Teenage Dirtbag

Chapter 9: But lately you've been trying real hard

Rosé let out a low whistle as they approached the car, a large sleek white sedan. She didn't know much about cars, but she knew this one was fancy as hell.

"Damn cupcake, this is yours?"

"My mother's, actually," Lisa said with a wince beside her. She sagged against Rosé, arm around her shoulder squeezing tightly, as she leaned to pull her car keys out of the small purse she carried. Handing the keys to Rosé, Lisa pulled away to lean against the vehicle.

Rosé fumbled to unlock the door, helping Lisa in the passenger side before jogging around to get into the driver's side.

She sat down in the seat, whistled again at the leather and electronics, and started up.

"Alright," she said as the engine rumbled to life, "where am I going?"

The ride was quiet, stoic almost, just them and whatever light pop was playing on the radio at the time, broken only by quiet directions by Lisa. Rosé was thinking to try to ask something, anything, she felt like she should, when from beside her Lisa started to chuckle, which turned into giggles, which turned into outright laughing. Rosé glanced at her before looking back at the road, had to do it a couple of times to try and figure out what was going on, as Lisa laughed loudly.

"I'm sorry," she managed between laughs. "I'm sorry, it's really not that funny is it, but I just can't believe I did that."

Rosé gave a slight chuckle in response as Lisa kept laughing, a hand coming up to wipe the corner of her eye. "And you just-" her laughing was starting to sound hysterical, "Oh my god. Well, he might actually leave me alone now."

"You okay?" Rosé asked, unable to help her own smile. Lisa's laugh was contagious.

"I'm fine, really." Hand on her chest, Lisa let out a long slow breath to try and calm her laughing, though it was still broken up by hiccup-like giggles.

"You were really gonna try to fight him, weren't you?" Rosé asked, unable to keep the smirk off her face. She glanced over at Lisa who began to laugh again.

"I was so angry I think I might have. I would have lost in an instant."

"Nah, I bet you would have kicked his ass." The smirk grew, her voice teasing. "I wore him down for you."

"Turn here." Lisa indicated as Rosé obeyed, turning onto the residential street. They drove along it, past houses larger than they had any need to be, with ornamental gardens and driveways the size of fields and fucking fountains and fences and everything else that signaled money. Rosé tried to keep her comments to herself, but she couldn't help scoffing under her breath at each large lot filled with just too much.

"There." Lisa pointed, to a large white three-story mansion tucked behind giant oak trees. Rosé dutifully pulled in and parked outside the four-car garage.

"Here's fine." Lisa nodded, unbuckling and opening her door as Rosé shut off the engine and hopped out. She opened Lisa's door and helped her stand, glancing down at the injured leg. The bloodstain didn't look like it had gotten much bigger, which was good. Probably.

She couldn't help the low whistle as they approached the intricate front doors and Lisa let out a quiet, awkward laugh under her breath, pulling out her keys to unlock them.

"My parents are probably asleep," she said in a hushed whisper. Rosé just nodded and helped her open the door as slowly and quietly as possible.

"Could you help me upstairs?" Lisa asked as they walked into the foyer. Rosé shifted, glancing to the dark stairwell, and nodded.

Carefully she and Lisa walked up to the stairs and began the slow, deliberate pace of climbing them. By the time they got to the top Rosé's legs were starting to ache from all the extra weight, but she managed to stay standing.