|
Post by ROSE MERCER on Mar 19, 2011 22:34:55 GMT -5
OUTFITAs happened when one didn't eat for a while, Rose was hungry. And being that she had the culinary skill of a five year old, she decided a pb&j was the best route to go. Going to her kitchen, Rose hummed quietly to herself as she got the basic tools for an easy, tasty, quick snack. While the bread toasted she got out the two knives, the plate, the peanut butter, the jelly. The bread came out the perfect, and she glazed one piece with an even amount of peanut butter, making sure it covered every inch of that slice. But her humming ceased when she looked inside the jar of Blueberry preserves.
Peanut butter in her jelly...
Not cool.
And she knew the provider of this most heinous crime. Guillermo. It wasn't that she didn't like him, not by any means. Actually, he was certainly on her top five people list. But a great peeve about Rose, she LOATHED when people didn't use two knives. Especially since they had argued about it before. Staring into the jar, she tried to think of a course of action.
Only one seemed reasonable.
Rose took the jar, forgetting about the perfectly toasted bread and evenly spread peanut butter, and walked to the apartment next door. It was unlocked, so she let herself in, seeing him sitting on the couch. Rose did not greet him with a smile. Instead, in her little cut offs and slightly too big tank top, and her two braided pig tails, she stood right next to him, reaching into the jar of jam, and dropping a large glob on the top of his pretty brown hair. Jaw set in a very 'so there' manner, her hip cocking off to the side as her weight shifted on her left foot.
Revenge was sweet.
Blueberry jelly sweet.
|
|
GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ
CHILDREN'S LITERATURE
BARRIE UNIVERSITY SENIOR TIN MAN BOOKS OF OZ AWAKENED
Posts: 418
|
Post by GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ on Mar 19, 2011 23:03:26 GMT -5
Guillermo sat on his couch studying. As it happened, he didn't do much studying at all. But he decided to crack open his books and see exactly how far behind he was. He was just reading up on the levels of health, how to achieve perfect health and how to tell a "healthy" from a "skinny," when Rose burst through his door. His eyebrows flew up to disappear under his dark hair. She was wearing jean shorts, a large flowy tank and her hair was pulled into two braids. She looked slightly like the Little-girl-next-door-gone-bad. Guillermo grinned widely at her, but she didn't return the smile. Instead, she walked right up to him, then stuck her hand into a jam jar, smearing a big glop on the top of his head. It took him a while to register. He sat, dumbfounded as jelly slid from his hair, onto his nose and ears and onto his shoulders. She had a smug expression, her hands resting on her hips. "What the hell?" He stood, towering over her, staring at her with irritated disbelief. "Are you insane? Why, pray tell, did you just dump jelly all over my head?"
|
|
|
Post by ROSE MERCER on Mar 19, 2011 23:16:44 GMT -5
"What the hell?" Good, got his attention. He stood up, towering over her. She stood unblinkingly, her mouth forming a brave little bow. Guillermo was cute when he was mad. "Are you insane? Why, pray tell, did you just dump jelly all over my head?"
Pray tell? She scoffed lightly, rolling her eyes at his fancy speech. "I don't know," Rose spoke softly, dipping her two fingers into the jar. "Why, pray tell, is their Peanut Butter in my Jelly?" She flicked his nose, splattering the blueberry jelly across his narrow face. Her voice held great seriousness, despite the ridiculousness of the statement. Often people would tell her that she took her food rules a little too far. But screw them. A girl had to have standards.
"How many times have I told you to use two different knives when using my shit?" She inquired, eyebrows rising, as she licked the stickiness off from her fingers. Perhaps she should have brought a spoon. Just flung it at him. Yes, that would have been less sticky on her end. Rose watched, holding back a grin, as the jelly drooped from his hair and got into his eyes. She shrugged, dis-contrite. Whatever. It's not like she came over here and put food in other food, where it obviously did not belong. The fact that she was making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich was completely besides the point. What if she had just been making Jelly toast? There would have been peanut butter on it!
Yeah.
She totally wasn't over reacting here.
|
|
GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ
CHILDREN'S LITERATURE
BARRIE UNIVERSITY SENIOR TIN MAN BOOKS OF OZ AWAKENED
Posts: 418
|
Post by GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ on Mar 19, 2011 23:31:20 GMT -5
"I don't know," Rose spoke softly, dipping her two fingers into the jar. "Why, pray tell, is their Peanut Butter in my Jelly?" She flicked her fingers and the jam splattered the front of his face. He flinched, his eyes closing in defense against the sting of jelly-doom. "You're joking." His eyebrows had come back down again, finding each other in the middle the way two black caterpillars find their loves in the springtime. "How many times have I told you to use two different knives when using my shit?" "Are you fucking serious? What's wrong with you?" He loved her, to be certain, but sometimes he was so entirely exasperated by her that he could barely function. "It's just a little peanut butter. It's not going to kill you." He then got sudden inspiration, going into the kitchen and returning with his jar of peanut butter. Before she could protest, he pulled out a glob and patted it onto the top of her head, pausing to smear a little on her nose. He leaned back on his wall and smirked at her, the smell of pb&j filling his nose.
|
|
|
Post by ROSE MERCER on Mar 19, 2011 23:45:52 GMT -5
"You're joking." Nothing about her expression suggested that she was kidding here. She never joked about food. "Are you fucking serious? What's wrong with you? It's just a little peanut butter. It's not going to kill you." First they leave peanut butter in the jelly, then their cloths in a drawer. Not going to happen.
He skulked off, leaving Rose to instantly to presume that he was going to wash off. She was wrong, holding a jaw of peanut butter. As he scooped a handful into his hand, she scoffed again. "You wouldn't d-" Splat. Right in her hair. Her mouth fell open, as he dabbed her nose, his face looking like an artist finishing a masterpiece.
Oh, no. He did not!
But he did, as proven by the finger full she slid off her nose, flinging it on to the carpet. "Well," She chirped, still a little surprised. So that's how he wanted to play it? Fine, Rose could play. And Rose never lost. Ever. "Apparently you would." Oh, she was going to get him for this.
A smile appeared on her face, coquettish, despite the glop of peanut butter on top of her head. She sauntered over to him, her hips swaying as she walked, her eyes glittering seductively at him. She got close, as if about to kiss him, but instead pulled the waist of his boxers, dropping the remains of the jar into his pants, grinning victoriously.
She stepped back, thinking momentarily about how she had no ammo. And how he had a whole jar still. Shit. Quick on her feet, Rose flitted to the kitchen, swinging the door open and grabbing a jar of Strawberry preserves.
Gross.
But usable.
|
|
GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ
CHILDREN'S LITERATURE
BARRIE UNIVERSITY SENIOR TIN MAN BOOKS OF OZ AWAKENED
Posts: 418
|
Post by GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ on Mar 20, 2011 0:10:06 GMT -5
Rose scoffed at him. "You wouldn't d-" Her words were cut off as she registered the peanut butter in her face. She wiped the creamy substanse from her nose and flicked it onto the floor. "Well, apparently you would." Her voice was surprised and revengeful. But he wasn't going down without a fight. Suddenly, her expression changed. A smile appeared on her face, and as she approached him, her hips swayed hypnotically. He felt oddly wary, but was nearly helpless to resist her sparkling blue eyes. She got close, as if about to kiss him, but instead pulled the waist of his boxers, dropping the remains of the jar into his pants, grinning victoriously. Again, he was stunned. Frozen in confusion, slight denial, rage, discomfort and disgust, he finally snapped out of it as she bolted for the kitchen. She grabbed a jar of Seth's jam and he grabbed her, grabbing a handful of peanut butter and rubbed it down the front of her shirt, inside and out, making sure to get it on the inside of her bra. His eyebrows raised in a way that implied, "What are you going to do about it?"
|
|
|
Post by ROSE MERCER on Mar 20, 2011 0:27:00 GMT -5
Rose let out a peel of laughter, as he wiped the peanut butter on her, feeling it goop her flesh to her bra uncomfortably. His eyebrows shifted challengingly, and her grin was wide, almost forgetting why she was mad in the first place. Almost. She took a generous fistful of the not-as-good-preserves-as-hers jelly, and wiped it on his face and in his hair, making sure to mat it in there good. His hair tufted out to the side, above his left ear, as if the jam was seedy hair gel, and she couldn't help but grin victoriously.
"Magenta is so your color." Rose said softly, holding in a giggle halfheartedly. She took another handful, licking her lips, ignoring as some fell to the linoleum floor, and painted a messy heart on his forehead. Staring at him, eyes a glitter, Rose covered her mouth to muffle the laughter that was barely being contained. "You Sir," She said, setting the jelly down on the counter. "Look ridiculous." With that, she tried to walk coolly away. This was painfully dampened as her foot hit the glob of jam on the floor, making her slip firmly on her butt, and taking Guillermo down with her.
Another peel of laughter came out, like a great relief. She hadn't laughed like this since... since she had returned from the hospital. Laying back on the floor, she stared at the ceiling, sighing in great relief. It was nice to laugh.
Her baggy tank top's neck was pulled down, as it hugged her body awkwardly. She looked down, wiping the peanut butter away from the insides of her periwinkle bra, frowning as she caught site of the little pink line in the center of her chest. Self consciously, she pulled her shirt up over it, her smile fading slightly.
Stupid ugly scar.
|
|
GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ
CHILDREN'S LITERATURE
BARRIE UNIVERSITY SENIOR TIN MAN BOOKS OF OZ AWAKENED
Posts: 418
|
Post by GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ on Mar 20, 2011 0:42:48 GMT -5
Rose grinned widely, taking a fistful of the strawberry jelly, and wiped it on his face and in his hair. He glowered at her. "Magenta is so your color." Rose said then stood on tiptoe, painting with jelly on his forehead. Staring at him, eyes a glitter, Rose covered her mouth to muffle the laughter that was barely being contained. "You, Sir, look ridiculous." She began to walk away, but the jelly had different plans. Instead, she ended up sprawled on the floor, Guillermo coming down beside her. Rose began to chuckle, then laid relaxed on the floor, laughing harder than he had heard her laugh in a while. He smiled at her, rolling onto his side to peer down into her face. She had a bit of jelly on her lips, from flinging it about. He kissed her. "I missed your laugh." Her baggy tank top's neck was askew, and she looked down, wiping the peanut butter away from the insides of her shirt. She frowned momentarily as she spotted her scar and pulled up her shirt. "It's okay, Rose." He rolled his eyes at her irritated embarrassment and pulled the shirt, kissing her scar gently. He wasn't bothered by it, other than the guilt he still felt when looking at it. But it didn't mar his memories of her. It didn't make her any less beautiful to him.
|
|
|
Post by ROSE MERCER on Mar 20, 2011 0:56:08 GMT -5
He kissed her, tasting like berries. They should have peanut butter jelly fights more often. When he pulled back, he spoke gently. "I missed your laugh." Rose stared at him, not quite sure how to respond.
So she smiled gently, blushing a little under the smearing of condiments on her face. "Umm. Thank you?" She giggled a little, trying to be discreet with her shirt business.
She failed.
When he saw her fiddling with her shirt, he reprimanded her lightly. "It's okay, Rose." His voice was soft, despite the eye roll, and he tugged the collar of her shirt down, kissing the ugly scar.
She pulled the shirt back up, putting a barrier between it and his lips. "Don't." She felt all awkward now. "It's ugly." She wasn't use to being self conscious, and didn't wear it well. Rose had managed all her life not too get scars, besides a small one on her knee. And she hated the knee scar too. And then suddenly, her life depended on her getting the stupid thing.
She tried not to think about it, brushing his sticky, brown hair out of his eyes.
|
|
GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ
CHILDREN'S LITERATURE
BARRIE UNIVERSITY SENIOR TIN MAN BOOKS OF OZ AWAKENED
Posts: 418
|
Post by GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ on Mar 20, 2011 1:27:40 GMT -5
Rose gave a giggle as her face turned a little pink. "Umm. Thank you?" She pulled the shirt back up quickly. "Don't. It's ugly." She looked extremely uncomfortable, and even a little sad. Guillermo pulled her to his chest, his chin resting on her sticky peanut butter hair. "No, Rose. It isn't." He held her for a while, unaware of how she would take the statement on the tip of his tongue. Screw it. "You're beautiful, Rose." With or without the scar. Having the scar made her all the more beautiful, because she had the strength to make it through. He suddenly grinned, pulling back to look her in the eyes. "And you seem to like MY scars just fine."
|
|
|
Post by ROSE MERCER on Mar 20, 2011 1:40:15 GMT -5
"No, Rose. It isn't." He said, pulling her close. She didn't fight him, like she would often do, and rested peaceably in his arms. She could feel his chin, in her peanut butter gob, which made her grin into his chest. And then he had to go and ruin it all. "You're beautiful, Rose."
Now, Rose had been called beautiful before. By her Mother, her Uncle, a drunk guy at a bar. But, those other times, never quite sounded like that. Like they were masking something. Before she could stop herself, her rapier wit kicked in. "God, love really is blind..." As the words processed in her mind, her body tensed and she held her breathe. Did she really just say that?
WHY WOULD SHE SAY THAT?
WHAT A STUPID THING TO SAY!
But she had said it real quiet like. Maybe he didn't hear her? Unlikely, but there was a chance. "And you seem to like MY scars just fine." She wasn't really all there as he said it, her panicking brain in full gear.
"Yeah, well..." Nothing. Wit was gone, at the moment. She started to sit up, needing to get the topic off from scars and... that one thing. OH! HOW COULD SHE BE SO STUPID? Rose had been quite pleased when no one mentioned the whole I love you thing. And deep down, she knew the conversation would have to come up eventually. But she could fight it, tooth and nail. "We should clean up. Seth will have a fit..."
Don't want to talk about it... Don't want to talk about it... Don't want to talk about it... Don't want to talk about it... Don't want to talk about it... Don't want to talk about it... PLEASE Don't want to talk about it...
|
|
GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ
CHILDREN'S LITERATURE
BARRIE UNIVERSITY SENIOR TIN MAN BOOKS OF OZ AWAKENED
Posts: 418
|
Post by GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ on Mar 20, 2011 2:05:43 GMT -5
"God, love really is blind..." The words seemed to hang in the air as her body tensed and she held her breath. Guillermo was frozen as well. She seemed to be painfully aware of what she just said and she instantly tried to get out of it, attempting to sit up. "Yeah, well... We should clean up. Seth will have a fit..." "Are we ever going to talk about that?" He asked the question suddenly, not really thinking of how she would respond. She looked embarrassed and ready to run. At this moment, Guillermo couldn't care less about Seth. He held onto her, not allowing her to escape. Not again. "Rose, come on. Don't run from me. I can't handle it anymore. I can't let something happen to you again." His own body tensed, staring at her helplessly. Couldn't she just accept that?
|
|
|
Post by ROSE MERCER on Mar 20, 2011 2:23:30 GMT -5
"Are we ever going to talk about that?" FRICKDAMNSHITPISSDAMMIT! He wanted to talk about it. He eld her close, so that she couldn't flee, which did not improve her breathing skills at the moment. So she avoided his gaze, and shook her head in the negative.
"No. No, we're not." And for good reason. No good ever arose from Rose talking about her feelings. Feelings got hurt, or she got hit by a car. Neither sounded good. It was cruel, to refuse to talk about it. Rose understood that. She wasn't proud. She didn't want to hurt Guillermo. Which was all the more reason to refuse to talk about this. It would hurt him more if they did. This was the lesser of two evils.
Once again, Rose managed to convince herself of a lie. And deep down, she knew it.
Rose tried to squirm again, but his voice was so thick with meaning, she couldn't help but pause. "Rose, come on. Don't run from me. I can't handle it anymore. I can't let something happen to you again."
She made the mistake of looking at his brown eyes, with their thick, melted, chocolate look. They were warm and beautiful eyes. And they held her attention, like ropes binding her down. "I'm not running." She denied, not even convincing herself. Look away, look away. But she couldn't. "And nothing's going to happen to me. It's not like Mallory's driving on the fourth floor of the apartment complex." She tried to make a joke out of it, but her laughter faltered slightly. Why did she have to be such a fucking defective. She bit her lip, putting on her most logical airs. "A lot has happened, these last couple weeks annd..." And what? Rose sighed deeply, looking away from Guillermo, rubbing some jelly off from the fridge. "I don't want things to be said, in the heat of an emotional time, because they can't be taken back. So we should not talk about it, until absolutely nothing is happening in either of our lives, so that we can look back and laugh at the situation." Crap, the jelly was gone. Where to look now, where? She met his eyes again, gulping.
There would never be nothing going on in either of their lives. That was the beauty of the deal. Unmeetable terms, meant they would never have to be met. And that felt safe to Rose.
|
|
GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ
CHILDREN'S LITERATURE
BARRIE UNIVERSITY SENIOR TIN MAN BOOKS OF OZ AWAKENED
Posts: 418
|
Post by GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ on Mar 20, 2011 2:41:27 GMT -5
Her clear blue eyes met his. "I'm not running." She didn't look away, despite the obvious denial there in her face. "And nothing's going to happen to me. It's not like Mallory's driving on the fourth floor of the apartment complex." She feebly attempted laughter, but stopped. Good. It wasn't funny. "A lot has happened, these last couple weeks annd...I don't want things to be said, in the heat of an emotional time, because they can't be taken back. So we should not talk about it, until absolutely nothing is happening in either of our lives, so that we can look back and laugh at the situation." Rose's voice was businesslike. His heart broke more and more with every word she said. "Oh. Sure." She knew just as well as he did that that day would never come. Heat of an emotional time............don't want things to be said..........a lot has happened............not talk about it.........can't be taken back........... Looking back into her blue eyes, his mind replayed the scene from the garage. He had been mistaken. She didn't love him at all. Not even a little. He sighed, releasing her and standing, walking down the hall and turning on the shower. He leaned against the wall as the shower heated up, staring at the blank wall of the opposite side. He couldn't move. What was he supposed to do? He couldn't go back in there and make her love him. He closed his eyes, feeling the agony of emotions straining at his chest. And she didn't care. Just business as usual.
|
|
|
Post by ROSE MERCER on Mar 20, 2011 3:12:26 GMT -5
"Oh. Sure." He was agreeing with her. She should feel relived. Why didn't she feel relieved. He got off the sticky floor, leaving her a little stunned. Oh. Sure. What did that mean? He was done? He was complying? He was doing exactly what Rose wanted.
"He's giving up." Bruja's voice purred in delight, in the back of Rose's head.
Oh. Sure.
The sound of the shower starting brought Rose back too. Rose got off the floor, looking around the blank apartment. Why wasn't she happy? She should be thrilled! She had gotten off scott free. But she wasn't happy. Rose marched to the bathroom, jaw squared in anger.
Oh. Sure.
Fuck his Oh. Sure.
She swung the bathroom door open, her eyes blazing in irrational anger. Even she knew it was irrational. She was being a complete idiot. And whats worse, she couldn't stop it. "You're insane, you know that." Rose snapped, her words filled with misdirected rage and hypocrisy. "I can't keep up with you. It's like dealing with a fucking woman. Oh, I'm going to say this, but really mean this. Oh yeah, I don't do girlfriends, la di dah! Fuck you!" She shoved him, not hard, as they were in the bathroom. Removing her shirt, she looked at him, cheeks flushed with her anger. "You know, I didn't ask for you to complicate everything. I didn't say: 'Oh please Mr. Neighbor Guy, please fuck me! I need you, I have to have you, blah blah blah.'" Well shit, she was just rambling now. She removed her socks, wondering if they had left little jelly prints down the hall she had just stormed.
"I'm trying to do exactly what we agreed to do, exactly what we both said suited us, but that makes ME this awful, soulless, evil, harpy who runs on pure bitch fumes!" She was more yelling at herself now, even if Guillermo didn't know it. Even if she really didn't know it. "Well, I'm happen to be VERY HAPPY with my life, thank you very much Guillermo! I like that I'm alone. I like that I depend on me. I like that I'm about to use your shower, because I'm not getting yelled at by the land lady for tracking peanut butter in the hall because YOU CAN'T USE TWO FUCKING KNIVES!" Still wearing half of her cloths, she moved past him, into the shower, removing them as they began to increase in wetness.
As the hot water beat down on her, she realized she wasn't happy. She was tired. Just really tired. Removing her shorts, she flung them over the shower curtain, sighing deeply. The water made her braids swell, soaking in like a sponge, as the peanut butter melted in it's heat. "Just," Her voice was soft now, a complete jump from where she was seconds ago. "Please get in here. I... want a hug." It was said dryly, almost giving in. Yes, she was aware of the silly request. Yes, she was aware that she was just horribly mean to him. Yes, she'd completely understand if he threw her out of his apartment in her underwear. Yes, she'd deserve it, because she was indeed a awful, soulless, evil, harpy who runs on pure bitch fumes. And yes, maybe, even if she didn't want to admit it, when she was with Guillermo she felt... human.
"Stupid girl."
|
|