‹ Prequel: Thorn of a Rose
Reach Out For The Sunrise
chapter 003
On the ride home, Rose subconsciously felt like such a slut. She was sitting in the back of the van, against Dylan, who was stroking her arm, but the whole ride she was giving Shawn looks and smiles when Dylan wasn't looking. Rose knew it was wrong, and that she had to end it with one of them, but she somehow loved them both. It was totally impossible for her. When they got home, everyone was hungry, so Frank called for pizza. They all sat around the table, and on the floor, for lack of chairs and ate. Shawn got through about half a slice, and then gave Rose a strange look. Then he spoke.
"Um, hey guys? I'm not feeling so hot...think I'll head downstairs and go to bed okay?" he said, clutching his stomach a little for effect. He gave Rose a look that said "follow me", got up, and went downstairs. Rose nodded, and finished her slice of pizza as quickly as she could.
"Ah. I'm pretty full. Had a snack at the studio." she said, standing up. They all mumbled goodnight to her and she went downstairs too. She pushed open the door to the boy's room and found Shawn sitting on his pull out bed. "What?" she asked as she walked closer to him. He leaned back as she sat down next to him.
"We haven't had any alone time since we left Paris. I just wanted to talk..." he said, pouting. Rose move so she was sitting on his lap.
"Talk? Or did you just wanna screw?" she asked, laughing a little.
"Alright you caught me." he said. Suddenly he made a move that slid Rose off his lap and got him over her. Rose shrieked quickly, so no one upstairs would hear her. She was a little surprised that he'd managed that. Shawn kissed her hard and she of course kissed back. Rose really liked Shawn. She really really liked him. And for once, at this very moment, she wasn't thinking about Dylan at all. She just got lost in Shawn for a minute, but then realized she didn't want to go any further, at least not right then, with other people in the house, including her father. Rose pushed Shawn off by the shoulders and stood up. Shawn pouted.
"Tease." he growled. Rose laughed.
"Hey." she said, walking back over to him and pushing her hands on his thighs. She kissed him. "I never said you were never getting any." she said, giving him a mischievous half smile.
"MeOW!" he said. Rose laughed and headed for the door. She opened it and hadn't even stepped all the way out, and she saw Dylan.
"Dylan!" she said, surprised. "Um, what's up sweetie?" she asked, nervously. Dylan came the rest of the way down the stairs.
"Nothing...why were you in our room?" he asked quietly. Rose pulled the door the rest of the way shut.
"Oh, no reason." she said hurriedly. Dylan walked faster.
"Whose in there?" he asked, now almost angry. Rose tried to block his way, but Dylan pushed her aside. He opened the door to see Shawn sitting on his bed. Rose saw a look of sheer anger cross Dylan's face. "You were in here with, you were in here with him?" he asked, pointing to Shawn with a shaking finger.
"D-Dylan..." started Rose. "Let me explain..."
"NO!" he shouted. "You don't have to. I'm not stupid. No wait, apparently I am." he said. He shook his head, and Rose thought she saw him blink a tear out of his eye.
"Dylan..." she said again.
"No." he said, throwing up his arms. Then he turned to look at Shawn, who was standing up now. "She's all yours bro!" he said. Shawn didn't look at him. Rose just stared at the floor as Dylan walked right past her and up the stairs. Shawn looked up at Rose and shrugged. She just shook her head, walked into her own room, and slammed the door.
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Dylan went storming through the kitchen, almost stepping on Josh as he went through the living room towards the front door. He wrenched the door open and slammed it shut behind him. Everyone at the table kind of looked at each other, wondering if someone should go after him. Jordan shrugged and dropped her pizza.
"Well don't everybody get up to help him at once!" she said sarcastically. She stood up and went out the door after Dylan. She didn't have to go far, she found him sitting on the grass, pulling up blades of it and throwing them one at a time. She sat down quietly next to him and just sat in silence, letting him abuse the Way's front lawn. "Look...I have this weird Sixth Sense feeling that I know why you're out here...but you wanna vent anyway?" she asked. Dylan took a deep breath and let it out very slowly.
"Yeah okay." he said shakily. "Rose...Rose was cheating on me...with Shawn." he looked at Jordan, hurt in his eyes. Jordan looked down.
"I know." she said quietly. Dylan was confused. She knew?
"What? How? Why?" he asked. Jordan sighed.
"Everyone except you, Josh, and Alex knew. It started back in Paris." she said. "I'm sorry. We should have told you, but Rose kept saying how she was gonna end it with one of you sooner or later, I figured she'd do it before you found out like this." Dylan shook his head, looking for words.
"So Shawn went after Rose...even though he knew she was with me?" he asked shakily. Jordan gulped.
"Yeah." she whispered. "Sucks, I know. But Rose didn't want to hurt anyone, I know that. I think the blame belongs more on Shawn-". She stopped when Dylan abruptly stood up.
"Yeah. The blame does belong on Shawn." he said angrily. "Thanks Jordan." he said as he turned and walked hurriedly back into the house.
"DYLAN!" called Jordan. "Ugh...not what I meant..." she mumbled to herself, rushing after him.
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Dylan ran back into the house and slammed the door so hard the whole house shook. He rushed past the table where some people still sat eating, and tore down the stairs. Mikey blinked.
"Did...someone push rewind or something?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
***********************
Dylan opened the door to the boy's room, where he found Josh, Shawn, Alex, and Jamie. He walked over to Shawn and punched him right in the face. Jamie shrieked. Jordan ran into the room.
"DYLAN WHAT DID YOU DO?" she shouted at him. She bent down over Shawn's crumpled form and attempted to look at the damage Dylan had done. Blood was streaming steadily from his nose. "Oh my god Shawn is it broken?" she whispered. Shawn gently tapped his fingers against his nose, wiping the blood on his shirt.
"Nah. I don't think so." he said, standing up. He looked at Dylan and threw his arms up "What the hell?" he asked. Dylan just shook his head.
"What the hell do you think?" he muttered. Shawn rolled his eyes.
"Is this because Rose picked me over you? Is that what it is pretty boy?" he said.
"No. Its because you're a girl-stealing son of a bitch who I THOUGHT was my friend!" he shouted. As he said it, he ran closer to Shawn and tackled him to the ground. Fists started flying, and not just Dylan's. Rose heard the commotion from the other room and ran in to see her boyfriend, and her ex-boyfriend beating each other's brains out, with Jamie and Jordan standing in the corner, while Alex and Josh tried to break them apart. Rose ran over to the struggling four and shouted to Alex and Josh.
"Get off them!" she yelled. They obliged. Rose shook her head and crossed her arms. Then she looked to Jordan and said "Who started it?"
"Dylan." she said, looking at the boys, disappointed. Rose nodded and let her foot collide with Dylan's stomach. He rolled off Shawn and onto the floor, belly up coughing.
"Jesus Christ! What the hell was that for?" he asked, looking at Rose.
"For being an asshole!" she shouted. She gave him and Shawn both disapproving glares and stormed back into her own room. Jamie and Josh followed her, giving Shawn and Dylan equally mean glances. Alex helped Shawn to his feet and helped him upstairs to the bathroom to see to Shawn's nose. Dylan collapsed on his bed, still clutching his stomach. Jordan, not knowing what to do, just sat down next to him in silence. Dylan just sat there breathing hard, and after a minute or so, he spoke.
"Should a girl hurt this much?" he asked, looking at Jordan sadly. Jordan shrugged.
"Depends on how much you cared about her I guess." she said. Dylan laughed.
"Cared? Please Jordan I didn't care about her. I..." he paused. "I think I might have loved her. I mean, how could she have done this to me?" he asked. Jordan clicked her tongue and move closer as she saw tears welling in his eyes. She slid against the wall next to him and put an arm around his shoulder. Dylan didn't think twice, he just put his head on her shoulder and started to cry. Dylan kind of wondered why he was crying to Jordan, he barely knew her. Sure she was cute and everything, and he thought she might have liked him, but still it was weird.
"I guess she wasn't the right girl." said Jordan, biting her lip. She knew who the right girl was, but she wanted Dylan to figure it out for himself. "You just gotta keep looking, I'm positive she's out there, just waiting for you..." she said. Dylan looked at her.
"You've thought a lot about that haven't you?" he asked.
"I'm looking for the right person too." she said. "Just need an incentive to keep going I guess." she looked into his eyes and saw that they were now clear of tears. "But...maybe I found him." she whispered.
"Um, hey guys? I'm not feeling so hot...think I'll head downstairs and go to bed okay?" he said, clutching his stomach a little for effect. He gave Rose a look that said "follow me", got up, and went downstairs. Rose nodded, and finished her slice of pizza as quickly as she could.
"Ah. I'm pretty full. Had a snack at the studio." she said, standing up. They all mumbled goodnight to her and she went downstairs too. She pushed open the door to the boy's room and found Shawn sitting on his pull out bed. "What?" she asked as she walked closer to him. He leaned back as she sat down next to him.
"We haven't had any alone time since we left Paris. I just wanted to talk..." he said, pouting. Rose move so she was sitting on his lap.
"Talk? Or did you just wanna screw?" she asked, laughing a little.
"Alright you caught me." he said. Suddenly he made a move that slid Rose off his lap and got him over her. Rose shrieked quickly, so no one upstairs would hear her. She was a little surprised that he'd managed that. Shawn kissed her hard and she of course kissed back. Rose really liked Shawn. She really really liked him. And for once, at this very moment, she wasn't thinking about Dylan at all. She just got lost in Shawn for a minute, but then realized she didn't want to go any further, at least not right then, with other people in the house, including her father. Rose pushed Shawn off by the shoulders and stood up. Shawn pouted.
"Tease." he growled. Rose laughed.
"Hey." she said, walking back over to him and pushing her hands on his thighs. She kissed him. "I never said you were never getting any." she said, giving him a mischievous half smile.
"MeOW!" he said. Rose laughed and headed for the door. She opened it and hadn't even stepped all the way out, and she saw Dylan.
"Dylan!" she said, surprised. "Um, what's up sweetie?" she asked, nervously. Dylan came the rest of the way down the stairs.
"Nothing...why were you in our room?" he asked quietly. Rose pulled the door the rest of the way shut.
"Oh, no reason." she said hurriedly. Dylan walked faster.
"Whose in there?" he asked, now almost angry. Rose tried to block his way, but Dylan pushed her aside. He opened the door to see Shawn sitting on his bed. Rose saw a look of sheer anger cross Dylan's face. "You were in here with, you were in here with him?" he asked, pointing to Shawn with a shaking finger.
"D-Dylan..." started Rose. "Let me explain..."
"NO!" he shouted. "You don't have to. I'm not stupid. No wait, apparently I am." he said. He shook his head, and Rose thought she saw him blink a tear out of his eye.
"Dylan..." she said again.
"No." he said, throwing up his arms. Then he turned to look at Shawn, who was standing up now. "She's all yours bro!" he said. Shawn didn't look at him. Rose just stared at the floor as Dylan walked right past her and up the stairs. Shawn looked up at Rose and shrugged. She just shook her head, walked into her own room, and slammed the door.
***********************
Dylan went storming through the kitchen, almost stepping on Josh as he went through the living room towards the front door. He wrenched the door open and slammed it shut behind him. Everyone at the table kind of looked at each other, wondering if someone should go after him. Jordan shrugged and dropped her pizza.
"Well don't everybody get up to help him at once!" she said sarcastically. She stood up and went out the door after Dylan. She didn't have to go far, she found him sitting on the grass, pulling up blades of it and throwing them one at a time. She sat down quietly next to him and just sat in silence, letting him abuse the Way's front lawn. "Look...I have this weird Sixth Sense feeling that I know why you're out here...but you wanna vent anyway?" she asked. Dylan took a deep breath and let it out very slowly.
"Yeah okay." he said shakily. "Rose...Rose was cheating on me...with Shawn." he looked at Jordan, hurt in his eyes. Jordan looked down.
"I know." she said quietly. Dylan was confused. She knew?
"What? How? Why?" he asked. Jordan sighed.
"Everyone except you, Josh, and Alex knew. It started back in Paris." she said. "I'm sorry. We should have told you, but Rose kept saying how she was gonna end it with one of you sooner or later, I figured she'd do it before you found out like this." Dylan shook his head, looking for words.
"So Shawn went after Rose...even though he knew she was with me?" he asked shakily. Jordan gulped.
"Yeah." she whispered. "Sucks, I know. But Rose didn't want to hurt anyone, I know that. I think the blame belongs more on Shawn-". She stopped when Dylan abruptly stood up.
"Yeah. The blame does belong on Shawn." he said angrily. "Thanks Jordan." he said as he turned and walked hurriedly back into the house.
"DYLAN!" called Jordan. "Ugh...not what I meant..." she mumbled to herself, rushing after him.
**********************
Dylan ran back into the house and slammed the door so hard the whole house shook. He rushed past the table where some people still sat eating, and tore down the stairs. Mikey blinked.
"Did...someone push rewind or something?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
***********************
Dylan opened the door to the boy's room, where he found Josh, Shawn, Alex, and Jamie. He walked over to Shawn and punched him right in the face. Jamie shrieked. Jordan ran into the room.
"DYLAN WHAT DID YOU DO?" she shouted at him. She bent down over Shawn's crumpled form and attempted to look at the damage Dylan had done. Blood was streaming steadily from his nose. "Oh my god Shawn is it broken?" she whispered. Shawn gently tapped his fingers against his nose, wiping the blood on his shirt.
"Nah. I don't think so." he said, standing up. He looked at Dylan and threw his arms up "What the hell?" he asked. Dylan just shook his head.
"What the hell do you think?" he muttered. Shawn rolled his eyes.
"Is this because Rose picked me over you? Is that what it is pretty boy?" he said.
"No. Its because you're a girl-stealing son of a bitch who I THOUGHT was my friend!" he shouted. As he said it, he ran closer to Shawn and tackled him to the ground. Fists started flying, and not just Dylan's. Rose heard the commotion from the other room and ran in to see her boyfriend, and her ex-boyfriend beating each other's brains out, with Jamie and Jordan standing in the corner, while Alex and Josh tried to break them apart. Rose ran over to the struggling four and shouted to Alex and Josh.
"Get off them!" she yelled. They obliged. Rose shook her head and crossed her arms. Then she looked to Jordan and said "Who started it?"
"Dylan." she said, looking at the boys, disappointed. Rose nodded and let her foot collide with Dylan's stomach. He rolled off Shawn and onto the floor, belly up coughing.
"Jesus Christ! What the hell was that for?" he asked, looking at Rose.
"For being an asshole!" she shouted. She gave him and Shawn both disapproving glares and stormed back into her own room. Jamie and Josh followed her, giving Shawn and Dylan equally mean glances. Alex helped Shawn to his feet and helped him upstairs to the bathroom to see to Shawn's nose. Dylan collapsed on his bed, still clutching his stomach. Jordan, not knowing what to do, just sat down next to him in silence. Dylan just sat there breathing hard, and after a minute or so, he spoke.
"Should a girl hurt this much?" he asked, looking at Jordan sadly. Jordan shrugged.
"Depends on how much you cared about her I guess." she said. Dylan laughed.
"Cared? Please Jordan I didn't care about her. I..." he paused. "I think I might have loved her. I mean, how could she have done this to me?" he asked. Jordan clicked her tongue and move closer as she saw tears welling in his eyes. She slid against the wall next to him and put an arm around his shoulder. Dylan didn't think twice, he just put his head on her shoulder and started to cry. Dylan kind of wondered why he was crying to Jordan, he barely knew her. Sure she was cute and everything, and he thought she might have liked him, but still it was weird.
"I guess she wasn't the right girl." said Jordan, biting her lip. She knew who the right girl was, but she wanted Dylan to figure it out for himself. "You just gotta keep looking, I'm positive she's out there, just waiting for you..." she said. Dylan looked at her.
"You've thought a lot about that haven't you?" he asked.
"I'm looking for the right person too." she said. "Just need an incentive to keep going I guess." she looked into his eyes and saw that they were now clear of tears. "But...maybe I found him." she whispered.