Chapter I: The Meeting
"Rose, honey," Ruth called out, "wake up, you'll miss your first day at school." 'Oh, great,' Rose thought silently to herself, she didn't always like going to school. She went to a private school where she had to wear a uniform every school day. This didn't go down well with a girl who liked to wear tees, macro minis, tube tops, jeans, and summer dresses, as well as trendy pants, and other clothes. Sometimes, she just felt like making a fashion statement by coming into homeroom wearing a halter top and a black and short mini skirt, at least, it'd get the boys' attention...
"ROSE, honey, I said come down, you HAVE to go to school!" Ruth, Rose's mother interrupted her thoughts in mid-sentence. 'Boy,' Rose thought begrudgingly to herself, 'sometimes, my mother can be somewhat of a pester!' Her mother was always getting in her way, telling Rose what she thought Rose should do, and honestly, it got on Rose's nerves. There were many times when Rose wanted to do what she wanted to do, and not what her mother wanted to do. Rose sighed, she knew her mother meant well, and wanted the best for her daughter, what with sending Rose to fancy boarding schools all of her life. But, life had gotten hard, emotionally, and financially for Rose and her mother, since her father had died recently. Rose's father had been in business of funding dot.coms, and given the recent failure of many, Rose suspected that, somehow, the DeWitt's had been feeling the financial pinch. Now, Rose's mother never hinted of financial hardship, and financial hardship never reflected in Rose's life, but, somehow, Rose had the niggling feeling that something was not quite right, and that her mother was trying to keep something from Rose, lest it frighten Rose.
Rose realized that when she graduated from high school, she would have to find a job. It wasn't a personal issue of finding independence, it was an issue of helping out at home. Her mother would be better off if she didn't have to help Rose pay for college, and Rose had no intention of burdening her mother. Rose sighed as she looked outside of the window. She was 17, she had just turned 17, and she was a senior in high school. She would graduate from the K-12 system by the end of the year, and not only would she be an adult, looking to go to college, she would be free! She realized that graduating from high school and turning 18, thereby acquiring the legal status of an adult had not only legal implications of being free, it had emotional, and spiritual ones as well! From now on, she would be free to make her own decisions as she pleased, and she would be free to think and act exactly as she pleased. This thought so intoxicated Rose, that at times, she could barely think.
Rose sighed as her mind wandered, 'then there's the issue of love.' she thought to herself, sighing bitterly in frustration. 'Imagine, I'm 17, and about to be let on the world as a full-fledged and mature adult and I have never felt love, let alone, mature love! Damnit! Half of my friends are either engaged or married, and the other half are going steady, and I'm still a spinstress. It's not fair, when does my time come?' This issue had plagued Rose from time to time like heartache. Actually, it stung at her heart, as a thorn would, and it was like a festering wound that would never go away, and that just grew and left a burning and gaping hole deep in her heart in the process. For years, Rose had pined to feel love, the love that would allow her to gain wisdom and insight into herself, 'just one encounter would be enough for me, that's all I would need, no more..' Rose would often find herself saying internally. There was no point in telling her mother about this, her mother would simply say, "Now, Rose, you have your whole life to think about such things, it's best not to be bogged down by such things when you're young." Honestly, sometimes, parents can be such help!
Well, it was time to go to school, so Rose put on her long, dark, navy blue dress, with the sailor pinafore on top of it. I'd like to meet the idiot who thought we'd look cute in sailor uniforms,' Rose thought bitterly to herself. Honestly, Rose would rather wear a cute sweater and low cut jeans to school, along with tennis shoes, and not this get up!
Well, Rose grabbed her knapsack, and flew down the stairs. She had made a personal promise to herself not to be a baby and take the bus to school, so she walked. She opened the front door, and took great care to lock it behind her. She remembered that her mother always threw a fit when she failed to do so. She had walked no more than a few steps away from her door, when she saw a car pull up. IT was Mandy! Mandy said, "hey Rose, you look very lonely, would you like a ride to school?" Boy would she! Rose eagerly hopped in the passenger seat of the car. Rose curiously stared out the car window, as she always did when she wasn't driving. Five minutes went by, and they were at school. "Rose," Mandy asked, "You have your license, why don't you drive to school." Rose quietly mumbled under her breath, "I was getting late for school, and I didn't want to take my car out of the garage." Mandy said, "Well, if you ever need another ride to or from school, just holler." Rose said, "Thanks." Both of them got out of the car.
Rose walked down the lawn to the foyer, where all of the lockers were. She had to put her knapsack and lunch and other belongings in her locker. The teachers in homeroom only allowed students to have pens, erasers, pencils, and binders in homeroom. They were quite finicky about this as well, and wrote up any student who did not comply. Rose looked up, and was quite taken by amazement. Suddenly, she saw a very charming, attractive, and romantic man standing right in front of her. Her heart fluttered, and her head spun and whirred with excitement. She could feel her body temperature dropping, and her palms become quite sweaty. This man was wearing tailored, smart, black dress clothes. 'Why, he looks like a gentleman from old days,' Rose excitedly thought to herself, 'Oh my god, is he my Prince Charming, I never believed a story book romance could actually happen, is he going to be the one who sweeps me off of my feet!"
The man approached her, he smiled, and gave her a very charming smile, "Hello, my name is Cal Calvert he said, how do you do, my lady?" HE was looking quite flirtatively in Rose's eyes, and this made her heart melt. She stuttered, "My, my name is Rose!" She could feel the words gush awkwardly out of her mouth. Rose looked at Cal up close. He cut a devilishly romantic figure. HE was quite seductive, and had a way to drive a lady crazy by just looking at her. He had piercing dark eyes, that just seemed to stare right at a person's soul. He had black hair that was smartly cut to give him a very sexy look. And the way he carried himself, it just made Rose faint. Rose could sense that there was something devilish about him, and this made her even more excited about meeting him. Rose giggled in glee. Cal looked her straight in the eye with his romantic eyes, "so, I suppose we should meet over lunch in the foyer, I suppose it's a date." Then he smiled and gave Rose a look that made her heart run. Rose sighed. She walked to homeroom feeling as though she was on cloud nine.
Rose was about to realize, over the course of a year that looks and appearances can be deceiving. IF she had not been so overcome by Cal's outward appearances, she would have caught on to the fact that there was something about him that was just not right, just not decent. The fact that she could sense that there was something devilish about him should have given it away. But Rose was too smitten by the fact that she had finally met her man to care too much. But then Rose was young and naieve, and no one had taught her to watch out for wolfs in life, this was just something that she would have to learn by herself. After all, it was going to be an experience that would make her the independent woman she so longed to be! In the process, Rose would find out what true love was and meant, and she would find out some interesting surprises about life as well, that would mature her and make her grow.
"Rose, honey," Ruth called out, "wake up, you'll miss your first day at school." 'Oh, great,' Rose thought silently to herself, she didn't always like going to school. She went to a private school where she had to wear a uniform every school day. This didn't go down well with a girl who liked to wear tees, macro minis, tube tops, jeans, and summer dresses, as well as trendy pants, and other clothes. Sometimes, she just felt like making a fashion statement by coming into homeroom wearing a halter top and a black and short mini skirt, at least, it'd get the boys' attention...
"ROSE, honey, I said come down, you HAVE to go to school!" Ruth, Rose's mother interrupted her thoughts in mid-sentence. 'Boy,' Rose thought begrudgingly to herself, 'sometimes, my mother can be somewhat of a pester!' Her mother was always getting in her way, telling Rose what she thought Rose should do, and honestly, it got on Rose's nerves. There were many times when Rose wanted to do what she wanted to do, and not what her mother wanted to do. Rose sighed, she knew her mother meant well, and wanted the best for her daughter, what with sending Rose to fancy boarding schools all of her life. But, life had gotten hard, emotionally, and financially for Rose and her mother, since her father had died recently. Rose's father had been in business of funding dot.coms, and given the recent failure of many, Rose suspected that, somehow, the DeWitt's had been feeling the financial pinch. Now, Rose's mother never hinted of financial hardship, and financial hardship never reflected in Rose's life, but, somehow, Rose had the niggling feeling that something was not quite right, and that her mother was trying to keep something from Rose, lest it frighten Rose.
Rose realized that when she graduated from high school, she would have to find a job. It wasn't a personal issue of finding independence, it was an issue of helping out at home. Her mother would be better off if she didn't have to help Rose pay for college, and Rose had no intention of burdening her mother. Rose sighed as she looked outside of the window. She was 17, she had just turned 17, and she was a senior in high school. She would graduate from the K-12 system by the end of the year, and not only would she be an adult, looking to go to college, she would be free! She realized that graduating from high school and turning 18, thereby acquiring the legal status of an adult had not only legal implications of being free, it had emotional, and spiritual ones as well! From now on, she would be free to make her own decisions as she pleased, and she would be free to think and act exactly as she pleased. This thought so intoxicated Rose, that at times, she could barely think.
Rose sighed as her mind wandered, 'then there's the issue of love.' she thought to herself, sighing bitterly in frustration. 'Imagine, I'm 17, and about to be let on the world as a full-fledged and mature adult and I have never felt love, let alone, mature love! Damnit! Half of my friends are either engaged or married, and the other half are going steady, and I'm still a spinstress. It's not fair, when does my time come?' This issue had plagued Rose from time to time like heartache. Actually, it stung at her heart, as a thorn would, and it was like a festering wound that would never go away, and that just grew and left a burning and gaping hole deep in her heart in the process. For years, Rose had pined to feel love, the love that would allow her to gain wisdom and insight into herself, 'just one encounter would be enough for me, that's all I would need, no more..' Rose would often find herself saying internally. There was no point in telling her mother about this, her mother would simply say, "Now, Rose, you have your whole life to think about such things, it's best not to be bogged down by such things when you're young." Honestly, sometimes, parents can be such help!
Well, it was time to go to school, so Rose put on her long, dark, navy blue dress, with the sailor pinafore on top of it. I'd like to meet the idiot who thought we'd look cute in sailor uniforms,' Rose thought bitterly to herself. Honestly, Rose would rather wear a cute sweater and low cut jeans to school, along with tennis shoes, and not this get up!
Well, Rose grabbed her knapsack, and flew down the stairs. She had made a personal promise to herself not to be a baby and take the bus to school, so she walked. She opened the front door, and took great care to lock it behind her. She remembered that her mother always threw a fit when she failed to do so. She had walked no more than a few steps away from her door, when she saw a car pull up. IT was Mandy! Mandy said, "hey Rose, you look very lonely, would you like a ride to school?" Boy would she! Rose eagerly hopped in the passenger seat of the car. Rose curiously stared out the car window, as she always did when she wasn't driving. Five minutes went by, and they were at school. "Rose," Mandy asked, "You have your license, why don't you drive to school." Rose quietly mumbled under her breath, "I was getting late for school, and I didn't want to take my car out of the garage." Mandy said, "Well, if you ever need another ride to or from school, just holler." Rose said, "Thanks." Both of them got out of the car.
Rose walked down the lawn to the foyer, where all of the lockers were. She had to put her knapsack and lunch and other belongings in her locker. The teachers in homeroom only allowed students to have pens, erasers, pencils, and binders in homeroom. They were quite finicky about this as well, and wrote up any student who did not comply. Rose looked up, and was quite taken by amazement. Suddenly, she saw a very charming, attractive, and romantic man standing right in front of her. Her heart fluttered, and her head spun and whirred with excitement. She could feel her body temperature dropping, and her palms become quite sweaty. This man was wearing tailored, smart, black dress clothes. 'Why, he looks like a gentleman from old days,' Rose excitedly thought to herself, 'Oh my god, is he my Prince Charming, I never believed a story book romance could actually happen, is he going to be the one who sweeps me off of my feet!"
The man approached her, he smiled, and gave her a very charming smile, "Hello, my name is Cal Calvert he said, how do you do, my lady?" HE was looking quite flirtatively in Rose's eyes, and this made her heart melt. She stuttered, "My, my name is Rose!" She could feel the words gush awkwardly out of her mouth. Rose looked at Cal up close. He cut a devilishly romantic figure. HE was quite seductive, and had a way to drive a lady crazy by just looking at her. He had piercing dark eyes, that just seemed to stare right at a person's soul. He had black hair that was smartly cut to give him a very sexy look. And the way he carried himself, it just made Rose faint. Rose could sense that there was something devilish about him, and this made her even more excited about meeting him. Rose giggled in glee. Cal looked her straight in the eye with his romantic eyes, "so, I suppose we should meet over lunch in the foyer, I suppose it's a date." Then he smiled and gave Rose a look that made her heart run. Rose sighed. She walked to homeroom feeling as though she was on cloud nine.
Rose was about to realize, over the course of a year that looks and appearances can be deceiving. IF she had not been so overcome by Cal's outward appearances, she would have caught on to the fact that there was something about him that was just not right, just not decent. The fact that she could sense that there was something devilish about him should have given it away. But Rose was too smitten by the fact that she had finally met her man to care too much. But then Rose was young and naieve, and no one had taught her to watch out for wolfs in life, this was just something that she would have to learn by herself. After all, it was going to be an experience that would make her the independent woman she so longed to be! In the process, Rose would find out what true love was and meant, and she would find out some interesting surprises about life as well, that would mature her and make her grow.