The Last Blue Rose// Reggie Mantle (1)

Chapter Nineteen

Waking up on the floor at Sweet Pea's house was quite a surprise to Caia. She almost screamed in alarm until she remembered where she was and how she had gotten there.

She sat up and rubbed her eyes. She observed the snoring Sweet Pea as he lie dreaming in his bed. Checking the time on her phone, she immediately became alarmed. If she didn't leave right now, she was going to be late for school.

Caia scrambled to her feet. She quickly changed her shirt and pants, not caring about privacy because Sweet Pea was sleeping. Hopefully.

She grabbed her bag off the floor, one of the few items she had been able to steal from her room and fit on Sweet Pea's motorcycle the night before. She raced down the stairs and out the door. Once onto the street, she started sprinting.

By the time she made it to school, Caia was dying. She leaned down and put her hands on her knees to catch her breath. After a few moments, she regained her posture, took a deep breath, and charged into the school.

She was lucky her first class was a free period, or she would probably have been counted late. She sauntered into the student lounge and flopped onto an empty chair near her friends.

The conversation around her stopped as everyone turned to stare at her. She became extremely self concious and sat up in her chair.

"Did you just run a marathon or something?" Kevin questioned.

Caia blew a strand of hair out of her face. "I woke up late. I had to run to school." She slid down in her chair, too tired to sit up right. Archie chucked her a bottle of water, which she immediately chugged.

Betty continued with whatever story she had been telling.

"Polly's convinced herself that no one wants her baby," Betty explained.

"Besides, or course, the child snatching Blossom monsters." Cheryl turned to Kevin and looked at him when her name was mentioned. "No offense, Cheryl." Although the statement was offensive, Cheryl didn't seem to mind a bit.

"None taken."

Jughead sat with his arm resting on the couch. "Mom and Dad want Polly, but not the baby and the Blossoms want the baby but not Polly," he explained monotonely. "It's a true gordion knot." Caia bit the inside of her cheek. That was certainly a conundrum.

"It's an impossible situation," Betty added. Caia didn't think it was that hard to figure out.

She set her water on the table. "I have a solution," she spoke up. Everyone turned to Caia, waiting for her to speak. She leaned back in her chair, proud of what she had come up with. "I like babies and Polly, so she should just come live with me." No one replied. Veronica rolled her eyes and Cheryl glared at her. Kevin flicked her arm. She rubbed the spot and glared at Kevin, then turned back to the group. "What?" She asked, raising her hands in defense. "I'm just saying."

"Ignoring Caia, I actually have an idea," Veronica stated, setting her coffee on the table. Caia rolled her eyes. Of course she did. "It's hellishly simple in its conception. What if my mom and I were to host a baby shower?" She suggested. Caia scrunched her nose. She hated baby showers. She stopped herself. Why was she getting pissed off so easily today?

"Count me in," Cheryl agreed, leaning towards Veronica and smiling.

"You want Polly to feel loved and supported, right?" Veronica questioned.

"Yeah," Betty replied, raising her eyebrows. "But ideally by her own parents," she explained. Caia sighed. That's why no one liked her idea.

Veronica flipped her hair from behind her shoulder. "Okay, so baby steps, girl. Get Polly and your parents in the same room in a public setting where they can't fight and viola- let the healing begin." Veronica explained. Kevin made a face to show that he liked the idea and thought it was good.