Disclaimer: see first chapter

Rosethorn hated the place where she lived. /there's nothing to do here!/ she thought, as she walked in the park near her house/café. As she walked, she passed a mother playing with her children and Rosethorn smiled forcefully. /I wonder if my mother ever thinks of me? He baby girl. Probably not, dad says she's a snob/ She sighed and sat down in the gazebo, leaning back against the wood, and closed her eyes.

"Hay, are you okay?" a voice said. Rosethorn opened her eyes and say it was the hippie from the café, Layla.

"sigh ya" she responded.

"I'm Layla. Do you live around here as well Rose?" Layla asked innocently. Rosethorn winced at the nickname, and glared at the way to chipper girl.

"Don't call me Rose. I know who you are, you introduced me to everyone at the table when you ate at me café yesterday, remember?" Rosethorn said, "and my house is right on top of the café, dad figures it'll be easier to operate that way." Rosethorn stood up and looked at the girl.

"What about your mother?" She asked, again a completely innocent question.

"My parents got a divorce, she doesn't live with us" The girl standing in front of Rosethorn seemed generally intrigued.

"What do you want?" Rosethorn asked, suspiciously.

"To be your friend" Layla said, taken back by her tone.

"Nobody just wants to be my friend, so what do you want?"

"Come on. Why wouldn't people want to be your friend?"

"Because they don't, you'd have to ask them for the exact reasons"

"but I want to be your friend, we all do. Well maybe not Warren, but he's. . ." Layla begin

"complicated?" Rosethorn offered, "Wouldn't have guessed, it's not like he's obviously ant-social, or anything." Layla laughed.

"Come on! Please? We're hanging out at Wills, think of this as a welcome to the neighborhood type thing?" Layla pleaded, forcefully. When rosethorn didn't answer, she took it as a yes

"Great! Come on!" She said and dragged Rosethorn away.

At Wills house

Layla opened the door and walked in, but Rosethorn stayed outside.

"Will? Where are you? I have someone for you to meet" Layla said

"He's met me before" Rosethorn said weakly.

"Layla? We're in the Living room" Will shouted. Layla grabbed Rosethorns arm and pulled her into said living room

"everybody this is Rosethorn, Rosethorn this is everybody" layla said, taking a seat next to Will

"hi" rosethorn said, shyly

"Hay Rosy! Sit down, umm, next to Warren, it's the only free seat." The blond, Zach, said. Rosethorn sighed and sat down. Warren moved away from her.

"Don't call me Rosy, or Rose. Alright? If you have to shorten my name, it's Thorn." She said

"Thorn is it?" a voiced asked. She looked around and say a man and a women standing near the front doorway.

"Mom, Dad!" Will said, surprise, "umm, this is Rosethorn Drake, her father opened a café near the paper lantern, she's the one I was talking about. The one who thinks That the Commander and Jetstream are in league with the robots." Will hurried to explain, hoping his parents catch on.

"Oh. . . OH! Her, well, umm, everyone's entitled to their own opinion, I guess. Will can I see you in the kitchen?" his dad said.

"Sure" Will said. Thorn was confused.

"Why did he bring that up?" Thorn asked

"his parents are huge Commander and Jetstream Fans" Warren said, looking at the cards in his hand.

"Oh." She said, also looking at his hand, "I'd fold if I was you" he looked up and raised an eye brow, and she nodded vigorously.

With Will

"Why is she here?" Wills dad asked.

"Layla brought her. He told me she found thorn in the park, by herself, and decided to be her friend. Layla's like that." Will said.

"You said your self she doesn't believe in superhero's, and besides she's not. . . in your school" Mr. Stronghold said

"Dad, I can have friends that aren't. . . in my school" Will said, upset.

"Fine, but she isn't allowed anywhere else besides the living room and the kitchen, understand, good" and he left, leaving Will alone in the kitchen.

When Will returned to the living room, Warren and Thorn were arguing about the game.

"You should fold" Thorn said, mater-of-fact-ly.

"You told me that last time" he growled out, glaring at her.

"Well last time all you had was a Jack and a five, how was I to know that the river would be a Jack? But this time you should fold" Warren glared at her, and looked at Zack, Ethan and Layla

"I'm all in" he said, Zack and Ethan folded immediately, but layla, went all in too

"bad move Warren" she said, as she turned the river card. Warren had an Ace and a two of Diamonds, and there were an ace and a two on the board. Layla had two kings, a was riding the river. Layla flipped the cards and. . .

"Told you ya should have folded, three of a kind beats two pair." Thorn said, then dove for cover when warren lunged for her. BEEP BEEP, BEEP BEEP, BEEP BEEP,

"Stupid watch. I have to go, guys," Thorn said looking at her watch, "I had to be home five minuets ago. Thanks for the invite Layla" she said, getting ready to leave.

"No problem. Hay!" she said, jumping up and running for the hall way. She grabbed Thorn by the shoulders "what's you phone number? This way we can call you when we're having another get together" she smiled brightly. Thorn smiled back, slightly. And wrote her number on a piece of paper in her pocket.

"Nice! Do you want someone to walk you home, Will, or Warren?" She asked, concerned, when she looked at the clock.

"No, I'll be fine, thanks any way" Thorn said and walked out of the house

"okay, Bye then!" layla shouted from the door. Rosethorn turned around and waved at her, then ran off in the direction of her house, unaware she was being watched. Thorn slowed down after an few minuets and started walking. As she walked, she though about her new friends, /maybe we really have a chance to start over, Layla and her friend are nice enough/ and then a poem she read last night suddenly assaulted her thoughts:

TO A FRIEND

You entered my life in a casual way

and saw at a glance, what I needed

There were others who passed me or met me each day

But never a one of them heeded.

Perhaps you were thinking of other folks more

Or chance simply seemed to decree it;

I know there were many chances before,

But the others, well they didn't see it.

You said just the thing that I wished you would say

and you made me believe that you meant it;

I held up my head in the old gallant way

and resolved you should never repent it.

There are times when encouragement means such a lot

and a word is enough to convey it,

There were others who could have, as easy as not -

but, just the same, they didn't say it.

There may have been someone who could have done more

To help me along, though I doubt it;

What I needed was cheering, and always before

They had let me plod onward without it.

You helped to refashion the dream of my heart,

And made me turn eagerly to it;

There were others who might have (I question that part)

But, after all, they didn't do it.

By: Grace Stricker Dawson