**Rosalie's POV**
Today is the first day back at school since our two-week break. Everyone I saw was catching up with friends and chatting excitedly about what they did for their break.
I was at my locker when someone came and stood beside me.
"Hi?" I greeted them awkwardly.
"Rose, it's me." The guy told me.
"Ben? Sorry, I almost didn't recognise you. Your hat's covering the top half of your face."
"I know."
"Why are you wearing that hat anyway?"
"I just am."
"Are you hiding something from me?" I asked him curiously.
"It's nothing." He tried to assure me.
"Yeah right. Just take off the stupid hat already."
"It's fine. I just want to leave it on."
"Ben. If you don't take that hat off right now, I'll be sure to remove it myself."
"Rose, just leave it. I'm fine with the hat on. I'll tell you later if you want."
"But I want to know now. You've got me really curious now. And maybe a little worried too." I said to him.
"I'll tell you later, I promise." He told me.
"Can I try and guess why you're wearing a hat that's covering half your face?"
"I'd rather you wouldn't."
"Then just tell me! I'm not gonna tell anybody else if that's what you're afraid of."
"It's not that."
"Have you been crying or something?" I asked.
"God no." He responded.
"Then tell me what the hell's going on already!"
"Rose, please. I'll be sure to tell you later, I promise."
"You can't go around school all day like that. The hat's bound to come off sooner or later."
"And I pick later, if you don't mind."
"Well I do mind! Just take off the damn hat, Ben." I told him.
"No! For the last time, Rose, I'm not gonna take off the hat. I'll let you in on what's going on later, okay?" He snapped.
"Fine, fine. But if that hat comes off any time before we talk, I'm gonna be real angry if it's something bad."
"It won't."
"Yeah. Good luck with that."
Lunchtime.....
My friends and I decided to sit outside to eat lunch. Zac was sitting next to me, and Jess and John were sitting across from us. They'd made up over the break, and I was generally happy for them.
While eating, I noticed Ben walking across the grass with his other friends. The thing was, his friends took his hat off, revealing the top half of his face.
He had a black eye. A friggin' black eye.
I got up and made my way over to him, not bothering to tell my friends where I was going. His friends dispersed, leaving him standing by himself.
"Is this what you've been hiding from me?" I demanded.
"Yes." He mumbled.
"Who did this to you?"
"It happened last night."
"After you dropped me off?"
"Yeah."
"What happened?" I asked him as we sat at a table.
"I just got home last night, I got out of my car, turned around, then this guy beat me." He explained.
"You must've gotten a good look at him. Was it someone you know?"
"I don't know."
"I think you're lying. Come on, please tell me, Ben. Was it someone I would know?"
"Maybe."
"Do they go to this school?" I questioned him.
"Okay, you know what?" He snapped as he stood up. "Why don't you go ask your asshole of a boyfriend over there? I'm sure that he'll tell you everything."
Ben then walked off, leaving me sitting by myself.
A few minutes later, though, I got a text from Ben and we talked about what happened (sort of).
Ben: Sorry I snapped at you like that. It was stupid.
Me: Don't worry about it. Just take care of that bruise for me.
Ben: Will do. When will I see you again?
Me: We've got another two classes after this, genius.
Ben: Oh, right. See you then.
Me: Right back at 'cha.
Towards the end of the lunch break, I met up with Zac back at my locker.
"Who did you go see at lunch?" He asked me curiously.
"Ben." I answered plainly.
"Why?"
"I should be asking you the same thing."
"What are you talking about?"
"Oh, please! You know exactly what I'm talking about. You're the one that gave him that black eye."
"What makes you think that it was me?" He questioned me.
"Maybe because he told me himself?" I replied.
"And you believed him?"
"Well, yeah. You've got a grudge against Ben, so why wouldn't it be you?"
"In my defense, he started it."
"What are you, eight? When would he have started this?"
"I was at the laser tag place last night too." He informed me.
"Yeah, so?" I asked him.
"You think I didn't see what you two were doing in that hiding spot of yours?"
"Sh*t, Zac. I'm sorry you had to see that. It just happened."
"Yeah, sure. I can tell this probably isn't the first time this has happened. And what makes it worse is that you lied to me and said that there wasn't anything going on between you two!"
"Zac, I'm really, really sorry."
"No. Just stop it. I don't want to be with you anymore if you keep cheating on me like this." He told me.
"Are you breaking up with me?" I asked in a small voice.
"That depends. Will you be hanging out with him again when we're together?"
"You can't just make me exclude a friend from my life. That's just cruel."
"Well it's either him or me, Rose. Coz I'm not gonna tear you in half like this any more than I already have."
"You can't make me choose like this."
"Rose, just give me your word." He said to me.
I glared at him. "You know what? Stuff it. You're being a total idiot about this."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means, I'm dumping your sorry ass."
"Come on, really?"
"Yep. So much for being my best friend, huh?"
"We can still be friends, though, right?" He asked me.
"We'll see." I answered as I brushed past him, leaving him behind.
Back at Jessica's place.....
"So what happened between you and Zac today at lunch?" Jess asked me curiously as we sat on her bed.
"I broke up with him." I answered her.
"You what? Why the hell would you do that for? You two looked so cute together!"
"We just had a bit of a fall out."
"That doesn't mean that you had to dump him! Oh my God, he must be crushed! You have to make up with him ASAP."
"No I don't. I don't need him right now anyway."
"But you're still best friends, right?" She asked me urgently.
"I don't know anymore, Jess, I really don't." I replied.
"Well...anyway, I'll just change the subject now...I was thinking of getting a part-time job."
"Why do you need a job for?"
"I'm not gonna sit and waste my inheritence on everything. I need to make a living by myself too."
"Okay then. What were you planning on doing?"
"I was thinking of getting into retail." She told me.
"That's good." I said.
"Thing is, I don't wanna go in alone...so...will you work with me?"
"Of course! What are best friends for?"
"Great! If you don't mind, I sent in an application for the both of us a couple weeks ago, and they said yes! We start next week!"
"Are you kidding me? That's awesome!"
A few weeks into the job.....
Working with Jess was just as fun as I'd expected. Our supervisor just got us to restock and other stuff like that, so it wasn't that hard. We didn't have a set uniform, either. We just had to be wearing all black, and that was pretty easy.
I'm still single, by the way. I know it's sort of hard to believe, but I am. And to be honest, I actually didn't mind it.
That was, until I bumped into someone unexpected on my break.
"Rose?" They asked me.
I gasped a little. "Josh?"
~~ Ooh!!! Looks like we'll be bringing more of this Josh guy into the story now, so keep checking for updates to see how this unfolds! ~~