Rosie Gadry ran out the front door of her house and charged down the steps before realizing she forgot her lunch and had to turn around and go back in. She couldn't contain her excitement, she hadn't seen her best friend and crush Rafe McCawley all summer because her father had sent her to spend it with her grandmother Agnes. And she thought if she didn't get to see him soon she'd burst. After grabbing her sack lunch for the fridge she set off in a sprint again out of the house.
It was the first day of ninth grade, the first day at Shelby High. Rosanna short legs pumped as fast as they were capable of going and as the school came into view they pumped even harder. Her wavy brown hair was a mess when she came to a stop at the front of the school, her dark eyes scanning the crowd of teens for the faces of her friends, Rafe and Danny Walker. The two boys had been like the other two peas in her pod since she met them in kindergarten and she wasn't about to walk into the building without them.
"Hey Ro!" Rosie spun around quickly to be face to face with Rafe, she wasn't sure how he managed it, but some how they boy got even better looking over that summer. She was all smiles until her eyes fell on the slender face with crystal blue eyes framed in think black curls.
"Rosie you know Darlene Chavez, don't?" Rafe pulled the raven haired girl to his side.
"Yeah I know her." Rosie grumbled kicking some dirt, causing a dust cloud to encircle the bottom of Darlene's dress.
"Cut it out Rosanna, this is a new dress." The girl shrieked
"Oh sorry." Rosie looked down at her hands and stalked off hoping she'd run into Danny and his girlfriend Elizabeth Sullivan. Beth may have been a snob, but Rosie would take her over whatever trollop Rafe was dating any day. Unfortunately she was flying solo that morning.
By fourth period Rosie was just about ready to drop out of school, Danny was off in his own little world with Beth, no one in the entire town knew what the beautiful and classy mayor's daughter saw in a shy farm boy like Danny but two were inseparable and had been together for over a year at that point, long in the line of middle school romances. Rosie didn't want to interrupt them and she certainly wasn't about to go near Rafe when he had his girlfriend around so she took her lunch outside to be alone.
So much for the warm welcome she'd been hoping for, she'd spent her whole summer dreaming about coming home and having Rafe pick her up and spin her around babbling about how he missed her. But it was just a child like fantasy, she'd always be the person he came to when he and Danny couldn't figure out why the car wouldn't start or needed another person to play football with, girls like Darlene Chavez were the one's that he'd fall for.
Girls all with some deep underlying evilness that only she could see at first and then suddenly the tragic flaw would be revealed to the world. Rafe would run to her and she'd tell him he could do better then whatever jezebel had broken his heart, the entire time secretly wishing he'd realize one day it was here he was meant for the whole time. But Rosie was a smart girl and while she'd loved him from the very first day she met him, when he saved her from a bully in kindergarten, she knew she wasn't his kind of girl. Sure she wanted to be with him with everything in her heart but above all else she wanted him to be happy.
Rosanna was sitting outside on the grassy lawn near the football field minding her own business and eating her lunch when a shadow fell over her.
"Rafe and I went out all summer while you were away you know." Darlene proclaimed standing over Rosie with her hands on her hips
"That's nice Darlene." Rosie answered with her mouth full of bologna and cheese
"Yuck you really are disgusting Rosanna. And to think all Rafe did was talk about you all vacation. Not that I can figure out why when he had me."
"Well I wish I could help you Darlene but I can't figure that boy out anymore then you can."
"Oh stop with the nonsense, you know him better then anyone else, well expect maybe Danny, but I'm the girl in his life now so just stay away from him."
"That's what I was tryin' to do, now I think I hafta go tell him what type of person you are."
"You're pathetic. And you know what else you're never gonna have Rafe, not matter how long you follow him around like a lost little puppy dog. He doesn't like grease monkey's with no class."
Rosie shook her head and stood up attempting to walk away but Darlene grabbed her shoulder
"I'm not done with you yet." She jerked Rosie to a halt, bad move.
"Hey have either of you seen Darlene or Ro any where?" Rafe jogged up behind his best friend in hallway on the way to the cafeteria.
"I haven't, have you Beth?" Danny turned his head to the pretty blonde standing close to his side
"No I haven't, she's probably out tuning an engine or playing softball or something." The mayor's daughter scoffed before being stabbed with the daggers shooting from Rafe's eyes.
"Rafe, Rosanna Gadry is about to beat the tar outa your girlfriend." Johnny Porter panted as he raced past the three friends in a mad dash to get out the football field and witness the action
"Oh shit." Rafe yelled hurtling after him
When Rafe, Danny and Beth made it out to the school yard a congregation had already started to form around the wrestling girls. Rafe knew first hand what kind of power one of Rosie's punches contained, he was the one that taught her to fight to begin with, so he hoped she hadn't already killed his girlfriend. He and Danny charge through the crowd, Danny getting Darlene from behind and Rafe grabbing Rosie around the waist.
"Put me down!" She screamed trying to kick free of his grasp
"Not until you promise to calm down." McCawley stated tossing her over his shoulder
"Alright who started this?" Danny queried with a sigh
"Everybody go back to your lives." Beth commanded shooing the onlookers
"She's a lovely girl." The snide comment came from one of the snots of Shelby High
To which Beth countered with
"Yes she is, isn't she? Ah, but we're afraid she has a homicidal streak."
"She started it." Both Rosie and Darlene accused
"Oh boy." Danny sighed again
"Rafe McCawley you put me down right now." Rosie ordered kicking him in the side
"Ro, knock it off." He jostled his shoulders to bounce her around a bit
"Rafe!!!." She snarled slapping him in the back of the head, which he ignored
"Darlene why did you do it?" Rafe inquired still holding his friend like a sack of potatoes
"Me, why do you assume it was me?" Darlene gasped wide eyed
"Cuz if Ro here had," He smacked her behind causing her to yelp "she'd be bragging about it. She doesn't lie to me about anything."
"Oh pooh on you Rafe McCawley. If you love Rosanna Gadry so much why don't you just marry her?" Darlene growled and then stormed off
"Um guys we have class in two minutes." Beth announced looking at her diamond studded gold watch
"Right, best not to be late on the first day." Danny agreed causing them to all head back toward the main building
"Um Rafe can you put me down now?" Rosie requested still hanging from his shoulder
"Be quiet you." He laughed as he patted her butt again.
For the rest of the day Rosie was the talk in every class, not just because she'd been in a fight on her first day but because she'd broken up Rafe and Darlene. The two that were set to be the freshmen classes power couple. It wasn't like she was some home wrecker, she didn't mean to get in the middle of Rafe and his new girl. It just sort of turned out that way, every time. The other girl was always jealous of the dark haired beauty that occupied more of their man's time then they did, even if she was a tomboy.
By the end of the day the entire incident had been blown way out of proportion. In one tale Rosie had a broken nose and Rafe told her he'd chose Darlene over her. Guess who came up with that one. Rosie couldn't handle it, she was so unnerved all she wanted to do was go home. When the bell rang to signal the release of the students she nearly turned a summersault.
Half way up the road from the school she heard the familiar gait running up quickly in her direction and she kicked a nearby rock. No exactly the person she wanted to see right then.
"Why didn't you wait for us?" A male voice asked as the person fell into step beside of her
"Just wanna be alone." Rosie mumbled
"So ya don't want any company"
"No thanks."
"Ro, get over it, I'm gonna walk with ya anyway." Rafe bumped her hip lightly
"Where's Beth and Danny?" The girl asked swinging her arms as they walked
"When I told them I was gonna go looking for ya they said they'd let us be alone. So tell me what happened today Ro? You never snap like that no matter how mad ya get."
"Darlene was just bein' Darlene."
"Could you be a little more specific, I'm not a mind reader."
"She was just sayin' that she was the girl in your life now, that you didn't need me anymore. I know I shouldn't have let it bother me but ya know, it just did…"
"Oh come on Ro, you know no matter who I'm datin' you're still the girl in my life. Those girls come and go but you've been then before em all and you'll be there along time to come." He squeezed her hand lightly
"Thanks Rafe."
"No problem. I missed you a whole lot this summer, but you uh grew quite a bit over the time you was away."
Rosie tried to contain the redness in her cheeks, he was right while she was with her grandmother she's filled out rather well. Her skin turned to a fine and delicate peaches and cream completion, her eyes got more of a sparkle and her hair got all shiny. If it wasn't for the overalls and boots she seemed to be wearing more often then not, Rosie would've been a very cute girl.
"Uh yeah I did." She giggled bashfully "I missed you too, oh crap I'm late for work at Daddy's shop." She lied and took off like a shot. That was one hell of a first day of school
It was the first day of ninth grade, the first day at Shelby High. Rosanna short legs pumped as fast as they were capable of going and as the school came into view they pumped even harder. Her wavy brown hair was a mess when she came to a stop at the front of the school, her dark eyes scanning the crowd of teens for the faces of her friends, Rafe and Danny Walker. The two boys had been like the other two peas in her pod since she met them in kindergarten and she wasn't about to walk into the building without them.
"Hey Ro!" Rosie spun around quickly to be face to face with Rafe, she wasn't sure how he managed it, but some how they boy got even better looking over that summer. She was all smiles until her eyes fell on the slender face with crystal blue eyes framed in think black curls.
"Rosie you know Darlene Chavez, don't?" Rafe pulled the raven haired girl to his side.
"Yeah I know her." Rosie grumbled kicking some dirt, causing a dust cloud to encircle the bottom of Darlene's dress.
"Cut it out Rosanna, this is a new dress." The girl shrieked
"Oh sorry." Rosie looked down at her hands and stalked off hoping she'd run into Danny and his girlfriend Elizabeth Sullivan. Beth may have been a snob, but Rosie would take her over whatever trollop Rafe was dating any day. Unfortunately she was flying solo that morning.
By fourth period Rosie was just about ready to drop out of school, Danny was off in his own little world with Beth, no one in the entire town knew what the beautiful and classy mayor's daughter saw in a shy farm boy like Danny but two were inseparable and had been together for over a year at that point, long in the line of middle school romances. Rosie didn't want to interrupt them and she certainly wasn't about to go near Rafe when he had his girlfriend around so she took her lunch outside to be alone.
So much for the warm welcome she'd been hoping for, she'd spent her whole summer dreaming about coming home and having Rafe pick her up and spin her around babbling about how he missed her. But it was just a child like fantasy, she'd always be the person he came to when he and Danny couldn't figure out why the car wouldn't start or needed another person to play football with, girls like Darlene Chavez were the one's that he'd fall for.
Girls all with some deep underlying evilness that only she could see at first and then suddenly the tragic flaw would be revealed to the world. Rafe would run to her and she'd tell him he could do better then whatever jezebel had broken his heart, the entire time secretly wishing he'd realize one day it was here he was meant for the whole time. But Rosie was a smart girl and while she'd loved him from the very first day she met him, when he saved her from a bully in kindergarten, she knew she wasn't his kind of girl. Sure she wanted to be with him with everything in her heart but above all else she wanted him to be happy.
Rosanna was sitting outside on the grassy lawn near the football field minding her own business and eating her lunch when a shadow fell over her.
"Rafe and I went out all summer while you were away you know." Darlene proclaimed standing over Rosie with her hands on her hips
"That's nice Darlene." Rosie answered with her mouth full of bologna and cheese
"Yuck you really are disgusting Rosanna. And to think all Rafe did was talk about you all vacation. Not that I can figure out why when he had me."
"Well I wish I could help you Darlene but I can't figure that boy out anymore then you can."
"Oh stop with the nonsense, you know him better then anyone else, well expect maybe Danny, but I'm the girl in his life now so just stay away from him."
"That's what I was tryin' to do, now I think I hafta go tell him what type of person you are."
"You're pathetic. And you know what else you're never gonna have Rafe, not matter how long you follow him around like a lost little puppy dog. He doesn't like grease monkey's with no class."
Rosie shook her head and stood up attempting to walk away but Darlene grabbed her shoulder
"I'm not done with you yet." She jerked Rosie to a halt, bad move.
"Hey have either of you seen Darlene or Ro any where?" Rafe jogged up behind his best friend in hallway on the way to the cafeteria.
"I haven't, have you Beth?" Danny turned his head to the pretty blonde standing close to his side
"No I haven't, she's probably out tuning an engine or playing softball or something." The mayor's daughter scoffed before being stabbed with the daggers shooting from Rafe's eyes.
"Rafe, Rosanna Gadry is about to beat the tar outa your girlfriend." Johnny Porter panted as he raced past the three friends in a mad dash to get out the football field and witness the action
"Oh shit." Rafe yelled hurtling after him
When Rafe, Danny and Beth made it out to the school yard a congregation had already started to form around the wrestling girls. Rafe knew first hand what kind of power one of Rosie's punches contained, he was the one that taught her to fight to begin with, so he hoped she hadn't already killed his girlfriend. He and Danny charge through the crowd, Danny getting Darlene from behind and Rafe grabbing Rosie around the waist.
"Put me down!" She screamed trying to kick free of his grasp
"Not until you promise to calm down." McCawley stated tossing her over his shoulder
"Alright who started this?" Danny queried with a sigh
"Everybody go back to your lives." Beth commanded shooing the onlookers
"She's a lovely girl." The snide comment came from one of the snots of Shelby High
To which Beth countered with
"Yes she is, isn't she? Ah, but we're afraid she has a homicidal streak."
"She started it." Both Rosie and Darlene accused
"Oh boy." Danny sighed again
"Rafe McCawley you put me down right now." Rosie ordered kicking him in the side
"Ro, knock it off." He jostled his shoulders to bounce her around a bit
"Rafe!!!." She snarled slapping him in the back of the head, which he ignored
"Darlene why did you do it?" Rafe inquired still holding his friend like a sack of potatoes
"Me, why do you assume it was me?" Darlene gasped wide eyed
"Cuz if Ro here had," He smacked her behind causing her to yelp "she'd be bragging about it. She doesn't lie to me about anything."
"Oh pooh on you Rafe McCawley. If you love Rosanna Gadry so much why don't you just marry her?" Darlene growled and then stormed off
"Um guys we have class in two minutes." Beth announced looking at her diamond studded gold watch
"Right, best not to be late on the first day." Danny agreed causing them to all head back toward the main building
"Um Rafe can you put me down now?" Rosie requested still hanging from his shoulder
"Be quiet you." He laughed as he patted her butt again.
For the rest of the day Rosie was the talk in every class, not just because she'd been in a fight on her first day but because she'd broken up Rafe and Darlene. The two that were set to be the freshmen classes power couple. It wasn't like she was some home wrecker, she didn't mean to get in the middle of Rafe and his new girl. It just sort of turned out that way, every time. The other girl was always jealous of the dark haired beauty that occupied more of their man's time then they did, even if she was a tomboy.
By the end of the day the entire incident had been blown way out of proportion. In one tale Rosie had a broken nose and Rafe told her he'd chose Darlene over her. Guess who came up with that one. Rosie couldn't handle it, she was so unnerved all she wanted to do was go home. When the bell rang to signal the release of the students she nearly turned a summersault.
Half way up the road from the school she heard the familiar gait running up quickly in her direction and she kicked a nearby rock. No exactly the person she wanted to see right then.
"Why didn't you wait for us?" A male voice asked as the person fell into step beside of her
"Just wanna be alone." Rosie mumbled
"So ya don't want any company"
"No thanks."
"Ro, get over it, I'm gonna walk with ya anyway." Rafe bumped her hip lightly
"Where's Beth and Danny?" The girl asked swinging her arms as they walked
"When I told them I was gonna go looking for ya they said they'd let us be alone. So tell me what happened today Ro? You never snap like that no matter how mad ya get."
"Darlene was just bein' Darlene."
"Could you be a little more specific, I'm not a mind reader."
"She was just sayin' that she was the girl in your life now, that you didn't need me anymore. I know I shouldn't have let it bother me but ya know, it just did…"
"Oh come on Ro, you know no matter who I'm datin' you're still the girl in my life. Those girls come and go but you've been then before em all and you'll be there along time to come." He squeezed her hand lightly
"Thanks Rafe."
"No problem. I missed you a whole lot this summer, but you uh grew quite a bit over the time you was away."
Rosie tried to contain the redness in her cheeks, he was right while she was with her grandmother she's filled out rather well. Her skin turned to a fine and delicate peaches and cream completion, her eyes got more of a sparkle and her hair got all shiny. If it wasn't for the overalls and boots she seemed to be wearing more often then not, Rosie would've been a very cute girl.
"Uh yeah I did." She giggled bashfully "I missed you too, oh crap I'm late for work at Daddy's shop." She lied and took off like a shot. That was one hell of a first day of school