A LITTLE TOUCH OF ROSE - EPISODE 4

Rosita’s standpoint

I inhaled and exhaled to calm myself, I didn’t need to let my anger loose in such a place. Romi gleefully reminded me that I chose to be the innocent sweet cheerful girl, not the monster I am born to be. I had to endure, don’t hit anyone but don’t let them bully me either. I came to the school to protect my little sister and that I would do, even if it means me bearing the whole humiliation… Okay, never…. Maybe.

“What are you all doing?” I had to use my Australian accented English. I mentally slapped myself.

Japanese, Rosita, Japanese!

I walked to the stunned girls, pushed them out of my way and helped My Blossom up.

“No, Neesan, don’t get involve or they’ll bully you too,”

“Neesan?” One of the fools asked.

“What kind of sister will I be if I don’t help you? Now shut up and let’s get you cleaned up.”

“You two are related?” I glared at her with hate. “Who gave you that uniform? Since when do rags where ball gowns?” One snorted.

“And how possible it is for rags to wear gowns? Can clothes wear each other?” I snorted. “I find it difficult to talk to people with IQ lower than one.” The students giggled.

“Are you trying to call me dumb?” Evil head one asked angrily.

“Princess, you just called yourself that. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m leaving with my sister now and the next time you or anyone try anything stupid with her, I’m going to be breaking a whole lot of bones and destroying things that shouldn’t be destroyed. For example, your…” I saw her hand coming to my face and on reflexes, I caught and accidentally snap her wrist.

Oh shit.

The girl screamed with pain and reeled back. I pushed Sakura behind me just in case. The girl was screaming as her friends tried to hold her and soon she was crying.

“She broke my wrist, she broke my hand,”

“Oh calm down, you should be happy I only broke your wrist. I didn’t break it by the way, just snap it out of position,” I walked closer to her. She and her friends shifted back with fear. “Hold still let me help you,” I said with frustration.

“Stay away from me, please,” she cried.

“Just hold still,” I snatched her hand and pulled her to me. She screamed with fright like I was going to pull a gun to her head. I rolled my eyes and snap her wrist back into position. She screamed again. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and her body slumped. Was she expecting me to catch her? I let her fall on the floor and then turned back to walk to Sakura who was shaking.

“Let’s go,” I said and walked pass her.

“I don’t think you have the don’t showoff part establish, Rosita,” Romi said. I rolled my eyes.

“I get the memo, bes, I get it.” This is so not what I planned.

“It couldn’t be avoided. You are going to protect your sister from a whole school, fighting is not avoidable. Instead of hiding, why not be the devil you are, instead of the false angel. You could even do both if you want to.” Romi advised.

“Japanese schools are disciplined…” I paused when I remembered how bad the school was to the poor students. “You know what, nevermind. Let’s become both after all.”

Zedekiah’s standpoint

What the hell is she doing here? I can never forget that walking step or that voice, never. Rosita is in Japan? Since when does she like Japan? Since when does she even come to school? Is dad trying to mess with me again? Of all the witches to send here, Rosita Donahue?

I walked angrily, looking for her everywhere. She took the girl out of the cafeteria and I had to follow. My first thought was the female restroom, but it would be a bad idea walking into a room of women. Nevertheless, I sent my guards to check, they weren’t there. So, there I was looking for my greatest nemesis. Still stomping, I glanced into a classroom that isn’t being used…

Bingo.

I pushed the door open just as she was about to step out. Her eyes briefly widened before she frowned, her usual frown mixed with hate. She folded her arms and scoffed.

“Should have known the bomb I planted in your car didn’t kill you, bummer.”

“What the hell are you doing here? I thought you died already!”

“Oh,” she smirked and tilt her head. “You thought your silly poison could kill me? Oh puh-lease, try something better.”

“Stay away from me, stop following me around.” I snapped. She threw her head backwards with a frustrated groan.

“How can I follow who I hate? I hate your guts Zedekiah Grimshaw, I thought you knew that already!”

“Then what are you doing here?” I asked with raised brows.

“I… Erm… I came here to experience how to be a normal high school girl. And to…” She looked at the ceiling. “Find my mother.”

“I thought you hated her?”

“I did, but then I found out dad lied to me. Mother didn’t leave me, dad drove her away by dumping and trapping her here in Japan. So I came here to meet and know her and my half siblings.” She looked back at me and rolled her eyes.

“Your father doesn’t know you are here, does he?” I asked smirkingly.

“He knows his daughter is handling a project here, nothing more and it better remain that way or somebody might lose his life,” she said threateningly. I rolled my eyes and scoffed.

“Why should I care? What is going on with you and your father is your business, not mine. All I know is that you better stay away from me.”

She smiled innocently. “What? Is little Zeddy scared?” She taunted.

“Of you? Never. Just stay clear off me, witch.” God, she’s just too beautiful and gives me sleepless nights. Any woman capable of doing that must be feared and avoided. Plus, she’s a wee devil. She gets away with everything.

“I’ll say the same thing. Nobody knows I’m Rosita Donahue, just Rosita Fiero… Well, Fiero has too many link to rich places so my name is Rosita…”

“I don’t care what your name is. We don’t know each other, full stop.” I waved her off and walked off. Glad that was cleared. I didn’t need any distraction and Rosita always brought drama with her.

Rosita’s standpoint

I slam the door shut, body shaking from rage. I didn’t expect him to be in school too. What the hell is a twenty three years old guy doing in high school? What the hell! I should have did a research on him… Why did I need to? I hate him. I turned back to Sakura who had been staring at me with mouth open. I rolled my eyes and walked back to her.

“You know Zed from Zodiac?!” She shouted. I rolled my eyes again. “How?!”

Zedekiah’s father and my father were best friends, really, really close friends. His father knew what we did, but Zed had no idea what we really did. Our fathers were so much in love with each other that they tried to get us to love each other. Love is not part of the code, but for Zedekiah, father was ready to make an exception. He had practically told me all my life that if I don’t fall in love with Zed, I shouldn’t fall in love at all. If I don’t lose my virginity to Zed, I would have to wait until I’m thirty to sleep with a random guy to produce an heir. That was what I had been told all my life.

Zed wasn’t far from it. His father didn’t let him breathe, always wanting us together. Zed lives with his Japanese mother since his parents aren’t together. His father was an Australian/British man just like father. They grew up together. Zed had lost good relationships on my account because his parents–yes, his mother too–would always destroy it before it blossoms. That was why we both hated each other. We were the genesis to each others frustration.

One time, five years ago, our parents locked us up in the same house for two weeks. We almost murdered each other. I’m not saying figuratively, I mean literally. We tolerated each other for long before he poisoned me and I shot him. He was the first shot I missed since the bullet missed his neck and grazed his shoulder. Really wish I got his head though. Our parents had no choice than to separate us after that. Then I planted a bomb in his car, but the lucky rat survived it.

Fowie.

“Our parents are friends,” I grumbled, “unfortunately.” She opened her mouth like a fish. I rolled my eyes again. I’m always rolling my eyes because of him. That freak.

“You know Zed?”

“You know him?” I asked back.

“Don’t you know who Zed is? He is the leader of Gempire face idol, Zodiac. Zed have been the leader since they did their debut seven years ago. How can you not know?”

“Simple, I hate him. So that jobless mommy’s boy finally found something useful to do with his life. And out of everything he can come up with, he decided dressing up in ridiculous clothing, jumping on stage like a frog and singing with his hideous voice is a good thing to do with his life? Ah, he is still as worthless as the day I met him.” I hissed and rolled my eyes.

“You hate idols?”

“No, but I don’t like Asian jams. Now he is a part of it, I officially hate Japanese song now. When he leaves, I’ll appreciate it again. Full stop.”

“I don’t even know what to say. I might not like idols, but Zed really has a wonderful voice and he is very cute,” she said shyly. My stomach churn with disgust. I cupped my mouth to control my gag. “Seriously,” she chuckled.

“Please, don’t ever mention that again, please.” I pleaded. Of course I knew his voice was nice. He can’t stay one minute without singing. Zed loves music, that’s one thing I know for sure. He is the one who infected me with his love for it when we lived together. But him good-looking, he wish.

At least I knew he wouldn’t rat me out to his dad who would rat me out to my dad. After helping her change into a nicer cleaner uniform, we walked to our next class. I didn’t have any class, I just entered anyone I like. I already saw the principal and told him I had a phobia for any shade of pink. Wearing it on my skin gave me rashes. With a little fake doctor report, he believed and let me wear what I want. Of course I had to tell him my last name was Fiero and that fake surname held millions, so he let me with the oath to never let anyone know my last name.

If only he knew my original last name.

The lesson was boring so I slept off. I was sleeping soundly when I felt something coming towards my head. On instinct, I jerked my hand up without raising my head and caught the thing. A little gasp swept through the class. I wrapped my fingers around the thing, it was a marker. I sighed and lifted myself up.

“You, what is your name?” The surprised teacher asked.

“Tired and drowsy,” I yawned.

“Name,” he repeated.

“Rosita,”

“Rosita who?”

“Rosita Marie Angelino Stephanie Cassie Linnie Betty Akane Chihiro Jessica Sugimoto, the first.” I said in one breath. I said it so fast it was impossible for them to hear.

“Huh?” He asked.

“My name, I just told you.”

“That long?” He exclaimed. I nodded.

“My father was a weirdo,” I shrugged.

“Oh my, just tell me your last name.”

“Sugimoto,”

“Sugimoto? Hmm, I know a girl that has that same last name. She’s a year below…”

“Sakura, my sister.” I smiled.

“Oh, that person has a sister?”

“Yes,” I smiled again. “Nice to meet you sir,”

“You are cute. Where have you been?” Zed scoffed from his seat. I rolled my eyes. I had to be in the same class with him.

“With my dad,” I replied. “Our parents aren’t together, so he took me. I came back to stay with mom because we fought.” I said poutingly. The teacher chuckled.

“Come, solve this on the board as punishment for sleeping in my class,” I looked at the easy equation and stood up.

“Piece of cake,” I said when I got to him. I used the marker to begin solving it. I turned the marker to him when I was done and winked at him.

“You have an eye on your forehead?” He asked quizzically. “I haven’t even taught this yet.”

“I know,” I dropped the marker, “can I sleep now? I know this already… Hey!” He hit my head with the marker. I pouted childishly. “Sensei,” I whined.

“Go to your seat and better pay attention,” he scolded. I rubbed my head like it hurt and nodded. “To your seat, Roe Roe,”

“Really?” I groaned. Zed laughed before covering it with a cough. He caught everyone by surprise. Of course, he knew how much I hated when his father called me that. I gritted my teeth together and went back to my seat. Our eyes met and he winked at me. I slit my throat with my thumb, telling him I would kill him if he ever winks at me again. And he fucking shot himself with his fingers and blew the imaginary smoke.

“Bastard,” I murmured. I hate him.

Odin’s standpoint

“A little of your love
That’s all I want, baby
A little of your smile
That’s all I seek, oh yeah
Would you believe my love is true?
Even if our friendship is new?
Do you see me that way?
Do you miss me everyday?
Baby…” I looked at the guys who were looking at me with the same look. Zed was singing and he was happy. He had been like that since class where he obviously laughed because of that person.

“Is he alright?” We looked at the floor which was littered with rose petals. Zed was using a scissors to murder the roses he ordered for. I tapped my nose thoughtfully.

“I think he finally took weed,” Darra whispered. We looked at him and frowned. “What? It’s true.”

“Maybe you should go check, he loves you,” I stood up from the sun lounger to hit him. He stood up, squeaked and ran off. We were at the pool in our mansion. I walked to Zed nevertheless and tapped him.

“Uhm?” He hummed.

“Darra thinks you took weed,” Zed paused his hand and looked at me. “You are singing with joy and murdering roses?”

“Yes, why?”

“I should be asking you that. That person, the white haired, do you know her?”

“No, why?”

“Do you love her? Because I want to know if I would win her heart or not,” Cedric shouted from where he was.

“No, I want her.” Alvin argued.

“No, I do. You already took Hana and Etsuko,” Cedric snapped.

“Chiyo and Izumi chose you over me,” Alvin said angrily.

“Yes, but Nicky and Tamar went for you,”

“Then you took them again! Cedric, you can’t always take all the women, leave some for us!”

“Ignoring those two, I don’t like her, I don’t know her and don’t want to. And don’t you say my cutting roses has something to do with her because it doesn’t. Now, leave me alone.” Zed said harshly. Yup, he knows her.

“Okay, just know that you will clean this up after you are done.”

“I always clean up my own mess,” he murmured to himself. Strange, really.

_______________

I hate school, really. Too bad we had to return to go to school. We weren’t in the high school category, in the music class section which was like a university to get another music certificate. It wasn’t necessary but our presence brought more fame to the school. It made students more desperate to attend the school. Simple business logic.

Unfortunately, literature wasn’t escapable for me. I hate it. Zed sat beside me as usual, typing away at his phone. Cedric was busy flirting with a girl, Alvin probably fingering his seatmate because her face was pale. Darra was annoying Jake. Isaac, turning his book upsidedown as he tried to figure out how to read it.

That girl saunters into the class, the teacher behind her. She was helping her carry two glass orbs. Endou-sensei was laughing as the girl smiled. Everyone quiet down immediately she walked in and watched with mouth open. Endou Kazue was the meanest and harshest teacher in the whole school. She didn’t tolerate nonsense or listen to one either and she certainly don’t smile!

“Thank you very much, Rosita darling, you are a sweetheart.” Endou-sensei said with her wide smile, even pinching her cheek.

“I’m always here to help, Oba,” the cute white haired giggled.

“Tch, showoff,” Zed scoffed. I smiled secretly. This two had history. With the way he was acting, this must be the girl he once mentioned his parents wanted him to marry. I wonder what he was thinking saying no to this beautiful peri.

“I’ll sit now, Oba,” she bowed and then skipped towards us. I watched her slow down when she got closer to us. I didn’t miss the quick hateful exchange between them. Then Zed cruelly put out his leg and trip her over. White screamed as she fell forward but she caught herself with quick reflexes. The consequences of her quick action resulted to her skirt flying open and revealing her beautiful white thighs and sexy black ruby panties.

First, rubies. Next, oh my wow! She straightened up quickly but those around got a look at it. The boys including my foolish teammate whistled while the girls gasped from the expensive panties and laughed from the whole humiliating thing.

“You devil! I told you to stay away from me!” She shouted. Zed looked at her like he didn’t do anything, like she was a mad woman.

“What is your problem?” He asked with feign innocence.

“You did that on purpose!”

“Tch, do I know you?” He scoffed. She swung her hand and slapped the back of his head. “Ya!” He shouted, jumping to his feet to beat her up. I quickly launch forward and pulled him back down.

“No, let him come, show me what you can do Zedetwatass,” she taunted. He grind his teeth together with anger. “Ha, nothing. You are all dick and no juice…” Zed flew out of my hands with the speed of lightning. White girl was fast enough to move out of the way and push him. He tumbled on top of Isaac and they accidentally kissed.

The whole class burst into laughter. Isaac pushed him off and started spitting while Zed just wiped his mouth. White girl smirked at him before going to her seat. Definitely his unknown betrothed. I love her courage.

“I hate you.” Zed growled.

“Fuck you.” You said in English.

“Okay, okay, break it up, break it up!” Endou-sensei shouted. “Everyone pay attention. I am not going to be around for two weeks, have a wedding to attend so I will be leaving you all with an important assignment…”

“No!”

“Sensei, no!”

“Oh come on!”

“Do we always have to?”

“Why can’t you just leave in peace!”

“Silence,” she commanded. “You will be partnering up in three and each writing a story on a given topic. You will be doing this assignment with the high school seniors. Now, all of you, move to the hall so I would make the announcement.” And that was how we trooped to the big hall.

“This is how we are going to do it. Since the boys are surprisingly more than the girls, a girl will come forward and pick two papers out of this orb. Whatever name she picks, those boys have to work with her. After picking the name, she picks from this orb and choose the story they would work on. It can be about a bird, love tragedy, romance, action, even a play. Anything you pick, you’ll have to work on. Let’s begin. Sora, why don’t you pick first?”

Sora got up lazily and strolled out. She lazily picked out two papers, opened it and read it out. “Nino Blake and Stephanie Hoffman? I get a girl?”

“I added some girls too, just to fit in the number.” Sora nodded. Whoever the girl is would be a slave. Sora was a witch after all. Still can’t believe I dated her.

“Next, Rita,” Rita, Sora’s best friend and fellow member of Diamonds walked out. She picked Alvin and another teammate to their delight. People kept choosing until it got to my tortured angel.

“Sugimoto Sakura,” She stood up quietly from where she sat cuddled up in white girl’s arms. Sakura walked to Endou-sensei, dipped her hand into the glass orb and brought out two papers. She opened the first one.

“Sasaki Idou,” the girls tittered.

“It’s only right she gets a rag like herself,” Jezebel one laughed. Sakura quietly opened the other one. Her eyes widened with horror.

“No, no, no,” she slammed the paper on the table, “I demand a change,” she commanded angrily.

“Shut up, Sakura, Your partner is your…”

“I don’t want to work with any filthy idol,” she spat angrily.

“Say what?” Cedric said quizzically. Sensei took the paper, read it and rolled her eyes.

“It’s either you do it or you fail,”

“Then fail it is.” Wow, she hates our kind. That’s a first.

“Are you ready to make all three of you fail because that is what will happen.” Sensei said evenly.

“This is how much I care,” she turned around and stomped out. Sensei stared at her with shock. Sakura was usually the sweet one. She composed herself and looked towards Isaac.

“If you don’t want to fail Isaac Fukushima, then you better find a way to convince her,” she picked out a topic for them, “your topic is to write a story base on a fictional kingdom. The story should be about a character who is a spoilt prince or princess who cares for no one but him or herself. But later change when he got lost and met a girl or a boy. The poor person taught him or her humility, they fall in love and blah blah. Rosita darling, you are next.”

Rosita bounced out merrily. She went to the topic orb first, picked one out and her smile fell when she read it. “Seriously? Romance? Really?!”

“Read it out.”

“Write any romance story that deals with spending at least fourteen days with the person the main characters hate… Like, make sure they hate themselves. They go through this and that and at the end, falls in love. Or, a short story about high school rivals falling in love. So cheesy and ridiculous.” She threw the paper away.

“Just pick your partners,” Sensei chuckled. Rosita murmured something and picked out two paper. She opened the first one.

“Someone named Odin Matsumoto,” I smirked and raised my hand. “Whatever,” she opened the second one. Rosita’s eyes widened. She wiped it again and again. “Please, tell me my glasses aren’t working well,” she handed it to Sensei. She looked at the paper and started laughing.

“The second person is Zedekiah Grimshaw,”

“Wait, what?!” Zed shrieked with shock. Oh, this is going to be interesting….