"Last day of school! Last day of school!" The twins chanted, clapping their hands to the beat.
"Sage, Lav, stop it! You're making my head pound." Rosella groaned, groggily lifting her head from the small dining table to glare at her 10-year-old siblings sitting across the wooden table.
They giggled and apologized at the same time. "Sorry, Ella!"
Benji barked from underneath the table, and Rosella absentmindedly patted his black-and-white nose as her head began to droop again.
CLACK.
She snapped awake, blinking hard, as Randel set a plate of scrambled eggs down in front of her and took a seat at the rectangular table's head.
"Thanks, Dad." Rosella yawned and reached over to grab the pepper shaker.
"No problem, sweetie."
Rosella tapped lightly a couple times, finely ground black specks floating onto her eggs. Picking up her fork, she dug in, keeping the time in mind.
8 minutes until the bus arrives, minus 2 minutes to walk there; I've got 6 minutes to eat and for the twins to change.
"Ella! Where's Lexie? Is she still doing ballet? I want to be a ballerina too! Does she have a tiara and a tutu? Can I see her tutu? I want a tutu also! Can you get one for me?" Lavender stood on her chair and pelted Rosella with questions. Rosella had never seen Lavender out of breath, and it was reasonable to assume she never would. Unsure whether to roll her eyes or smile, Rosella turned to her father and gestured her full mouth.
"Give her some room, Lav," Randel said calmly, flipping open the day's newspaper and crossing one leg over the other. "And sit down, please. Chairs are for our bottoms, not our feet." Lavender considered this for a moment and nodded before sitting back down. Benji barked again and rested his head on Sage's lap, who stroked his ear while observing the exchange through amused eyes.
Rosella shot her father a grateful look, and he chuckled.
"How is Lexie, darling? She came back yesterday, right?" Randel asked after a minute, setting down the coffee mug the twins got him last Father's Day. The cup had nothing to do with fathers, but instead carried the image of a golden hamster lying on (Rosella suspected), artificial grass. Unsurprisingly, the twins loved it, and even more unsurprising, Randel loved it too.
Rosella swallowed her mouthful and drank some milk before answering. "She's doing great, Dad. I told you before that she got promoted to junior soloist, right?" Randel cocked his head, thinking, then his eyes lit up and he nodded. Rosella glanced over to the twins, who were also paying close attention to her words. Then her eyes floated to the clock.
4 minutes.
"Well, she spent spring season dancing solo on the big stage, and she's back for 3 weeks before auditioning in the fall for the next winter season."
Lavender opened her mouth to ask another question, but Rosella turned around and put a hand up to stop the younger twin from saying anything. "No time for questions, young lady. Go upstairs and get dressed. You too, Sage." Lavender pouted, and she and Sage hopped off their chairs to trudge up the stairs.
"Last day of school," Rosella sang, dragging out the L sound. The twins grinned at Rosella and ran the last few steps, disappearing into their shared room.
Mission accomplished, Rosella returned to her eggs before washing the plate in the sink and leaving it on the wire rack to dry. Walking over from the kitchen to the living room, she checked that her laptop, pencil case, wallet, house key, and other day-to-day school items were in her bag.
"Are you sure you need all that, Ella? It's the last day of university."
Rosella glanced back to see Randel peering into her full bag. He continued, eyebrows creased. "Aren't you just going to be signing yearbooks and cleaning out your locker or something?"
Rosella shook her head. "I'm just being prepared, Dad, just in case," she said. And they don't do yearbooks in university. Randel shrugged and conceded. Rosella caught the more serious note in his voice as he spoke again.
"Do you remember what today is?"
That's right— Mom's birthday.
Rosella nodded. "Of course I do."
Randel didn't respond, staring at the television across the room, seeing nothing and everything simultaneously. Rosella pulled him into a hug, fitting perfectly into the crook of his left shoulder. She felt his head tilt as he put his arms around her, and she tried to mentally push love and support towards him.
"Oh, honey, it's perfect! Thank you so much! Both of you!"
Leanne pulled her daughter and her husband into a tight hug. They'd long since perfected the art of hugging around a pregnant belly, and the hug felt as good as a regular one.
Rosella drew back as Leanne let go to marvel at the cake once more. It was a sloppy, pink, two-layered blob of chocolate cake with uneven writing spelling 'Happy Brith Birthday Mom!' The incorrect spelling had been crossed out and 10-year-old Rosella only felt pride as her mother commented on the beautiful color, the extremely artistic 'messy chic' shape of the cake, and the varying amounts of frosting.
"How long did this take you? An hour? Two? Such perfection, surely it was three hours!"
Rosella giggled as Randel answered his wife's questions. "It only took us an hour. The coloring was the hardest part, really." Randel searched for Rosella's eyes, and catching them, he winked at her as she giggled again, remembering the deal they made only hours before.
"No one can ever know about the 2 burnt cakes and the extra trip to the supermarket, okay, darling?" Rosella nodded, and Randel patted her head. "It'll be our little secret."
Leanne rolled her eyes at her husband's poor attempt at a wink but decided to let them have their moment and didn't push. "Who's got the cake knife?" Leanne asked, as her hands searched the table. Randel walked over to the kitchen and pulled open a drawer. He handed the silver knife to Leanne, who expertly split the uneven blob right down the middle.
After cutting a slice for everyone, Leanne was first to take a bite out of the pink monstrosity. She chewed thoughtfully as Rosella waited anxiously for her verdict. The only thing better than a beautiful cake with a mother's approval stamp was a beautiful, tasty cake with a mother's approval stamp. Leanne, poker-faced, dipped a finger into the pink cream and dabbed it onto Rosella's nose, who squealed because she didn't duck fast enough.
Leanne's face broke into a wide grin, and Randel smiled too.
"I love it," she said to little Rosella. "And I love you too."
"Ella! Ella, c'mon, let's go!"
Rosella was jerked out of memory lane as Lavender skipped down the stairs, two at a time, while Sage followed demurely behind. A figure dressed in blue passed Rosella so fast her head spun, while a white frock with little pineapples moved slowly towards the door and gave Rosella something to focus on.
Closing her eyes, Rosella shook her head and realized she was still hugging her dad. She gave him one last squeeze before stepping out of his warm embrace. The responsible big sister shrugged on her bag as the twins helped each other put on their backpacks, and she held the door open as they slipped out first. Randel lifted his hand in farewell, and she blew him a kiss in return.
Rosella was about to close the door when Randel called out.
"Hey Ella…"
"Yeah, Dad." She paused and turned around to look at him.
"When you come back, we've got some bakery issues to discuss, alright?"
"Sure, Dad." Rosella had a good idea as to what he wanted to talk about. "I'll see you later."
The door closed with a click and the trio began walking down the brick sidewalk to the bus, large trees providing shade from the summer sun. The second Randel was out of earshot, Lavender fired off the questions that her big sister didn't answer earlier, the flower keychain shaking wildly on the backpack's handle as its owner jumped excitedly.
"So, Lexie's happy, right? Can I see her tutu? Can I see her today? Will she come by the house? Do you think she—"
This time it was Sage who put a halt to Lavender's questions. "Calm down, Lav. At least ask slowly."
Lavender stuck out her tongue at Sage. "Don't pretend you don't want to know either!" Sage shrugged in response, and they both turned to Rosella.
"Um… let's see. Yes, I think Lexie's really happy right now. Yes, she has a tutu, but you should ask her if you want to see it. And no to the last two questions. I think she'll spend the majority of the day hanging out with Marcus."
"Oh. Marcus."
Rosella laughed at Sage's sudden sullenness. "Why 'oh Marcus?' You don't like him?" Sage shook her head.
"He seems shady," she replied. Rosella prodded Sage for more as they approached the Rocky Gorge Academy's school bus, but that was all she would say.
Waving goodbye as the twins boarded the bus for the last day of fifth grade, Rosella walk another minute to the public bus stop. She boarded the near-empty 7:40 bus, deposited the fee, and spent the whole ride wondering how a 10-year-old came by the word 'shady.'
MEN WANTED
A chance to compete in Woodhaven, Columbia's Selection of the century!
Can you make it through the Elite, to the Final Two, and capture the heart of the girl next door?
Note: No monetary compensation will be rewarded at any point in the competition. Please be at the Town Library at 4 PM on Sunday, June 16 to register your interest! Applicants must be 19 – 22 years old.
Rosella ripped off the flyer taped onto a stone pillar that, with its duplicates, formed a ring around the center space of the neighborhood's park.
What the hell, Lexie?
A quick glance around the park and on the store windows nearby told her that Lexie was serious about this, and printed more than just one poster.
Oh no, you don't!
Rosella balled up the flyer, accidentally tearing it but too many angry emotions to notice, and stuck it in her pocket. She roughly hauled her bike around and set off to Lexie's house, ignoring the fluffy clouds that drifted in the afternoon sky, ignoring a white-haired couple casting curious glances her way, and especially ignoring the fact that there was a grocery-laden boy on the other side of the ringed courtyard, reading something taped to a lamppost. Gone was the relief of another finished school year. Forgotten was her initial goal of buying groceries. There was only annoyance, misbelief, rage, and although she would deny it if asked, fear.
Ding dong, ding dong.
Rosella tapped her foot impatiently as the doorbell to the Hall residence worked its magic, bringing the head of the household to the door.
Jackson Hall, Lexie's father, stuck his head outside and glanced around. "Yes, hello— oh, Ella, it's you. Come on in."
Rosella stepped inside, shivering slightly at the quick change in temperature. "Thank you, Mr. Hall. Sorry to barge in, but I've got to speak to Lexie."
"It's not a problem at all, dear." Erika, Lexie's mother, appeared at the kitchen threshold, holding a giant wooden spoon. "She's upstairs. Come back down later, I'm making lasagna."
Rosella thanked them again and promised to try some lasagna later, then headed upstairs, quietly fuming.
"Hey, Ella. How's it going?"
Rosella whirled around when she reached the top. She spotted Aiden, Lexie's fifteen-year-old little brother, sitting on his wheeled desk chair and twirling a pencil in his hand. Having heard the doorbell, he had rolled across the room to sneak a peek at the intruder.
She smiled— No doubt, he's drawing constellations.
"I can't talk now, sorry. I need to yell at your sister about a stupid thing she did."
Aiden gave a chuckle. "Fair enough."
Remembering that she had pocketed the flyer from the park, Rosella took out the crumped, torn paper ball and tossed it to Aiden. "See for yourself."
Rosella gave a hasty goodbye and marched up to Lexie's whitewashed door, the lower half decorated with an obscene amount of flower stickers – Lexie had stuck them on when she was younger but decided too late to rip them off. They were stuck, impossible to remove, and Lexie had given up.
Rosella rapidly knocked on the door, resolving not to stop until Lexie opened it. It only took a couple moments for Lexie to juggle the doorknob and poke her head out.
"I'm so mad— I can't even…argh!"
Lexie gulped nervously. "I take it you've seen the posters then."
Rosella couldn't peel the glare off her face, but she didn't want to either. "We can't talk here. Grab your bike, we're going for a ride."
Rosella radiated rage the whole ride to the bakery, and Lexie did her best to stay as silent as possible. She winced whenever her bike clanged from the stone road, fearing every noise would set Rosella off. She was being unnecessarily paranoid, however, since Rosella was blocking out all noise, focused entirely on the path in front of her wheels and planning what she was going to say to Lexie.
When they arrived, Rosella swung off her bike and pushed it into the bicycle rack with a loud clang. Without bothering to lock it, she pulled the glass door open and walked in, not sparing a single glance for Lexie.
"Afternoon, Rosella," said Samson from behind the counter. He was a part-time cashier, working in tandem with Patricia, who managed the mornings while he came in for the afternoons. Randel had hired him four years ago because he thought Samson's skittish, nervous behavior would prove useful manning the register, and by extension, stingy customers. Randel brought in Patricia the next day, thinking her brusque attitude would achieve similar results. The two personalities bounced off each other and Patricia and Samson became unlikely friends. Rosella was sixteen when she learnt how well two people, opposite in every way, could work together.
Passing the display case on her right, Rosella checked her watch— it was a bit after four o'clock. "Hey, Samson. You can go for the day, I'll stay until closing."
"If you're sure… Hey Lexie! Welcome back." Samson glanced towards the back door before his attention flicked over to Lexie, who had stepped into the bakery after locking both bikes. Lexie gave a quick hello as Samson grabbed his bag and left with a wave.
The door closed behind him, and Rosella rounded on Lexie. If she were a dragon, Rosella would be breathing fire. Lucky for Lexie, she wasn't, but flames seemed to consume her eyes.
"Lexie, what the hell were you thinking? A Selection? In Columbia? I don't need this! More importantly, I don't want this! We talked about this only yesterday – and it wasn't even talking, it was a one-woman pep rally for Princess Eadlyn's competition of who-is-the-hottest!" Rosella advanced towards Lexie, practically smoldering, as the dancer took a step back, wobbly, and threw her hands up in subconscious defense.
"Oh, come now Ro—" Lexie didn't get to finish her well-thought-out proposal before Rosella backed up and started pacing and stressing out at the same time.
"It's unheard of, Lexie! A Selection for a commoner, for a nobody? It's impossible. It's insane. Besides, who would sign up for a date-a-20-year-old competition?" Rosella was grabbing her hair and clenching her fists and throwing her hands in the air at the same time. Suddenly, an unhappy thought occurred to her. "Did you plan this beforehand? You just come back from 10 months at your prestige dance company, still with a boyfriend, and expect me to be sad and lonely and pining for a prince?"
"What? Ro, no, you're overthinking everything!" Lexie jumped at an opportunity to speak when Rosella finally paused for breath. "You've been stuck in a repeating cycle of daily chores that you need something fresh, new! You told me yourself! Plus, Woodhaven could use some excitement," Lexie added as an afterthought.
"You mean you could use some excitement!" Rosella accused. "I'm sorry, is my boring stay-at-home life too uneventful for you? As for fresh and new? I've already got too much of that in my life. What on earth made you think I'd like this? A Selection? More like an unwanted, stupid distraction!"
"It's not stu–" Lexie's eyebrows narrowed and she shook her head. "Wait a second…what are you talking about?"
Rosella folded her arms and shivered, even though they were indoors and there wasn't a breeze. She glanced around the bakery, debating whether or not to explain her dilemma, while her anger faded as quickly as it had come earlier in the park.
"There's a rival bakery up the next street that sells cheaper, factory-made desserts, and while we have loyal customers, they're few in number." Rosella turned around and began picking up the cupcake wrappers and tissues on the center tables that Samson didn't get to, since she made him leave. "Business hasn't been great lately. You were right yesterday when you said no one walked by."
She walked over to the metal trashcan by the door and dumped the litter in. "Dad's getting worried… and the twins have no idea, so you can't tell anybody," Rosella said as she looked over her shoulder at Lexie.
"I'm so sorry, Ro, I didn't know. And I won't, I swear." Lexie took a hesitant step towards Rosella.
"It's okay. I know. There is a way out, though," Rosella said, slumping in a seat by the round tables. "Turning our bakery into a restaurant is a sure boost in customers, sales, and popularity."
Lexie slid into a chair next to her and put a reassuring hand on Rosella's arm. "But..."
Because there's always a catch, isn't there?
"But this bakery was Mom's dream, and she built it up with Dad." Rosella closed her eyes and lifted her head to smell the ever-present scent of vanilla and cookie dough baking in the oven. "The bakery is my second home, and I— we, have so many good memories here."
Lexie frowned and grabbed Rosella's hand.
Rosella opened her eyes and laughed weakly. "It's not like we'll go bankrupt if we don't convert, but the extra money certainly wouldn't do any harm, especially with the twins starting secondary school soon."
"I'm so sorry, Ro. Seems like you've got a lot on your plate."
"And it's not just the bakery," Rosella sighed. "I have to figure out what to write as my debut, I have to spend time with the twins, I need to prepare for university next year... I um, have to walk Benji… I'm just going to be too busy to do this."
"You've got plenty of time to write your debut, the twins have friends of their own, the university excuse is ridiculous because I know you're top of your class, and I'm not even going to answer that last one. Come on, Ro! This semi-selection won't take more than a month, and then you can uni-prep and brainstorm the month after."
Lexie winked at Rosella. "However, you'll have to carve out time in that busy month for the boyfriend you're going to have."
Rosella rolled her eyes, fighting a smile at Lexie's eternal optimism – and persistent nagging.
"Hey!" Lexie folded her arms but was unable to keep a frown on her face as she continued. "It looks like you need some positivity and love: and fast. Besides, it's summer vacation! We need to live, love, laugh."
"That's cheesy, and I resent it. And don't I receive truckloads of love and positivity from you? Or the twins? God knows they're full of positivity."
Lexie smiled but turned solemn. "Romantic love is a different kind of love, Ro. You know this. Think of all those romcom books on your shelf, and those love stories in your head. They're cute, yes? Except this is real life, and real life is so much more…" Lexie scrunched up her face, trying to find the right word. She couldn't.
"You know what I mean, right?" Lexie shrugged, giving a pleading look at Rosella, who nodded to appease Lexie. In truth, she herself couldn't think of a word to sum up what exactly made real life more than the books, the stories. What she did know was that Lexie couldn't stay serious for long and she was proved right when the grin returned to her best friend's face.
"Plus, dating won't take too much of your time. But if you won't do it for me, do it for your father; I bet he would love it if you got a boyfriend." Lexie tapped her chin, searching her mental people catalogue for others who would be positively impacted by Rosella's having of a boyfriend. "Imagine how excited the twins would be if their big sis started dating!"
Rosella laughed, shaking her head. "I think they're still in the love-is-icky phase. You know, Sage called Marcus 'shady' this morning."
Lexie feigned an annoyed look and then pulled on Rosella's arm, back to convincing. "Do it for yourself then. Plus, it could be an inspiration for whatever you plan to write in the future."
Psyche and Eros, my favorite Greek myth, is fittingly a love story. A tale of perseverance and quiet strength, but a love story nonetheless. Rosella closed her eyes. And if I really do find love…doubt it. Best outcome, I hang out with some much-needed new company, and worst outcome, Lexie at least shuts up about my love life.
She nodded to herself, deciding for once to take a risk and jump into the deep end.
She peeked sideways at Lexie. "Only a month?"
"Only a month." Lexie confirmed, nodding.
"Alright, then. You can start collecting names." Rosella cocked her head to the side and reconsidered her previous statement. "I doubt there'll be any, though," she relented.
Lexie grinned. "Nonsense, people will flock to you, Oh Most Gorgeous Human Specimen on the planet." She grabbed a folded piece of paper from her back pocket and waved it tauntingly in front of Rosella. "Besides, I've already got a few."
Rosella lunged to grab the note, but Lexie maneuvered under Rosella's arms and ran out the bakery laughing.
"Don't worry, I wasn't going to make another move without getting your consent!" Lexie squealed as her fingers worked double-time to unlock the bikes.
"Alexandra Eden Hall, you could at least wait for me!" Ro cried, high-pitched and full of laughter, as she climbed onto her bike after locking the bakery door. She caught up to Lexie quickly, and they headed home together.
Well! It's crazy late for me right now but I decided would post today because this chapter has just been sitting there gathering dust on my computer.
Today's the introduction to the twins, Randel, a glimpse of Aiden (with an e), Lexie's parents, and just a glimmer of Samson, Leanne, and Benji. What do you think of the central cast? Day 2 of Lexie back in Woodhaven and already she and Rosella get into an argument! To selection, or not to selection? Lucky for us, Ro thought about it and decided, yep, let's go for it!
Reservations! They were technically due Oct 14, but I've only got 1 official Reservation PM, so please get those in ASAP if you plan to enter a character! The reservation only consists of the 'Basic' section of the form on my profile, some general history and a bit of their personality. Then you've got 2 weeks from when I've said 'yes' to submit the full form.
Let me know what you think of this chapter! Expectations, wishes, remarks, constructive criticism, etc., I appreciate it all.
Thanks for reading,
- Sponk