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Rose Hogan walked behind her older brother Charlie and his best friend, Billy Tessio. Rose had a cigarette in her mouth and would occasionally puff on it and blow the smoke out in a thin line. Rose's soft brown hair frizzed up due to the humidity in Castle Rock. According to the radio, it was nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Rose wanted nothing more than a cold Pepsi to go with her Winston cigarette in the summer heat.
"Charlie, why not just leave your sister at home?" Rose heard Billy ask.
Charlie and Rose didn't get along too well, but he knew better than to leave her alone in the house. Especially when their dad was home.
"It's not like she has any place to go."
Charlie stopped in his tracks and pulled Rose in between the two. "Say Rosie, don't you have friends?"
"I have a friend but I haven't seen him at all today."
"Is it that Chambers boy? Rose, I told you not to be hanging out with that trash."
"I'm friends with Chris Chambers, not Eyeball Chambers," Rose shot back sarcastically.
Billy's eyebrows knitted together. "Be glad Eyeball wasn't here, Rose. He would've had you beaten in a pulp on the ground."
"He wouldn't do shit to her."
"Fuck off, Charlie. Like you could fight Eyeball! You can barely lift up your toothbrush."
"Quiet you loud mouth! Just go off somewhere, 'kay? I don't need my kid sister hanging 'round."
Rose stomped her foot and crossed her arms, glaring up at the blonde head. Charlie stood above her and attempted to shove her back. "Go, Rose."
Rose could see her dad's eyes in Charlie's. Although he wasn't shoving hard at all, the gesture still made her think about what her prick of a dad did earlier in the morning.
"Yeah, go. Find Chambers," Billy suggested. "Me and your brother have adult things to do."
"You're not adults. You're still kids."
"Shut up, wiseass," Charlie groaned. "Just stop following us around. It's annoying."
"I don't want to go home alone..."
Charlie sighed and placed a gentle hand on her back. "I don't like that boy but go find him so you don't have to be home. I'll meet you at the station when it starts getting dark, you dig? Now stop being a crybaby and fuck off!"
Rose rolled her eyes and walked away from the two in the opposite direction. She tugged nervously at the ribbon she had wrapped around her neck. It looked tacky and didn't go with her outfit at all. She chucked the cigarette in the road, replacing it with another one. Rose sighed when she saw she only had a few cigarettes left.
"Guess I'll have to go to the store," she uttered.
"Hey, Rosie," a familiar voice said. An arm was thrown around her shoulder, getting pulled closer to his side.
