The Girl She Knew

Chapter Eight: Things Will Get Better

~Riley's POV~

"Ro- please. I'm so sorry." I pleaded, following her down the hallway.

"Well Riley, sorry doesn't always cut it."

"Look I'm ready! I'm not gonna miss the brunch," I grabbed her arm,"please. I know you don't like drinking, and you've got a perfectly valid reason not to. But don't stay mad at me."

"You overdid it. I was ashamed to have been there."

"Every one overdid it, there was no reason to be embarrassed--"

"Do you really think that's why I was up all night? Because I was 'embarrassed'. I was ashamed to have gone- I mean I wished we hadn't. I was up all night checking to make sure Jo didn't choke on her own vomit."

"Oh..."

"Yeah." She said harshly.

I moved my hand down, until I wrapped her fingers around her hand. She signed and interlocked her long fingers with my shorter ones.

I smiled at her and kissed her hand,"I'm so sorry Ro."

"I know."

~

"Hi guys!" I said, walking a foot or two away from Rosie, she hadn't really spoken much in the car on the way over and the only movement had been to turn on the radio.

"Hi Riley," Mrs. Roxy chimed and Mrs. Jan gave me a warm smile as I pulled a chair out for Rosie.

Rosie shot me a slight glare and scooted her chair in as I squeezed into the chair next to her.

"How are you?" Mrs. Jan asked me, reaching her hand out to hold me in one of her odd affectionate ways.

"Good good," I muttered giving her hand a squeeze and picking up the menu, not that I needed to. We had been coming here for years and I had the menu memorized, plus Rosie and I got one of the same few things and split it.

"Hey Ro-" as I started to ask what she wanted there was a loud clamor from across the restaurant. From the noise glasses and plates must have been broken. Then a blushing Tobi shuffled through the cabinet like separator that had blocked our view of the calamity.

"Tobi what just happened? We were starting to think you got lost on your way to the bathroom." Mrs. Roxy teased, handing her son his napkin. Mrs. Jan on the other hand had worry clear as day strewn across her face through the worry lines that seemed to almost cover it. Rosie had the same worried facial expression.

"I uh miss-stepped and walked into a uh a- a waiter." He mumbled to his lap, blushing even more as he straightened and re-straightened the napkin.

"Oh no!" Mrs. Roxy said.

"Oh my goodness, are you okay? Is he okay?" Miss Jan's resting worry face worsened as she all but jumped out of her chair, leaning over to grab his arm.

I snickered quietly and looked to Rosie expecting the same from her, but her mouth was a straight line and her eyes was glaring at the blue haired boy sitting to my left.

Tobi rubbed his eyes,"Yeah yeah moms. I'm fine. It's no biggie. The guy was fine." He shook his head a little and ran his fingers through his hair.

Rosie stirred he sugar into her unsweet tea with the spoon clanking around in there making the poor boy flinch repeatedly. I had grown up with frequent migraines so the slight headache I had now was nothing.

I put my hand on his shoulder and gave Rosie a disapproving look to which she just glared and then quickly turned back to her parents. "So how has it been at home guys?" She asked in her almost too sugar sweet voice.