Rose and the Thorn (Fallen Tales series)

Chapter 31

Chapter 31
Rose
After spending another night with Patrick, I thought I had better get something important.
I stood at the condom rack of the chemist. So many to choose from.
Large, extra-large, fruit flavour. It made me want to laugh every time.
"Hey," I jumped and turned to the voice. My face went hard when I saw the red head from two weeks ago.
"Jesus Christ man, are you following me?" I didn't mean to yell but she had scared the crap out of me.
"Of course not. Why are you – Oh my God are you sleeping with him?" she whispered the last bit.
My eyes went wide, "no, I'm sleeping with the butler."
Her mouth dropped and I realized she thought I was serious.
"No, I'm being sarcastic. I'm not sleeping with anyone," I lied.
"Then why are you buying condoms?"
I froze. Think Rose think.
"I want to be prepared if some guy catches my eye and I want to take him some place that's not a bed. At least we'll be careful," I said confidently. The sad thing was that I've actually done that before.
"Oh my God. I didn't think you were that type of girl."
I use to be.
"I'm American," I shrugged.
I took the extra-large ones from the shelf and placed it in the basket. I almost laughed because I had cheese, beacon, bread, tomatoes and now condoms in my basket.
"Well then you should come out with me and my friends tonight."
"To the tavern, I don't think so," I said remembering what happened last time.
"Come on, you've been here for what, two months and nobody knows you."
"And that's a bad thing because?"
She whined, "Look, you are the new person around here and everyone talks nonstop about you."
My eyes went wide, "Talk about what?"
"Just stupid stuff."
"Like what?"
"Just stuff, gossip."
That still didn't comfort my thoughts.
"Look, that's nice of you and all, but I don't even know your name."
"Oh, right, Zoey."
"Rose."
"I know, like I said, everybody talks about you."
"Why?" I was use to everybody knowing every little thing about me but this was different. No body knew about my father except for Patrick.
We started to walk to the check outs.
"Because you're the first new face around here for like, five years."
I stopped and stared at her.
"That doesn't have anything to do with the family being murdered, does it?" I asked.
She nodded, "Before they were killed, lots of people came here. You know for parties and everything. But then they died and Sir Patrick didn't get visitors."
I hadn't realized. It wasn't just Patrick and the house that lived in the gloom of that night but the whole village.
"Just come tonight," she asked again changing the subject.
I sighed giving in, "Fine but only if you don't ask questions about Sir Patrick, the house or anything else in that area."
"Deal."
I nodded heading to the checkout.
"Hi how are you?" asked the checkout chick.
I sighed, "I've been better."

Patrick
Rose stopped me as we passed each other in the hall.
"Patrick, I'm going out tonight," she told me.
I frowned, "And?"
"I just thought I should tell you, if you were expecting me to come up tonight."
I nodded, "Okay, where are you going?"
Her eyes landed on the floor as she mumbled something.
"What?"
"The tavern."
My eyes went wide, "The tavern!"
"Shhh, Jenson will hear you," she whispered.
"Rose, remember what happened last time."
I still had the image of her limp body right after she had hit her head. I could still feel the fear.
"That was different. And I'm not going alone."
I frowned, "Then who are you going with?"
"A girl from the village."
"Who?"
"Zoey someone."
My eyes went wide again. She couldn't go with Zoey.
"No Rose, you're not going."
"Excuse me, when did you get permission to say what I can and can't do?"
"Since you told me where and who you were going with," I told her.
She placed her hands on her hips and I knew she wouldn't back down.
"What's wrong with Zoey?"
How do I put this? Well she slept with my bestfriend. My other bestfriend. Tried to get with me. Wears less clothes as possible. And someone I didn't want Rose hanging around with.
"She's a...trollop."
She frowned at my use of words, "a trollop? Is that English for slut?"
I froze.
"Yes."
She smiled, "Then I think we'll be great friends."