iluvshinjimina - No problem! And yep, that will be explored during the course of this story.
Zelda12343 - I couldn't resist putting Gabriel in something silly! And I'm pleased you agree, I was worried about offending people, like with the Wiccan thing. I'm a proud feminist, so stuff like doesn't sit well with me.
Sorry for the day off, my aunty came to visit as it's my birthday next Thursday. Anyway, Rosaline and her bro are at the ball, and getting ready to take her vow. Hope Rosaline's speech doesn't seem too cheesy at all, I was trying to make it have a double meaning.
After an hour of dancing, taking photos and 'mingling' Gabriel and Rosaline sat down to dinner. The tables were round, so they shared with another couple of families. There was a girl who Gabriel recognised as being in his year with her father, the eight year old they'd seen earlier on with her father, and another three girls in different parts of their teenage years with their father.
"We attend every year" said the father with the three girls "But it's my youngest, Cynthia's, first time. She's twelve"
"I'm eight" said the little one.
"You look rather young to be a dad" said her father to Gabriel.
"I'm her half-brother" explained Gabriel.
"Couldn't your dad make it?" asked the father with the girl who Gabriel recognised.
"No" replied Rosaline.
"I wouldn't want to bring him anyway!" scoffed Gabriel.
The father with his three girls sighed "That's a shame. My girls mean the world to me"
"Angelo does not mean the world to us. He won't get me a cat and he didn't care when my tarantula died. I only have a horse now" sulked Gabriel.
"I want a pony!" cried the eight year old.
"You're lucky to have a horse. Many other boys your age don't" said the father of the girl Gabriel recognised.
"Oh well. I suppose you have a point. He walked out on Rosaline and her mother for my mother. It could have been worse. I could have grown up on the Burry Estate"
"Gabriel" scolded Rosaline.
"I'm so sorry to hear that your father isn't a part of your life" said the father with his three girls "Have you tried to get into contact at all?"
"He's tried to get into contact with me. But it was just a midlife crisis"
"Are you sure about that?" he asked again, his eyes so sad that Rosaline felt like she was the bad person in the situation.
"Yes. I'm sure. I've made peace with it" she said firmly and clearly "From now on, I'm looking out for myself and working hard for myself. I do well at school, and Sister Agnes said I stood a chance of being Head Girl. She said I should take the pledge this evening"
"That's a wise choice for a girl like you, trying to make a better life for yourself"
"A lot of people seem to be saying that" murmured Rosaline, as their first course was served. Gabriel immediately wrinkled his nose.
"Oh my God, do you not even have a vegetarian option?"
"I didn't know you were veggie" said Rosaline, as the waiter marched back to go and fetch the vegetarian option for him.
"Oh, I love animals. I prefer them to people. I used to eat meat, but the more I loved my babies, my horse and my tarantula, the more I realised that humans and animals are equal and we should not slaughter our friends for food in the most inhumane of ways. I also oppose animal testing and refuse to use products which have been tested on animals. I do not were real fur. I also asked Angelo if I could get some chickens that had been rescued from a battery farm but he said no because they'd shit everywhere" sighed Gabriel.
"Gabriel, I'm eating" groaned Rosaline. They continued to talk to their tablemates as the evening progressed on. It was interesting to hear their different reasons for taking the pledge that evening. The eight year old did not understand what was going on, but her father explained they were simply spending time together. They were treated to an entire three course meal, and had an hour in which to finish. Upon completion, they turned as a friar from the church climbed up on stage to talk. Rosaline knew that this was the part in which she and the other girls would have to make their speeches. Sister Agnes had gone through it with them several times. She was last.
"Well, first of all, welcome to the annual Verona Belle's Chastity Ball. It is my pleasure to be hosting this evening. You girls all look like princesses. And I hope you fathers are very proud of them"
There were a few cheers. Gabriel and Rosaline just looked at each other and rolled their eyes. The friar finished his speech. Sister Agnes climbed up and smiled sweetly "And now, several girls who are making pledges this evening are going to take the time to talk to you and tell you why they making the pledge this evening. Please welcome, Verona's Belles!"
Rosaline got up, and took her place in line with them. She fumbled with her speech, a few cues written on a slip of paper. Gabriel watched her, and smiled. It eased the tension a bit. Even though she'd previously dismissed the pledge and her speech as 'just words' she couldn't help but feel that something was not right. This whole evening was not right. Why were these girls pledging to their dads? All they ever did was let them down. Angelo had thrown her mother out, didn't care for Gabriel, and was only pretending to care for her now to upset Gabriel. Why should anybody's father dictate over their life and lifestyle choices?
Gabriel was right. This was so creepy. It didn't feel right at all. There was only one man in Rosaline's life who ever made her feel right.
"And now, last but not least, Miss. Rosaline Oftmoro"
Rosaline stepped up to the podium, grateful that no matter what situation she was in, she was always graceful and looked more confident than she really was. Her eyes darted around the room, before suddenly settling on a familiar ginger boy wearing a waiter's uniform. He smirked at her, and Rosaline almost wanted to laugh with relief. Of course he'd be there for her as she told the biggest lie of her life. She made sure her eyes were connected with his, and she began to speak.
"Hi, I'm Rosaline, and I'm sixteen. I'm making this pledge today, not only to honour God, but I'm doing this because I believe in love. I believe that love is deeper than just...a physical thing, a teenage infactuation. There's more to love than that. Love is a long-term loving commitment, like marriage. It's only when you find someone who you can accept during the good, the bad, and the ugly. It's loving someone when you are the person most least likely in the world to claim to do so. Love is slow, it starts steady, and it grows over a number of years, whether it's from your childhood or middle age. Virginity is the most precious gift you can give a lover. Once it is gone, it is gone. And that is why you must wait until you find the right person, when in a long-term loving commitment like marriage, to make love to them. People forget what having sex really is – it's also called making love. And for a reason"
The applause was steady. Sister Agnes looked pleased, but disappointed she hadn't got the self-righteous anti-sex speech she had been looking for. Gabriel whooped loudly and did a little dance in the middle of the floor for her. Rosaline smiled fondly. He was turning out to be quite sweet, really.
Then her eyes turned to Tybalt, in his disguise. They made eye contact, but for one of the first times ever, neither understood what the other was trying to say to the other.