon seeing the sandwich held by Rose. "What's inside?"
"Just usual things" the girl replied. "Ham, lettuce, egg, mustard, cherry jam..." at this point, she realized that Jenny and the boys looked disgusted. "Why are you looking at me so weirdly?"
"Uh... no offense, but I don't think it's very normal food..." Jenny said carefully.
"Why?" Rose was surprised. "My daddy always makes such sandwiches."
"You know..." Chris said, trying not to look at her sandwich "I think my dad would be sick after eating something like this."
"Mine, too" Jenny's face turned slightly green.
"What about your dad, Marty?" Rose asked.
"I don't have a dad. My father left my mom before I was born" Marty snapped.
"I'm sorry... I didn't know..." Rose felt ashamed.
"It's okay" Marty waved his hand. "Not everyone is as lucky as you to have both Mom and Dad..."
"Who told you that I have both parents?" Rose looked him straight in the eyes. "My mom died shortly after I was born. I know her only from pictures and Dad's stories" she added softly.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you" Marty muttered in embarrassment. "But anyway, you're better off than I am. My father didn't marry my mom so almost everyone at school is teasing me..."
"Was teasing" Jenny corrected. "Since Uncle Fred taught him to fight, even Bruise doesn't mess with Marty anymore" she explained.
x
After classes, by the school stopped an elegant, dark purple car, out of which stepped a tall, slim, red-haired woman with a pretty face.
"Chris! Jenny! Marty!" she called out, waving to the children.
"It's my mom" said Chris, grabbing his backpack. "We have to go."
Jenny, who still was telling something to Rose, hadn't heard it so Marty grabbed her wrist and pulled.
"Come on now, you chatterbox!" he commanded impatiently.
"Oh! I see you have a new friend" Chris's mom said, noticing Rose. "What's your name?"
"Rose. Rose Rogers."
"Rogers?" the woman repeated and looked at the girl a little more carefully.
"Y-yes..." Rose stammered. "Is it bad?"
"No" Mrs. Jones smiled at her and stroked her blond hair. "I've just remembered my old buddy; his last name was the same as yours. Oh, well, time for us to go. Jenny, boys, hop in the car. Rose, should I drive you back home?"
"You don't have to. My daddy will come soon."
"See you, Rose!" Marty, Jenny and Chris turned around to wave to their friend and got into the car.
"See you."
About five minutes later, by the school showed up Mr. Rogers, a quite handsome, tall, light-brown-haired man in his thirties. Upon seeing him, Rose squealed happily and clung to him.
"Hey, baby" the man picked up his daughter and kissed her forehead. "How was it in the new school?" he asked, putting the girl back on the ground, taking her hand and starting to walk towards the house.
"Very cool. At first, I got lost, but one girl, Jenny, helped me and it turned out we're in the same course" Rose replied, bouncing happily by her father. "And then, I met Chris and Marty. Marty is Jenny's cousin, but they don't look too much alike, and Chris is their friend. And then, before you've come for me, Chris's mom came; she's very nice and pretty, and has red hair."
x
That evening, when Chris and his two-year-old brother, Jerry, were asleep:
"Are you sure it was HIS daughter?" Mr. Jones asked.
"Freddy" Mrs. Jones looked her husband straight in the eye "have ever I said I was sure of something, when I wasn't sure at all?"
"Never. All I'm saying is that there's a lot of Rogerses; it's a popular name, after all."
"And how many Rogerses do you know personally?"
"Six."
"Don't count women."
"Oh. In that case, three."
"How many of them have hazel eyes?"
"What?"
"Light brown. Well, how many Messrs. Rogers with such eyes do you know?"
"Two. Shaggy and his dad."
"Which one of them could now have an eight-year-old daughter?"
"Shaggy."
"See? Shaggy and his family came back to Coolsville. The only question is why."
"Who knows? I just hope that SHE won't get depressed when she sees him with his wife... assuming that it's not just a coincidence."
"Do you have an idea how to check it?"
"Of course I do."
The explanation of who SHE is, must wait for the next chapter. :)
Special congratulations go to Book girl fan who guessed the groom's identity. :D
Feedback will be welcome.
Regards,
VM.
