Sweet Roses

Chapter two

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I'm dreaming … of him… who is he? Those brown bangs, and haunting eyes… it's as if he wants to start life all over again… what happened to the lady? He's familiar… yet I don't remember his face… I remember his eyes, and I know I've seen him somewhere apart from my dreams, but where? And why can't I remember his face? And what on earth happened to the lady?

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Theodore yawned and got out of bed. He checked the clock besides him. 8 o'clock. He's only slept two hours since his flight… that was more than expected but at least he was refreshed. His cousins had said they would wake-up at 10 or 11 so he thought he'd unpack. His clothes unpacked and presents all out on the bed, he only had enough time to read a chapter or two of the book but again he couldn't start it as immediately Mary Jane bounced into the room.

"Oh you're awake. You want to go eat breakfast? We've got pancakes and waffles, usually we have eggs and cereal but cook made us something special today to celebrate your coming." She squealed. Theodore hardly had time to react before she dragged him downstairs.

" I thought you weren't going to wake up till 11 o'clock." He protested as she pushed him into the kitchen and made him sit down opposite her. Annie and Peter followed in, sleepy and yawning and still in their night robes.

"I don't need much sleep. These two are too lazy for words, anyway, I thought today we'd take you sight seeing then go to the mall. It'll be so much fun… I just have to show you the tennis shop, I love tennis. The tennis court outside is mine, the stables belong to Annie and the swimming-pool to Peter." Babbled Mary Jane as she set out a plate in front of him and offered him some pancakes.

"Mary Jane's got a tennis match tomorrow, we're all going to go watch it… it's against Rose Andrews, and she's the hottest… err I mean coolest… no, uh…" Peter stumbled for words as Mary Jane's eyes pierced into his. Annie rolled her eyes.

"Rose Andrews is one of the best Tennis Players in Chicago who is under 18. She's goes to a private school near-by, in fact the same one we used to go to before dad decided to send us to public school's instead. The Andrews are the richest family around here. It's rumored that they have over 40 estates throughout the US alone." She explained to Theodore while Mary Jane glared at Peter.

"And let me guess… she's also Peter's crush." He completed. Annie giggled and nodded and Mary Jane went back to serving Theodore pancakes. Theodore smiled at Peter and quickly finished off his pancakes. Gee, this family was so ordinary…

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The mall was crowded and hot but Theodore still had his hat on, with is hair tucked under it and black sunglasses on nobody seemed to recognize him. Now all he had to do was to avoid standing next to the "Mountain guns" movie posters plastered all over the shops.

"Gee Theodore… I really wanted to see your next movie, after all, you did win an academy award for It." said Annie in a hushed voice so nobody would hear her take his name. Theodore smiled at her.

"I thought it was the lamest thing I'd done but sure, let's rent it… I prefer not to see the movies I make personally but I'll make an exception this time." He said and Annie dragged Peter into a movie store. Mary Jane was still in the tennis store going through the new selection of rackets.

"Theo. Come inside, have a look at this selection!" she shouted out. Theodore sighed and walked in with his eyes on the floor. Suddenly out of no where somebody knocked him over and he found himself on the ground, only his hands stopped him from falling flat of his face. He looked up into the green eyes of the person who had tripped him. She seemed familiar.

"Excuse me," he said getting up and putting his sunglasses back on. Then he helped her up. "Hey! You're the girl who fell into my lap on the plane!" he said as the girl brushed herself and looked up at him. She frowned and brushed her golden locks out of her face.

"Maybe, why?" she asked crossing her arms. Theodore raised his eyebrows.

"Nothing, I was just surprised, you looked familiar… I mean even before I saw you on the plane. Is there any chance we've met before?" he asked. The girl sized him up.

"I don't think so, who are you anyway?" she asked. Theodore bit his lip and wondered weather he should tell her.

"Terrence, Terrence Grandchester." He said. The girl's frown deepened.

"Oh so you're a Grandchester… humph, I don't have any time to waste on the likes of you!" she said and walked off.

"Uh-wait!" Theodore ran after her and caught her arm. The girl spun around looking offended.

"And your name? I gave you mine it wouldn't be fair if you kept yours…" he said. The girl looked thoughtful for a moment then twisted her arm out of his grip.

"Candy, Candy Andrews." She said and walked off. Theodore was left looking after her.

"Candy…"

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Theodore was tired, Mary Jane had dragged him through out the entire store until she selected the racket she really liked then told the man at the shop to reserve it for her. After that they both left for a burger shop near-by to wait for Annie and Peter who were having trouble getting the movie at the crowded rental shop.

"Umm Mary Jane, do you know of a Candy Andrews?" he asked her. "I know about Rose, but I never heard you mention any Candy Andrews…" Mary Jane Shrugged looking at the menu.

"Dunno and don't care, all Andrews are snobs." She said. An elderly man near-by leaned over and smiled at them.

"I wouldn't say that Candy White Andrews was the best Andrew there ever was." He told her. Then he turned to Theodore.

"Archie, Archie Cornwell. I was a friend of Candy's… she was a nurse during First World War. Really tragic life she led." He said with stars in his eyes. Theodore was confused.

"But I just met Candy, she seems to be my age…" he said. Archie looked at him.

"Candy's been dead for at least two decades…" he said then he peered closely at him. "Terrence?" he asked in a whisper. Theodore shook his head.

"No, I'm Theodore, Terrence's great-grandson… if you're talking about Terrence Grandchester…" he asked. Archie smiled.

"You're his spitting image… yes, I knew your great-grandfather. Went to the same school as him, he and Candy were madly in love… but things were not meant to be…" he said with tears brimming in his eyes. "Poor Candy … first Anthony then Terrence, she had Albert though…" then he seemed to get a sudden chill. "But what about this, you meeting a Candy of your age?" he asked. Theodore shrugged,

"I ran into a girl who said she was Candy Andrews."

Archie smiled. "Aha well… could be her ghost…" he said and winked before getting up and grabbing his walking stick to go home. Mary Jane raised an eyebrow.

"So, the Andrews and the Grandchesters were almost one family, ugh!" she said shrinking back into her chair. Theodore sighed then looked out of the window.

"Umm Mary Jane, hold on… I think I see somebody I know…" he said and ran out of the store to a limousine parked nearby, then he stood in front of it to block a girl from rushing inside.

"So, your name is Candy… I suppose you're her ghost since she died ten years ago." He said. The girl looked up.

"Get lost Terrence… I know you're dead too, years ago at the age of 69!" she said and pushed him away. It was then Theodore realized his mistake. The girl turned around and looked at him. Theodore gulped as he realized he'd forgotten his sunglasses and cap. The girl sniffed. "You're not any Terrence Grandchester, you're Theodore Grandchester! You won an Oscar for Hillside Guns!" she said looking at him with disbelief. Theodore sighed and bent his head down. The girl laughed. "Here…" she tossed him a cap from the car and grinned.

" I want you to call me Candy, I prefer that to any other name…" she said rolling her eyes. Theodore sighed. He saw that she had lightened when she realized he was famous but she still seemed rather unfriendly. Theodore sighed again and rushed back into the burger shop as the limo drove away. Peter and Annie were there by now.

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Theodore had stayed up late that night talking to Peter. They found more things to say now that they had been on each other's company for more than 12 hours.

"Peter, about the Andrews, and Grandchesters, why do they seem to hate each other?" he asked. Peter shrugged.

"I really don't know, Rose is pretty but very snobbish… like the rest of the clan…though the real reason maybe that we lost most of our wealth to them. Sold off property and stuff during the hard times and they brought it all so we're not to keen on them." He said. Theodore nodded understandingly.

" Umm, is there any Andrew girl who calls herself Candy? You know, blond, freckled, around 16-17?" he asked after a moments pause. Peter shook his head.

"No, though the description could fit all the Andrew girls… There's Rose, Janice, Lila, Jade, Ruby and Carla." He said ticking them off on his fingers. "Then there are three boys, Anthony, Carlton, Jacob. Rose is an only child though, the rest are her cousins who are all staying with her at the moment." He said. Theodore sighed. "What about the Cornwells?" he asked. Peter looked blank. "I think they had a connection to the Andrew family as do the Regans." Theodore thought about the girl who named herself Candy then turned to Peter. "Why? Is something the matter Theo? You know you can always talk to me." Said Peter.

"Well, I ran into a guy named Archie Cornwell who went on and on talking about some Candy White Andrews who died ages ago… at the age of 70 or something…. Then this girl I keep running into gives me her name as Candy and I am just so confused since there seems to be no living Candy Andrews at the moment!" he said getting worked up as he explained the situation. Peter smiled.

"Ah, the great Theodore Grandchester, winner of Best Actor for this year's academy award had got a mystery girl in his life… ooh, there are gonna be a lot of heart-broken girls out there. Those poor fans!" he said imitating some commentator on the academy award ceremony. Theodore laughed then stopped.

"She knows me though… and she knows that I'm Theodore Grandchester and she knew that Terrence Grandchester has been dead for ages… Peter, what do you know about great-grandfather?" he asked. Peter thought for a moment.

"Well, I know that he was a great Broadway Star and he married Susannah Marlow when she lost her leg to save his life… he vanished for a few months and there were rumors of his being a drunkard, then he returned. Oh and he was the illegitimate child of Eleanor Baxter that actress… that's all." He said. Theodore nodded "Okay then…"

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The girl, and the boy… they meet…the ballroom is hushed up. I see a familiar face! In the distance, it's that Archie Cornwell… a younger him, he's elegant but disturbed. The girl and the boy stare at each other for a bit, but they're not going to dance. The girl bows her head and the boy lifts up her chin. They're crying… why?

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Theodore awoke to the sound of the TV the next morning sighing he got out of bed and got ready for breakfast. When he got down he noticed that all three of his cousins were staring at the TV as if there was nothing else left on the planet… it took him a moment to realize that it was the 8 o'clock morning news hour and the headlines were upsetting.

"Just this morning, Archie Cornwell, the author of the famous bestseller "Sweet Candy" died of a heart-attack. Aged 98 Archie Cornwell left all of his estates and property to the sole surviving Cornwell, Alistair-Anthony Cornwell aged 20. All the high class families including the Andrews and the Regans from all over the US are arriving for his funeral two days from now…" Theodore's heart stopped. Archie was dead… that dream last night…

"Tsk-tsk, and the Grandchesters won't bother for they hate the Andrews to be in the same place as them," said Mary Jane. Annie frowned.

"Now that's mean MJ, this guy was a nice guy. You know that." She said. Mary Jane scowled and handed Theodore a plate. "My match today…" she said smiling. Theodore nodded and as soon as breakfast was over Mary Jane ushered them all into the car. The driver seemed to be totally relaxed despite Mary Jane's impatience. Once they arrived Theodore found himself stuck in-between a mob of sophisticated club-members. One girl turned around and stared closely at him; then she tugged at her friend's sleeves.

"That guy looks like Theodore Grandchester, doesn't he?" she asked. Theodore turned away and followed Peter to the front. Peter nudged Theodore and pointed to a girl.

"Hey Theodore, have a look at that girl in the front stands…" exclaimed Peter but Theodore wasn't listening, he was concentrating on a particular blonde who was up next.

"It's her… Candy!" he exclaimed. "I mean the girl who said she was Candy. Then to his surprise another girl who looked exactly like her appeared. "And another Candy… what is this?" he asked. Peter looked at them.

"Oh that's Rose, and Jade. They're really close pals… I'm surprised Rose even turned up today. She and Archie were really close... he was like a grandfather to her." He said. Theodore sighed.

"Now I'll never find out who's Candy…" he said sighing then somebody tapped him on the shoulder. He looked around and faced the person.

"That would be Rose, her second name is Candy. Rose Candy White Andrew." Said a boy behind them. Theodore turned around so did Peter. "I would also add that you forget about her because she's off limits, specially to you Grandchesters." He said and flicked his blond hair to one side and walked off. Theodore grimaced. Peter put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry Theo, that girl probably adores you." He said. Theodore shrugged.

"What ever. I'm guessing that was her cousin." He said. Peter shook his head.

"No, that was a Cornwell, Alistair- Anthony Cornwell. And I only thought girls could keep two names." He said laughing. Theodore looked at him.

"But Archie Cornwell died this morning, shouldn't they all be in mourning?" he asked. It was Peter's turn to shrug now.

"Yeah, but they're famous for not starting the actual mourning till the burial. It's how they get time to cancel all engagements and things conveniently. They're a very business like family." He said. Theodore was about to ask another question but the loud speaker interrupted him.

"All spectators will be requested to take their seat. Today's Tennis Competition is…"

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The game was halfway through and Theodore already was bored, the score was 21 to 21 and not a single one of them seemed to be progressing any further. While others were halfway off of their seats in anticipation Theodore felt he would fall asleep just sitting there.

"I'm going for refreshments, Peter." He said and got up. Frankly speaking he found Tennis really boring. All of a sudden he wanted to be acting again… if only he could get back up on stage for something, anything… even a small school play. If it were a movie, he would have come across a theatre poster advertising some companies need for actors and he's have joined up and it would be a typical teenage movie about kids who love to act.

'I'm 17, too old for those types of movies.' He thought as he made his way to the snack shop. He ordered a coke and paid for it. His eye traveled around the grounds until he spotted two figures near a tree. The first one he recognized as Alistair-Anthony Cornwell, the second seemed to be… Annie! He slowly walked up to them trying not to make a sound but before they were in ear-shot Annie noticed him and whispered something into Alistair-Anthony's ear then got up and ran over to Theodore.

"Theo! What about Mary Jane's match? Is it over already?" she asked blocking his view of Alistair-Anthony. Theodore raised an eyebrow.

"Not yet, however…"

"Oh that's too bad. Shall we go see the rest?" she asked looking nervous and desperate. Theodore smiled at her reassuringly.

"Annie it's okay, I don't know Alistair-Anthony so I don't care that you're secretly seeing him." He said hugging her. Annie loosened up and began to cry.

"I don't know what to do Theodore, Grandchesters don't get along with those Cornwells or Andrews… I'm so scared…" she cried "But I think I'm truly in love with this guy." She said. Theodore sighed and sat her down on a bench then got her a coke and sat down next to her.

"Why don't you tell me everything?" he suggested.

To be continued…

A/N: No response, what is this? A dead fandom? Can't be… Candy Candy is something that should last generation after generation until it finally goes under the title of classic! Or is it just that more Candy Candy fans aren't English speaking ones _;; (I like that explanation better, makes the fandom seem less threatened).

Preview of Chapter 3:

"Theodore, honey… Archie Cornwell left you something in his will. He made adjustments to his will the night before he died." Explained Aunt Helen.