My alarm went off, I slapped it to shut it up. I didn't feel like going to school, hell I didn't even feel like getting out of bed. My eyes were still sore from crying so much last night. I got up padding across the floor and looked in the vanity mirror; my eyes weren't puffy, but they were just a tiny bit red. I got ready for school, following the same routine I did yesterday. I grabbed my stuff and took a deep breathe, 'might as well get this day over with.'
"Rose you're up early," Elizabeth looked up at me clearly surprised.
"Yeah, I set my alarm clock early, I'm going to be going out before school and looking to see if anyone is hiring; I'll get breakfast while I'm out though." I started to walk out of the kitchen when Liz called me back, reminding me that I needed money in order to get breakfast. Not that I actually planned on getting breakfast, or going job hunting for that matter. I just needed some space away from everyone and everything, so I'm going to go walk to this park we passed the other day, there didn't look to be many people there; and I'm hoping with it only being six in the morning there won't be anyone.
The street that we lived on was obviously the rich part of the small town, big houses was the norm on this street. It was nice how the developers didn't place the other houses too close together, still close enough that if you needed to run over to the neighbors it was no big deal; but far away enough that people got their privacy, I liked that. There were weeping willows and oak trees lining the streets in front of the houses, it was beautiful, but for some reason I found that part eerie. I think that's only because it reminded me of this street out of some scary, thrasher movie Lissa and I saw once; although for the life of me I can never remember the name.
It was a cool day out, you could tell fall was here, leaves were floating to the ground and changing colors, and you could smell autumn in the air, the smell of a forest as leaves are decomposing around you. I went a few blocks down, looking at the houses and watching the cars pass me by. The park was small, but it seemed to be set of between two stores, towards the back near the tree line leading to part of the forest that surrounds half the town. Even thought the sun is rising, the sunlight doesn't seem to quite be able to reach the little park, leaving it dark enough that no one would really notice me, not that there's anybody at the park to notice me.
I walked across the grass and the soft dirt, to the middle of the park where a swing set stood, I sat my bag on the swing next to mine and hopped up on the swing. Grabbing the chains and pushing my self with my feet, I let myself get caught up in the feel on swinging; I haven't done anything like this since I was a child. It was relaxing, feeling the cool air flow over me, my hair blowing in the breeze, and watching the sun come up from across the town square. 'I think this is my new favorite place,' I thought to myself. I felt like I could relax here, like I could breathe.
"Rose." Was whispered right next to my ear as I was just starting to swing forward; I jumped and lost my balance on the swing, falling off and right onto the dirt ground. I whipped my head around and saw the guy I was talking to after school yesterday. He was standing there smiling with his hands shoved into his pockets.
"Oh, you find this funny do you!" I shouted at him, pissed that he ruined my world of happiness and that I now had dirt on my skirt. I stood up wiping the dirt off, grabbed my stuff and gave him probably one of my top five glares I've ever given and headed off towards school.
I had gotten a few buildings up from the park when I noticed the footsteps behind me, I glanced over my shoulder to see him following me, as I had assumed. Although he was no longer smiling, this in turn made me smile when I turned my head away from his prying eyes. 'Good! You ruined my good mood, glad I could return the favor,' I thought to myself. When we finally reached the school; him always about ten steps behind me; he reached out his hand and caught mine, stopping me in my tracks.
"Don't forget about practice today, six thirty sharp, Rose Hathaway." He said, smiling and walking away ahead of me to meet up with a group of guys waiting for him by the gated entrance to the school. I had forgotten about the dance practice, do I even really want to go? Sighing, I grabbed the straps of my bag and headed in.