Bancrofts

Chapter 2: New Truths

The Bell rings over head and its time to go separate ways. 

"Hey, we will see you at lunch then?" Jess ask Rose as they head in opposite directions. 

"Yeah sounds great!" Rose confirms. 

They all had classes to go to, but Rose's next period was a study hall. She could go to the library, but why not take the time to look around this place. 

She walks down the hall and down the staircase at the far end to head down to her locker. She kneels down to switch out her books. 

Next she has lunch and then Anatomy and physiology II. She grabs out her anatomy book and as she is reaching in notices something etched into the back of her locker. T.S. & B.B. 1990. Encircled by a heart. 

T.S. Rose doesn't know, but B.B.? That had to be her mother. Bridget Bancroft. That was her senior year. 

The thought of being in the same place that her mother once was made Rose both happy and want to throw up. She shoves her locker door closed and stares at it for a moment taking in that there are still traces of her mom here. 

She stands up as the bell rings and the last few stragglers in the hall rush to class. As everyone clears out Rose can finally take in the halls a little bit. 

Posters for different clubs and events down the walls. At the end of almost every hall is a different awards case. This place wins a lot of awards; That is probably why they are one of the top schools in the state. 

Rose walks over to the closest case. Looks like this one is dedicated to their cheer and gymnastics teams. Not really her thing, but she can't deny the skill it takes. Never been one for a sport where smiling matters. 

In the back of the case she sees a picture of the 90's Varsity cheer squad her mother kneeling in the front row. 'I didn't know my mom was a cheerleader. I wonder why she never brought it up.' Rose thinks staring at the picture. 

"Whatcha looking at?" Rose jumps at the voice. "Carter. Jesus! You scared the crap out of me." Rose yells smacking his arm. 

"Sorry, sorry" He apologizes, fending off her smack. "I was just heading to the bathroom when I saw you standing here gawking at cheerleaders." He says waving his hall pass. 

She rolls her eyes. "I'm not just gawking at cheerleaders. I'm gawking at... my mother." She tells him pointing to the picture. Carter squints his eyes to get a good look. "Wow. That's your mom? Hot." He quips. Rose smacks his arm again. He laughs. 

"Oh look She's next to Mrs. Lake too." He says pointing to the girl beside her mother. 

Rose swings her head back to the picture. "What? That's Mrs. Lake?... Weird. She did mention she knew my mom, but she said they weren't close." 

"They look pretty close there." Carter mentions. 

In the picture her mother and Mrs. Lake have their arms linked and are incredibly close together.

 'Weird that Mrs. Lake would say she didn't really know my mother' Rose thinks.  

"So, don't you have somewhere to be?" Carter asks. 

Rose shrugs. "Not really. I have study hall, but I finished my homework for statistics in class. So I figured I'd look around." 

"Oh well want to hang out in the gym? It's free day Friday so everyone is doing whatever they want pretty much." 

"Won't I get in trouble for being in there when I'm not in the class?" 

"Nah. They don't really notice anything. Like I said everyone is everywhere right now. Plus there is only 15 minutes 'til class is over." Carter points out.