Gold Dust

Chapter 14

"Please tell me that isn't what I think it is." Rose called from the living room, and Grace rolled her eyes and sighed. She had been trying to get a nap before she had to work on her painting project that she started today. And no, she wasn't very good at it. But it was suppose to be abstract, so don't even go there.

"It's art. Don't touch it." Grace snapped, "if you get one fingerprint on it I'll turn you into something hard and shiny."

"Geez, you don't have to be so mean." Rose sighed, walking into Grace's room. "I was just asking why it's doing in my apartment." It really wasn't a room, it was more like space to walk in, a bed, and a small closet. It really what Rose could do when she only got a thousand dollars from the Witches Council every month. It didn't go very far at all, sadly. The crappy apartment was about seven hundred a month, leaving three hundred for Rose to go spend it on shoes or strappy little dresses. (She mostly conned boys into taking her out for food. Luckily Grace had managed to save up some cash so she could find a few things for her to eat. Mostly ramen though.)

"Because believe it or not, I might live in here. And I can't have it be outside, because then it might ruined."

"Ruined by what?" Rose asked snottily. "There isn't anybody in the world who would take that crap."

"In case if you haven't noticed, but it's Wisconsin. And it's snowing." Grace stressed the words. Rose pursed her lips, as if in a 'so what' way. "Rose, nobody outside would be able to even see it. It's a white out."

"Yeah, duh." Rose waved her hand dismissively. "But when it clears up later tonight, people are going to look at it." She paused, "you know what, better yet. Let's just take it out to the nearest garbage dump, that way Stephano won't see it when he picks me up tonight."

"Rose, what are you going to do tonight on your date?"

"Oh, he's going to take me ice skating. It's going to be so much fun!" Rose giggled, suddenly excited. She flopped down on Grace's bed next to her. So much for sleeping. "You know, I love our little girl chats. I feel like nobody here really understands my dating antics. I'm so glad you support me, Grace!"

She let out a long sigh, before closing her eyes as Rose started to describe her outfit. Why her? Why did she get the ditzy one? Well, maybe Grace could consider it a blessing. Because if Rose had been any smarter, than she would have immediately reported Grace to the Witches Council. There was no way Grace was going to stay here until Rose got whatever she wanted, oh no. Grace is staying because first off, she already paid for her tuition (which sucks, because you can't magically poof up some gold without some questions being asked) and she currently has a bed and a roof over her head. Grace might've been staying at a homeless shelter while she went to college instead. When it was all over, Grace might have to burn the apartment down to get rid of all traces of her, and- wait what.

"Did you just say you're going to wear a dress ice skating?" Grace opened her eyes and peered up at Rose.

"Yeah, it'll be the cutest thing ever! Everybody would be so jealous at the skating rink!"

"You think you're going to a skating rink?!"

"Duh, where else do you think we're going? Canada?"

"Rose, Stephano is going to take you an outside pond, which might supply the skates, and probably a thousand people wore already. It's going to be very cold, and everybody going to think 'that poor girl is in a dress, and her skates don't match her outfit, what a loser.'" Grace said, in the words that Rose might understand. "AKA, don't go for a 'White Christmas' vibe, go for cute yodeling girl. That way, Stephano might how practical you are."