Hello my Lovelies!

My Partner-in-Crime, ThrowingTrees and I would like to thank you for sticking up with us for yet another chapter. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: We, of course, don't own anything except for the story plot, and Caylan. If we did own more then that ... then we would: a) Buy a pair of jet-packs, b) Buy a lifetime's supply of popcorn, c) Make it rain popcorn. Because we could.

The Price of a Rose

Chapter One

The first day of the rest of my life.

"In the end, everything is well. If it isn't well, it isn't the end."

It's a saying my mother used to tell me whenever I was scared or sad. I remember one night, when the most terrifying nightmare tortured me in my sleep. I awoke, too scared to even leave my bed, and screamed, crying for my mom.

My mom came to my room to find me trembling and crying my eyes out underneath my blanket. She sat next to me and pulled me in her arms. She asked me what was wrong, and I told her about my nightmare. Now, I barely remember what it was about, but I do remember my mom's arms around me - like a shield of pure safety. She then told me, that I should go back to sleep again, because my dream was not finished yet. I told her I was too afraid to.

I was terrified the monsters from my dream would come. She gave me another long hug, and told me that everything ends well, if it didn't, it wasn't the end, so I should hurry back to sleep, because otherwise the bad part of the dream would never end. So she put me back, and tucked me in.

Giving me a kiss on my nose she told me to be brave and end my dream the only good way; head on. So I did. After that, whenever things got hard, I faced them head on; to make my mom proud.

And she was, always. It was just us together, ever since my dad left many years before.

When I was 17, I thought my life was perfect. I had friends and my mom. And I was pretty good at school. I didn't know that everything was about to change; that my world was to be tipped upside down. It all started on that horrible morning...

My mom's voice woke me as she called up the stairs, "Cay, sweetie? You are going to be late for school!"

I slowly turned around in my bed, my blankets all wrapped around me. As I hugged them tighter, I heard my mom coming up the stairs. I tried to keep my eyes closed and keep the sleep and slumber close to me. I tried to embrace it again but...

"Sweetie, you really need to get out of bed now," my mom sighed as she walked into my room. She stopped, her eyes wide, "My word, what a mess you made again, I thought you promised me that you would clean it up. Your entire wardrobe is on the floor!" She picked up a piece of clothing from the mountain of clothes, were somewhere underneath should have been a chair.

"Yeah, yeah, Mom I am so sorry," I mumbled while trying to unwrap my blankets around me. "I really cleaned it up; I just lost some stuff after I did and made this mess again while searching for it." I sat up in bed, yawning and stretching my arms and back.

"Hmm I should call you Miss X," my mom said as she walked through the mounds to my overflowing desk. She picked up a few papers from it, only to put them back down a moment later.

"Miss X, mom?"

"Yes, sweetie, for Miss 'X'cuse." Her face grew stern as she warned me, "I really want your room cleaned by the end of the week, otherwise I will do it for you." Looking around one more time she spotted the bookshelf - which was also messy. She shook her head.

I grinned as I searched for something to wear for school. "Really lame word joke Mom, but that's a very tempting offer, why wait till the end of the week when you can do it right now?" I found a shirt in the big pile on my chair and quickly began to dress.

"Because I really need to get new garbage-bags before I start-" I darted into the bathroom and began to hurriedly brush my teeth, but I still heard her last words, "-since the garbage-truck doesn't take anything with it unless it's properly wrapped."

"Whoa, Mom!" I exclaimed, alarmed, with a toothbrush in hand, "I promise I will clean up before the end of the week."

Before I closed my door and followed my mom downstairs I whispered quickly into my room, "Don't worry my sweet babies, I won't let the evil, evil woman throw you away; mommy's going to take care of you!"

"I heard that!" I heard my mom yell and I ran down the stairs. I kissed her quickly on the cheek, "Bye Mom, see you later!"

When I got to school, my best friend Cara was waiting for me already. Cara and I had been friends since kindergarten, they used to call us Tweedledee and Tweedledum, just because we were always together, and had even had a period where we finished each other's sentences. That ship had long since sailed, but we were still the best friends ever; I was sure of that.

We walked together through the long hallways filled with decorated lockers, chatting and giggling about different things that had caught our attention, before we got to our classroom.

There were only two seats taken when we entered the room as we were still a little early. We sat down at our usual places whilst continuing our chatting.

How oblivious I was to the change looming over my head like a dark cloud.

"Caylan, can I please borrow your notes? I really need to get a good grade for this test. Otherwise," she said gloomily, "my mom will take away my Xbox." My best friend was kind of a nerd, a bit like I was; we both liked videogames so I totally understood how awful it was to be deprived of your Xbox.

"Yeah sure - but why didn't you make your own notes?"

"I did, I just can't read it anymore."

"Can't read it anymore?" I repeated.

"Yeah, I really need to practise my writing skills…after I kick ass on my Xbox again!"

I sighed as I gave her my notes, "You're terrible, you know that?"

The teacher entered the class room, and started lecturing. And of course, I took my notes.

During the class our headmaster, Mr. Smith (or Smithy, as I liked to call him), came in.

"Miss Maxwell, could you please take your belongings and come with me?"

I remained quiet for a while, not answering his question. Why did he needed me to come with him? Never would our headmaster actually take the time to personally summon a student ... a sudden feeling crept up to me - as if a layer of ice had started wrapping my heart.

I started to pack my stuff, looking at my flabbergasted friend, "Psst, Cay, what the heck did you do?" I signed that I didn't know, and put my hand to my ear - promising to call her later, as I walked toward Mr. Smith.

I followed him through the halls of the school to his office, never being able to shake the feeling something terrible had happened. The layer of ice wrapped around my heart growing thicker and thicker every second. I felt cold and far away from the hallway we walked in, I attempted to set my mind on other things - like the occasional paintings hidden between groups of lockers. The first one was a scene of a meadow, with beautiful red and pink flowers.

The second one was a forest by night, with a full moon. I liked that painting. I liked the moon. It somehow always gave me the feeling of hope. No matter how dark everything seemed, the moon always lit everything up. I tried to keep that feeling of hope close as we arrived at his office.

As we entered his office, he offered me a chair. I must have looked at him suspiciously because he started to talk, "Caylan, I'm sorry, but I really think it would be best if you sit down."

That really didn't help melt the ice. But I did as I was told, and sat down. Mr. Smith also sat down and looked at me with pity written all over his face. It scared me ... no; it terrified me. What did he know that gave a reason to look at me like that? I think I never was so scared in my life. My hand started shaking when he spoke up. I clasped them together tightly.

"Caylan, I am so sorry to tell you this, but there has been an accident." I did nothing. Felt nothing. It was as if I had reached the tip of a rollercoaster ride - only to plummet so very fast to the bottom.
" ... gas leak in your house ..." he was still speaking, I looked at him, waiting for the words to make sense, "... explosion ..." They didn't.

I parted dry lips; wanting to frame a question: my mom's okay. Isn't she? But I wasn't speaking - he was, "I'm so sorry Caylan, your mother is badly wounded."

My unspoken question was answered. But not the way I wanted. You know that moment when you are watching a TV show? When you yell at the screen because that shouldn't have happened!?

Well it was happening to me now. Except it wasn't television. It was my life. He had paused to measure my reaction, I sat there, frozen. "Caylan, since your dad is not around, you will ..."

When the TV screen tells you something you don't want to hear - you switch it off. I ran. And ran as fast as I could. I needed to get away from there, I needed to get away from that place. But most of all, I wanted ... no needed to go to my mom. I had to make sure she was okay - that she was safe.

Through the corridors, through the school. Past students and teachers. Does a gazelle notice the dry grass when the lion pursues? Except of course, a lion wasn't pursuing me. Fear was.

My heart was pounding in my chest as my feet hit the pavement. I ran on, feeling the wind blow through my hair and the whoosh of the cars driving past me on the road. A horn touted, my vision swam with tears; I blinked them back fiercely. I ran past a bookstore which had huge wallpapers and flyers promoting a new book. There was a giant full moon on them. I needed the moon; I needed hope.

I ran to my house, as quickly as I could. It didn't matter how out of breath I was, or how my feet burned, or how every muscle ached.

There was one last turn; past old Mr Hendrick's house. And then ...

And then I stopped. And looked past the fire trucks and the police cars, past the standing officers, uniformed and collected. Past everything ... to my house.

Except ... it couldn't have been my house. My house was painted green with creeping ivy up the front. My house had bushes in front of the downstairs window. The broken, burnt shell which stood there wasn't it. Couldn't be it.

The road smelt and smoke still trailed upwards from the ... my ... house.

Mom ...

Mom.

Mom!

I darted forward, towards it. Someone must have seen me, and caught my hand. I looked up, into the eyes of a police officer.

"I am so sorry Miss, but you can't go there; it's dangerous."

I stared at him, and began to fight his grip "B-b-but that's my house. My mom ... she- where is she?"

I didn't feel the tears falling down my face, I only felt the officer's firm grip on my arm .

"I'm sorry Miss, there is no one in there anymore, they moved everyone to the hospital." I swallowed, nodded and turned to go ... maybe I could take a taxi?The officer stopped me, his face understanding, "I can give you a ride, if you like." I turned back around and nodded slowly, the ice around my heart spreading through my entire chest.

He showed me the way to his car, and I followed him, every step I took felt heavy; felt as if my shoes had gained several tonnes in weight. He opened the door for me, and I sat down in the passenger seat.

He walked around the car, and climbed into the driver's seat. He started the car and we took off. I kept my face pressed to the window and my eyes looking, searching the sky. But I couldn't find what I was looking for - the moon, or hope.

A/N: We hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you liked it or just want to share your opinion! Please do so at the white box below!