Rose and the Thorn (Fallen Tales series)

Chapter 2

Chapter 2
Patrick
"The new cleaner arrived yesterday Sir," Jenson told me as he placed the breakfast tray next to me. I sat up feeling like he had stolen sleep away from me. He took his position in the corner of the dark room. I knew he was waiting to watch me eat. He had been doing this for the past five years. Since that...
"You mean the cleaner I didn't want arrived yesterday."
When he said new, he made it seem like we've had other cleaners. We hadn't.
"I'm sorry Sir, but seeing that you barely leave your room. I didn't think you would mind." I stared at him but he just shook me off.
Of course I didn't want a cleaner. I didn't want anyone but Jenson in this house. "And because, Sir, you don't leave your room, you haven't seen the sight of the house."
"I thought you would do it."
"If only I had the time. I'm too busy watching you eat."
"Easy, don't watch me eat." He looked at me as if I was an idiot. I was serious.
"If only I could trust you to eat yourself." I took the piece of toast and took a bite.
"Happy," I chewed.
"Another." I flopped back on my bed feeling frustrated.
I can't believe I've been doing this for five years. Every morning. Every lunch. Every dinner.
"Besides, it might be nice to have a female in the house." I looked up again. It was probably some old hag.
"It's a lovely autumn day, Sir," he said changing the subject, "We should open up the curtains." As he touched the thick fabric I jump.
"No, nobody touches the curtains," I snapped.
"Sir -."
"You tell the cleaner that too. Nobody touches the curtains and she's not allowed in the West Wing."
"And if she quits because she can't see what she's doing."
"Then I will get my way, won't I?"

Rose
I had never been so tired in my life. Wasn't there a law against this sort of labour? I couldn't believe the list when Jenson gave it to me. Five pages long, which I had to get done in one week. One day at a time.
Sweeping the void had never been harder. I could barely see what I was doing with the curtains still closed, which for some reason I was not allowed to open. I sighed feeling the hopelessness of it all. Running, working, hiding. All for someone that didn't even know who I was anymore.
Before I left for England I had went to say goodbye to him. He didn't even look at me. Like he couldn't even see me. It broke my heart.
I plugged in my earphones and thought of a better time. Before my father went crazy. The time when my friends and I would go to bars every weekend. When guys would call me beautiful and buy me drinks. Even sleeping with guys I didn't know seemed better than my life now.
Though living in a giant mansion was pretty awesome. And being my own boss, not really, has its perks. Even if Jenson kept watching my every move.
I felt the presence of eyes making me turned to the grand stairs. In the dark, I could barely see anything. It's probably just Jenson. It's probably just Jenson. This whole place made me uneasy. Making me see things that aren't there. This was a feeling that I wasn't use to. Feeling scared and uneasy and I defiantly didn't like it.

Patrick
She was defiantly not an old hag. Her brunette hair matched her auburn eyes making everything inside me burn. It was hard enough that all she wore to cover herself was tiny shorts and a tight black singlet. She danced with the broom like it was a pole. Where did she learn to dance like that? Where did Jenson find this girl?
I hid at the top of the stairs as I watched her sweep. I had never come out of my room unless I needed to. And I needed to. I would never admit that to Jenson though.
Watching her clean was something very new to me. Growing up I never taken notice of the people around the house. Bar from Jenson. He taught me everything I needed to know about writing. He was my teacher, my friend and now my carer. Not that I would ever admit that.
It annoyed me that he had to get a cleaner. It meant that he didn't think that we could get by with just the two of us. We've been doing it for five years. And I was fine not leaving my room. It was my safe haven. And if people didn't like my new way of life – Jenson – they can leave me alone because I don't need their crap.
I hid my face as she turned around feeling my gaze. Her eyes locked onto mine and I had sworn I'd been caught. But then she turned back to sweeping. Nope, defiantly not an old hag.
She was so interesting. Nothing I've ever seen before. She couldn't be British. Girls around here didn't wear things like that. Or dance like that. Or move like that. Or be here. Everybody around here new the story. The story of that...she would have to be American.
School mates would rave on and on about American women and how they were God and Satan rolled into one. Looking at her now, I could see it. Her face shined like an angel's but her body was the creation of the devil. I had mental images of doing things to her and I didn't even know her name.
Go talk to her. Introduce yourself. As your boss. Nothing more. The person who pays her. You're pathetic. I skulled back to my room.