blame it on the rain | monsters: the lyle and erik menendez story.

chapter 14.

1995. The Menendez Brothers Trial. The Sentencing of Lyle, Erik and Rosealine.

"Rosealine Bishop, please stand." Rosealine stood with Leslie and her team. Rosealine swallowed thickly, her hands tugging on her sweater sleeves. She was more than nervous.

"Rosealine Bishop, on the accounts of covering a murder, and tampering with evidence, you've been sentenced to 10 years in prison and 15 years on probation. Until you serve your 10 years you will not be granted probation."

Leslie let out an untasteful sigh. Rose let out a deep breath of relief. It was better than life.

"Could've been worse." Leslie mumbled to her. Rose nodded, sitting back down.

"Erik and Lyle Menendez, please stand." Erik and Lyle stood, along with Lyle's defense team.

"On the account of first degree murder of Jose and Kitty Menendez, you have both been sentenced to life in prison, without the possibility of parole."

Rose nearly sank to her knees. Her eyes flooded with tears. A life sentence after already living a terrible life at home. Rose wanted to fight.

The boys seemed unfazed by the sentencing. Rose stood.

"Ms. Bishop?" The judge asked her, confused.

"Please," Her voice cracked. "Trade our sentences. I can do life. I can do death, even. Just please." She said, tears streaming down her face at once.

"Ms. Bishop, I cannot trade your sentences. You have 10 years, they have life. It's simple. There's no appealing this."

Rose swallowed. "I can do life. I've had a good life. My parents loved me. Just, please."

"Officers, take Ms. Bishop to her cell please."

They took Rosealine away from the courtroom. She was immediately thrown back into her blue prison jumpsuit and out of her itchy sweater. She cried all night. 

She would do anything to take their places. She had a good life. A good Mom. A good Dad. And here they were, spending the rest of their lives in prison.

She would not see Erik and Lyle for 25 years. When she was released from prison, she was 34. When she was taken off probation, she was 49 years old.

After her first 10 years being on probation, she adopted a child. A mere baby. She named her Morgan. Morgan Bishop.

She took her for a visit to see Erik and Lyle.

"She's adorable." Erik cooed, looking at the baby in her arms. Rose grinned, aging evident in her forehead and around her mouth.

"Can I hold her?" Erik asked. Rose looked to the guards. They nodded. She handed the baby to Erik.

He gently took the bundle into his arms.

"She's so cute!" He said, laughing. Rose smiled tightly. She didn't forget where she was at. A prison. Where neither of them would ever be released.

As a teenager, well before the murders, she envisioned this moment entirely different. She wasn't as old, she didn't have little strands of gray hairs peeking through her brown hair. She already held a few Wembley titles, beating her own Mom.

She didn't know how to handle it. After her visit, she buckled Morgan up in her car seat before driving down to her publicist office.

Her publicist, Gloria Holden, didn't expect Rosealine Bishop to come stomping into her office with a pink blanket bundled in her arms.

"I want to write a book. And I want to do it now." She said in a whisper.

Gloria gave her a puzzled look.

"Better get to writing then." Roses nostrils flared.

"It's her nap time." She hissed, bouncing the baby in her arms.

"Since when did you have a baby?"

"I didn't. There's a thing called adoption, Gloria."

Gloria shrugged and sighed.

"I can get you a title by tomorrow—what do you think?"

"Sounds fine by me. Call me," As Rose turned her back, Gloria spoke again.

"I'll email it to you." Rose turned around to face her.

"I have zero clue how to work that." Gloria was only in her early 30s, bless her heart for having to put up with Rose.

"I will call you then."

"Thank you." Gloria promptly nodded at her, before Rose walked right back out.

The next day, Gloria called with a title.

"What about "Menendez and Me?""

Rose cringed. "God, no." She said, her nose still scrunched up.

"Okay how about "Knowing Menendez"?" Rose cringed again.

"No." Rose responded, her mouth in a straight line.

"Okay then. You find your own name."

And Rose did just that.

"California Love" skyrocketed. With the corniest title ever heard, people loved it. They ate it right up.

It became a New York Number #1 best seller. And Rose wrote it all herself.

2020 was the perfect time for the book to became relevant again. It released in 2015, and in height of the pandemic, the girls on tiktok found the Menendez case. Not only were they stunned by the brother's attractiveness, they were stunned by the sheer injustice of the case.

And soon, people found out about Rosealine and her significants. Edits of her to Lana Del Rey—the whole mile. People adored her.

And when they found her book, it was like when "Elvis and Me" by Priscilla Presley was released.

And it became even worse when they found Eileen's court tapes. The Chanel outfits, the sarcasticness, how much of a diehard supporter she was of the brothers and her sister, and don't forget her being a lesbian. In 2020, people immediately saw her as a gay icon.

And still, she is called that for obvious reasons.

Rose advocates for the brothers everyday on social media. In her book, she goes into great detail about her life with Erik prior to the murders.

910 words.
we are almost done with this book so i just want to quickly thank everyone for everything! i've gotten nothing but support on this book and i appreciate it so much!
also to anyone reading—are there any walking dead fans? i'm looking for something else to write that will keep me busy for awhile and im thinking the walking dead will be my next book! let me know if you'd read!
it'd be abt carl bc i 💗 him.