Rosaline Wood (A Violet Eden Follow-on Reboot)

Chapter Eight: Stalkers, Sparing and Bleeding on the Doorstep

Tuesday dawned with nothing spectacular and Cameron's worrying leave from school continued. Each day followed the same monotonous pattern and each day I went to school trailed silently by Alec who just seemed to want to get me on my own. That was one thing that was definitely not going to happen. Saturday, however, which is possibly one of the best days of the week being a weekend was different. Griffin woke me up before it was light. He almost literally dragged me out of bed. With much mumbled protesting on my behalf, he stuffed me into his car and we drove in sleepy silence for what felt like an eternity. Then we stopped and Griffin got out of the car and lay down on the dewy grass. I stared at him for a long time, watching him feeling rather confused. After an hour I grew tired of just watching and so, deciding this was going to me some sort of meditation lesson he'd been told to give me by Nyla I scrambled out too and followed suit.

The ground was soft and springy like a mattress and rather comfortable despite the slight wetness of the dew. Birds chirped greeting choruses overhead. Trees bowed gracefully in the soft wind and the grass smelt so good. It was all a bit surreal, like a scene from an Anne of Green Gables novel. I could hear my breathing, perfectly even and relaxed and Griffin was . . . he was snoring. I almost laughed then but quickly covered it up so as not to wake him. We had come all this way so Griffin could have a nap? I shook my head. I knew there was meant to be something else but I guessed that Griffin had been so tired from all his late nights up with paperwork that he had fallen asleep waiting for me. It suited me fine. So we lay there until around midday. My stomach was growling angrily but I felt like I was in heaven.

Needless to say; Griffin was not impressed when he finally decided to wake up. Half of the day he'd planned to teach me new fighting tricks with was now gone. Apparently he'd only lain down to wait for me because he knew I'd take my own sweet time. He decided it was time for lunch so we ate and then we trained.

Griffin POV

We arrived at the little spot I had previously selected to teach Rose some new fight moves. Knowing she was still a little cross at my behaviour on Monday I knew she would take her time to get out of the car. Determined not to let her irk me, I lay on the ground to wait. The slight chill from the moisture of the grass dampened my shirt slightly but not enough to be remotely uncomfortable. With my hands intertwined in a cup behind my neck I was reminded of a memory from my childhood. I could imagine the warm summer sun beginning it's ascent as I lazed in the freshly cut fields before a day at work. Dad would be along soon to rouse at me jokingly, telling me there was work enough to do on the farm without keeping me awake. I could almost hear his voice.

    "Teenagers," he'd used to drawl, "If they're not sleeping, they're raiding your reserves." That was true, I thought. I'd eaten a lot as a boy of fifteen. Always ravenous, sneaking a third or fourth helping of potatoes or an extra slice of cake. Nothing could ever satisfy my appetite. My older brothers' had been sure I'd end up looking like Mr Kennedy's prize pig but Judy, the eldest of us all, would scold them politely each time they mentioned anything of the like and recount stories of their own eating habits at the same age which would leave them justly chastised. Until the very next available time to round on me again. I smiled inwardly as I thought about Judy. Slowly I became aware of someone next to me.

I realised my hands had gone numb. My eyes fluttered open and I turned my head to see Rose lying patiently beside me. Startled by the height of the sun I glance towards my watch. Ten past twelve. Half the day wasted. Surely I couldn't have fallen asleep! The dryness of my mouth indicated I had and I'd also been snoring. Not allowing myself to be embarrassed I stood up and stretched. Rose sat up and I heard her stomach growl audibly. Without another word I went back to the car and fetched out the wraps I'd made for lunch. From the glint in her eye I could tell I was going to hear about my nodding off again. Probably very soon.