Evening Rose

Anna opened her eyes. Last week wasn’t too bad. She had had worse days with her first day of school in Orlando. But that day did not have William Darcy who glared at her.

She sighed.

It was a real wonder that she didn’t have a nightmare about it. William wasn’t at school for the entire week but his family was. The hot one, Catalina, took every chance she had to glare at her but the other sister, Jessica, always stopped her before it got really nasty. That was often enough for Anna to wonder why it didn’t warrant nightmares.

She was starting to sit up on her bed when Jackson lumbered into the room, his think dark brown body somehow making his way onto the bed, carefully tiptoeing across the sheets to stop and lie down in front of her hand.

“Hey Jackson! You don’t think I’m weird, do you?” Anna asked, ruffling Jackson’s ears playfully. She loved animals but she had an extra soft spot for him, mainly because he could cheer her up.

Jackson simply wagged his tail which Anna took to mean “You are weird but I still love you,” which just confirmed to her that she was weird. Most people interpreted that as “Pat me.”

“Anna! Hurry up and get ready for school! Don’t make me come up there and drag you to the Range Rover!” Madison shouted from downstairs, the sounds of bacon and eggs being fried loud and clear.

Anna sighed. Trust Madison to be persistent about her going to school. She knew for a fact that Ben would never do that. He was too casual, too compliant. It was lucky that he met Madison when he did or he would have got nothing done.

She threw the covers off of her, Jackson jumping off the bed with unusual grace, gazing at her with what could have been said as an amused look. Damn hallucinations.

She threw on a pair of faded jeans, a sky blue tank top and tied up her hair in a loose ponytail. Although she knew everyone knew she was the new girl, there was no need to emphasise the point even more.

She raced Jackson down the stairs, her bag slung over her shoulder and her keys in hand, gripping onto them like as if she thought they would disappear if she had let go of them.

“There you are! I was thinking Madison would have to drag you out of your room.” Ben grinned wide as he watched Anna hold out a plate for Madison to pile in eggs, toast and bacon.

“There’s no chance of that, dad. I was already awake when Madison called me for breakfast. I was chatting to Jackson before, wasn’t I boy?” Anna laughed, ruffling Jackson’s velvet ears to prove her point.

A slow, relaxed banter enveloped the house, like any day of a normal week for a normal household. Obviously, it wasn’t because it was Anna’s second week of school and she was already unsure of herself with some people, mainly William Darcy and his family.

Anna pushed herself off her chair, not so much eager to go to school as she was as going to see her car. It was barely louder than a dog’s warning growl. She always had had an aversion to overly loud cars. They hurt her ears, making them pound for some time after the car had gone.

She waited patiently ad she watched Madison gently kiss her dad. She had gotten over it, just as she had with Jacob and her mother. It was natural for people to move on with their lives and she always prided herself for being so understanding.

The car ride to school was relatively silent. Anna had decided that she wouldn’t be switching to the news channels anytime soon. Damn Olympics always took over all the news coverage. What on earth possessed someone to add beach volleyball as an Olympic sport?

By the time they reached school, it was 7:15am and Anna had spotted the shiny silver BMW S class that the Darcy’s and Parry’s drove in. Such a pretty car. It was a shame that the person who drove it hated her.

“Are you thinking about what happed last week, Anna?” Madison walked up, causing Anna to turn her head to face her, her violet eyes thoughtful.

“Yeah...Do you think he hates me, Madison?” Anna frowned, hovering her hand above the car’s bonnet, never touching it in case the Darcy’s and Parry’s turned up and yelled at her.

“No. The Darcy’s and the Parry’s have off days like the rest of us. You were unlucky to catch William on an off day.” Madison smiled serenely but Anna thought she saw a flicker of anxiety hidden in her eyes. She wasn’t quite sure if it was there or not because it disappeared as fast as it appeared.

As they turned to face the school, they found it was beginning to snow, even when the sun was shinning. Anna groaned as she trudged back to her Cadillac, pulling out a beret before walking back, much to Madison’s amusement.

“When it snows and it’s sunny, the snow as well as the sun beams the light on my hair. My hair which reflects every light like a diamond. I’m not in the mood to blind everyone today.” Anna explained, the clear annoyance in her voice hinting to Madison it wasn’t the first time something like this had happened to her.

Like the first day, Madison and Anna, together with Jackson, walked down the car park to the school. Today, however, people were less inclined to stare at her, staring instead at the Darcy’s. Anna felt a pang of pity for them. They would always be excluded, even after 4 years.

They passed the front office again, for no particular reason other than to greet Lauren who was glad to see them as they were with her. Since no one was in a particular rush, they talked candidly about everything until Lisa found them and practically dragged a laughing Anna away to their friendship group.

“Hey! I was having fun back there!” Anna laughed before she threw one arm around Matt’s shoulder, much to David’s displeasure, Tori’s amusement and Lisa’s frustration at David.

“Well, you know the general rule about the fact that students and teachers mingling together aren’t natural.” Matt joked, pleased that Anna had decided to have physical contact with him this morning.

Anna threw him a playfully dark look. She was feeling better about today that she was last week. She took that as a good sign that today would hopefully turn out ok.

Anna, Matt and Tori hung out casually, watching people laugh and run around as the snow sprinkled down. Andrew and David were playing this weird game with Lisa and Kim judging. Lisa and Kim were obviously infatuated with the boys, Dave for Lisa and Andrew for Kim. The trio laughed at the girls’ bizarre enthusiasm for a game no one had a clue what was going on.

Anna smiled as they walked. Truth be told, she was warming up to River. Matt was so happy and carefree, it was infectious. Tori, on the other hand, was very open and generous to things around her. Anna felt that Tori would get along extremely well with Riley. They were two of the people who made living easier.

The day went relatively easily. Anna was grateful that she didn’t share a class with Kim, however. Her ice blue eyes pierced everyone who looked at her drenched platinum locks. Drenched because somehow, David and Andrew got into a snowball fight and Kim got in the middle of it. Still, she did have lunch with her and by lunchtime, Kim’s mood hadn’t gotten any better. If anything, it was worse.

“Tell me, Tori. Is Kim always like this?” Anna whispered to Tori at lunch. Today, Anna, Tori and Matt were sitting well away from the rest of the group who was trying, in vain, to appease Kim.

“Always. Her hair is the one feature she loves about herself. It gets ruined often, as you do. Still, she always straightens it, has a hair straightener in her locker, even. Instant hair death.” Tori rolled her eyes dramatically, making Matt and Anna laugh

Then, there was the sound of an even louder laugh next to them. It was the Darcy’s and today, they all looked extremely relaxed and calm, joking around happily. The bug, brawny guy with dark brown hair was throwing snow at the girls, causing them to shriek happily. The boy-toy waif with hazel hair and the casual guy with burgundy brown hair was laughing, teasing the girls and just having fun. To everyone else, it almost looked like a scene in a fantastically manufactured snow day commercial except it was real.

“They look happy.” Matt commented, his glacier blue eyes curiously gazing at the shrieking Parry’s.

Anna and Tori simply nodded. Anna had asked if either Matt or Tori had anything against the Darcy’s and the Parry’s. They didn’t. They only said that the Darcy’s and the Parry’s were…different. Not that it would stop others though. Matt and Tori nodded gravely at that.

5th period was English. Anna was kicking herself for not bringing her English things with her. Every book she was doing now, she had back home in Orlando. She even remembered the in-depth conversations she had with Riley about them. She sighed. There was no hope in hell her mother or stepfather would allow to send her notes over. In their clear definitions, that was cheating and they had not gone and rained a child, an equal first-born none the less, to cheat. Although, Paul, her amazing twin brother, or even Emily, her 12 year old sister, wouldn’t mind doing it for her. This made her smile. Siblings were always good for something.

When class was over, Matt, Tori and Anna slowly made their way to Art. Slowly because they were pretty sure that the thing that happened last week would happen again today. When they got to the room, the found Madison with a worried expression. The option of Madison privately teaching Anna the lesson was thrown out the window when Anna put her foot down. Screw that! She had had enough with the special treatment crap!

Part of her wished this was all a horrible dream. William Darcy in her dream world didn’t exist. It certainly wasn’t the worst thing that had happened to her. She shuddered when she remembered all the pranks that Paul and Tyler pulled on her. To her and everyone who saw the pranks unfold, it was up there with all those things you never dreamed of ever happening to you.

5 minutes before class started, Anna was startled to see William Darcy suddenly appear and sit next to her. His burgundy eyes glanced at her once, a subtle note of pain passing his features before he looked away, his long fingers gripping the metal of the desk, slightly denting it which made a strange creaking noise.

“Hello. I’m William Darcy. I don’t think we’re been introduced before.” William’s velvet voice assaulted her senses like a steamroller.

Anna was visibly shocked, nor was she the only one. Here was William Darcy, the person who glared at her so openly last week, looking at her so calmly.

“H…hi!” Anna stuttered, her violet eyes wide. If this was a normal situation, she would be kicking herself. But, there was nothing normal about this situation.

William gazed at her curiously, his burgundy brown eyes taking in every inch of her, from her violet eyes to her midnight blue hair, his perfect eyebrows crinkling every so often.

“I’m Anastasia Roberts. It’s nice to meet you.” Anna finally spoke, looking anywhere except his eyes.

William’s melodic laughter filled Anna’s ears, making her cringe.

“Do you prefer Anastasia or Anna?” William grinned, his eyes crinkling and brightening.

“Anna. Always Anna. Anastasia makes me sound so old. Like the martyred Russian princess, I figure.” Anna smiled wryly.

They were interrupted by Madison explaining what they had to do. Today, they were supposed to draw an onion skin, which was dyed blue and put under a microscope. Since there weren’t enough microscopes, they had to share between two people. Anna saw that Tori, Matt and Madison threw her uncertain and pitied looks and smiled at their concern.
As they drew, Anna was in awe at William’s almost perfect replica of the onion skin. Out of her entire family, only the girls were any good at drawing and Anna was the best. Though, they still had to look at the onion skin to draw it.

Anna reached out for the microscope at the same time as William, their hands meeting for a second, their eyes both widening before they pulled their hands away. Anna bit her lip, rubbing her fingers together. She was sure that William had felt it too, judging by his cautious look.

They drew in relative silence. Relative because Anna could hear Matt cursing every so often, making her snigger. William looked like he heard it too because every time Matt cursed, the grin on his pale, perfect face grew wider and wider, threatening to break.

“So, Anna. What brought you to River?” William asked, one of his beautiful burgundy brown eyes fixing on her.

Again, Anna was thrown. She had just decided not to talk to him and he spoke to her! Damn him and his timing!

“Um...my mother made me come.” Anna replied truthfully. She found this question decidedly odd but eventually, she thought, someone would have to ask her. Besides, she wasn’t someone to sugar coat the truth.

In an instant, William’s brows furrowed, causing Anna’s lips to twitch slightly. She knew it sounded absurd. She was 16 and the reason why she came to River, a place she disliked, was that her mother made her.

“You mother...made you come?”

“Yeah. Well...initially. I decided I’d had enough of people staring at me for one lifetime.” Anna shrugged, doubting that she needed to explain herself any further.

William nodded sharply. If anyone was going to understand, it was William and the Darcy’s.

They finished their drawings relatively fast; William first and then Anna moments later. They compared them, both pleased at the quality of each other’s work. Their fast drawing earned them extra time to lounge around. Madison smiled at them with some pride. Obviously, they were the best in the class.

“So...why weren’t you at school the whole of last week?” Anna asked once they had gotten bored with the reactions of everyone else when they screwed up.

William smirked subtly. “You noticed that?”

“Shouldn’t I have?”

For a moment, William’s brows furrowed once more. This time, Anna noted that it was done with an expression reminiscent of anger. At who this anger was directed at Anna was unsure. But, as soon as she saw it, the expression disappeared.

“Well...rarely anyone here notices when any of us disappear. I, along with my family, keep a relatively low profile.” William smiled but there was a definite edge to his tone.

“No one notices? Seriously?!” Anna frowned, surprised that the student body at River High was as unobservant as she feared.

William chuckled low.

“Anna. Judging by how they treated my family, do you honestly think anyone would notice?”

She blushed before shaking her head. No one paid the Darcy’s much attention. If anything, they seemed to avoid them for some strange reason.

Art wrapped up quickly with almost half the class receiving extra homework because they hadn’t finished their drawing of an onion peel. Loud complaints were raised, mostly by Matt, but were silenced by Madison. She reasoned that if they had finished their drawing earlier, there would have been no homework.

Anna noticed that William waited for her at the doorway, much to her surprise and evident shock, not to mention Madison, Tori and Matt’s. She shrugged before walking out, joining William, casting an assuring look towards the others.

“What’s with the change of heart?” Anna asked curiously once they had reached an area that wasn’t bustling and claustrophobically overcrowded with people.

“Oh, just a change of scenery I figured was needed.” William dazzled a smile, causing Anna to nod and smile.

They walked silently across the school’s extensive campus, neither in the mood for small talk. Anna noticed that some buildings were perched on stilts, avoiding the nearby rocks and cliff below. Tori, Matt and Lisa had told her that those buildings were hardly ever used except for parties and even then. There were rumours that students had died falling off the building but they were hastily dispelled by the teachers.

“Why does everyone avoid your family?” Anna spoke at last, breaking the almost deadening silence that blanketed the pair.

William gazed at her, surprised for some reason. Anna guessed that it was that no-one has asked him that before.

“...I don’t know. Catalina thinks that it might be because we look so different. Of course the rest of us tend to disagree.” William said at long last, causing Anna to bark a laugh at the end.

“Ha! Does she know what she’s doing to some people’s self-esteem?” Anna smiled, causing William to grin in reply. She was specifically thinking about Kim and how the girl was jealous of Catalina Parry.

“Hence why we disagreed. Jessica, her sister, pointed out to her that not everyone looked like a supermodel like she did. Luckily, she took that as a compliment as we decided it had become a non-issue.” William smirked lightly, his dark burgundy eyes twinkling in the sunlight.

At long last, they had returned to the car park where the Darcy’s, Parry’s, Madison and Jackson were waiting for them at their respective cars. Madison gazed at Anna with some concern but suddenly, she was smiling serenely again.

“William. I hope you had a nice walk with my step-daughter.” Madison spoke with a smile.

“I did. Thank you for asking, Mrs Roberts.” William smiled pleasantly back.

The car ride home was somewhat peaceful. Anna and Madison chatted all the way via walky-talky things that were put in both cars to they could talk to each other.

Most of the conversation was focused on William. Madison stated that Will and his family tended to be old fashioned. Anna didn’t press any further into that. She liked how William was so polite unlike most guys she had encountered. Most other guys were immature or downright stupid. What more would you expect from 16 year old boys?

God...if only Riley could see her now. She’d be falling off her seat laughing. They had always laughed they’d never find a boy they’d be happy with.

They soon arrived home and found that Ben was already home, seeing that the pick-up truck he drove was already parked in its normal spot.

When they had gotten inside, it was obvious why he’d come home early. Ben was sprawled in front of the TV on the couch, shouting and sometimes throwing popcorn at the TV as it blared out his favourite sport; Gridiron.

“Ben, honey. We’re home.” Madison teased lightly, putting down her bag beside the kitchen counter.

“Wah...? Oh. Hi sweetie. Hi Anna. Was today a good day?” Ben gradually tore his eyes away from the TV screen to gaze at Madison and Anna’s twin amused looks.

“Same old. Want anything special tonight?” Madison shrugged off her coat before she went to start making dinner.

“Ah...not really.” Anna heard Ben reply as she walked upstairs to her room.

Anna opened up her computer and sighed. Life at River was so...boring banal. If William hadn’t piqued her interest, she would have yelled at her mother and step-father to take her back to Orlando. Not even myspace, facebook and fanfiction.net seemed interesting anymore.

She was gently moved out of her musings when Jackson nudged her hand, startling her. She was so absorbed the she didn’t notice him come in.

“Hey boy! You scared me!” Anna laughed softly, rumpling Jackson’s ears.

She spent the next 30 minutes surfing the internet, Jackson on her bed watching, before she could hear Madison’s voice call out to tell her that dinner was ready.

“Ready to race, boy?” Anna grinned wolfishly at Jackson who barked back happily and wagged his tail.

Barely a minute later, Anna and Jackson reached the table, both clearly puffed out from running from Anna’s bedroom to the dining room table.

Madison smiled.
“How many timed do I have to tell you, Anna? No running down the stairs! I’m sure that your mother was talking to me about that over the phone two weeks ago!”

Anna hung her head in shame. She knew that running down the stairs was dangerous; all four of her parents had repeatedly warned her and her sibling that one day, instead of being at the bottom of the stairs, they’d end up being in hospital.

Anna promptly blamed the ‘terrible Lawson duo’: Paul and Tyler. It drove her crazy that Paul, her twin brother, was as immature as their 10 year old half-sibling!

After dinner, Anna relaxed on her bed, reading Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. Jackson was by her side, his head on her knee, his beautiful expressive brown eyes close but Anna knew he wasn’t asleep.

However, as she was reading her book, she was constantly thinking about William Darcy...what a change a week made!

There is absolutely no way Riley can ever know that I fancy a guy!...But Will Darcy is so much better than the guys we see at school and even around the shopping centres! Ugh! I really don’t know...

Anna sighed deeply before bookmarking her book and setting it down on her bedside table. Thankfully, she was already under the covers and she was used to Jackson sleeping with her. She was thankful that he didn’t snore of she’d never get to sleep!

The sound of howling and fluttering wings brought her comfort and cured her mild homesickness as she drifted relatively peacefully to sleep.