Slipping Through My Fingers

Chapter Four

Chapter 4

Rosalie's POV -

I sighed heavily as I picked up Liam and Mike's school shirts off their bedroom floor and put it in the washing machine. I heard a loud noise of a truck stop in front of the apartment building and a male voice was screaming for the truck to stop.

I peered outside the window - it looked like someone was moving in. I put the rest of the clothes in the washing machine and remembered Nate saying that he was coming past my apartment today - he was probably just trying to get under my skin by saying that anyway.

I transferred all the clothes that were in the washing machine into the dryer and turned it on.



"Rose, someone's at the door." Jace said to me.

I quickly washed and dried my hands and walked over to the front door and peered it open. Standing at my door was a really good-looking guy in his early twenties. He had dark brown hair that was tousled up and a slight, gruffy beard that made him all the more attractive. He was built as well.

"Hi," I smiled politely. "Can I help you?"

"Hey, I'm Adam, I'm moving in across the hallway. I was just wondering why my door wasn't opening with my keys." He asked.

He had the exact same problem as me when I first moved in.

"Oh, just twist your keys all the way to the left and use your foot to kick the door open." I told him.

He walked towards his door and did what I told him and the door opened like it was supposed to. Adam turned around and smiled at me.

"Thanks um, neighbour?" He drifted off.

I laughed lightly at his confusion.

"It's Rosalie but everyone calls me Rose." I smiled.

Adam returned the smile and nodded his head.

"See you around Rose." Adam mumbled.

I turned around and walked back into the apartment with a weird kind of smile on my face.

I shut the door behind me and started walking towards the kitchen to cook.

"Who was it?" Jace's voice made me jump in fright.

"Oh, we have a new neighbour." I tried to make my voice sound innocent but then started wondering what I was guilty of in the first place.

I opened the cupboards and found that we had no food. Like none. I craned my head back in annoyance. Right, I forgot I had to go grocery shopping today and Jace wanted to eat mac and cheese.

"Jace, I've got to go down to the supermarket, are you okay with taking care of the boys?" I asked him.

"Yup. I've done it a million times before."

I smiled and told Liam and Mike that I was going to the supermarket to buy some food for them.

Before I left, I made sure all the windows were locked and that anything dangerous was out of reach before I exited the apartment. I shut the door and locked it just as I heard a familiar voice.

"Hey, Rose, leaving already?" Adam asked me with a polite tone.

"I should say the same for you - you are the one who just moved in." I responded.

"Yeah, well I need to get some groceries to start filling up my apartment. I've got to feed myself one way or another." He shrugged.

He took out something fancy that I yearned to have - a mobile phone - actually I think it was one of those iPhones that I see on commercials all the time.

Adam noticed me glancing at his phone and propped up an eyebrow.

"You wanna punch in your number?" He asked me.

"Oh, no that's okay." I held in a tight smile. Adam looked away in embarrassment as if I had just rejected him so I made sure to clear the air. "I meant, I don't actually have a phone so I can't put in any number."

He looked relieved that I wasn't just rejecting him or something. We both took the stairs two at a time and he walked over to his vehicle. I waved respectfully as he started his engine and drove away.

I began my trek towards the supermarket, estimating that it should only be a fifteen minute walk.

The same sound of an engine was now crawling in my ear and I looked up to see Adam frowning.

"Where are you going, do you need a ride?" He asked.

My insides melted with happiness and ease. A frown on my face developed as soon as I became unknown to the happy feelings bubbling up inside of me.

"Uh, I'm going to the supermarket." I mumbled shyly.

He looked at me like I was some idiot and shook his head.

"Well if your parents can't give you a ride why didn't you just tell me? We are after all going to the same place." He cocked his head to the side to get a better look at my expression.

I breathed in a vast amount of air at the mention of 'parents'. Of course, anyone would just assume that I lived with my parents. It's not often that you hear that a seventeen year old girl was raising her three little brothers and taking care of all finances and whatnot.



"So do you want one?" Adam brought me back to reality.

I closed my eyes tightly with frustration - what was he just talking about?

"I'm sorry, what?" I asked.

He laughed and shook his head with amusement.

"You're cute," And then my insides melted again. "Do you want a ride?"

That would have been much easier than walking and time was something I really needed because I still needed to cook and clean, then do my homework and God knows if Nate is going to bother to come around my apartment or not.

"Rose?" Adam brought my attention back once again.

I laughed because I was acting really weird and goofy.

"Yes, I would like that, thanks." I smiled and opened the door for the car, and strapped myself in.

***

"Okay, so we have half an hour to get everything we want and we will meet in aisle six." Adam hushed as if we were in a huddle.

He was a real nice, genuine person. He didn't shy away from me and didn't pry when he spoke to me. He was, well, he was the complete opposite of Nate.

I giggled quietly as Adam looked around to see if anyone was listening to us.

"And break!" He yelled, making people around him glance in our direction.

He ran straight down the end of the store and into the aisle after winking at me.

Yep, he was a real nice guy. I went to retrieve a basket so it limited me with the amount of food I could get. I held in many secrets on how to save money that I was very proud of.

I walked straight to aisle two and looked at the homebrand section because it was usually the cheapest. I shoved six packets of mac and cheese into the basket - they were sixty cents each anyway. I bought milk, cheese, fish, and lasagne, food for school, lettuce, chicken, calamaris, cereal and noodles. I was on my way to aisle five when I bumped into something rock hard. I looked up to apologise and met the same icy brown eyes that looked furious.

Oh no... I had once again bumped into the very same Nate that only insulted me.

"Geez, is that all you do? Bump into people? If you seriously need to get your eyes checked I'll be willing to pay." Of course, that was the dandy voice of Nate once again insulting me.

My lips tightened together in annoyance and I felt myself flush red in embarrassment because well, I did for the second time in a few days bump into him.

"I didn't see you, maybe if you weren't abnormally tall and didn't have a personality equivalent to a wall I would actually pass you as a human and move out of the way." I retorted.

He grinned wickedly and winked at me.

"Score one for Rose. That's one of the best comebacks I've heard, good on you." He flashed me a smirk.

I rolled my eyes and purposely pushed pass him which was a wrong move because I staggered back a little.

Good God he was so built! Was he CEO of a gym or something?

"So, I'm surprised that you're able to afford human food. I figured with your personality and wealth that you'd just eat dog food. But then again, you are beautiful so no one like you would eat dog food." Nate shrugged as if his comment didn't make my insides flip with both awe and anger.

"Stop insulting me Nate - I know you're only trying to make yourself feel better but you're too egoistic for your own good so just stop." I narrowed my eyes at him.

He smirked and grabbed the highest price of ice-cream - wait, how did I get to the fridge? Oh God, I must have just walked with him and forgotten all about the detergent that I was supposed to get. How did I just forget that?

"Hey, how did I insult you? I called you beautiful didn't I?" He looked shocked that I would accuse him of insulting me.

"Oh my God, no comment," I muttered and strut away back towards aisle five to get the detergent.

"But you just commented." I heard Nate call from behind me.

I bit my tongue so hard so I wouldn't reply to Nate. I noticed that every time I would reply that Nate would either get really worked up or he'd be very cruel.

I took the cheapest pack of detergent off the rack and placed it in the basket that was beginning to become very heavy. I put the basket back on the floor to carry it up again but before I could carry it an arm reached out and carried it for me. I looked up and nonetheless saw Nate standing above me with a cocky smile.

"I don't need help." I muttered stubbornly.

He barked a laugh and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah because you were holding it without struggling." He laughed sarcastically.

I rolled my eyes and stood up, attempting to take the basket out of the firm grip Nate had. Nothing budged except for my hands failing to grasp the basket.

"You're so stubborn." I muttered.

Out of nowhere I heard a loud masculine voice scream from a distance away.

"Rose it's been half an hour!" Adam yelled.

I had to laugh - even though Nate was watching me. Adam had such a goofy personality and I found it wildly amusing that he would actually yell through the entire store.

"Who's that?" Nate frowned.

"A friend," I muttered, trying to take the basket out of his grasp but yet again, I didn't succeed.

Nate's eyebrow rose up and he shot me an annoyed look.

"Boyfriend?" He asked.

I huffed loudly and didn't bother answering his question. I pushed passed him and walked over to where I saw Adam spinning around in search for me.

When he saw me, he rushed to my side and grabbed my shoulders together.

"Dear, I have been searching for you for a hundred years. Where have you been?" He feigned concern in a dramatic tone.

I laughed loudly as he let go of me and let his natural handsome persona take charge.

"You're really weird." I laughed.

"Hey, how'd you know that was my middle name? You must be some telepathy person." He joked.

I continued laughing and wondered how I managed to nab such a whole-hearted person as a neighbour.

"Where are your groceries?" He asked me as he looked around.

Oh no, they were still with Nate.

"Right here." Nate's voice spoke from behind me.

I once again walked over to Nate and tried to take the basket off of him. This time, he actually gave it to me.

"You're a stuck-up bitch." Nate grumbled as he handed me the basket.

The only person that had ever called me that was my dad - and this very same person - this cruel, insensitive creature called me one too.

I felt my mouth gape open and it immediately went dry.

"Uhm, why?" If he was going to call me the same thing my dad did then I had to at least know why!

"Because! I try to do something nice but all you're doing it being a stuck-up bitch about it!" He yelled.

My comments from earlier must have caught up with him because now he was being an asshole and raging about it.

"Hey, stop talking like that." Adam came to my defense.

"Whatever." Nate muttered angrily and pushed pass me making me fall to the floor.

Adam came down to me and frowned at the angry Nate who was storming out of the supermarket store. I was simply speechless. How much of a crappy life must he have to be so... so... so bastard-ish! Adam asked me if I was okay and helped me up. All I could do was nod and pick up my basket.

We walked over to the cashier together and paid for our groceries. Proudly, with everything I bought it equalled up to nineteen dollars. And I had really stocked up a lot! Adam helped me with the bags to the car and the car trip was filled with Adam making lame jokes that I couldn't stop laughing at.

Adam helped putting the bags on my kitchen bench and then he bid me farewell.

"Did you buy macaroni and cheese?" Liam ran into the kitchen and asked with excitement.

I laughed and nodded my head.

"Yup, it should be ready soon," I smiled.

Liam ran back to Mike to tell him the 'exciting' news.

Wow, was I that bad with giving them what they want? I never thought so.

I sighed and made the mac and cheese for the boys who were all sitting on the kitchen bench just staring at me making the food with anxiety and excitement clear in their eyes.

After the boys finished eating, they were all licking the bowl clean. I hadn't eaten anything because I really didn't like mac and cheese so I'd settle for a simple cheese sandwich. I cleaned the kitchen after I cleaned and I made sure the rest of the apartment was tidy before I saw down on the seat for the breakfast table to start my homework.

Just as I sat down, the indicator for the washing machine beeped so I quickly skipped over to it to take out the clothes and hang them on the small balcony.

I went back inside and started my homework. I had to finish off my homework on Shakespeare that we were studying in AP English. Unfortunately, the set task required me to use the laptop I had been given. I didn't even know how to use it properly. I was supposed to write a thousand word essay based on whether or not Shakespeare was the authentic author of his work - and this was due in two days. Plus I had even more work from each individual subject and the history assignment. This was going to be one long night.

***

"Well, I'm sorry, but I can't say I'm too surprised. He's like that - it's just his personality." Chloe replied after I told her about Nate.

I closed my locker thingy and walked with her to AP English. It had been one week since my run-in with Nate at the supermarket and he had been completely ignoring me which was why history with him was kind of awkward. Chloe had demanded that I tell her what happened with him and so I did.

"I know, but I just don't understand why he is the way he is. It is very frustrating." I admitted.

"I think that you need to talk to him first and make the first move because he's very stubborn and won't speak to you until you make the move. And as hard as it is, don't insult him." She suggested.

Not to insult Nate? After he only insults me? That will be hard...

Chloe and I took our seats which meant utter quiet. We had a test today just to give the teacher an idea on how we were doing in the class. I barely had time to study since I offered to help Adam out with washing and drying. He didn't know how to do it so I had to teach him and it turns out, he doesn't concentrate very well. But he was a good guy and I really liked him and enjoyed his company.

An agonizing fifty minutes went passed until the bell for lunch rang. I packed my pen into my bag and stood up alongside Chloe.

"How did you go?" She asked me as we walked to the cafeteria.

"Not as bad as I thought I'd go," I explained. "But not as good as I hoped. What about you?"

"Not too bad." She shrugged.

The usual table where I had been sitting with Chris, Cam, Chloe and Nate was empty. Lunch had been my favourite time of day because even though Nate was pretending I didn't exist, I genuinely didn't care and the others were really funny so we had some good times.

I walked over to the empty table and sat in my seat just as Nate did the same. Chris, Camilla and Chloe were all buying food whereas I had to pack food from home.

I unzipped my bag and took out a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich and started eating it. I thought about what Chloe told me earlier about Nate and contemplated on whether or not I should speak to him first. I honestly didn't want to start a conversation with him because if it weren't for Nate, Brooklyn would have been the best place I've moved to.

But Nate was making life here frustrating. Before I could argue with myself any further, I made the first move.

"Hi." I blurted out.

I felt my face flush with embarrassment.

Hi?

That's all I said. I was really stupid.

Nate, who was looking at his phone, looked up at me and frowned in confusion. He looked as if he had imagined someone talk and looked back at his phone.

I sighed heavily and looked around the room to see where the rest of the gang was. They were still in line to buy food.

"Uh, Nate?" I tried again.

He realised I was speaking to him. I could tell by the way his eyes widened a little and how his mouth twitched as if he had won a challenge. Asshole.

"What?" He muttered angrily through clenched teeth.

This was going to be way harder than I initially bargained for.

I racked my brain for something to say - I should have figured out what I wanted to say before I opened my mouth.

"I'm sorry," I once again blurted.

Sorry? For what? I just wanted the dark timber floors below me to open up and swallow me. My face was surely as red as a tomato.

Nate's eyes finally flickered upward from his phone and he glanced at me suspiciously.

"I don't care." He finally replied.

I felt myself about to insult him but then realised that Chloe told me not to. I sucked in a long deep breath trying to control my temper all the while wondering when I developed a short temper in the first place.

"Can we start over?" I tried - I even feigned a friendly smile which was probably tight right now because of the scowl Nate was shooting me.

"No. Listen, I despise you, like I really cannot stand your presence. You think I'm hot and I get that and all but leave me alone." He spat.

I'd never been close to crying about something other than anything got to do with my family however Nate was one person that made me question what I did. I try to wonder what I had done so badly to make him hate me.

Or was he just a closed up person that hated the world? But no, he couldn't be because he was a completely different person when he was with Chris and the twins. He would smile, laugh and joke around a lot. But he would only act like that when I wasn't with them. I knew that Chris and the twins were very fond of Nate but I just couldn't understand why they loved him when he was such an asshole.

So, I sat on my seat, mouth agape as Nate threw every insult invented towards me. But I would not cry. I would never in a million years give him the satisfaction that I actually cared about what he had said. And I didn't care... But that didn't mean that it didn't hurt to hear someone say horrible things about you.

When Nate was done insulting me I breathed heavily. I turned around to see where the rest of the gang was - they were now picking what food they wanted.

"Why are you so mean to me?" I found myself asking the question I had been asking myself on countless occasions.

He just snickered and rolled his eyes as if he found my question amusing.

"Because you deserve no kindness. You crossed me from the very first day we met and let's face it - you're a bitch. I don't like you so we'll just carry along as acquaintances and that is it." I knew that he wasn't going to speak anymore so I didn't bother saying anything.

At the right moment, Chris and the twins sat down in their seats and started chatting amiably but unlike most days, I really didn't feel like joining in. And I had completely lost my appetite.

"Aren't you going to eat anything?" Cam's smile was stretched across her face from the joke Chloe just told.

"Um," I cleared my throat because my voice sounded very hoarse. "I'm not really hungry; I think I'm just going to go to the library to study for our AP exam." I murmured an excuse to get away.

Chloe laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Rose, we just had our exam last period."

Oops - that was a little slipup.

"I meant my history exam." I pretended to laugh.

They all nodded and Chris told me he'd see me next period in law studies.

But as I walked away, I knew that I had another slipup. There was no history exam. And the one person who was in my history class was Nate and so he must have known that I just needed to get away from him. I turned around to see if he cared - or anything - but all I saw was his eyes locked on mine without expression. I think I may have seen suspicion but I couldn't be sure. So I just walked away.

----------------------------------

Authors Note:

You met Adam! He kind of reminds me of Colin and Fin from Gilmore Girls :P

So, surprise surprise, Nate is still being mean. It'll die down eventually, don't worry :D

OHH and picture of Adam on the side! Liam Hemsworth :) fellow Aussie mate.

Vote, comment, fan!

Farewell xx