Ch16: Halfway Gone

Rose's POV

I opened Alice's bedroom door only to find myself suddenly flying face-first across the room, smashing my nose on Alice's wooden bedside table. "What was that for?" I yelled, trying to stem the flow of my rather heavy nose-bleed.

"I. Heard. Everything!" Alice exclaimed hysterically, blindly throwing a punch which only just missed my bloodied nose.

"I was going to tell you! I swear!" I screamed, although I didn't know what I was going to do with this information,

"Even if I couldn't read your mind I'd still know you were lying," she was scaring me more and more, her fangs were bared and she stood over me, I didn't know if she was going to punch me in the face or help me up. I decided in this situation she was more likely to execute option A.

"Jesus Christ Alice you don't think this came as a surprise to me too? You think I expected everything I was told?" I didn't dare to move but I knew I needed to talk my way out of this one. "I was clueless. I don't want to move, I like living near California, but there is some sick shape-shifter mass-murderer out there, and leaving this area seems like a really good idea now!" If she couldn't hear the innocent pleading in my voice than I was screwed; I was in a position where she could easily kill me. Yet to my surprise she sighed and held out her hand which I wearily took as I was helped to my feet.

"I'm sorry for acting like that; I just thought that you were keeping something from me." Alice was so sweet and sincere that I couldn't bear to be mad at her.

"Apology accepted. You know I'd never keep anything from you," we smiled at each other as the day was at its end. Tomorrow was the 28th of October, Alice's sweet sixteen, if evil-creatures-of-the-night weren't stalking around the neighbourhood then Alice would have had a large party, but tomorrow it would just be us. I'd promised her a massive surprise party, but given the circumstances I guess I would have to fall back on the super-expensive birthday present I was to give her. She kept pestering me with blackmail and questions, trying to force me to tell her what her present was, but I made sure I didn't give in and announced I was going to bed. Aimlessly I wandered to my room and hopped under a warm feather quilt, my eyes drooping closed as I welcoming sleeper overwhelmed me.

The pain in my head was driving me crazy, I just wished sitting on the couch in the lounge room while watching Alice receive her birthday presents from her parents would distract me from my headache, and my thoughts. I knew the only reason I had a headache was because I was trying my very best to hide my feelings from Alice, the thoughts encircling my mind was all about doom and gloom, and I was positive she wouldn't want those thoughts troubling her on her birthday. I excused myself saying I needed to call my mum back, even though I knew she would never try call me, running upstairs passing mine and Alice's rooms and opening the doors which revealed the balcony, I felt some relief on my skull as the cool breeze whipped my face and hair, but the relief was only minor as I felt someone was drilling a hole through my cranium. I stood out there clearing my mind and taking in the rich scents which surrounded my landscape, for ages. I didn't think of Alice at all, I'd completely blocked her and was now enjoying the fresh and beautiful scent of roses, it was rather ironic because of my name, but I do adore roses just as much as I adore my name. Out of nowhere another body appeared next to mine, "This was last place I'd expect you to be, given it's the end of October and this has been the coldest autumn on record," Alice's voice was mellowing and although I'd never admit it to her, I wished she would talk all day.

"How did you know?" I refused to look at her, even though it was what I most desired right now,

"Because I can 'feel' you're presence and because I wouldn't be out here, and if it's something I'm too chicken to do I know it's something you'd dare to do without question," She seemed so reasonable, and so smart, to have figured out the complicated mind of Rose Midnyte.

"I'm sorry I didn't give you your birthday present, but since you're here…" I handed her the small package I'd been holding, "Happy birthday," Alice hugged me than opened her present, she gasped as she saw my rather expensive gift. With all my savings I'd ever saved, I'd bought her a real diamond necklace, she thanked me then fiddled with the chain as she tried to fasten it around her neck, I walked over and did up the tiny link for her. She was speechless but I decided to use our psychic bond as a means of communication.

Like it?

She smiled then nodded, "I love it, thank you so much Rose, but you shouldn't have…"

That's alright, and you know I'd spill my whole fortune with you.

"And you know I wouldn't let you. Let's go inside, mum has made us some sort of special hot chocolate, and pancakes." She grabbed hold of my arm and I allowed her to drag me off with no obligations to make. I planted my feet before we reached the kitchen, "Alice I'm so sorry all this happened and that I dragged you into this and that you have to leave your parents and that you nearly died-" she cut me off by throwing her arms around me,

"How many times to I need to tell you Rose? You're my best friend; even if I wasn't bonded to you I'd have your back anyway. It's not your fault and it never will be. You're like a sister to me, and you never dragged me into anything, I was already there with you."

Wow I wasn't aware you had enough of a heart to say that to me.

"You'll be surprised," by the tone in her voice I knew she was smiling, "But you will always be my dumb-ass maid to me."

Ah how didn't I guess that was coming hmm... I wonder.

Alice lightly punched me in the shoulder as she waltzed into the kitchen with me to devour our sweet breakfast.

Nightfall came as nightfall does and watching horror movies with Alice all night long seemed like the best thing in the world. We ate caramel popcorn and sweets of all sorts, as we forgot about our troubles and laughed our heads off at the gory and horror. Most people thought our crude senses of humour were heartless and cruel, but I never saw why people thought such a thing, it was funny as long as the scenes in the film weren't mimicked in real life.

The soft humming of my uncle's very powerful car slowly came to a halt as the headlights lit up a series of units; I sat up, rubbing my eyes as they weren't dilating normally because of the fatigue. I checked my watch, three o'clock in the morning, we'd been driving for almost twenty-four hours, I sighed as it was a miracle Jayson didn't fall asleep at the wheel and crash. Yawning I leaned forward into the front and turned to Alice, she seemed to have been awake long before I decided to come around.

"Good morning sleepy head," she greeted me, taking a sip of her ice coffee, which she must have bought at a service station,

"What are we doing? Where's Jayson?" I asked stifling a yawn.

"He's checking us into a roadhouse hotel for the rest of the night. I wasn't sure how long he would be able to keep his eyes open for,"

"Oh I'm so tired and ouch my back is so sore," I exclaimed as I attempted to stretch. I saw Jayson walking back flashing a room key in his hand, "Oh thank God," I breathed. Yeah we were definitely staying in a dump but who cares, all I yearned for was a bed, even If it was only going to be tiny.

I awoke again in the late noon, Jayson was snoring like a… well like a werewolf, and Alice was nowhere to be seen, but I'd already guessed where she was. I opened the rusted handle of an old wooden door, which led me outside, I found Alice sitting on a chair with a hot chocolate in her hands and earphones in her ears, she sensed me near and pulled them out,

"Hey," she said wearily as I pulled up a chair, she tried to cheer me up with her cheery tone, only she half knew it wouldn't work.

"Nothing is going to be the same is it? We are going to be in a new city, just us…" I trailed off but of course Alice knew what I was thinking

"New city, new people, new school," she sighed, "new lives,"

"I'm not sure I can do this, not again," I looked down at the concreted ground, pretending that the ants scurrying across the ground were interesting, "My whole life has been about moving to different places, I wanted Rippleton Hills to be the last place I would move to until I graduated. Making new friends and everything, it gets tiring after a while. When if first moved to Rippleton I wanted to give up, quit school, almost quit life. Until I met you," I sighed, this was a subject I'd never really discussed with anyone, ever.

"How many times have you moved?" Alice asked, interested to know this unknown part of me,

"Eleven times in ten years, one year I moved towns and changed schools so many times that I couldn't even remember my Form teacher's name." I frowned at how much I'd moved around through my childhood,

"This is my first time moving towns and going to a completely different school," Alice confessed in a small voice.

We jumped as the door opened suddenly, and Jayson stepped out, "Ready to hit the road soon girls?" He unusually seemed excited, that was weird for Jayson.

"Can't we stay and chill a little longer?" I asked, trying to make an excuse to go back into a warm bed,

"We're going to ATL, wouldn't you girls want to get there early and do some shopping before you begin school," Alice's expression perked up, clearly excited but the idea of shopping, only I hung my head, looking a little disappointed,

"What Is it?" Alice asked,

"I have barely any money," I said in the smallest voice, which was barely audible,

"The hell you do!" Jayson exclaimed, "Didn't you think your parents wouldn't of left you any inheritance? Rose, you have a massive fortune just waiting to be spent," I stilled looked down at my feet as I spoke,

"Yeah I guess, but I won't be able to touch it until I'm eighteen,"

"Don't you mean sixteen?" My eyes suddenly lit up and my heart came back to life, "the 31st of October is in two more days, but I'm giving you your birthday present early, spend as much as you want, this goes for Alice too," he handed me his credit card, suddenly I felt as if I held all the gold in the world, but truth be told I probably was, Jayson was rolling on gold, so it made sense my parents were probably just as rich.