Chapter 18

***Rose’s POV***

Grant and I were sat on my bed, and obviously, we were kissing. We’d been making out for a few minutes now, and it had definitely started to deepen. I felt his hands wrap around my waist; he

slowly pushed me back until I was lying horizontally.

“You okay with this?” Grant gestured to our new position: his body hovering over mine.

I answered him with another kiss.

“Well, I guess that’s a yes.” Grant chuckled and kissed my neck gently. “Hey, Rose?”

“Mm…”

He lifted my chin up so he could catch my gaze. “Rose, I—”

“Look, guys.” Ryan interrupted Grant before he could finish what I was sure was going to be some sort of amazingly romantic confession. “If you two are going to have sex with me in the room, I’d prefer you did it without all this soppy, mushy crap. Thanks.”

He had to be kidding me.

I sat up, taking the pillow from behind me. When Ry had turned back to face the television, I threw it at him with as much force as I could muster. 

“Ouch!” He yelled out as soon as the pillow made contact with the back of his head.

“Serves you right,” I smirked.

“Well I had to say something, didn’t I?” Ryan’s expression was incredulous. “Did you even realize I was still here?”

Grant and I both shook our heads.

“Charming,” He raised his eyebrows. “What if Trent walked in?” 

“Why do you think you’re here?” I grinned. “It sure as hell isn’t for your winning personality and manners, I’ll tell you that much. When he comes home, with you here, he won’t suspect a thing.” 

Before Ry could even retort, Grant’s lips were fused to mine again. That was, however, until we heard the front door open.

There was a collective jump from everyone in the room.

“Crap.” Grant muttered, pushing off the bed and fixing his slightly mussed hair.

I decided it was probably best if I got off the bed as well. In fact, it would probably be best if I left the house altogether.

“Let’s go.” I ordered, nodding my head towards the door.

Ry scrambled up off the floor and all three of us made our way down the stairs.

“Hello brother.” I greeted my brother as soon as I reached the bottom step. His face was split in half by the biggest grin I’d ever seen. “What’s got you so happy? Finally found yourself a girlfriend?”

Trent just rolled his eyes. “Do I need a reason?”

“No,” I studied him for a moment. “I guess not.”

With one last shrug, I grabbed Ryan by the wrist and dragged him out the front door.

“Where are you guys going?” Trent called after us.

“To the mall!”

**********

“No, Rose. Just no,” Ry shook his head for about the millionth time.

I threw the pair of SpongeBob boxers down in frustration. “What the hell am I supposed to buy Grant then? This is impossible!”

We’d been wandering round the mall for the past hour and I still hadn’t found anything for him.

Ryan winked. “I still think you should go with the speedos.”

“So not helpful,” I sighed. “I give up.”

Grant’s birthday was on January 21, which meant it was this Friday. I needed to get him something good; this was the first birthday since we’d gotten together. To be honest, I was probably more excited than he was, and he was turning 18, so he was pretty damn excited.

“You know, Rose.” Ryan brought me back from my thoughts. “The best presents always come from the heart.” 

Who was this person who had replaced my best friend? Whoever they were, they kind of made sense.

I scrunched my eyebrows. “I guess…”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Huh? Oh nothing,” I shrugged. “I’m just surprised at what you said is all.”

Ryan pretended to flip his hair. “Well, I’m not all beauty you know?”

“Whatever. You just want me to find something so we can get out of here.” I rolled my eyes.

“You said it girl.” He grinned. “What’re you going to do?”

“I really don’t know.” I sighed.

Ryan threw his arm around me, guiding me away from the SpongeBob merchandise.

“Oh!” His sudden exclamation made me jump. “Why don’t you sing to him? Put on a performance and everything?”

I threw a deadpan look his way. “I can’t sing.”

“Who can these days?” I watched Ry roll his eyes. “Let’s go.” Grabbing me by the hand, he dragged me out of Old Navy.

*****

“Trent?” I called out, closing the front door behind me.

“In here!” He yelled out.

I followed the sound of his voice into the kitchen. Letting out a sigh of relief, I threw all the shopping bags onto the table. For some reason, Ry had gotten it into his head that I needed a whole new outfit for Grant’s birthday party.

“Wow, that’s a lot of bags.” Trent raised his eyebrows. “Find anything for Grant?”

I nodded, “Yep.”

“Well?”

I rooted through the mass of bags until I found his present. “You like them?” I asked, holding up the SpongeBob pants I’d ended up buying.

I watched as Trent bit his bottom lip, obviously trying not to outright laugh in my face. “Is that seriously what you got him?”

“It’s the thought that counts,” I pouted.

“Right,” he said slowly. “I knew you didn’t like him, but that present is just plain cruel.” A grin spread across my brother’s face.

“You’re in a good mood today. How was work?” I smiled.

“The-most-amazing-thing-happened-because-my-boss-recommended-me-for-manager-in-California-so-we-might-have-to-move,” Trent replied in one breath.

“Moving where?” I screamed.

“You caught all of that?” He raised his eyebrows. “Wow. You know that’s a wonderful thing about you Rose: you can hear anything. You’re so special and pretty and—”

“Trent!” I yelled, making him shut up. “I don’t want to move.”

“It’d be a good thing, Rose.” He placed his hands on my shoulders. “We’d be able to have a new start.”

“I don’t want a new start! I like it here; my friends are here!” I argued.

Trent sighed. “What friends? You don’t like anyone in our school.”

“I have friends.” I folded my arms, stepping away from him.

“Okay then. Name one friend- besides Ryan.”

It was my turn to sigh. “Grant.”

“No. Grant is my friend, Rose. He doesn’t count.”

I glared at him. “I hate you.”

Before he could even get a word out, I spun on my heel and ran upstairs; slamming my bedroom door to make sure Trent knew just how mad I was.

There was only one person I wanted to talk to right now. I threw myself onto the bed and dialled the number I knew by heart.

“Hello?”

“Grant,” I sniffed. “Hey.”

“Rosie, what’s wrong?” The concern was evident in his voice.

“Trent is making me move to California; I don’t want to go!”

“What? Why?”

“He said something about becoming a manager or something.” I scoffed. “Like the reason even matters.”

“Isn’t that a good thing? Trent’s wanted this for ages.” Grant reasoned.

“Well it isn’t a good thing for me. I mean, what would happen to us?”

I heard Grant sigh. “I don’t know, but—” A knock came from my door.

“Hold on Grant,” I whispered into the phone.

“Rose, let me in.” Trent pleaded from the other side of the door.

“No! Go away.”

Trent knocked again. “Please, hear me out.”

“I said no.”

“Rose let me in now.” Trent sounded scarily like a parent.

I sighed. “I’ll call you back later.” I spoke into the phone, hanging up quickly.

Trent banged on the door impatiently until I made my way over and flung it open.

“What do you want?” I hissed.

“I need you to come downstairs,” everything about him screamed seriousness.

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t want to go downstairs.” 

“Rose, you need to go downstairs. There’s, uh— something there for you.”

“Well bring it upstairs.” I huffed, about to close my door.

“I can’t.” He sighed.

“Why the hell not?” I really wasn’t in the mood for cryptic messages right now.

Trent knitted his eyebrows together, making his expression all the more serious. “Just go downstairs.”

“Fine!” I huffed, bumping him with my shoulder as I passed him.

I ran down to the bottom of the stairs and was greeted by a figurative slap in the face.

“Rosaline darling,” she smiled plastically.

My mom was here. Great just great.

Fuck. My. Life.