Short Story: Walking A Mile To Get Around The Corner
This short story has been entered in theSprout Short Story Competition.
Have you noticed the way beautiful red rose petals wrap around themselves to almost protect the precious pollen inside and how when they bloom and the ruby red petals have done their job they fall in a dainty fashion, each one like a ballet dancer in the air, until they hit the ground.
Ironic really that the flower seems to bring a magic to anyone it is around, yet me, I don’t.
My name is Rose. Rose Richards and I am fifteen years old. Recently my life has come crashing down around me but I will explain that later, for now I will tell you about myself. I am the normal average teenage girl, I like to go out with my friends and go to parties and I hate my mum, she just doesn’t get that I want to go out and have fun like a teenager should.
It’s like the time when all my friends were going to get their hair done, I went in with long blonde hair and came out with a short brown bob, and my mum went mad! Or the time when my friends went to the shop to get their ears pierced and I can home with my belly button pierced, my mum grounded me for three weeks because of that! Three weeks!
Now don’t get me wrong, I love my mum loads but sometimes I just have this feeling that we aren’t on the same page even with simple stuff like room colours. I wanted to paint my room blue to match my eyes but mum said “No, you’re not having a blue room, you can have pink”. I mean come on, who has a pink room at fifteen years old? I suppose I should start to tell my story before I get off the subject, it all started in the early part of April.
“Mum, Mum! Why do I have to go?” I shouted down the stairs of our three bedroom detached house in Windsor. It’s only Mum and I that live in it but we have a spare bedroom for friends and family.
“Yes Rose, you have to come” she shouted back up as she ironed our dresses for the next day “your auntie will be expecting to see you there” she said as if she was trying to make me feel guilty.
“Fine, I’ll come but you better buy me a drink at the reception!” I called down and hear my mum laugh, her full hearted laugh that soothes me like a baby with a dummy.
I came downstairs in my velour pink tracksuit with diamants spelling my name on my bum; the furry material flattered my hourglass figure. “Why is Auntie Lucy marrying him again?” I asked coldly.
“Because Rose, they are in love” my Mum replied trying hard to iron out the wrinkles in my dress. “Also because she is getting old and wrinkled like your dress so she thinks no one will love her, therefore sinking her nails into this one and pushing him down the aisle so he will forever be hers”. I stopped. My Mum had a twinkle in her eye and we both started laughing.
“I can’t believe you said that!”I managed to say trying to catch my breath.
Mum laughed, “Well there is a lot to learn about the art of sarcastic comments” and she smiled, her famous full teeth smile that could calm down a suicidal desperate man on the edge of a building. It made me smile too.
“Is it OK if I go out for a little while Mum?” I asked even though I knew what the answer was going to be.
“If you like, just be in before it gets dark.” She replied in a quiet tone. I searched her face, taken back that she has agreed I could go out with others that are my own age, she looked at me, “Go on then before I change my mind” that was enough for me, I put on my suede Ugg boots and headed out the door.
The Sun was out, not hot, but it was there for the flowers and birds to acknowledge. There were only a few clouds in the sky and they looked like little lambs floating in the sky. As I walked into the park down the road from me I saw a group of people, must have been the same age as me, they all had a can of Strongbow and a few had a cigarette in their hands. I walked past with my head down my newly died brown hair although cut in a stylish bob, the sweeping fringe shielded my face.
I had past them and I started to pick up the pace, I was home free, that was until I heard someone shout to me as I walked off “Oi! You! What do you think you’re doing in our park?” and with that there must have been three or four surrounding me all smelt like alcohol and smoke. I tried to push past them but I couldn’t, they had me well and truly cornered. They all started shouting at me and I felt helpless, until I heard a voice say “Leave her alone you idiots” and the group scattered, I didn’t realise it but I was kneeling on the floor and as I looked up, I saw an outstretched hand that gestured to help me up, I took hold of it and came face to face with my rescuer. He was taller than me but not by much about four inches, his eyes were a deep brown and his styled hair was the same colour.
“Are you OK?” he asked, his voice was deep and friendly.
“Yeah...I’m fine...I just...” I broke off and realised I was now shaking like a leaf; he sat me down on a bench.
“My name is Jordan, Jordan James” he said offering his hand once again but for a different reason.
“I’m Rose Richards” I replied slowly and cautiously, I noticed that it was dark now and I remembered what Mum had said. “I have to go home” I said the sudden realisation of what had just happened and how worried Mum would be getting now.
“I’ll walk you back” he offered and I sensed he was genuinely worried about me. I thought for a second, surely Mum would take comfort in the fact I didn’t walk home alone so I agreed and we walked back to my house. We talked and I found out that Jordan only lived a few streets away from me. As we turned the corner I saw Mum hands on hip and a look on her face that would scare the Devil himself.
“Where have you been?” Mum exploded when we were inside, her face began to turned red and her eyes looked as though they were about to jump out of their sockets.
“I’m sorry mum” I said in a small apologetic tone, my head was down as I didn’t dare look in her eyes.
“Sorry? You’re sorry? Oh well that’s fine, all is well with the world again because Rose is sorry!” She was yelling now “No. Sorry doesn’t cut it this time Rose! Go to your room.”
“But Mum...”
“Now Rose!” my Mum shouted sharply.
As I stomped up the stairs to my room, I thought of what had happened to me and I turned around and shouted down “I hate you!” and slammed my door shut.
That night I heard Mum crying in her room, I wanted to go in and lie next to her and say I’m sorry and that it was a stupid thing to say and have my mum to turn and say the same thing to me and say she overreacted because she knew I was a sensible girl and I wouldn’t get into any trouble.
That wasn’t going to happen. Instead mum and I were going to be stubborn and we were both doomed to cry ourselves to sleep because of the stupid argument we had had.
IMAGE: marcopoulos
