"That's enough Lisa!" Rosie turned enraged.
"It's about time you shut that dirty mouth of yours."
"But Rosie-!" Lisa clearly had shocked written all over her face. This definately was not the reaction she had expected.
"Emma kept you in the dark about all this. She's leaving town in a few days just like that!" She frantically snapped her fingers.
"Doesn't that bother you?"
Rosie closed her eyes taking a deep calming breath.
Opening them, she walked up to Lisa.
"And how is that any of your business again Lisa? Don't you have something else- Anything better to do? I really don't know why she didn't tell me or you or anyone else but she has that right as you should know. She can choose to tell us or not and she will still be in the right. How about you huh?"
"And what about me?" Lisa snapped back folding her arms defiantly.
"Oh come on Lisa. You have been expelled from two schools already before coming to ours. That's a pretty interesting piece of information about you now. I'm sure not everyone knows about that right? So does that now mean you have to come announce it? No! Why? Cause that's entirely your business and not ours."
"It's-it's not the same thing." She stuttered under the sudden gasps jugemental eyes of everyone.
"So typical of you. And you all." She turned to the crowd.
"I am truly disappointed in each and every single one of you who would for a split second believe her lies. You all have known Em for some time now. Others barely a year while some even more than that, by now you should at least know what she would and would not do."
She glanced at Emma before she continued trying to hold back the bitter tears that stung at her eyes.
"And what's so wrong if she's going to a rich entitled brat filled school? What's wrong if she didn't tell us? Nothing. At. All. She isn't meant to report back to us any and all that happens in her daily life. Either way the news would've spread. And we would still know. However way it happened, she must've worked very hard for it. Harder than anyone of us would have ever and that's why she got in and not anyone else."
Everyone looked stunned, Lisa was at a loss for words, this definitely was not how it was supposed to go.
Rosie suddenly held Emma's hand addressing everyone.
"I expected this party to be a blast. Something to help refresh our body and souls and prepare us for another long year but this is just-"
She shot Lisa a glare then turned to Emma. "Let's go, party's over for us."
On their way out Rosie stopped and turned to Aubrey.
"Oh yeah and by the way. Happy Birthday, sorry your sister ruined it."
"Emma, Rosie I'm so sorry about this." Aubrey apologized again like she was the one at fault while Lisa stood there glaring at her.
"It's ok. Really I guess I'll see you at school or something."
Rosie responded leaving with Emma trailing closely behind her.
As soon as they left, Lisa shrugged and put the music back on.
"It's my party too and no one but me has the right to ruin it." But obviously the mood had already been ruined.
Immediately after Rosie and Emma had left the party, a tall handsome looking guy followed after. He seemed to have had enough fun and was ready to go.
Outside, Rosie held Emma's hand and walked a distance stopping right next to her car.
"Rosie. I'm so so sorry you had to find out like that. I didn't know my parents told anyone. I wanted you to be the first to know after my family but the program didn't let you access your phone and I thought it wouldn't be ok to send a text-" She desperately tried to explain not giving herself a chance to breath.
While she spoke Rosie stood quietly. Her back to Emma.
"Rosie- Please say something. Anything."
Finally Rosie turned and Emma finally noticed the tears that had already made their path down her face ruining her perfect makeup.
"Rosiee I'm-"
"Why didn't you tell me Em?" Rosie asked admist the tears that didn't seem to stop.
"The program-"
"No. No. Not that." She cleaned the tears and sniffed a little before speaking.
"Before that Em, when you first got to know about it. Why didn't you tell me."
"I didn't think it was necessary, I just thought it wasn't something serious since there was no assurance-"
"And when it was? Serious? How about when you sat for the exam? What of then? Why didn't you tell me then?"
"I...I didn't want to, to-"
The words were stuck in her throat. She didn't know how to explain her reasons. That she didn't tell her so she wouldn't get her hopes up for it just to be crushed by the heavy weight of disappointment.
So she wouldn't give her another thing to worry about when she already had so much going on with her training.
These were the words she wanted to say but Rosie's teary face made her almost speechless.
"We tell each other everything Em even the unimportant, unnecessary, dumb and irrelevant stuff."
"Yes. I know. That's where I messed up and I'm so sorry, please Rosie try to understand." Emma pleaded trying to fight back her own tears.
"When I told you I had plans for us? Sophomore year? I must've sounded so stupid or something cause you already knew it wouldn't happen. None of it would ever happen Em! You were leaving and there was nothing I could do about it! I was the fool!!!" Her voice rose as the brake on her emotions broke.
"No. No Rosie please don't say that. I wanted to tell you properly that's why I thought it best to wait till I saw you. This was never my plan. I would never take you for a fool. Never. Not even for a second. You know that."
"No I don't. You know what Em?"
She sniffed and pursed her lips trying really hard to stop the tears from falling while softly nodding as though she had just realized something very important and crucial.
"I was right in there you know. No one has the right to know something about your life if you don't want to tell them- Even me I guess."
The words hit Emma like a fast moving bullet. Her heartbeat sped up as the tears she fought back all along began to fall without control.
"Rosie-? No."
Slowly she shook her head sideways. What could she say.
Rosie walked towards her car and hesitated a little before opening the door.
"I do kinda get it though Em. I really do but- You're leaving so soon and you didn't tell me. I had to hear it from Lisa Dawn of all people! It just- Really hurts is all. See you later. If I get to."
She entered the car and zoomed off leaving Emma in the dust.
A little distance away stood somebody who seemingly had been watching them for a little while. He had his eyes fixed on Emma as she got into her car and zoomed off.
After a short while, she arrived home and parked the car in the garage.
Entering the house, she met her dad on the sofa busy with his phone and quietly handed him the keys and went straight to her room without saying a word.
Passing by, he noticed she was in a foul mood and were those tear marks on her face?!
Did someone make her cry? He knew Emma was a tough girl. Sometimes he thought she was maybe a little too tough for her own good and knowing her, she wouldn't cry for just anything.
Standing up, he quickly dialed Rosie's number. She was with Em at the party so she must known what happened but she wasn't picking up.
"That's weird."
Immediately he dialed the number of the next person on his mind.
************************************
Back at the Dawn's house, Mr Reed was on a call when Aubrey walked in. Concluding it was Emma's dad, she asked for the phone.
"Mr Blake? Yes something did happen at the party. Lisa blurted out the news of the scholarship and Emma going away to Rosie before Emma could tell her herself and I think they got into a really big fight later on. I'm really so sorry for what she-"
Aubrey couldn't finish the call before it was abruptly cut by Lisa.
"I'm so tired of hearing you apologize so much all day! Cut it out already you dummy!! You're so annoying!!!"
"Well I wouldn't need to if only you would get your act together and stop being so mean to everyone around you and chasing them away!!!"
"Girls!!! Stop fighting and go to your rooms! Now!!!"
Mr Reed stepped in obviously tired of all the screaming.
"And Lisa you're grounded until possibly your next birthday."
"Serves you right." Aubrey smugly commented walking up the stairs.
"But dad! I have places to be and parties to-"
Judging by his expression Lisa knew he would have none of her complaints so she quietly went up to her room.
************************************
Back at the Blake's house, Emma's father stood stunned at the sudden disconnection but at least he now had an understanding of what was going on.
"Rosie didn't know? This is bad."
Meanwhile, upstairs Emma tried calling Rosie time and time again but it kept on going to voicemail.
"Hey Rosie I won't stop calling until you pick up. You're one of the best things that has ever happened to me and I don't want to lose you. Not yet. Not like this. I only have tomorrow to stay but then I have to leave."
She paused before saying the next words.
"I'm sorry but I've made my decision. I'm going to the Elite. California. I'm leaving the town and school but not you. I still need you. Please pick up."
Emma somehow drifted off to sleep with the phone in her hand having bright hopes that tomorrow would be a better day.
On the other end Rosie lay on her bed listening to the voicemails as tears made their paths down her eyes. This wasn't the way she saw the day ending.