Why Can't I Plan My Own Future? (*ROSE*)

[ROSE MERCER]

"Well. That was... interesting."

Rose's eyes darted at him dangerously, cautioning him that he was treading on thin ice. Her family always put her on edge. The look was short, as she grabbed a cigarette and lit it, thinking about how she should consider quitting. As she inhaled, she gave a dry, deliberate laugh. "Ha, ha, ha. So glad we could amuse." Standing on the bed, she paced the edges of it nervously.

As she paced, her body language became less tense. Her face smoothed, her arms relaxed. Even as she spoke, her voice had softened. "You think that was bad? You should see them at fucking Thanksgiving. Chaos. Children... being children. Then my Uncles lighting fireworks in the backyard, drunk. The Aunts getting drunk, while my Mother cooks, completely unable to speak English because-" Rose put on a bitter gruff voice. " 'We're American and we fucking speak American here!'" Rose inhaled deeply, before becoming irritated again. Guillermo didn't need this shit taken out on him. "The only thing that ever made the holidays tolerable was the fact that my Grandmother will occasionally flip the bird to the little people."

Rose bounced on her bed lightly, purposely skipping her Father.

"And go figure, Tio told Mama about you. Don't get me wrong, I ain't trying to hide you, but damn." Next time Rose saw Maria Mercer, there would be lead in after lead in, begging for an explanation on the mysterious Guillermo.

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

Rose's blue eyes sliced through him and he winced at her reaction.
"Ha, ha, ha. So glad we could amuse."
"You know that's not what I meant, Rose."
She seemed to calm down after lighting a cigarette.
"You think that was bad? You should see them at fucking Thanksgiving. Chaos. Children... being children. Then my Uncles lighting fireworks in the backyard, drunk. The Aunts getting drunk, while my Mother cooks, completely unable to speak English because-"
Rose seemed to imitate a deep male voice.
" 'We're American and we fucking speak American here!' The only thing that ever made the holidays tolerable was the fact that my Grandmother will occasionally flip the bird to the little people."
Guillermo grinned at the idea of a fragile old lady with Rose's feisty personality. Somehow, it was easy to picture.
He laid next to her when she flopped onto the bed, his brown eyes scanning her continuously.
"And go figure, Tio told Mama about you. Don't get me wrong, I ain't trying to hide you, but damn."
She looked irritated and he pulled her up and into his lap, holding and hugging her tightly. He had never been one to hug or be hugged, but it was different with Rose.
"You need to calm down, chica," he told her, his voice soothing.

[ROSE MERCER]

Rose fought the iron hug, though only halfheartedly, out of reflex. "You need to calm down, chica," She scoffed, but did indeed calm down, carefully maneuvering the cigarette to avoid burning him.

"I shouldn't let them get to me, blah blah, I know." Rose said, her voice soft, though the tone was bitter. She looked up, her nose touching the bottom of his chin from them being so close. "You know, they were using you. Well, my Mother was. Nana was probably in on it. The others don't really care. But they figure I'll think of you like back up." Rose laughed darkly at this. "I guess I should be flattered. You should be too actually. You're the first outsider they invited to Thanksgiving since my Mom." They never said Maria Mercer was an outsider, but they certainly didn't treat her otherwise.

Rose pictured Guillermo at the table with her family. Her Father would ignore him, same as any of her other friends. Maybe scowl once or twice, try to make sure that he was the biggest, baddest, Mother Fucker in the house. The Uncles would make polite conversation, knowing what it's like to join the Mercer's for the first time. The Aunts would sneer at him, make snide comments, belittle him, but say it innocent like so he wouldn't be able to call them out. The elder three would flirt, if only to try and take something away from Rose, then squabble with it amongst themselves. They were the children, and he'd be the shiny new toy. They'd be the vultures, he'd be the carcass. The little ones would find him a subject of interest, test boundaries, whatever. Her Mother would dote upon him, show him how HAPPY they were. How GENEROUS, how SWEET, how HOSPITABLE. Nana, she'd be interesting.

She started picking the blue nail polish from her fingers, barely thinking about what she was saying. "I suppose she thinks I'll be nice and proper to him, if you come. That I won't make a scene." Her eyes widened, as she let her own words sink in, and she tried to lift herself from his grasp, unable too. Damn, he was stronger than he looked. Settling back in, she gave a slight shrug, deciding to give a short explanation. "My Dad. Father. Thing. My Mother thinks I'll be nice to him, if you're there."

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

"I shouldn't let them get to me, blah blah, I know."
Rose's voice barely hiding anger. Her nose grazed his chin lightly and he shuddered involuntarily.
"You know, they were using you. Well, my Mother was. Nana was probably in on it. The others don't really care. But they figure I'll think of you like back up."
He tilted his head to the side, his hair falling into his eyes as he watched her laugh humorlessly.
"I guess I should be flattered. You should be too actually. You're the first outsider they invited to Thanksgiving since my Mom."
Guillermo frowned at this. How could her own family think of her like that? Even his own family had always tried to include him, as evasive as he was.
"I suppose she thinks I'll be nice and proper to him, if you come. That I won't make a scene."
She interrupted his thoughts with her own, seeming to speak more to herself than to him.
Rose struggled against him for a moment then appeared to realize that he was holding her too tightly. He didn't want her to keep running away. He wanted her there. She settled herself back into his arms and explained.
"My Dad. Father. Thing. My Mother thinks I'll be nice to him, if you're there."
My Dad. Father. Thing.
He could tell that she had some issues with her father just by the tone she took when speaking of him and the way her eyes flashed.
"Well, if you'd feel more comfortable with me along, I'd be fine with it. God knows I'm not going home for Thanksgiving, so..." he shrugged, picturing her family gathered around the table with a faceless man making the air thick with stony silence.

[ROSE MERCER]

"Well, if you'd feel more comfortable with me along, I'd be fine with it. God knows I'm not going home for Thanksgiving, so..."

She would feel comfortable, with him a long. Rose wouldn't say it aloud, but she would. "See, you say your fine with it, but you've also never met my family." She said, her voice cautious. She laughed suddenly, inahling her cigarette. "They're not as nice as I am."

It would be funnier, if it weren't true.

Rose squirmed a little, though not in attempts to get away, but to become more comfortable. Her family had always made her anxious, especially when she was younger. At one time, she truly wnated to impress them. Even bleached her hair, ending disastoriously of course. "I was going to go to the shop... Tio has a little Thanksgiving thing. Hiro, Misa, Stefano usually come, after they're done with their family shit. But I suppose I should at least make a cameo. It's not like I have a whole lot planned." Rose rambled quietly, trying to get her thoughts in order, tugging lightly on the hairs on Guillermo's arms.

"I suppose if you'd like, you can come. Though... I don't know what you're expecting." The Brady Bunch? The Cosby's? What was a latino version... The Lopez's? Well, that was iritating. Rose's eyes started to drift a little, though she snapped herself awake. "Well, I guess you'll see won't you?"


ooc: Thanksgiving thread?

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

"See, you say your fine with it, but you've also never met my family. They're not as nice as I am."
She gave a little laugh and he saw the irony of it. Rose didn't always have a sunny disposition and from the screaming in the background of the phone call, he figured that the distaste for her family was justified.
He stroked her hair as she fidgeted a little, comforted by her weight on his lap and the way she leaned on his chest and shoulder.
"I was going to go to the shop... Tio has a little Thanksgiving thing. Hiro, Misa, Stefano usually come, after they're done with their family shit. But I suppose I should at least make a cameo. It's not like I have a whole lot planned."
She tugged on his arm hair lightly, lost in thought.
"I suppose if you'd like, you can come. Though... I don't know what you're expecting." Rose's eyes closed then opened quickly as if she was falling asleep. He gave a soft smile.
"Well, I guess you'll see won't you?"
"I think I can man up and endure your family. But for right now, I think you need to sleep." Guillermo glanced down at her, his lips lightly grazing her forehead.
"Do you want me to stay?"