Every Rose Has Its Thorns

Dreams and Letters

"Rosie, I was so scared," she said, squeezing her tightly. "Everything started shaking and then you weren't there."

"We're  fine," assured her mother. "I'm taking her back home once she's packed.  Don't you pout, Mina Grace. You'll have plenty of time to see each  other. Make sure your brother's up and get dressed. We need to go  grocery shopping and you both best behave."

"Mom, we could've died  just now." Rosalie stifled a laugh at her best friend's dramatics.  "Isn't it safer for us to stay inside the house? I'm sure Rosie's  parents would agree."

Her mother pointed at the doorway. "We're  out in ten, no exceptions...unless you'd like to spend some time with Mrs.  Figg. I hear she's got a new cat."

Rosalie packed her belongings  into her duffel bag, with Mina sitting cross-legged on the bed and  simultaneously tossing her a piece of clothing and whining about her  uptight mother. It could not be farther from the truth, her best friend  simply letting out her frustrations. Mrs. Becker was known for being a  free spirit ("a lazy hippie", according to Rosalie's father), who  managed to raise her two children by herself. Most people in the  neighborhood focused on the fact that she was a single mother, instead  of her friendly demeanor or excellent baking skills.

"You sure  you're okay?" asked Mina, as Rosalie folded her shorts. "I thought I  heard you talking in your sleep. It sounded like you were hissing."

"Yeah,  I think Harry's scary stories about St. Brutus's are getting to me,"  she replied, almost fooling herself. "I wish my parents let him go to  Smelting's instead but somehow, that would be worse."

Mina nodded solemnly. "Better to be whacked on the head with a ruler than have to suffer being crushed by the human beluga."

"Mina!"  said Rosalie, throwing a stuffed panda at her. It was second nature for  her to speak her mind, particularly about Rosalie's tactless brother.  "Don't call him that. You know, the diet is starting to work."

"Oh,  so now he's a baby beluga?" Mina rolled her eyes. "Rosie, just because  he's your brother, it doesn't mean you can't call him out for being  horrible. It's our job as sisters. If I don't rag on Evan at least once a  day, I'm not fulfilling my duties."

"Is that why you do it?" she heard.

An  amused Evan was leaning against the doorway. Seeing that he was  shirtless, a black tee draped over his shoulder, Rosalie focused on  zipping up her bag. Mina chucked the bag at him, intending to hit him in  the face but he effortlessly caught it with one hand.

"Nice try, raccoon eyes." She responded with a quiet snarl. "Mom said get a move on. She's already outside."

On  her way out the door, she purposely knocked into her older brother's  shoulder. Rosalie reached but he merely shook his head, managing to slip  his shirt over his head.

"I've got it," he said, with a smile. "Hey, where's your necklace?"

Touching  her bare neck, she turned towards the bed. A golden chained necklace, a  dove-shaped pendant with rubies for eyes dangling from the center, was  resting on the pillow and for a split second, the rubies seemed  unnaturally bright. Rosalie had worn it for as long as she could  remember, a present from her Aunt Lily and Uncle James. Having never met  them, her parents considering them outcasts, it was the one thing that  gave her any sort of connection, aside from her cousin Harry. Picking it  up, she frowned, noticing the clasp broken in half.

"Danny's aunt  owns a jewelry store in town. I bet she could fix it," offered Evan,  knowing it meant a lot to her. "We could swing by later."

"We?" she asked, uncertain.