basement stairs as Gabriel stalked past.
Roseline remained crouched, wondering how long Claire would linger on the back porch. She really needed to get inside and find William.
“Hello? Yeah, it’s me Daddy. Gabriel just broke up with me,” Claire cried into her cell phone. Roseline rolled her eyes at Claire’s exaggerated sobbing. “I don’t know what happened. He just blew up and started accusing me of messing around with some other guy.”
There was a brief pause before Claire cried indignantly. “How can you even ask me that? Of course it’s his fault!”
“Whatever daddy. Just come get me.” Claire snapped her phone shut and stumbled towards the fence at the side of the house.
Roseline snuck out of the bushes as Claire unlatched the gate with great difficulty. Claire lost her balance and plopped to the ground as the gate swung closed behind her. Roseline silently raced across the moonlit yard and eased the glass door open. Most of the drunken students had begun filtering out of the house now that the show had ended. That would make it much easier for her to find William and get to heck out.
“William?” she called, cupping her hands around her mouth. She wandered through the house, stepping lightly over snoring teens.
“He’s over there,” Gabriel whispered as he slipped up behind her. He pointed to a crumpled heap on the couch in the basement.
Roseline rolled a snoring William over. His face was covered with bright red lipstick and an impressive bruise was forming on his neck.
“Well at least someone had a good time,” Gabriel chuckled, sounding impressed.
Roseline nodded and bent down, bracing to lift William. Gabriel’s electric touch stopped her. “Let me. He’s probably heavier then he looks.”
Frustrated with Gabriel’s intervention, Roseline was forced to watch him struggle to lift William’s dead weight. “It’s no problem. I’m sure I can manage him.”
Gabriel laughed, struggling to stand upright. “You’d just crumble under his weight. Especially in those shoes.” His gaze trailed down the curve of Roseline’s calf but quickly shifted away.
Relenting, Roseline settled with following his slow pace up the stairs and across the side yard. He knocked on the door before Roseline could stop him. Her ears perked up as light foot steps approached. “Oh no,” William’s mother moaned as soon as the door opened. “I knew he’d overdo it,” she said, reaching for her son.
“I’ve got it, Mrs. Hughes. Where do you want him” Gabriel grunted, crossing the threshold into his neighbor’s house.
“On the couch I guess. I don’t want him ruining my new carpet!”
Roseline lingered in the doorway, unsure if she should enter or leave. All of her clothes were still in Sadie’s room but she thought it best to sneak away. Gabriel slipped out of the door as she turned, massaging his sore shoulder. “That guy weighs a ton. He should’ve been on our football team.”
“Thanks Gabriel. Did you see Sadie?” Mrs. Hughes asked; worry lining her face as she squinted at the grandfather clock just down the hall. It was ticking its way closer to 2:30am.
Roseline spoke up. “She’s already home. I think she left about an hour ago.”
Mrs. Hughes frowned, running her hands through her matted hair. “Really? I didn’t hear anything. Well, thanks Rose. I should probably go check on her,” she started to head off but turned back. “Do you need a ride home dear?”
Roseline stifled a groan as Gabriel spoke up before she could decline the offer. “That’s ok Mrs. Hughes. I’ll take her home.”
Chapter 5
“My car’s this way,” Gabriel called, heading towards the far right side of his parent’s three car garage. Flipping open a hidden panel, made to look like the rest of the bricks on the house, the door
Roseline remained crouched, wondering how long Claire would linger on the back porch. She really needed to get inside and find William.
“Hello? Yeah, it’s me Daddy. Gabriel just broke up with me,” Claire cried into her cell phone. Roseline rolled her eyes at Claire’s exaggerated sobbing. “I don’t know what happened. He just blew up and started accusing me of messing around with some other guy.”
There was a brief pause before Claire cried indignantly. “How can you even ask me that? Of course it’s his fault!”
“Whatever daddy. Just come get me.” Claire snapped her phone shut and stumbled towards the fence at the side of the house.
Roseline snuck out of the bushes as Claire unlatched the gate with great difficulty. Claire lost her balance and plopped to the ground as the gate swung closed behind her. Roseline silently raced across the moonlit yard and eased the glass door open. Most of the drunken students had begun filtering out of the house now that the show had ended. That would make it much easier for her to find William and get to heck out.
“William?” she called, cupping her hands around her mouth. She wandered through the house, stepping lightly over snoring teens.
“He’s over there,” Gabriel whispered as he slipped up behind her. He pointed to a crumpled heap on the couch in the basement.
Roseline rolled a snoring William over. His face was covered with bright red lipstick and an impressive bruise was forming on his neck.
“Well at least someone had a good time,” Gabriel chuckled, sounding impressed.
Roseline nodded and bent down, bracing to lift William. Gabriel’s electric touch stopped her. “Let me. He’s probably heavier then he looks.”
Frustrated with Gabriel’s intervention, Roseline was forced to watch him struggle to lift William’s dead weight. “It’s no problem. I’m sure I can manage him.”
Gabriel laughed, struggling to stand upright. “You’d just crumble under his weight. Especially in those shoes.” His gaze trailed down the curve of Roseline’s calf but quickly shifted away.
Relenting, Roseline settled with following his slow pace up the stairs and across the side yard. He knocked on the door before Roseline could stop him. Her ears perked up as light foot steps approached. “Oh no,” William’s mother moaned as soon as the door opened. “I knew he’d overdo it,” she said, reaching for her son.
“I’ve got it, Mrs. Hughes. Where do you want him” Gabriel grunted, crossing the threshold into his neighbor’s house.
“On the couch I guess. I don’t want him ruining my new carpet!”
Roseline lingered in the doorway, unsure if she should enter or leave. All of her clothes were still in Sadie’s room but she thought it best to sneak away. Gabriel slipped out of the door as she turned, massaging his sore shoulder. “That guy weighs a ton. He should’ve been on our football team.”
“Thanks Gabriel. Did you see Sadie?” Mrs. Hughes asked; worry lining her face as she squinted at the grandfather clock just down the hall. It was ticking its way closer to 2:30am.
Roseline spoke up. “She’s already home. I think she left about an hour ago.”
Mrs. Hughes frowned, running her hands through her matted hair. “Really? I didn’t hear anything. Well, thanks Rose. I should probably go check on her,” she started to head off but turned back. “Do you need a ride home dear?”
Roseline stifled a groan as Gabriel spoke up before she could decline the offer. “That’s ok Mrs. Hughes. I’ll take her home.”
Chapter 5
“My car’s this way,” Gabriel called, heading towards the far right side of his parent’s three car garage. Flipping open a hidden panel, made to look like the rest of the bricks on the house, the door
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