Teardrops of Roses [Completed]

Chapter 28: You, drive?

C h a p t e r T w e n t y E i g h t

During the week I surprised myself by being able to study completely on task on my own for the upcoming exams.

Mandy and many others of our friends had organised group study sessions at the local library. It wasn't even that I got too nervous to go out anymore, but I hadn't felt the need to go. I was truly content with staying at home as there was enough on my plate to keep me preoccupied.

Home this time around, felt vastly different the two 'sick days', taken weeks prior while Mr. Green was away. And I wondered if it had to do with things changing. Whatever it was, I had something to look forward to.

Though, whenever thoughts of his embrace or butterfly kisses on the nose would arise in my head, I pushed them away as my cheeks went red. I wasn't exactly avoiding those thoughts completely. I just knew that if I started reliving those memories, then I'd start getting swept up in thoughts, imagining more scenarios– some even more outrageous than I'd experienced, then I would never get any studies done.

Anyway, he was right. I needed to focus on studies and not get distracted. Alternating between a few subjects each day, I was somehow still able to put my head down and concentrate – better, in fact, than I had in weeks. My mood was up, my energy levels too. Things were great, no filming session or ball meetings to run around and attend until exams were over.
And boy, did I not want to know what a shit storm ball planning was going to be when we returned. There was still so much to do before the big day, I could not let my mood be ruined!

So I hunkered down and choose to be busy than allow myself any free time to day dream. I was using the idea of working hard as motivation for the days to go by quicker. The more I studied, practised, slept and ate, the faster days would go by and the sooner I would be able to see him.

However finally on Saturday morning, just after eleven when I'd woken up and had breakfast, it appeared that the rhythm I had set myself would soon be disrupted. After being done with the dishes I almost fell up the stairs when I checked my phone and found a bunch of bizarre texts from Mandy.

They read:

"Oh no wlfkfkjdkjjdkdkfnifellf"
"Rose, heldp ne."
"Gfjksiisijdd ficjncjdieikf hsjh"
"ROSE! Heijdkdnxhusjjdn"
You have received (4) missed calls from Mandy 👸🏻

They were almost incomprehensible, as if she was just smashing her mobile key board desperately. I promptly press the 'ring-back' option.

"Mandy! I'm sorry I missed your calls! What's wrong?! Are you okay?!" I jumble into the receiver the second she picked up.

"Rose you have to help me! Please!" Mandy whispers hysterically on the other end. My heart begins to drop frantically. I shut my bedroom door and sat on the edge of my bed so I could hear more clearly. "Where are you right now?! I'll come get you!"

"It's L-Luke..." She trembled.

"Luke?! Oh my god what happened?!" My face went white as a million scenarios started to play immediately through my mind.

"Luke, h-he's... "

My eyes begin to water. "What... happened?"

"He's here!" She half-whispered half-yelled hysterically into my ear.

"Vat?!" I spat, my face totally flat. "Repeat again, clearly."

"Luke.Is.Here. Someone invited bloody goody-miss-two-shoe-Jane to the study session and she freaking brought Luke!" She clarified in horror.