Chapter 6
The rest of Rosalie’s classes went just fine. She loved being back in a learning environment, and she was glad that she didn’t have to see Eric’s face in any of them. It had been quite a shock when he’d showed up in her Organic Chemistry course, and she couldn’t imagine a career path that someone like him would want to take that involved that class. So how had he wound up in it? She shook her head. It didn’t matter. He was her lab partner now, and there was no way to get rid of him until the next term. She considered making a calendar and counting down the days until she didn’t have to see him anymore. She chuckled at the thought. No, she wasn’t going to be that juvenile. When she got back from her last class, it was six in the evening. She immediately unpacked her bag, and started to lay out her books, so she could have her bag ready to go in the morning. Rosalie started working on some of the problems from her Pharmaceutical Math course, immersing herself in a world that she was unfamiliar with.
At seven, there was a knock on her door. It startled her so badly that the pencil skidded on the paper, making her one look like a seven. Rosalie was still wearing the clothes she’d had on for class, so she had no qualms about answering her door. When she did, she froze. It was Eric.
“What are you doing here?” She had more of an accusatory tone than a quizzical one, but she couldn’t help it. He had no reason to be here, so other than interrupting her studies, there was nothing good that could be accomplished from his visit.
“I told you there was a party tonight. I came to pick you up.” His voice was confident, nonchalant. Almost like he was doing her a favor. That instantly rubbed her the wrong way. She did vaguely remember him demanding that she accompany him to this party tonight.
“I told you that I wasn’t interested. Is there anything else that I can help you with?” A hand snaked its way over Eric’s shoulder, and it drew Rosalie’s attention. Blaze appeared behind his shoulder.
“Told you she wouldn’t come. But don’t worry, Eric, I’ll be your date.” Rolling her eyes, Rosalie closed the door in both of their faces and locked it, going over to her desk to finish her homework. She liked getting a head start on everything, especially on her first day. If that hellion thought that she was going to let her studies slip to go to some gang banger party with him, then he was sorely mistaken. Besides, Blaze was more than willing to go with him to the party, so what did he need her for? She shook her head, then did her best to focus on the math problems that she’d started.
She finally finished the assignment around eight thirty, and she unlocked the door to go get a glass of water from the kitchen. When she emerged from her room, she saw Vanessa sitting in the living room, reading something that looked like Shakespeare.
“Hey. Rough day so far, too?” Vanessa offered as a conversation starter.
“No, not really. I guess I just can’t shake my geekiness and I had to start homework right away.” Rosalie laughed as she came and sat down on the couch with her water. “How about you?” Vanessa closed the book and promptly chucked it across the room.
“Ugh! I hate Shakespeare with a passion! Why did it have to be the first reading assignment for the term?” Vanessa crossed her arms over her chest and pouted, making Rosalie laugh again. She looked like a petulant five-year-old, throwing a temper tantrum.
“What class is it?”
“Some medieval literature course that I need. I don’t think I really need it, I think they’re just making me take it to torture me.”
“Come on, it can’t be that bad. What are you reading?” Rosalie enjoyed English, reading and poetry that others didn’t really like.
“Romeo and Juliet. I mean, ok, they’re teenagers in love and they end up killing each other because they think they can’t be together. It was a stupid plan that ended up in them both being dead. I get it. So why do I have to read it?”
“Well, if you think about it, it goes a little deeper than that. Have you ever been so in love with someone that you couldn’t imagine life without them?” It was a concept that Rosalie believed existed, but she’d never felt that way before in her life, and with her self-esteem in the toilet like it was, it was damn near impossible for her to think that anyone would be thinking that way about her.
“No. I firmly believe that there is no such thing as true love. There is lust, and there might even be affection, but if you’re with someone long enough, that can come with anyone. This whole, other half of your soul kind of love that people talk about, it’s just not real.” Privately, Rosalie agreed with her, but that notion wasn’t going to make Vanessa care more about the class.
“Well, maybe I could help you with it.” Vanessa’s eyes lit up.
“Would you? Oh, I would love you forever!” Vanessa jumped down from her chair and crawled over on her knees, grabbing at Rosalie’s shirt, and over dramatically begging. “Please! Please! Please!” Rosalie was laughing so hard, she choked on her water for a second.
“Alright! Alright! Don’t kill me, sheesh.” Vanessa jumped up and started dancing around the living room.
“What do you say about getting out of here and going to a party? You know, just to take the tension off of us both for the night?” Rosalie frowned. She hadn’t really wanted to go to the party, and she was pretty sure that this was going to be the same one that Eric had tried to take her to.
“I don’t know. Eric tried to get me to go to a party with him tonight, too, and I told him no.” Vanessa froze in place.
“What? You didn’t mention that. He asked you? Oh my god, does he like you?” Vanessa turned into a gossip girl with a twist of cupid somewhere in there, and it was almost endearing. “I can dress you up and you can borrow some of my things, it’ll be so much fun, what do you say?” Rosalie bit her lip. She really didn’t want to, but with Vanessa being her only friend, and being so excited about it all, she didn’t have the heart to say no.
“Alright. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to talk to him.” Vanessa frowned.
“Don’t you like him? I mean, he did ask you, right? Most girls would kill to have him ask them. He’s kind of a big thing on campus, you know.” That meant nothing to her. It was obvious that Blaze liked him, and that she was clamoring for his attention, and Rosalie wasn’t going to put her studies aside for a boy. No way. That was her whole life on the line, her future, and she wasn’t going to give it up and turn into a could have been over a boy.
“No! He’s so stubborn and arrogant. He didn’t even ask me to go with him, he just demanded that I go with him. I don’t know about you, but there’s no respect in that at all, and I just don’t feel like that was the right way to go about asking me, if he wanted me to go with him. I guess I do still have some romantic notions, even if I don’t think I’ll ever find love.” Vanessa stared at her for a second, then shrugged it off.
“Come on over to my room. I’ll get you ready.” Rosalie still hadn’t said that she wanted to go, but this was such a thrill to Vanessa to let her get her dressed up, so she finally relented.
“Alright. Let’s go.” Vanessa jumped up and down, clapping her hands in delight, and Rosalie looked at her, so out of place in the bad girl role. Maybe she was more like Vanessa than she’d originally thought. Rosalie went into Vanessa’s room, astonished at the mess, and found the one corner of the bed that wasn’t littered with outfits to sit down on. Vanessa disappeared into the closet, talking to herself, and Rosalie took the time to look around the room. There were pictures taped up to Vanessa’s mirror, of her and Rob, but they looked like they’d been torn in half, then put back together a few times. If love was a tumultuous ride like it was with these two, then she was happy not to feel it. A leather jacket hung from the back of her desk chair, and from one look, Rosalie could tell it was Rob’s. “Found it!” Vanessa emerged from the closet with a top that looked more like half a top. “Ok, you can wear your jeans, but I have this shirt and some boots to go with it, and I think you’re going to look drop dead sexy.” Rosalie couldn’t help but smile. This was what she’d wanted to have when she was in high school. A friendship where they could spend time together, laugh and joke, and go have a good time. Rosalie grinned at the enthusiasm on Vanessa’s face. Better late than never.
“Ok, I’ll go change and I’ll be back.” Rosalie reached out to grab the shirt but Vanessa jerked it back out of her reach.
“Why would you go back to your room to change? Just change here. That way, if I don’t like the way the shirt makes you look I can get you another one and we won’t waste any time.” Rosalie blushed. She’d never changed in front of anyone before, and it made her more than a little self-conscious.
“Ok, ok. Give it here.” Rosalie grabbed the shirt then turned her back to Vanessa while she took her shirt off. She happened to be facing the mirror, and when she pulled the hem down to where it belonged, she was stunned. The shirt was black, with the shoulders cut out, a lace edge across the neckline, and beading across the chest. The little beads caught the light, sending rainbows of color out from her shirt that dazzled whoever was looking. The boots that Vanessa handed her looked like Harley Davidson boots, but not necessarily like hooker boots. They had a chunk heel, and they had a couple little zippers on them, but they weren’t completely out of her range of what she would wear. She slipped them on, and Vanessa instantly attacked her hair with a brush before she could even stand up straight.
“Hold still, I don’t want to burn you.” Burn her? What the hell was she doing back there? She wasn’t facing the mirror anymore, so she really had no idea what was going on. “There. That’s perfect.” Rosalie turned back around, and her mouth fell open. With the shirt, she already thought that she looked spectacular, but now, she looked breathtaking. Vanessa had curled her hair quickly, and big curls snaked over her shoulders, just kissing the tops. Her eyes sparkled, and her face glowed. She really looked pretty. Rosalie threw her arms around Vanessa, almost knocking her over, because she was trying to put on some pencil heels with one hand.
“Thank you so much! I look beautiful!” Vanessa caught herself against the wall and laughed.
“Well, you are. Just need to spice up your wardrobe a little and learn how to do your hair and makeup. That’s what I’m here for. Now let’s go! Don’t want to get there too late.” Rosalie followed Vanessa out the door, quietly very pleased with how she looked, and vowing to make sure she took the time to do her hair and makeup from now on.