Aranea clapped with a cheer, "That's perfect Rose!".
"Woah, really?" Rose asked, very surprised.
"Yes! You've learnt that really fast for just under a week" Aranea grinned proudly.
Rose blushed a little, "Wow, it's all thanks to you Aranea. You're a great teacher". Then it was Aranea's turn to blush.
"Oh no" she laughed, "Thank you but I honestly think you are a fast learner". The door opened and John came in, his hood over his head.
"Hey girls" He greeted with a smile. He sat down on the sofa with them in the break room, "What's up?".
"Rose has perfected her tour" Aranea grinned.
"Wow, nice work Rose" John congratulated.
"Heh, thanks" Rose looked pleased.
John flopped on the chair, "Tavros and I had to tour a school class today so we had the wind machine on. I'm tired already". Rose's mind envisioned John with his hood up inside the wind machine, Tavros in his usual blue shorts and short-sleeved top operating it, their normal routine. She laughed, "You didn't fly backwards this time did you?". John chuckled too, "No, I was fine". "Where's Tavros then?" Aranea asked, puzzled. "Oh, he said he's going to go eat some chicken nuggets in the cafeteria" John answered. Aranea nodded, "Right, right. Perhaps we should get something to eat also". "Yeah okay" Rose stood with her. "Care to join us John?" Aranea asked. "Nah I'm fine, you carry on" He smiled.
The girls left the break room and headed to the cafeteria. They found it pretty empty, only a few people dotted around. Although Rose did spot someone sitting alone with a book and drink. Aranea noticed too and winked at Rose, "I think I'll go and get in the queue". Rose rolled her eyes but smiled at Aranea's kindness. She slowly made her way over to the shining part of the room and joined its glow, "This seat taken?". Kanaya looked up from the text and smiled when she saw the face looking back at her, "Oh Rose hello. No of course not". Rose took a seat and notice the title of the book in her hand. She chuckled, "Reading Gilmore's Vampires of Churchwood again?". Kanaya smiled wryly and nodded.
For the past week, Rose and Kanaya had bumped into each other a fair few times and it gave them chance to have a chat. This was great for Rose, the more they spoke the more she felt calmer around her. Plus to her, it was nice to hear Kanaya's smooth voice in normal conversation or call her name. Everyone else just said Rose like a normal word, which wasn't out of the ordinary, but Kanaya had a special way of saying it like it was a precious word to be treasured. It only made her fall even more in love.
"Which tale are you reading?" She asked
"Oh, er...The Rosemary Child" Kanaya answered
"Oh! I love that one. I think it's my favourite. The mysterious girl who appears before a late night worker and when he follows her all he keeps finding is Rosemary gardens?"
"Yes, that's the one" Kanaya chuckled, "I like it too. One night he finds the girl and manages to catch her but then it turns out it was an adult female vampire who was luring him in with visions of his late daughter Rosemary".
"Mhm and then it turns out it was his daughter all along but she wasn't dead, she was just turned. A sad tale but so interesting".
Kanaya nodded in agreement. "I'm glad that's your favourite" She smiled. Rose smiled back, "Why?". "Because it's mine too" Kanaya chuckled. Before Rose could answer they both heard, "Hello girls!". They turned to see Aranea join them with a sandwich and paper cup of tea. "Hello Aranea" Kanaya greeted, "Long day for you two?". Aranea pulled up a chair from another table and smiled at Kanaya proudly, "Sort of. Rose has finished learning her tour". Rose blushed deeply, "Aranea!". Aranea just chuckled. Rose didn't want her to tell Kanaya. How embarrassing. "Oh?! Well that's extremely quick!" Kanaya spoke, surprise on her face, "Nicely done Rose". Rose smiled, looking at the floor, "Heh, thank you". Aranea smirked to herself.
"Oh I just remembered. Aranea, Porrim said 'hello' and 'would you please come over tonight'. I believe she wanted to finish up the plans with you" Kanaya announced. Aranea looked surprised, "Oh yes of course, I forgot. Sure I'll come over tonight. It is Friday and I have no plans". She began to eat her lunch while Kanaya smiled, "You can come home with us in the car if you like, that way you don't have to take the bus". Aranea nodded a 'yes' and what was pretty much a 'thank you'. Rose on the other hand felt her heart beat hard in her chest so much it felt like it was stopping. 'Come home with us'? That meant Kanaya and this Porrim right? So what if Porrim was her partner after all? "Great, Porrim has Friday afternoon shifts and I'll be doing paperwork tonight overtime so you can go and speak to her if you like" Kanaya suggested, putting a bookmark in her novel. She bided them farewell, telling them she should get a move on to finish in time for the end of their shifts. Rose couldn't think straight and was suddenly blocked off from the world.
"You have Friday afternoons off too don't you Rose?" Aranea asked. No answer.
"Rose? Rose?!" She called and finally got the blonde's attention.
"Huh, what?" Rose responded.
"You have Friday afternoons off like Kanaya right?"
That's right. Rose is technically off the clock in ten minutes. She wouldn't even be here for when they all went off together. Which actually was probably a good thing. She decided she wouldn't want to be around to see them all drive away like the three musketeers.
"Yeah I do" Rose answered, suddenly saddened. Could she really have lost before she's even begun?
"Are you alright there Rose?" Aranea asked, puzzled look growing.
Rose just nodded slowly, getting consumed in her thoughts again. Aranea looked worried but left her alone even so.
Rose drove along the roads toward her home. She was still thinking. Was she overreacting, or was the answer of Porrim obvious and she was choosing to be hesitant with wishful thinking? It annoyed her how she couldn't even understand her own thoughts right now.
She pulled up in front of her house and shut the car off. She grabbed her bag to get out but something stopped her. She paused and just sat there for a minute. Rose really didn't want to be alone right now. She end up driving herself crazy. Instead, she tossed her bag back on the seat and returned the keys to the slot before re-starting the ignition. She pulled away from her house and drove on to the motorway.
