Chapter Two

 

Chapter Two

“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” -Henry David Thoreau

 

           

            “Rosie!” Rosalyn Starr was far too busy setting up her bosses’ daughter’s lunch tray to have heard. At sixteen she was working at the bottom of the food chain for Kelly Roberts one of the most beautiful women on the planet, though not the top model like Cindy Crawford - she’s just about as even with Sophie Sumner " she was the biggest deal in Crestwood, New York. Being an intern, even if unpaid, was a major deal. And her bratty daughter, Stephanie Roberts, thought she was queen of the world, clamming to be hotter then her mother.

            “My moms alright…for an old chick, just imagine me on Teen Vogue when all she’s ever managed was Cosmo. Magazine and she can’t even get Elle Magazine to answer her phone calls,” she’d snort most times in her high point of low self-esteem. To be honest, Rosie thought Stephanie looked like a drowned mouse with too much eye shadow and an obviously fake butt. But Rosie dealt with her just so she could get a promotion that would take forever to get.

            She carefully with extreme precise proposition, she placed the final cherry tomato in place.

            “Rosie!” Rosie jumped dropping the entire tray of food off the counter. She yelped diving after it. With relief she caught it and turned to stare daggers at the person to cause this. She sighed rolling her eyes. It was just Parker Ashton.

            “God, Parker you scared me,” Rosie sighed standing up strait, inspecting the tray. “What is it?”

            “Did you hear the news?” Parker asked squinting at her. Rosie looked back up at her best friend. They’d been friends since birth practically, being a day apart and all, Rosie being older. Parker’s dark long brown hair was tied up in a not at the bottom of her neck, some long string in her face. She had extremely large black 3D glasses on with the lenses knocked out, a purple plaid button up shirt, black jeans, and black converses. She had one arm full of thick rubber wristbands that said stuff like, ‘Wasted? So is your life…’ and ‘Do dope, Lose Hope’ and a classy one the principle keeps telling her to leave home, ‘Shoot for the Stars not your arms.’ The other arm was full of Oprah gypsy bangles and thick wooden bracelets that clanked together noisily. Her entire right ear was pierced all the way up with skulls, Emo black dot designs, and crosses, and the left had hearts, stars, and words like ‘Princess’, ‘Dramatic,’, and PARTY GAL!’ In her hand she held a small container filled with kiwis and baby carrots and she was chomping on a fairly large one. Her green-nearly-blue eyes search Rosie’s blue ones for any sign of interest as she waited for a response.

            “What’s the news?” Rosie asked completely unenthusiastically. Parker pursed her lips which had a nice lip ring, matching her diamond nose stud.

            “Nah, never mind, I won’t tell you,” Parker shrugged, picking out a kiwi and popping it in her mouth. She shrugged her shoulder where her customized bag was. She’s put all kinds of I Love New York pins on it, had bleached the denim in certain areas and had elegantly written in thick black letters on the side, ‘Enthusiasm is contagious. You could start an epidemic!’

            “What do you mean you won’t tell me?” Rosie frowned.

            “I meant what I said, I didn’t stutter Blondie,” Parker snorted. “I’m your best friend not your mother.”

            Rosie glared at her, pursing her lips for a moment. In one swift moment she slapped Parker’s kiwi and carrot snack away. It was a disgusting combo from the beginning. Parker wasn’t even fazed by the fact her food was on the ground, she simply reached into her bag and pulled out a nice bag of Doritos. Rosie rolled her eyes as she pulled the bag open and continued snacking.

            “So are you gonna tell me?” Rosie said, not surprised Parker had more food. Parker may have been the only size four in their school who shrunk instead of growing. Parker examined Rosie again and figure she was interested enough.

            “Zach Daniels-” Rosie groaned at the name.

            “All you ever talk about is Zach Daniels,” Rosie cried throwing her arms up. “‘Hey Rosie, did you hear about that new Zach Daniels movie?’ ‘Rosie, guess what Zach said about Crestwood…’ ‘Hey Rosie, do you think Zach remembers you? I know you guys use to live next door and all…’ ‘Do you think Zach will marry me one day-?”

            “I did not say that!” Parker cut her off, her face glowing a light pink.

            “Yeah you did, I remember you saying it while you were sleeping-”

            “It doesn’t count, I was sleeping!” Parker hissed.

            “Rosalyn!” Rosie turned to see a fuming blonde red to her dyed roots, tapping her foot impatiently, glaring at her through her fake blue eyes. Stephanie. “Where’s my food! You better have put the tomatoes the way I told you too, or so help me…”

            “Coming Stephanie!” Rosie called back picking up Stephanie’s tray and an apple for herself, she glared at Parker as she took a bite and hurried over to Stephanie’s table. She held her tongue as Stephanie went off on her as she sat her tray in front of her.

            “God you are so useless, you can’t complete one single task correctly,” Stephanie said distastefully. “You’re lucky I didn’t starve to death. And what is this!? I said two tomatoes in my salad!”

            “Stephanie there are only two tomatoes,” Rosie sighed, pointing them out.

            “Yeah, two cherry tomatoes, I wanted tomato cubes, I can’t eat this!”

            “You always get cherry tomatoes, though,” Rosie frowned, frustrated now.

            “Ever heard of conversion? No, this is all wrong, I can’t eat this. You’re just going to have to make it all over,” she said dismissively. Rosie had the strong urge to dump the salad down her Prada shirt, adding the low-fat Italian dressing in her fake blonde hair. Rosie bit her lip; she wasn’t doing this all over again. Stephanie had exact orders when it came to her salads. Eighteen leaves, eight carrot sticks, two tomatoes, four Radicchio leafs, and four ounces of Italian dressing.

            “Look, Stephanie, this food is perfectly fine. I’m not doing it over,” Rosie insisted causing Stephanie’s entourage to gasp. Parker liked to call them the S.U.C.K.E.R.S, Stephanie, Unity, Charlotte, Kylie, Emma, Rachel, and Sarah. Suckers …go figure.

            “Excuse me?” Stephanie looked bewilderedly at Rosie.

            “I said, I’m not doing it over, what’s the difference between cherry tomatoes and tomato squares?” Rosie frowned folding her arms. “I think your just procrastinating something.”

            “Look Cinderella,” Stephanie glared. “Get my lunch or else you’re fired.”

            “Your mother hired me, not you,” Rosie said dropping her arms and sharply pointing a manicured finger at Stephanie. “Stop being a spoiled brat, and eat your damned lunch!”

            The look on Stephanie face was pure shock, and Rosie instantly regretted each word. It was that Zach Daniels fault, Parker still had her riled up.

            “Oh, Stephanie I’m so-” Stephanie’s eyes were still wide, her mouth slightly open, making her look like a fish. “I don’t know what…I-I just…uh…so cubed tomatoes?”

            Stephanie blinked as Rosie snatched back up the tray and hurried away. Rosie could feel herself burn an angry shade of scarlet. She’s always been an easy blusher, and with her long blonde locks tied back with a red ribbon didn’t help disguise this.

            “Smooth move, Rosie,” Parker snickered, still standing in the place Rosie had left her. Rosie glared at her as she paid the lunch lady for the lunch and moved down the line. For a second time,

            “It’s all your fault, you and your stupid Zach Daniels-” she caught herself.

            “Say it,” Parker pressed, her green eyes excited. “I dare you to. Say it…out loud…say it.”

            “Shut up, Cullen,” Rosie rolled her eyes.

            “And it forever will be the best movie that hit the screen,” Parker smiled, showing off perfectly white teeth. “So now do you want to know what I was saying about Zach Daniels?”

            “Fine, wait, you know what? No. I don’t want to know about Zach Daniels, I am sick of Zach Daniels, and I’m sick of you wasting my precious beauty sleep talking about Zach Daniels! Who give a damn about Zach Daniels, honestly Parker I don’t!”
            “Beauty sleep? Hmm, Rose it’s not working…” Parker muttered under her breath. Rosie elbowed her in the gut, making Parker double over and laugh in a strained voice as she stood back up.

            “You are going to make me loose my job,” Rosie sighed shaking her head, carefully placing the tomato cubes.

            “It’s called karma for hating one of the most beautiful people in the world,” Parker said quietly. “I mean, you use to adore Zach, you came to school chatting about him all the time.”

            Rosie froze staring down at the salad for a moment. “Yeah, well I wasn’t so clever back then,” and with that she turned on her heal and walked past Parker back over to Stephanie, who wordlessly took the salad. Rosie nodded and headed out of the cafeteria to the library where she’d sit in the far back corner and illegally eat a few snack bars, avoiding anyone who may come looking for her. A typical Friday for her.

 

Author's Note

Starting Chapter 3 I'll put up a playlist for songs I listened to while writing. Hope You enjoy this!