realist ━━ jess mariano

1| tender is the night

IT WAS A PERFECT DAY FOR ROSEMARY GILMORE TO DROWN HER SORROWS IN ALCOHOL. She clutched the ice cold bottle of beer in her hands, bobbing her head along the sound of the music with a mouthful of alcohol. She traced her finger around the circular tip of the bottle as all the teenagers around her made out sneakily around corners, or lined up outside the bathroom after they'd finished chugging the keg.

"Rosie!" Rory pushed through the crowd of people, clutching onto her copy of Oliver Twist. "Dean and I are leaving."

Rosie furrowed her eyebrows. "Already?"

"We're planning a Casablanca movie night."

Her smile fell to a frown. "I'd hate to be Dean. What next? Force him into a Citizen Kane rewatch?" She snickered, but Rory's awkward smile told her all she needed to know. "God, that really was what you were planning, wasn't it?"

Rory nodded sheepishly, then took a long look at her. "Rosie, if you want me to stay, or if you want to leave with us—"

"I don't."

"Are you sure?"

       Rosie rolled her eyes. "I'm sure, now go watch that stupid movie!" She playfully pushed Rory away, being once again left alone amidst the crowd of teenagers that attended her school. She recognised an abundance of them, flashing them a charming smile to portray herself as clear minded in spite of the rumour travelling through one group of friends to another of her breakup.

       Don't be mistaken, the break up rumours were true, but that didn't hold her back from denying it. After all, a little heartache builds character.

       A hand clutched onto her shoulders, causing her to turn back with panic on her face. "Don't panic." Her friend, Kayla Reed warned her. She was, as usual, overdressed and styled in a red slip dress that complimented her dark skin. It was a sharp contrast to the denim jeans and thin white sweater her best friend wore.

      "As in the eighties horror film?"

      Kayla placed both her hands on her best friend's shoulder and spun her around a hundred and eighty degree angle. "No, don't panic as in Jake just joined the party with another girl."

       She huffed. "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

      "Don't look around, but he's close." Panic rose in Kayla's voice, her eyes focused on the boy behind Rosie. "He's with Jenny, the blondie with the conservative parents. Okay— okay, fuck, he's coming. Do something!"

        Rosie widened her eyes, matching her best friend's panic. "What the hell do you mean, do something?!"

       "I don't know! I told you to bring a guy, I swear, I—"

       Her voice drowned out in Rosemary's head as she scanned around the room. She had two options. One was to kiss one of two guys that stood closest to her in order to make her recently ex-boyfriend jealous, playing his game. The second was the more mature, less stubborn move, and it was to face Jake when he approaches her.

        Rosemary chose the stubborn option.

       Leaving Kayla, she walked until she reached the boy at the corner of the house party, his nose in his book. She poked his shoulder, grabbing his attention. "Do I know—"

        Jake caught sight of her and started moving in her direction, leaving her with no time. She turned to the boy in the leather jacket abruptly. "Kiss me."