Things remained pretty much the same throughout February and into March; Rose was unaware of how self-destructive her habit was becoming, and her transgressions didn't fad, not even when she and Roxy were asked to go to John and Jane's for an early birthday celebration.
turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering tentacleTherapist [TT]
TG: so you going to johns birthday thing
TT: yeee!
TG: oh so DRUNK rose is coming
TT: Dav don be silly
TT: I yam fine
TG: dude rose you gotta knock that shit off
TG: you gotta know its not right to show up drunk to one of your best friends birthday party
TG: youre too smart for this i just dont understand how you dont see theres a problem
TT: maybe i do
TT: maybe i jus don like thinkin so much
TT: bein all overanalytical and shit
TT: is the only way to get my brain to shut up
TG: why would you
TG: ugh
TG: nevermind
TG: just let me know when you get the sense knocked back into you
turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering tentacleTherapist [TT]
Rose frowned at her phone. Maybe… maybe Dave was right. The truth was that Rose didn't really know why she'd continued drinking so much. She couldn't find any more excuses. At first, it was to ease her nerves, especially when she actually thought about her relationship with Kanaya, and now they were girlfriends officially. Then it was to dull her concerns, knowing about the Gamzee and Terezi thing. After a while, it became a way to stifle her tendency to overthink, as she'd just explained to Dave. But now? Rose hated to admit it to herself, but it was just relaxing, and fun, and she understood why Roxy had become so reliant on it as a coping mechanism, but Rose just couldn't bring herself to stop. Roxy poked her head inside Rose's room.
"You ready to go, Rose?" Roxy asked, trying to mask her concern at seeing her baby sister looking forlorn with a bottle of rum in her hand.
"Hmm? Oh yeah. Les go."
Roxy pursed her lips. She wanted to help Rose in the same way Rose had helped her, but Jane's birthday party certainly didn't seem like the place to do so, so Roxy pushed her concern into the back of her mind and had fun with her friends. It really was a small party, just the eight kids and John and Jane's dads, who left them alone for the most part. They played Cards Against Humanity and had pizza and cake as they did so, playing a game which Roxy referred to as a game of "know your audience."
"Okay, okay… the black cared was, 'You have my sword.' 'And you have my bow.' 'And my blank!'" Roxy read before flipping through what everyone had played. "Alright… pfft, what the fuck? And my penis pendants, oh my lord, you guys. 'Goat-skin thongs,' nah. 'Poo shaped gummies,' nah. 'Lesbian stepmom'…" Roxy's voice trailed off, thinking of her own mother, who was almost certainly not straight. "Damn, hitting a little close to home there. And then there's 'Japanese handjobs' which I'm not sure what that means, 'ass orgasms'… is that even possible? And…" Oh. Oh, yes. Roxy laughed to herself. "Oh my God." She laughed even more, tipping herself over a bit. "'You have my sword. And you have my bow. And my firm buttocks.' Firm buttocks is clearly best weapon; who played this?" Roxy grinned at Dirk, and as it turned out, her guess was correct, as Dirk reached out for the black card.
"Thank you," he said, a little smirk appearing on his face. Roxy was glad to see him in a better mood. Ever since he and Dave moved out of He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named's apartment (and he was referred to as such by the Lalondes because every time his name was uttered while their mother was within earshot, she went off on a two-hour tirade) both of them appeared to be in a much better place, mentally, and Dirk and Jake were on better terms as well, though if things were headed back towards a relationship, Dirk was being somewhat secretive about it.
The other more memorable Cards Against Humanity plays that evening were "This is the prime of my life. I'm young, hot, and full of poor life choices" from Rose (and yes, she did consider all of those things to be true, especially after having reconsidered the nature of her addiction), "If God didn't want us to enjoy the size of my penis, he shouldn't have given us the whole goddamned thing," which Jade claimed was a "very Dave answer" and was correct, and Jake's combination of "one trillion dollars + vigilante justice = BATMAN!"
Roxy's demeanor changed when she got back home with Rose. Rose fell onto the couch, and Roxy wanted to say something, but she wasn't really sure where to even start, so she messaged Calliope instead, in the hopes of finding some emotional support.
tipsyGnostalgic [TG] began pestering uranianUmbra [UU]
TG: callie
TG: can you come over bae
TG: i gotta talk bout some stuff
TG: also you weren't at jane's party and i miss you 3
UU: ^_^
UU: I'd love to see you too, Roxy
UU: But I'm a bit, uh…
UU: Preoccupied.
TG: oh
TG: i could come over later, that's an option too
UU: Roxy, I can't today.
UU: I'm sorry.
TG: aw
TG: is okay
TG: we jus haven't done anything outside of class together since minigolf and that was like two weeks ago
TG: an i'm worried about rose, i dunno how to talk to her
UU: Why, what's happening with Rose?
TG: :((((
TG: i would rather talk about it in person
TG: you SURE i can't see you today?
UU: Quite sure.
UU: You see...
UU: I am in the hospital right now.
TG: WHAT
tipsyGnostalgic [TG] began pestering gutsyGumshoe [GG]
TG: JANE OMG
TG: HUGE EMERGENCY
TG: OH MY GOD
TG: FUCKING SHIT
GG: Roxy, what's going on?
TG: OMG NO IM THE WORST
GG: Please, calm down and tell me what is happening.
TG: CALLIES IN THE HOSPITAL
TG: I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO
TG: PLZ HELP
GG: Oh no!
GG: Roxy, please breathe.
GG: Do you think you can drive?
TG: hhhhh
TG: um
TG: yes
GG: Okay. Drive back to my house.
GG: Do your best to stay calm.
GG: Once you get here, please let me drive.
TG: drive where?
GG: To the hospital!
GG: I thought you wanted to see how Calliope is doing?
TG: okay
TG: yeh i do
TG: she'll be glad to see you too
TG: okay im on my way keepin my cool
TG: totally keepin my cool
tipsyGnostalgic [TG] ceased pestering gutsyGumshoe [GG]
UU: Please, Roxy, it's nothing to worry about.
TG: what do you mean nothin to worry about where are you im coming to visit
UU: I…
UU: If you must.
UU: Skaia Heights Hospital.
TG: k cool jane's coming too
tipsyGnostalgic [TG] ceased pestering uranianUmbra [UU]
Roxy was trying to steady her breathing as Rose peered over the back of the couch at her, giggling. Despite not having anything to drink at the Egbert-Crockers', Rose was already less than sober again.
"Whas wrong, Rox? You gotta be more chill. Haf a drink wif me." Roxy turned to look at Rose, her temper swelling.
"My girlfriend is in the hospital! Knock it off, Rose, get your shit together!" And with that said, Roxy turned, grabbed her keys, and went out to her car, steadying herself just enough to drive back to Jane's. Rose was in shock. Roxy never spoke to her like that, or to anyone, for that matter. Rose looked at the bottle in her hand, then, in a fit of exasperation with herself, went into the kitchen and smashed the entire thing to pieces in the sink. Somehow, a shard of glass bounced back up and left her with a pretty deep cut in her hand. Rose cried out in pain, and she supposed her mother heard from the office, because she appeared faster than seemed physically possible. Their eyes met, and the two had a silent exchange, Rowan fulfilling her role as mother by dressing Rose's wound while Rose looked on with tears pooling in her eyes. There was no questioning; no demand for an explanation. Rowan understood. She, too, had been an alcoholic at a young age, and it was something she still wasn't totally over. But she knew Rose would come to realize the problem in her own time, just as Rowan herself had.
Rose was laying on her bed, contemplating the evening's events, when her phone went off.
grimAuxiliatrix [GA] began pestering tentacleTherapist [TT]
grimAuxiliatrix sent an image!
TT: wahts this
GA: Its a sari
GA: Inspired by you
TT: OMH
TT: that's soooooo cuuuuuute
GA: Porrim and I were in the Fashion District earlier today and theres a designers contest happening
GA: I wanted to make something beautiful
GA: So naturally I thought of you
TT: kanye ur so sweeeet 3
GA: Rose are you
GA: Drinking again
TT: mebbe
GA: Why have you suddenly chosen to spent so much time intoxicated?
GA: Its getting a bit worrisome
TT: is ti?
TT: I yam havin a good time
GA: Yes but
GA: I dont believe its healthy for one to imbibe themselves so frequently
GA: And also I was hoping for your help on this project
GA: But having a drunk girl around scissors and needles does not seem like a good plan
GA: To speak generally I simply wish you wouldnt
TT: u kno what kangaya
TT: im responspible for myself
TT: I dun nned you tell me what YOU think I shoul be doin
GA: I
GA: Fine
GA: Forgive me for being concerned
grimAuxiliatrix [GA] ceased pestering tentacleTherapist [TT]
Rose pursed her lips. She was so stubborn and adamant on making people believe she was in control, but she wasn't. She was finally starting to realize she wasn't the one in charge anymore.
When Roxy got to Jane's house again, she just waited in the car. Jane was out before a moment had even passed. Roxy looked at her hands on the steering wheel, shaky and unsteady. She gripped it firmly, trying to take some deep breaths before Jane noticed the state she'd worked herself into.
"Roxy," Jane said as she opened the door. "Come on, get in the passenger side. Let me drive." Roxy slowly nodded, knowing Jane was right; she wasn't in a state to be driving anymore. So Roxy sat in the passenger seat, silent as the two girls drove up the hill to Skaia Heights Hospital. As Jane turned the engine off, Roxy turned to look up at her. "Roxy, are you okay?" Jane asked. Roxy felt… well, she felt better, but 'okay' wasn't the word she'd use. The whole time she'd been with Callie, there hadn't been a word of her sickness, and Roxy was just afraid she was doing something wrong. Why wouldn't Callie tell her about all this? But at the same time, it was so intense maybe Roxy had been ignoring it intentionally. And then she felt like such an ass.
"Jane, I've never had a girlfriend before, and… I knew she was sick. I did. But this is the first time it's really hit me. I think… maybe I was ignoring it because I want so adly for her to be okay, so I don't have to deal with the hurt. And then I feel like shit 'cause I haven't been supporting her as she fights the deadliest fucking thing I can think of, and I'm only concerned with my own feelings!"
"Has she ever told you about being in the hospital before?"
"No… not really."
"Does she bring up wanting to talk about her fight with cancer?"
"No."
"Then… maybe she doesn't want to talk about it." That was… well, Jane had a point. "Listen, you two can talk about whatever needs to be workd out relationship-wise later, but for now let's just show her we're both here."
Roxy took a deep breath. "Okay." Jane pulled Roxy into a tight hug before they got out of the car. Roxy was so grateful to have a friend like Jane, and she couldn't help but keep thinking that as she and Jane walked through the hospital, up to the reception desk, and then to Callie's room. Jane led the way to Room 1111. As soon as Roxy saw Callie through the opening door, she flung herself on top of her, in a tight, tight hug.
"Callie I'm so sorry I didn't come visit sooner, I didn't know and I—"
"Roxy, darling, it's alright. I told you I'm okay."
"Are you really?" Roxy heard Jane ask. Roxy hoped for a straight answer from Calliope.
"Oh, yes. Um, surprising as it is to me, the treatment seems to be working, Chemotherapy is quite… intensive and I do find myself feeling frail some days, but overall they think I'm doing better." Roxy hugged Callie again before retreating to the nearby chair. "Perhaps you were right, Roxy, it is very likely I'll pull through at this rate. That is, if you don't hug me to death."
Roxy couldn't help but give a small laugh. Callie hadn't seemed very optimistic about things, so it was good to hear she was doing better. "Well it's a shame you missed the party," Jane said. "If I'd known you were in treatment today, I'd've rescheduled."
"Oh, it's no worry to me. Perhaps I can join you all next time."
"Callie, I'm soooooooo glad you're doing better," Roxy said. "Why didn't you tell me sooner about your hospital shit?"
"Uh, I didn't want you to worry about me! If I told you every time I came in for treatment and you freaked out like this every time, well, you'd be worried all the time! I didn't want to burden you like that."
Roxy's eyes went wide. "OMG, okay one it's not a burden to me cause you're my GF and I care oodles about 'cha. And two, if you told me about treatment happening every x amount of time or whatever, then I wouldn't have freaked out at all! You silly!" Roxy laughed, and then pecked Callie on the cheek.