Caroline's Roses
Orchard Lane
A U-Haul roared up the road, leaving dust in it's wake. The street hadn't been paved in a few decades; they were actually lucky if a pothole got filled in. It was as good as dirt nowadays. There were a few old-style, ranch houses dotting the dead-end road half a mile after you turned on to Orchard lane, really giving it that "out there in the woods" feel that the spaced-out inhabitants enjoyed.
Caroline heard the roar of the large truck's engine from the back porch, watering can in hand as she was about to step off and water the first sprouts of flowers in the gardens - It had been a rather dry spring, and she didn't want the seedlings to suffer. Distracted by the noise, she tried to see over the bushes but could only make out the orange and white top of the truck backing into the driveway of the house that sat diagonally across the street from her own.
The house had sat vacant for some time now. Caroline hadn't even noticed when the "For Sale - Berkshire Realty" sign had disappeared, even though she'd grown used to seeing it since she was in the fourth or fifth grade. She gripped the edge of the watering can tighter and pursed her lips, thinking back on the last family that had lived there and how God awful they had been, and how happy she and her grandmother had been when they left. She hoped these people would be as quiet and peaceful as the rest of the old couples living on Orchard Lane.
Afternoon sun hit her skin as she walked to the soon-to-be flower beds that needed watering. The late March temperatures still made her shiver a little in the mornings, but the sun brought promise of Spring.
---
For a week, the Halls of Hopewell High school were haunted by the presence of Alex Gaskarth, who had just moved from Manhattan, New York. Most people who heard this raised their eyebrows, wondering why in the world any family would move from metropolis to suburbia featuring a few rural routes. In a matter of days he became fast friends with almost everyone and fast enemies with anyone that sat up front in Mr. McKinnon's English class with the intent of paying attention.
Caroline's eye twitched with annoyance as something else was thrown to the front of the room while the teacher's back was turned to the board, this time an eraser. The game seemed to be to throw as many things from the back without Mr. McKinnon noticing until there was a small pile of crap accumulated just before his desk.
"Watch out for the pretty girl," she heard a voice say behind her. Alex's, she was almost sure.
"She didn't notice last time..." a different voice - Jack Barakat, seated right beside the other boy.
Instantly Caroline's hand flew to the back of her head, sifting through her dark, shoulder length hair for any unwanted accessories.
Mr. McKinnon went on with his lecture, explaining something about Lenny's character sketch that the class was supposed to pick from Of Mice and Men. The girl sitting beside Caroline breathed a sigh of impatience that mirrored Caroline's own feelings.
"...As we've all been saying, Lenny's a gentle giant. Very misunderstood... Very dependent ..."
Another eraser flew to the front of the class, this time landing an inch away from her desk. Mr. McKinnon turned around to address the class on a point and for a moment, the objects stopped flying. "Now let's take a moment to focus on George. You all know he's Lenny's caretaker, making sure that every time they get into a mess, he gets them out of there and moves them onto the next place. So aside from the fact that he's very patient and very caring, what else makes him tick?"
He turned back to the board and as if on cue, this time a cheap blue pen landed with a clack at the side of the teacher's desk. Caroline rested her chin on her palm, tapping her foot with impatience.
"Hardworking, good," Mr. McKinnon was writing George's character trains with little arrows pointing to his name. "Sociable, that's a good one, he's a good talker..."
Another pen flew on the other side of Caroline's desk.
"Can you please just cut that out?!" Caroline whipped around to face the smirking Jack and Alex, making Mr. Mckinnon turn as well and the other students stare at her with wide eyes. "Some of us are actually trying to focus here," she spat, turning back and crossing her arms.
"Everything alright?" said the English teacher with a frown.
"Dandy!" Alex piped up from his seat. "We're just loud learners is all," he said playfully. Mr. McKinnon frowned again and shook his head, shrugging it off and turning back to his lecture.
When the class ended, Caroline rushed to pack up her notebook and pens. Color had crept into her cheeks since her outburst and she didn't want to be around long enough to give anyone the chance to say anything to her. "Loud learners," she muttered to herself as she zipped up the maroon backpack she used for school. "My ass."
"Hey!" Alex took a large step, trying to catch her attention just as she was about to turn towards the door to leave. "I'm sorry," he stated, before she could say anything, or pretend to ignore him.
Caroline shrugged, unsure if he was being sarcastic, finding a way to make fun of her or give her a hard time. "Whatever," she said lowly.
"No, seriously. I'm sorry, I'm just new here and it's rough. I'm trying to have a good time, you know? And come on. Of Mice and Men? Seriously most over-analyzed piece of literature out there next to To Kill a Mockingbird. Right?" He gave her a half smile, leaning one arm onto her desk. He was a good few inches taller than her, and he smelled like some kind of American Eagle cologne.
She paused for a minute, sizing him up. His eyes were a dark brown, and his smile was extremely friendly. His hair was sandy colored and messy. He had on a black tee-shirt with an unbuttoned shirt over it, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. "Right, well, that doesn't really make it ok for you to make it rough for everyone else," she said finally.
The smile disappeared from the boy's face as he straightened up. "I'm sorry," he said again, this time with a little pout. "Won't happen again, your highness. I'm Alex by the way," he stuck out his hand, as if trying to start anew.
"Cool," Caroline answered, turning away from the boy's peace offering to hear out the door. It had been a week since Alex had started haunting these halls, and Caroline already knew she didn't like him.
---
"How was school, dear?"
A question Caroline was accustomed to hearing upon walking through the front door to the house she and her grandmother shared. It was old, built in the 1800's, and much too big for a young girl and her grandmother. She was sat at the kitchen table, sifting through a crossword puzzle from the morning paper.
"It was fine," Caroline answered as she slipped off her backpack, placing it by the door. She walked around the stairwell towards the back of the house, where the kitchen was located. "I'm probably going to finish the book we're reading for English tonight. Got a 93 on that geometry test I was telling you about."
"That's great dear. Six letter word for a mystery that's already been solved?" Her grandmother asked.
"Riddle," Caroline replied as she reached into one of the cabinets for a glass. She filled it with tap water from the sink as her grandmother penciled in the answer that she gave. The older woman looked up for her paper, a smile playing across her wrinkled, tissue paper face.
"You're much better than me at these things," she said as she folded up the paper. "Going out to check on the garden soon?"
The teenager nodded, drinking down the last of the water in the glass and setting it on the counter. "In a moment. Did you see any of the new neighbors today?"
"No," her grandmother answered, shaking her head. "All quiet. Seems to be just a middle-aged couple looking for a quaint place to live. There was a Jeep that left early this morning though, they might have a son.”
Caroline frowned and reached into the pocket of her sweatshirt in search of a hair tie to pull her hair back. The last time they had assumed there was a middle-aged couple searching for a "quaint place to live" it had ended terribly. She knew that the same people couldn't have moved back, and it was foolish to think that tragedy could strike twice like that. It was years ago. But still, it made her nervous; she tried her best to shake the feelings of unease off her shoulders as she made her way to the back door.
The metal watering can sat where she always put it on the stone porch that led to the garden. She took a deep breath and winced at how cold the metal was in her hand, but decided instead to focus on the refreshing breeze and the clear blue sky. It had rained last night, leaving the watering can almost full, so she didn't waste any time refilling it with water from the hose. Besides, not every flower bed would need to be watered - just the roses that were closer to the back, under cover from a particularly voluptuous willow tree.
Caroline's backyard was the most peaceful place in the world to her. It was where she went to clear her head or to be alone, or to search for inspiration and motivation. In the Summer she could sit under the willow tree and read, or on the stone bench by the goldfish pond to listen to her grandmother tell her stories about her parents. In the fall, Caroline could walk past the garden to the Apple orchard and fill a basketful to bring back to the kitchen for fresh apple pies, cider, and whatever else she and her grandmother could come up with. It truly was a quaint life on Orchard Lane, and Caroline was very protective of it.
As soon as the rose bushes were within sight, Caroline could tell that something was not right. She stopped, gripping the watering can tighter, wondering if she should turn back to the house. It was probably just an animal that she heard rustling in the bushes, but it could be rabid, and that might be dangerous. "Hey," she said hoarsely, hoping the noise would scare whatever it was off. "Hey, Get out of there!"
"Ow!" at the sound of a person, Caroline's pulse started to race.
"Who's there?!" she demanded, setting the watering can down, ready to stand her ground. "Come out!"
The body of a teenaged boy erupted from the lilacs and the roses that sat right next to each other. Caroline groaned, stressing herself out as she wondered of the damage to the plants. "What on Earth are you doing?!" she asked as the stranger brushed off the leaves and twigs from his hair. It was only as he turned to face her with a wide-eyed, deer-in-headlights look that she recognized him.
"Hey! Girl from English,” said Alex, a lop sided grin playing on his face. “What are you doing around here?”
Caroline's eyes went wide with fury as the anxiety slacked off. "Excuse me?!" she started. "I LIVE here. YOU are intruding!"
"Wait a minute - you live here?" Alex’s voice dropped in volume; he looked taken aback. He stepped towards her, head cocked to one side, a hand reaching up to stroke the stubble on his chin. “For how long?”
Caroline was breathing heavily, desperately trying to calm her racing heart from the scare. “My whole life! And not once have any of these bushes grown a BOY!” she exclaimed, still waiting for an explanation for his sudden appearance.
Alex stared at her, his hand still covering his mouth in thought. His eyes looked her up and down.
"I'm going to call the police," Caroline stated, taking a step back, away from him. Color crept up her neck, nerves and anger swelled inside her chest.
"No, no," Alex raised his hands as if in surrender, "Don't do that. I'm sorry, I just moved across the street and... Jesus, your name is…" he swallowed. "Caroline, isn't it... Carrie?"
Caroline heard the roar of the large truck's engine from the back porch, watering can in hand as she was about to step off and water the first sprouts of flowers in the gardens - It had been a rather dry spring, and she didn't want the seedlings to suffer. Distracted by the noise, she tried to see over the bushes but could only make out the orange and white top of the truck backing into the driveway of the house that sat diagonally across the street from her own.
The house had sat vacant for some time now. Caroline hadn't even noticed when the "For Sale - Berkshire Realty" sign had disappeared, even though she'd grown used to seeing it since she was in the fourth or fifth grade. She gripped the edge of the watering can tighter and pursed her lips, thinking back on the last family that had lived there and how God awful they had been, and how happy she and her grandmother had been when they left. She hoped these people would be as quiet and peaceful as the rest of the old couples living on Orchard Lane.
Afternoon sun hit her skin as she walked to the soon-to-be flower beds that needed watering. The late March temperatures still made her shiver a little in the mornings, but the sun brought promise of Spring.
---
For a week, the Halls of Hopewell High school were haunted by the presence of Alex Gaskarth, who had just moved from Manhattan, New York. Most people who heard this raised their eyebrows, wondering why in the world any family would move from metropolis to suburbia featuring a few rural routes. In a matter of days he became fast friends with almost everyone and fast enemies with anyone that sat up front in Mr. McKinnon's English class with the intent of paying attention.
Caroline's eye twitched with annoyance as something else was thrown to the front of the room while the teacher's back was turned to the board, this time an eraser. The game seemed to be to throw as many things from the back without Mr. McKinnon noticing until there was a small pile of crap accumulated just before his desk.
"Watch out for the pretty girl," she heard a voice say behind her. Alex's, she was almost sure.
"She didn't notice last time..." a different voice - Jack Barakat, seated right beside the other boy.
Instantly Caroline's hand flew to the back of her head, sifting through her dark, shoulder length hair for any unwanted accessories.
Mr. McKinnon went on with his lecture, explaining something about Lenny's character sketch that the class was supposed to pick from Of Mice and Men. The girl sitting beside Caroline breathed a sigh of impatience that mirrored Caroline's own feelings.
"...As we've all been saying, Lenny's a gentle giant. Very misunderstood... Very dependent ..."
Another eraser flew to the front of the class, this time landing an inch away from her desk. Mr. McKinnon turned around to address the class on a point and for a moment, the objects stopped flying. "Now let's take a moment to focus on George. You all know he's Lenny's caretaker, making sure that every time they get into a mess, he gets them out of there and moves them onto the next place. So aside from the fact that he's very patient and very caring, what else makes him tick?"
He turned back to the board and as if on cue, this time a cheap blue pen landed with a clack at the side of the teacher's desk. Caroline rested her chin on her palm, tapping her foot with impatience.
"Hardworking, good," Mr. McKinnon was writing George's character trains with little arrows pointing to his name. "Sociable, that's a good one, he's a good talker..."
Another pen flew on the other side of Caroline's desk.
"Can you please just cut that out?!" Caroline whipped around to face the smirking Jack and Alex, making Mr. Mckinnon turn as well and the other students stare at her with wide eyes. "Some of us are actually trying to focus here," she spat, turning back and crossing her arms.
"Everything alright?" said the English teacher with a frown.
"Dandy!" Alex piped up from his seat. "We're just loud learners is all," he said playfully. Mr. McKinnon frowned again and shook his head, shrugging it off and turning back to his lecture.
When the class ended, Caroline rushed to pack up her notebook and pens. Color had crept into her cheeks since her outburst and she didn't want to be around long enough to give anyone the chance to say anything to her. "Loud learners," she muttered to herself as she zipped up the maroon backpack she used for school. "My ass."
"Hey!" Alex took a large step, trying to catch her attention just as she was about to turn towards the door to leave. "I'm sorry," he stated, before she could say anything, or pretend to ignore him.
Caroline shrugged, unsure if he was being sarcastic, finding a way to make fun of her or give her a hard time. "Whatever," she said lowly.
"No, seriously. I'm sorry, I'm just new here and it's rough. I'm trying to have a good time, you know? And come on. Of Mice and Men? Seriously most over-analyzed piece of literature out there next to To Kill a Mockingbird. Right?" He gave her a half smile, leaning one arm onto her desk. He was a good few inches taller than her, and he smelled like some kind of American Eagle cologne.
She paused for a minute, sizing him up. His eyes were a dark brown, and his smile was extremely friendly. His hair was sandy colored and messy. He had on a black tee-shirt with an unbuttoned shirt over it, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. "Right, well, that doesn't really make it ok for you to make it rough for everyone else," she said finally.
The smile disappeared from the boy's face as he straightened up. "I'm sorry," he said again, this time with a little pout. "Won't happen again, your highness. I'm Alex by the way," he stuck out his hand, as if trying to start anew.
"Cool," Caroline answered, turning away from the boy's peace offering to hear out the door. It had been a week since Alex had started haunting these halls, and Caroline already knew she didn't like him.
---
"How was school, dear?"
A question Caroline was accustomed to hearing upon walking through the front door to the house she and her grandmother shared. It was old, built in the 1800's, and much too big for a young girl and her grandmother. She was sat at the kitchen table, sifting through a crossword puzzle from the morning paper.
"It was fine," Caroline answered as she slipped off her backpack, placing it by the door. She walked around the stairwell towards the back of the house, where the kitchen was located. "I'm probably going to finish the book we're reading for English tonight. Got a 93 on that geometry test I was telling you about."
"That's great dear. Six letter word for a mystery that's already been solved?" Her grandmother asked.
"Riddle," Caroline replied as she reached into one of the cabinets for a glass. She filled it with tap water from the sink as her grandmother penciled in the answer that she gave. The older woman looked up for her paper, a smile playing across her wrinkled, tissue paper face.
"You're much better than me at these things," she said as she folded up the paper. "Going out to check on the garden soon?"
The teenager nodded, drinking down the last of the water in the glass and setting it on the counter. "In a moment. Did you see any of the new neighbors today?"
"No," her grandmother answered, shaking her head. "All quiet. Seems to be just a middle-aged couple looking for a quaint place to live. There was a Jeep that left early this morning though, they might have a son.”
Caroline frowned and reached into the pocket of her sweatshirt in search of a hair tie to pull her hair back. The last time they had assumed there was a middle-aged couple searching for a "quaint place to live" it had ended terribly. She knew that the same people couldn't have moved back, and it was foolish to think that tragedy could strike twice like that. It was years ago. But still, it made her nervous; she tried her best to shake the feelings of unease off her shoulders as she made her way to the back door.
The metal watering can sat where she always put it on the stone porch that led to the garden. She took a deep breath and winced at how cold the metal was in her hand, but decided instead to focus on the refreshing breeze and the clear blue sky. It had rained last night, leaving the watering can almost full, so she didn't waste any time refilling it with water from the hose. Besides, not every flower bed would need to be watered - just the roses that were closer to the back, under cover from a particularly voluptuous willow tree.
Caroline's backyard was the most peaceful place in the world to her. It was where she went to clear her head or to be alone, or to search for inspiration and motivation. In the Summer she could sit under the willow tree and read, or on the stone bench by the goldfish pond to listen to her grandmother tell her stories about her parents. In the fall, Caroline could walk past the garden to the Apple orchard and fill a basketful to bring back to the kitchen for fresh apple pies, cider, and whatever else she and her grandmother could come up with. It truly was a quaint life on Orchard Lane, and Caroline was very protective of it.
As soon as the rose bushes were within sight, Caroline could tell that something was not right. She stopped, gripping the watering can tighter, wondering if she should turn back to the house. It was probably just an animal that she heard rustling in the bushes, but it could be rabid, and that might be dangerous. "Hey," she said hoarsely, hoping the noise would scare whatever it was off. "Hey, Get out of there!"
"Ow!" at the sound of a person, Caroline's pulse started to race.
"Who's there?!" she demanded, setting the watering can down, ready to stand her ground. "Come out!"
The body of a teenaged boy erupted from the lilacs and the roses that sat right next to each other. Caroline groaned, stressing herself out as she wondered of the damage to the plants. "What on Earth are you doing?!" she asked as the stranger brushed off the leaves and twigs from his hair. It was only as he turned to face her with a wide-eyed, deer-in-headlights look that she recognized him.
"Hey! Girl from English,” said Alex, a lop sided grin playing on his face. “What are you doing around here?”
Caroline's eyes went wide with fury as the anxiety slacked off. "Excuse me?!" she started. "I LIVE here. YOU are intruding!"
"Wait a minute - you live here?" Alex’s voice dropped in volume; he looked taken aback. He stepped towards her, head cocked to one side, a hand reaching up to stroke the stubble on his chin. “For how long?”
Caroline was breathing heavily, desperately trying to calm her racing heart from the scare. “My whole life! And not once have any of these bushes grown a BOY!” she exclaimed, still waiting for an explanation for his sudden appearance.
Alex stared at her, his hand still covering his mouth in thought. His eyes looked her up and down.
"I'm going to call the police," Caroline stated, taking a step back, away from him. Color crept up her neck, nerves and anger swelled inside her chest.
"No, no," Alex raised his hands as if in surrender, "Don't do that. I'm sorry, I just moved across the street and... Jesus, your name is…" he swallowed. "Caroline, isn't it... Carrie?"