Welcome Home, Rose

Twenty-Two

*Flashback*

They had somehow survived their Senior Year.

Val's accident at prom left their entire class at a loss for words. Pietro Sr called an ambulance where he was rushed to Emerson Bay General. Edgar and Pietro Sr had V flown down to Lexington Memorial the same night. V was stable, in order to give his body a chance to heal he was placed in a coma. His chances of waking were slim. The chances of him walking again? Even slimmer. Pietro Sr and Edgar refused to give up so easily.

Elias Turner questioned everyone that attended the prom at the Sebastian Hotel, needing an interpreter for Soren. When he had come down from the room V had been in, he was hysterical. He signed the same words over and over again during his interrogation, "I didn't see anything" with tears falling down his face. In the end, it was labeled as an accident. In Heather's small group of friends, they all knew the truth. Shane MacBride had something to do with it. He remained in his smug state of mind, believing he had truly broken Heather Turner down.

Graduation Day had arrived, Heather stood in front of her closet picking out the nicest flannel she owned with a black tank top and black skinny jeans. She fished out her all-black chucks taking a seat at the foot of her bed. She could hear her dad on the phone in the office, from what it sounded like there were leads on a case he was working on. Ty made a silent wager that their old man would leave during the ceremony. Heather's fingers were crossed that he wouldn't.

"You look like you're going to a funeral." Ty commented leaning against the doorframe to her room.

"Feels like one." She shrugged. Tyson and his friends made a band called Fallen 4, they had just sent out their demos to some of the biggest record companies in the county. Her brother had found his way out, she had sent out her college applications, the only one who had sent a reply back had been Mercury Heights Technical College. It was still too close to home. Her parents already disapproved of Tyson's dream, if she told them hers, she would receive the same treatment.

"You'll get out Rosie." He came in, sitting down next to her.

"I hope so." She shrugged into her flannel grabbing her cap and gown. "Where's dad?"

"Just left, said he was chasing a lead. He promises he'll make it to the ceremony." He stood up, taking the cap and gown from her. She bit her lip; Elias Turner swore he would take the day of her graduation off. Another broken promise, another milestone taking a backseat to his career.

Together Tyson and Heather walked around the fence following the other seniors to the psychology room. She took her usual spot, Tyson set her gown down heading out to have a word with their mom. Clay crossed the room taking a seat next to her, with no scholarship in sight Clay followed in his parents' footsteps taking classes to become an EMT. Damien took an apprenticeship with his parents' photography studio. Soren worked with his mom at the floral shop in Bowie hiding in the back. Bennington Parque had decided their paths, sticking them in the same old song and dance.

"Have you heard anything about V?" She whispered.

"No change." Clay whispered back, death-glaring Shane from across the room.

"You could stand to be less subtle." Damien sat down next to Clay.

"He's acting way too smug." Soren glared right alongside his friend.

"Son of a bitch is probably planning something." AJ came up next to Heather. He attempted to take her hand. She pulled away, she blamed herself for V's accident, for being so lovestruck she had failed to notice one of her best friends needing her.