Chapter 113 - Back To B City
Seeing none of her parents were backing out from the issue of her boyfriend, she hugged Rose arm to seek refuge.
***
When they got back home, Rose continued talking about Anna\'s boyfriend after dinner. "I thought you liked him so much," Rose said shaking her head when she could not understand her sister\'s break up.
"I did but not anymore," Anna replied shaking her head. "I will apologize to Noah but not to him. When you were missing, I thought of what you said that day we had a fight and I discovered that the only person I got close to during that period was him. I told him about the night you left the club and he told me I had the right to know since we were sisters. That made me want to find out," Anna narrated.
"So he made you ask for the name of the person?" Rose asked confused. It seems the teacher\'s identity was not as normal as it seems.
"Not directly but he gave me reasons why I should know when I wanted to over look it since I am supposed to respect your privacy and that of the person who took you back home," Anna replied sincerely.
"Are you okay breaking up with him the way you did?" Rose asked worriedly when she remembered what her sister said about the man when she told her they were dating.
"Yes. It\'s surprising right? I started having nightmares when Claire\'s body was found but he seem to take it away. I guess he played his role well. After we broke up, I did not have nightmares and I am fine. I am okay with breaking up."
"What did he say when you told him?"
"He asked me why I wanted to break up and I told him because I needed to prepare myself for the new boyfriend that I will get in college," Anna replied sitting cross-legged on Rose\'s bed.
"That must have hurt him. If he liked you too."
"Obviously he did not like me the way I liked him because he laughed when I told him that. I was surprised. I guess that is why I am not bothered by the fact that we broke up. I would have apologized now and we get back together because I used him to vent my anger and frustration but I won\'t be his girlfriend again. I sort of dislike him now."
"You should have asked why he laughed," Rose said.
"There was no need to ask. I was pissed off. I hated him so much at that point and told him to leave. He left. Now, I wonder what made me think he was special. I made a mistake by being his girlfriend," Anna complained with a slight pout.
"Really or you are just angry that his laughter hurt your self-esteem."
"Yes and no. Yes because I felt so little that he could actually laugh at me like I was a little child talking gibberish and no because I saw him as complete different person from the handsome genius I always saw him as," Anna replied truthfully.
"Shouldn\'t you pack your bags since we will be going back to B city tomorrow?" Rose asked with sigh. She couldn\'t understand that young man at all.
"I will do that tomorrow morning before we leave. Since we will be back soon I could leave most of them here," Anna replied lying down on the bed.
"Hey, go back to your room if you want to sleep," Rose ordered her clingy sister.
"No, I won\'t. I will sleep with you till I am sure that you won\'t disappear again," Anna replied shaking her head as she made herself more comfortable under the soft duvet.
"Should I call mum?" Rose threatened. She really needed an alone time.
"If you wish to but remember that you will only disturb her when she is trying to pack her bag," Anna said closing her eyes to enjoy the sleep she missed for all these while Rose was gone despite the day being a little too early for a night rest.
Rose shook her head when she noticed Anna was already asleep when she had barely laid down for five minutes. The girl looked tired right from the hospital. It was good thing she was resting now because that meant she could also rest.
After a quick shower, Rose laid down to sleep too the conversation she just had with Anna lingering on her mind.
***
Rose\'s return to B city and to her foster family\'s mansion was not any thing like when she first came into the house. She was welcomed coldly then but now, it was a lot more warm. A little party was organized according to Anna\'s orders to Maria.
Her friends came to welcome her back. The maid all had smiles on there faces most of which were obviously genuine and not their usual mandatory or obligatory smiles.
Anna invited Noah and the girl came although Rose suspected that she wouldn\'t since Anna offended her. The tension between Noah and Wayne was not hard to miss and it seems Wayne was trying to talk to Noah but Noah ignored him totally. It was a new thing since Wayne was not someone to beg his ex-girlfriend.
Debby, Eric and Debby apologized about leaving Star city since they should have stayed until Rose returned but they had to leave because of school. They had somethings to take care of before the graduation day.
Rose had not expected them to even wait at all but it seems most of them waited for weeks before returning back home. She was sincerely touched by their act of concern.
"Anna was a living time bomb when you were away it is a good thing that you returned before the bomb exploded," Debby said in a low whisper to prevent Anna from hearing.
"Thank you for staying with her for as long as you did," Rose appreciated sincerely.
"No need to thank me. Anna is my best friend," Debby replied with a smile. "I am happy you returned. I thought you died in fire. It was chaotic. I don\'t want to ever experience that again."
"No one wants to. I don\'t want to ever face that again too," Rose replied.
"Rose," Eric called with his almost too handsome smile.
"Hello, Eric. I heard you won the competition last week," She said when Eric got closer.
"Oh I guess because you weren\'t around I was able to be the best," Eric said straightforwardly.
"I am beginning to suspect you did that to Rose to win the competition," Debby said playfully.
"I cannot hurt my teacher when I still have a lot to learn," Eric replied simply. "The school dance will be by the end of this month. Three people asked me design their clothes for a huge sum of money."
"That\'s nice," Rose said.
"Do you want cake?" Debby asked Rose.
"Yes please," Rose replied with a slight nod.
"I will get you a slice, I also craving some of that chocolate cake," Debby said to escape their talk about fashion and to get a slice of the appetizing chocolate cake.
"Ok, thanks."
"My mother told me she met you in the hospital," Eric whispered.
"Yes. She is so beautiful. Your mum is a very nice woman. We became really close. I could call her my friend now," Rose narrated in a low whisper.
"You look like you mean it but I don\'t believe you. I know my mum is nice but how could you become close to my mum she could be really strict about a lot of things," Eric said shaking his head in disbelief.
"She promised to hang out with us when we return to Star city," Rose said not believing Eric\'s testimony of his mother. His mother was anything far from strict.
"I will wait till then to believe you," Eric replied still unable to believe Rose. "Whenever I am with my mum, I do most of the talking."
"That must be because she wants to know you more. She is trying to understand you," Rose tried to persuade him. "Whatever, I guess you won\'t believe me untill you see it yourself. She told me a lot of stories. It was fun. I would have been really bored without her."
"I will wait till I see it for myself," Eric replied. Eric did not think Rose was lying because he could not come up with a tangible reason why she will lie to him but he could not imagine his mother who seemed to be the busiest person in the world act the way Rose said she did. "Mr. Hale saved you, right?" Eric whispered.
"Yes, he did."
"Why did they say Mr. Hart did it?"
"That is what I told them. It\'s best they think Mr. Hart saved me. It makes it easier to explain without further questioning because he is my father\'s childhood friend," she replied.
"That is right," he agreed with a nod. "Why did Mr. Hale save you then?"
"I told everyone Mr. Hart saved me to prevent the question you just asked."
"I guess humans can not help being curious. So, why did he save you?"