"Venomous Pt 7 - Affectionate" Rosie/Carter
Title: Venomous Part 7 - Affectionate
Fandom: Princess Protection Program
Pairing: Carter/Rosie
Rating: PG-13
Words: ~3600
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, not intended for profit or offense. I own no rights to the subjects.
Summary: The snakebite that once strained the friendship between Carter and Rosie has almost completely healed, mirrored by a healing transformation of feelings in each girl toward the other.
Chapter One of Venomous
Chapter Two - Pernicious
Chapter Three - Detrimental
Chapter Four - Anodyne
Chapter Five - Innocuous
Chapter Six - Amiable
While the sweet elderly lady at the Lake Monroe Thrift Store counter shifts through the boxes of donations that the girls brought in, Rosie notices Carter entertaining herself by trying on sunglasses and scarves and posing in front of dusty mirrors. Rosie thinks it's cute that the tomboy is showing a little more of her feminine side. This gives her a quaint idea and she smiles charmingly as she leans over the counter and inquires with the woman.
A couple of minutes later, Carter is surprised when Rosie unloads several dresses into her arms and prances off to the back of the shop to an outdoor patio. Carter doesn’t fancy playing dress up, but now with Rosie giggling and smiling at her, and the small crowd of little old ladies that have apparently already heard about an imminent fashion show, Carter can hardly say no.
Carter's enjoyment of Dress-Up increases tenfold when she finally picks out a dress that gets the Thumbs Up from the crowd. The way Rosie's jaw dropped and her eyes fell to her feet and moved slowly up to totally check her out was especially rewarding. Carter excitedly grabs Rosie's hand and drags her within the multi-colored changing room to find a dress for her. It doesn't take them long to find the perfect one.
"Been awhile since you've been all poofy and golden, hasn't it? You excited?" Carter teases as she rifles for shoes to match the sheen blonde and white dress. Rosie's big smile lifts up her words as she replies, "Yes, but I am very much excited to see you in such lovely attire as well."
"Eh..." Carter blushes but hides her face further in the box of shoes, continuing her search. "As I'm sure you could tell by my ineptitude with fashion decisions, I'm not exactly 'dress-friendly.' I have a tendency to trip over my own coattails, if you will."
"Do not worry Carter, I can teach you all about dresses. I have been wearing them since before I could speak." Carter finally holds up a proper pair and gets a nod from Rosie in approval. "I'll bet you have, you look fantastic. You could probably pull off the ones I couldn't." Carter feels yet another blush tinge her cheeks when Rosie smiles with her lips and eyes. She breaks eye contact by placing the shoes in front of Rosie and lets Rosie use her shoulder for balance as she slips her feet in. Carter steps back to admire the picture perfect princess, but catches that Rosie's face has fallen somewhat.
"Something wrong?"
Rosie looks at the mirror and shifts to her side, her eyes focusing on her legs. "My snake bite... It's so noticeable when I am not wearing anything below my knees and my shoes do not reach my ankles..."
Carter leans close and examines the leg in the mirror's reflection, which has healed enough that Rosie doesn't need a bandage to cover it all the time. It's a striking red mark along an otherwise flawless expanse of skin. Certainly not as gruesome as it once was, but still something that might catch the eye unbidden.
"You know what? It's gonna look much better on Homecoming night. So don't even worry about it. You'll be so amazing, no one's even going to notice it."
"Do you think it will scar?"
Carter stands up and gathers her hair to the side and behind her neck. "I'm not sure, to be honest. But scars are cool. They're like stories written onto your skin. If it does scar, it'll just tell the story of how we met. And how we became friends. Right?"
This brings a happy smile back to Rosie's face. "Yes. You're right."
" 'Course I am. Now c'mon, let's go show those ladies how fancy we are."
~~\/~~
Back at the Mason home, the living room fan creakily spins above the girls as they sit on the furniture and attempt to tackle some homework. Rosie is inclined to believe that it's the heat, and not the repetitive math problems making her head feel heavy with sleep. Across from her, Carter clears her throat and remarks, “God, it’s like, super hot,” while tugging at her shirt uncomfortably. Her gaze is drawn to the lake and with a quick smile, she asks Rosie, “Hey, you know how to swim?”
The golden yellow rays of late afternoon sunlight make the lake seem darker and cooler, and a mite foreboding, Rosie observes with a nervous laugh as she peers over the edge of the dock. Carter feels it’d be a bit too mean to push Rosie in, at least for now, so instead she grabs her hand and toes up to the edge, giving the princess a winning smile before counting to three. They jump together, with Rosie screaming and closing her eyes, and Carter doesn’t let go of her hand until they both breech the surface for air, laughing loudly.
The lake ripples as wind rushes over the surface, the trees mirroring the motion, and when Carter’s arms lift from the water as she swims, her skin sparkles and shines like some sort of flowing silk. The visual stirs within Rosie a desire to touch her. The princess is in a pair of Carter’s grey gym shorts and a light blue tank top that clings to her curves when she climbs out of the water onto the dock. Carter joins her up on the wet wood, in the only bikini she owns and a pair of short boardies on hanging low on her hips, and flops onto her back, ready to bask in the slowly sinking sun until she’s dry.
“I can honestly say Carter, I have thoroughly enjoyed myself today. Thanks to you."
"I think the best days are the ones that have no real plan. Stuff just happens, and it turns out great," Carter smirks with her eyes closed, stretching her arms lazily above her head. Rosie turns her head and takes in the sight of Carter, relaxed, at ease. Happy.
"I have heard it said that such a philosophy is called ' going with the flow.' I would be inclined to agree that it is quite delightful in its simplicity."
Carter sighs heavily and flops her head to the side to give Rosie a raised eyebrow, “Ok, now really. We have to do something about you and your love of unnecessarily long and drawn out sentences. Here, in Ah-mer-ri-cah, we like our contractions. Our can’ts, won’ts, don’ts, couldn’ts, shouldn’ts.”
“Oh… I was not aware it was of such importance to you… I am sorry.”
“It’s not really a big deal, it’s just, people notice when you take forever to say stuff. You can’t blend in if you don’t speak like us. And it’s ’I’m sorry’.”
“All right. I’m sorry. And… I’ll make more of an effort to speak with contractions.”
" 'Kay cool. You could also do with more slang. 'Sweet, awesome, dude, cool, crap.' Little things that make you sound more like the distracted and disgruntled teenager you're supposed to be."
"I suppose I have much to work on, then."
"Don't stress - I can be your life coach," Carter grins and holds up her hand for a high-five, which Rosie gives happily. They fall lazily back to their resting positions as the warm breeze spreads over their cool bodies. Carter lets herself drift off to sub-consciousness. She feels Rosie lean her forehead against her shoulder. Carter lightly tangles her fingers with Rosie's left hand next to her. And the sun sets slowly beyond the horizon of the lake.
~~\/~~
The sound of evening in Lake Monroe surrounds them, critters and creatures beginning to stir in the dying light of day, the warmth of the Mason household extending to all corners, a satisfying meal completed and dishes in the dishwasher, both girls wearing their newly purchased Thrift Store dresses now in Carter's room. Now Carter looks like a princess. They share sweet smiles in the mirror as Rosie places the plastic crown atop Carter's head, and Carter feels light headed and warm, almost hot, like her skin is buzzing. Rosie sobers so that her smile shines just from her eyes and the very corners of her lips, and Carter catches herself being drawn to their light sheen and pink color. She feels Rosie's hand settle on the small of her back and her right forearm. Carter wants to turn and face her, but she's scared. It's like there's an intense battle being waged within her, and she is helpless to do anything but just stand still and think about how her skin is burning where Rosie is touching her.
"Carter... I..." And looking into the lost princess's eyes, Carter can tell Rosie is struggling with a battle too, and Carter turns her head to look at her over her shoulder. Their faces are really close, and Carter can only whisper because her voice just can't find the strength to be any louder, "...Yea?"
"...There's something... this unfamiliar feeling...?"
And Carter's eyes search Rosie's face, she's searching for some answer that she doesn't even know the question to, but she quietly says "Yes..." because she knows that she's feeling something too.
Her head feels fuzzy and there's something very powerful stopping her body from moving even an inch, but all Carter can think about now is closing her eyes and putting her lips against Rosie's soft-looking mouth.
Carter blinks when the sound of the kitchen screen door is heard slapping closed, and not a second later Ed rambles in loudly, "Sorry I'm late y'all, just got off work. C'mon, game's gonna start in a half hour." He stops in his tracks and takes in the scene inside Carter's room.
"... It's just a football game guys, no need to get all fancy."
The girls look down at their very formal princess attire and Carter takes the interruption to step away from Rosie and the mirror and focuses her attention on Ed so that she can distract herself from what just happened in her quiet room. "Ed, you know I don't care one way or t'other 'bout football, I ain't going to some stupid Homecoming game."
"Oh is this the game that's been featured on all those posters around the high school?" Rosie asks.
"Yea it is, and since Carter is a Homecoming Princess it's kinda her duty to show up to the Homecoming Game. I brought my camera! I need this footage Carter, c'mon," Ed pleads.
"Oh yes please Carter, may we attend? Football is the American pastime, I must see it." Carter rolls her eyes at Rosie as Ed steps up next to her.
"Yea Carter, the American pastime. You live in the South, football's a big deal whether you like it or not. Let's show this royal princess what Americans do best, yea?" Ed wiggles his eyebrows and claps a hand on Rosie's shoulder, both leaning excitedly in towards Carter, waiting for her verdict.
A couple of weeks ago Carter would have no problem shrugging off the princess's pleas, but now, her heart is inexplicably tied to Rosie's smile, and she just can't refuse her.
"Ughhhhghhghhhrrrrrgh," Carter groans as she goes to her dresser to find a casual outfit to wear. Ed high-fives Rosie and dashes out the door, honking every so often from his dad's truck as he waits for them.
At the game, Carter already feels a headache coming on as they sit on the bleachers overlooking the field, just minutes before the start and the crowd is buzzing with excitement. Carter thinks she can smell beer somewhere behind her, and when she bent down to tie her shoe she definitely smelled marijuana coming from below.
Principal Burkle strides to the middle of the field with a microphone and makes an announcement over the loudspeaker. He promotes the Homecoming Dance that's scheduled for next week Friday and wishes students good luck on their coming exams. Finally, he repeats the names of the Homecoming Princesses and congratulates them. Chelsea is near the front row of the stands, decked out in Lake Monroe Yellow and Blue, eating up the attention and waving to the audience. Ed swings his camera about wildly, trying to get shots of the Principal, the Princesses, and the crowd.
Rosie smiles wide when her name is called, and gives a very proper Princess Diana-esque wave. Carter meanwhile hides her face as her name is echoed through the sound system, but Rosie grabs her hand and holds it high, causing Carter to smile sheepishly and feel butterflies flop in her stomach. It's hard not to be nervous when the whole school is looking in your direction, but Rosie makes it worse with her other hand gripping Carter's shirt near her ribcage.
It doesn't take long before Carter is desperately bored. The plays stop almost every 5 seconds, and Carter just can't keep her attention on the game. Rosie is sitting demurely next to Carter and keeping her face forward but her eyes are not focused on the field. Taking a chance, Carter leans over and asks quietly, "Are you as bored as I am?"
Rosie looks at Carter with wide eyes, "N-no, of course not! American football is very complex and intriguing and - " Carter shoots her a disbelieving frown. "... yes. I am disinterested in this game," Rosie admits shyly, hanging her head.
"Good. Come with me," and Carter takes Rosie by the hand and together they wander around the field and behind bleachers. They cross paths with a few other bored game-goers, some of whom Carter has a distinct feeling are running gambles or making deals in the shadows of the metal stands. Carter can't blame them, since football games are prime events to make a little extra dough down in the South. But she glares off any one who might try to approach them, especially with a girl as gullible as Rosie by her side. Walking a little further to a more deserted area, to their surprise they happen upon a sniveling Brooke, who tries to daintily wipe her tears away without ruining her make-up. Rosie is the first to approach her.
"Brooke..? What happened? What has upset you?"
Brooke puffs up her chest and scowls at them, but then she deflates and starts crying again. "... Chelsea hates me!" She laments.
"Oh I highly doubt that. You're her evil minion," Carter supplies sarcastically while crossing her arms.
"Not anymore! Since I lost the Princess crown she hasn't talked to me, and tonight when I tried to sit next to her on the stands, she totally blew me off! Now she's hanging out with Clarissa Marks, that little curly-haired... urrrrgh!"
"Brooke, I don't get why you're friends with her," Carter replies, a bit softer this time. "I'm not friends with Clarissa!" Brooke stomps in anger.
"No, I mean Chelsea! She's mean and nasty and she just uses you for her own gain."
The upset girl softens a bit, "We've been best friends since kindergarten. I don't know how to be anyone else's friend." Brooke tries wiping her tears away again, but she leaves a dark mascara mark along her cheek.
"You don't need to know how. You just... be yourself, and friends will start showing up before you know it. You just gotta... let them get close to you." Carter shares a small smile with Rosie.
"Yea but... Chelsea says I'm too dumb to make any other friends."
This upsets Carter, so used to Chelsea's effortless put-downs. "Oh yea, well Chelsea is a stinkin' liar and a drama queen! Don't listen to her!"
"Hey, that's my best friend you're talking about!"
"But Brooke, is she really?" Rosie offers, trying to calm her as she gets on edge.
"Yea! Yea... she is. And I'm not gonna stand here and listen to you bad mouth her! I'm gonna go think of ways to get her back."
"Fine. Do what you want. I don't care," Carter snips.
"No, you do what YOU want, because I DON'T CARE!" and with that Brooke stalks off. As usual Carter is left a little confused by Brooke. ".....Ooookay then, " she shares a half-hearted shrug with Rosie before they head back to the game.
The girls arrived next to Ed just as the game finally got interesting. They watched as the Lake Monroe team scored the last two touchdowns by blowing through an impressive defensive line and winning the game. The crowd erupted with cheers from Lake Monroe supporters. Even Carter was clapping.
~~\/~~
As they leave the bleachers to stand on the grass under the bright lights, waiting for the crowd to disperse so they can cross the field to the parking lot on the other side, Carter hears a high-pitched whistle come from the side. A young boy wearing a camouflage hat and hiking boots almost too big for his tiny frame is leaning over and staring at Rosie's legs. "Wheeeew man, dat's a mighty bite! Ya get it from a King?" he asks in a drawling country accent.
Looking down, Carter notices that Rosie's scar is almost spotlighted in the bright field lights, left clearly visible on her left calf by the pair of Carter's capris that she is wearing. Carter is wary instantly, worried about Rosie getting self-conscious, but Rosie instead has a slightly confused face.
"I'm sorry? No, I believe you are mistaken, I was bitten by a snake, not a royal -"
The boy interrupts her quickly, "Sheesh yeah ya were! A Kingsnake! Mah brother got bit once and cried his fool head off. Was a nasty scar though, I tell you what. Yours looks a heckuva lot better though..." And the boy crouches down to get a good look at Rosie's leg, much to her slight discomfort.
"Oh I see. So you believe it was a Kingsnake that bit me?"
"Pretty sure, Ma'am. Them puncture wounds ain't too deep, like a venomous snakebite. This one was just givin' you a warning." Carter is put-off by this kid. How can you tell the difference between a rattlesnake bite and a Kingsnake bite? He's probably just bull shittin', Carter thinks spitefully.
"Oh, my. I'll admit I was frightened of being poisoned when I was bit. But Carter here was very efficient and tended my wound with expert care, with the help of her father's anti-venom kit."
"Pfft, what kinda crock is that? Er'ebody knows that Kings ain't poisonous!" Carter's eyes flash and she steps up half in front of Rosie and says through clenched teeth, "For your information, it was anti-venom premedication. I'm not stupid! It was a precaution."
Rosie picks up on Carter's mood shift and lays her hand on her shoulder, "It's all right Carter..."
"It's just lucky that she wasn't poisoned because I was in too bad of a mood to care back then," Carter continues huffily. The boy stands back up but seems to shrink in his big boots and ruffles his hair sheepishly.
"Sorry Ma'am, I didn't mean no disrespect. I just got a lil' excited s'all. Snakes are kinda mah thing, see, e'er since I was little. I wanna study 'em when I get older."
"That's nice that you've found a dream," Carter sneers, erecting her sarcastic guard instantly; she doesn't trust this know-it-all pipsqueak for a second.
"Erh, what exac'ly was you doin' dat pissed dis one off? Ya know, dem Kings are normally real gentle creatures. Some people keep 'em as pets."
"Rosie is new 'round these parts, she went wanderin' foolishly." Carter supplies, tiring of this conversation.
Rosie steps between the two bickering children. "Well, thank you for your input, Mister... ?"
"Ah, name's Charlie," the boy smiles and holds out his hand. Rosie shakes his hand cordially and continues, "Yes, thank you Charlie. Kingsnakes sound very interesting, I applaud you for striving for higher education. Have a nice night. Now, Carter, shall we go to Edwin's car?"
"With pleasure," Carter mumbles, and stalks off ahead of them. Charlie waves goodbye and Rosie has to jog to catch up.
~~\/~~
Rosie is still wary around Carter when Ed drops them off back home. She follows behind her by a few steps as Carter leads them to the front door, but the miffed tomboy stops just short of it. Rosie tilts her head as Carter sighs and looks over her shoulder. "Wanna go on a walk around the lake with me?"
The minutes pass by in silence, save for the cacophony of insects and woodland creatures stalking the grounds. Carter kicks dirt with her shoe every few steps. Rosie is content to wait for Carter to speak.
"I'm sorry about earlier, Rosie. That kid was just edging me the wrong way."
"That's all right, Carter. He was very excitable, I understand your frustrations."
"Not really though," Carter says quietly and stops to look out over the lake, the breeze revealing itself in slow ripples across the surface visible by the waxing moon overhead.
"I... I never you told you this, but I was really scared that day. When you got bit. I put on a brave face, but really I wasn't thinking clearly. It's just like that kid said, if I had given you the wrong injection, you could have been in a lot more danger. I was afraid it was a rattlesnake bite, but I couldn't tell. And I couldn't decide which vial to use so I just did the adrenaline shot and was going to wait it out, hoping that Dad would show up. But then, you know, I got angry and stalked off, and I felt so guilty about that. I mean... it could have been a lot worse. And I just abandoned you like that..."
"Carter, I had no idea you... why didn't you talk to me?"
"Because I wasn't close to you back then. In fact I came pretty close to hating you on most days. I couldn't just admit my mistake to you. Not when you were so perfect, and I was so flawed."
Rosie moves closer, "Carter, please don't -"
"No, I know, I don't think like that anymore." Carter grabs hold of one of Rosie's hands, "You've taught me better, Rosie. I see my self-worth now when I look in the mirror. But back then it was hard. And that's why I acted so cold to you. And I'm so sorry." Carter feels her eyes begin to water so she blinks rapidly and looks off to the side. But Rosie stills sees it, and she pulls Carter into a tight embrace.
"Carter... a hero may have knowledge, but without bravery and heart, she can do little to help others. You showed me that day that you have an incredible heart and are fearlessly brave. You still saved me."
Carter lays her head on Rosie's shoulder and lets the night air dry her moist eyes.
"You're a hero to me, Carter."
~To be continued
Fandom: Princess Protection Program
Pairing: Carter/Rosie
Rating: PG-13
Words: ~3600
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, not intended for profit or offense. I own no rights to the subjects.
Summary: The snakebite that once strained the friendship between Carter and Rosie has almost completely healed, mirrored by a healing transformation of feelings in each girl toward the other.
Chapter One of Venomous
Chapter Two - Pernicious
Chapter Three - Detrimental
Chapter Four - Anodyne
Chapter Five - Innocuous
Chapter Six - Amiable
While the sweet elderly lady at the Lake Monroe Thrift Store counter shifts through the boxes of donations that the girls brought in, Rosie notices Carter entertaining herself by trying on sunglasses and scarves and posing in front of dusty mirrors. Rosie thinks it's cute that the tomboy is showing a little more of her feminine side. This gives her a quaint idea and she smiles charmingly as she leans over the counter and inquires with the woman.
A couple of minutes later, Carter is surprised when Rosie unloads several dresses into her arms and prances off to the back of the shop to an outdoor patio. Carter doesn’t fancy playing dress up, but now with Rosie giggling and smiling at her, and the small crowd of little old ladies that have apparently already heard about an imminent fashion show, Carter can hardly say no.
Carter's enjoyment of Dress-Up increases tenfold when she finally picks out a dress that gets the Thumbs Up from the crowd. The way Rosie's jaw dropped and her eyes fell to her feet and moved slowly up to totally check her out was especially rewarding. Carter excitedly grabs Rosie's hand and drags her within the multi-colored changing room to find a dress for her. It doesn't take them long to find the perfect one.
"Been awhile since you've been all poofy and golden, hasn't it? You excited?" Carter teases as she rifles for shoes to match the sheen blonde and white dress. Rosie's big smile lifts up her words as she replies, "Yes, but I am very much excited to see you in such lovely attire as well."
"Eh..." Carter blushes but hides her face further in the box of shoes, continuing her search. "As I'm sure you could tell by my ineptitude with fashion decisions, I'm not exactly 'dress-friendly.' I have a tendency to trip over my own coattails, if you will."
"Do not worry Carter, I can teach you all about dresses. I have been wearing them since before I could speak." Carter finally holds up a proper pair and gets a nod from Rosie in approval. "I'll bet you have, you look fantastic. You could probably pull off the ones I couldn't." Carter feels yet another blush tinge her cheeks when Rosie smiles with her lips and eyes. She breaks eye contact by placing the shoes in front of Rosie and lets Rosie use her shoulder for balance as she slips her feet in. Carter steps back to admire the picture perfect princess, but catches that Rosie's face has fallen somewhat.
"Something wrong?"
Rosie looks at the mirror and shifts to her side, her eyes focusing on her legs. "My snake bite... It's so noticeable when I am not wearing anything below my knees and my shoes do not reach my ankles..."
Carter leans close and examines the leg in the mirror's reflection, which has healed enough that Rosie doesn't need a bandage to cover it all the time. It's a striking red mark along an otherwise flawless expanse of skin. Certainly not as gruesome as it once was, but still something that might catch the eye unbidden.
"You know what? It's gonna look much better on Homecoming night. So don't even worry about it. You'll be so amazing, no one's even going to notice it."
"Do you think it will scar?"
Carter stands up and gathers her hair to the side and behind her neck. "I'm not sure, to be honest. But scars are cool. They're like stories written onto your skin. If it does scar, it'll just tell the story of how we met. And how we became friends. Right?"
This brings a happy smile back to Rosie's face. "Yes. You're right."
" 'Course I am. Now c'mon, let's go show those ladies how fancy we are."
~~\/~~
Back at the Mason home, the living room fan creakily spins above the girls as they sit on the furniture and attempt to tackle some homework. Rosie is inclined to believe that it's the heat, and not the repetitive math problems making her head feel heavy with sleep. Across from her, Carter clears her throat and remarks, “God, it’s like, super hot,” while tugging at her shirt uncomfortably. Her gaze is drawn to the lake and with a quick smile, she asks Rosie, “Hey, you know how to swim?”
The golden yellow rays of late afternoon sunlight make the lake seem darker and cooler, and a mite foreboding, Rosie observes with a nervous laugh as she peers over the edge of the dock. Carter feels it’d be a bit too mean to push Rosie in, at least for now, so instead she grabs her hand and toes up to the edge, giving the princess a winning smile before counting to three. They jump together, with Rosie screaming and closing her eyes, and Carter doesn’t let go of her hand until they both breech the surface for air, laughing loudly.
The lake ripples as wind rushes over the surface, the trees mirroring the motion, and when Carter’s arms lift from the water as she swims, her skin sparkles and shines like some sort of flowing silk. The visual stirs within Rosie a desire to touch her. The princess is in a pair of Carter’s grey gym shorts and a light blue tank top that clings to her curves when she climbs out of the water onto the dock. Carter joins her up on the wet wood, in the only bikini she owns and a pair of short boardies on hanging low on her hips, and flops onto her back, ready to bask in the slowly sinking sun until she’s dry.
“I can honestly say Carter, I have thoroughly enjoyed myself today. Thanks to you."
"I think the best days are the ones that have no real plan. Stuff just happens, and it turns out great," Carter smirks with her eyes closed, stretching her arms lazily above her head. Rosie turns her head and takes in the sight of Carter, relaxed, at ease. Happy.
"I have heard it said that such a philosophy is called ' going with the flow.' I would be inclined to agree that it is quite delightful in its simplicity."
Carter sighs heavily and flops her head to the side to give Rosie a raised eyebrow, “Ok, now really. We have to do something about you and your love of unnecessarily long and drawn out sentences. Here, in Ah-mer-ri-cah, we like our contractions. Our can’ts, won’ts, don’ts, couldn’ts, shouldn’ts.”
“Oh… I was not aware it was of such importance to you… I am sorry.”
“It’s not really a big deal, it’s just, people notice when you take forever to say stuff. You can’t blend in if you don’t speak like us. And it’s ’I’m sorry’.”
“All right. I’m sorry. And… I’ll make more of an effort to speak with contractions.”
" 'Kay cool. You could also do with more slang. 'Sweet, awesome, dude, cool, crap.' Little things that make you sound more like the distracted and disgruntled teenager you're supposed to be."
"I suppose I have much to work on, then."
"Don't stress - I can be your life coach," Carter grins and holds up her hand for a high-five, which Rosie gives happily. They fall lazily back to their resting positions as the warm breeze spreads over their cool bodies. Carter lets herself drift off to sub-consciousness. She feels Rosie lean her forehead against her shoulder. Carter lightly tangles her fingers with Rosie's left hand next to her. And the sun sets slowly beyond the horizon of the lake.
~~\/~~
The sound of evening in Lake Monroe surrounds them, critters and creatures beginning to stir in the dying light of day, the warmth of the Mason household extending to all corners, a satisfying meal completed and dishes in the dishwasher, both girls wearing their newly purchased Thrift Store dresses now in Carter's room. Now Carter looks like a princess. They share sweet smiles in the mirror as Rosie places the plastic crown atop Carter's head, and Carter feels light headed and warm, almost hot, like her skin is buzzing. Rosie sobers so that her smile shines just from her eyes and the very corners of her lips, and Carter catches herself being drawn to their light sheen and pink color. She feels Rosie's hand settle on the small of her back and her right forearm. Carter wants to turn and face her, but she's scared. It's like there's an intense battle being waged within her, and she is helpless to do anything but just stand still and think about how her skin is burning where Rosie is touching her.
"Carter... I..." And looking into the lost princess's eyes, Carter can tell Rosie is struggling with a battle too, and Carter turns her head to look at her over her shoulder. Their faces are really close, and Carter can only whisper because her voice just can't find the strength to be any louder, "...Yea?"
"...There's something... this unfamiliar feeling...?"
And Carter's eyes search Rosie's face, she's searching for some answer that she doesn't even know the question to, but she quietly says "Yes..." because she knows that she's feeling something too.
Her head feels fuzzy and there's something very powerful stopping her body from moving even an inch, but all Carter can think about now is closing her eyes and putting her lips against Rosie's soft-looking mouth.
Carter blinks when the sound of the kitchen screen door is heard slapping closed, and not a second later Ed rambles in loudly, "Sorry I'm late y'all, just got off work. C'mon, game's gonna start in a half hour." He stops in his tracks and takes in the scene inside Carter's room.
"... It's just a football game guys, no need to get all fancy."
The girls look down at their very formal princess attire and Carter takes the interruption to step away from Rosie and the mirror and focuses her attention on Ed so that she can distract herself from what just happened in her quiet room. "Ed, you know I don't care one way or t'other 'bout football, I ain't going to some stupid Homecoming game."
"Oh is this the game that's been featured on all those posters around the high school?" Rosie asks.
"Yea it is, and since Carter is a Homecoming Princess it's kinda her duty to show up to the Homecoming Game. I brought my camera! I need this footage Carter, c'mon," Ed pleads.
"Oh yes please Carter, may we attend? Football is the American pastime, I must see it." Carter rolls her eyes at Rosie as Ed steps up next to her.
"Yea Carter, the American pastime. You live in the South, football's a big deal whether you like it or not. Let's show this royal princess what Americans do best, yea?" Ed wiggles his eyebrows and claps a hand on Rosie's shoulder, both leaning excitedly in towards Carter, waiting for her verdict.
A couple of weeks ago Carter would have no problem shrugging off the princess's pleas, but now, her heart is inexplicably tied to Rosie's smile, and she just can't refuse her.
"Ughhhhghhghhhrrrrrgh," Carter groans as she goes to her dresser to find a casual outfit to wear. Ed high-fives Rosie and dashes out the door, honking every so often from his dad's truck as he waits for them.
At the game, Carter already feels a headache coming on as they sit on the bleachers overlooking the field, just minutes before the start and the crowd is buzzing with excitement. Carter thinks she can smell beer somewhere behind her, and when she bent down to tie her shoe she definitely smelled marijuana coming from below.
Principal Burkle strides to the middle of the field with a microphone and makes an announcement over the loudspeaker. He promotes the Homecoming Dance that's scheduled for next week Friday and wishes students good luck on their coming exams. Finally, he repeats the names of the Homecoming Princesses and congratulates them. Chelsea is near the front row of the stands, decked out in Lake Monroe Yellow and Blue, eating up the attention and waving to the audience. Ed swings his camera about wildly, trying to get shots of the Principal, the Princesses, and the crowd.
Rosie smiles wide when her name is called, and gives a very proper Princess Diana-esque wave. Carter meanwhile hides her face as her name is echoed through the sound system, but Rosie grabs her hand and holds it high, causing Carter to smile sheepishly and feel butterflies flop in her stomach. It's hard not to be nervous when the whole school is looking in your direction, but Rosie makes it worse with her other hand gripping Carter's shirt near her ribcage.
It doesn't take long before Carter is desperately bored. The plays stop almost every 5 seconds, and Carter just can't keep her attention on the game. Rosie is sitting demurely next to Carter and keeping her face forward but her eyes are not focused on the field. Taking a chance, Carter leans over and asks quietly, "Are you as bored as I am?"
Rosie looks at Carter with wide eyes, "N-no, of course not! American football is very complex and intriguing and - " Carter shoots her a disbelieving frown. "... yes. I am disinterested in this game," Rosie admits shyly, hanging her head.
"Good. Come with me," and Carter takes Rosie by the hand and together they wander around the field and behind bleachers. They cross paths with a few other bored game-goers, some of whom Carter has a distinct feeling are running gambles or making deals in the shadows of the metal stands. Carter can't blame them, since football games are prime events to make a little extra dough down in the South. But she glares off any one who might try to approach them, especially with a girl as gullible as Rosie by her side. Walking a little further to a more deserted area, to their surprise they happen upon a sniveling Brooke, who tries to daintily wipe her tears away without ruining her make-up. Rosie is the first to approach her.
"Brooke..? What happened? What has upset you?"
Brooke puffs up her chest and scowls at them, but then she deflates and starts crying again. "... Chelsea hates me!" She laments.
"Oh I highly doubt that. You're her evil minion," Carter supplies sarcastically while crossing her arms.
"Not anymore! Since I lost the Princess crown she hasn't talked to me, and tonight when I tried to sit next to her on the stands, she totally blew me off! Now she's hanging out with Clarissa Marks, that little curly-haired... urrrrgh!"
"Brooke, I don't get why you're friends with her," Carter replies, a bit softer this time. "I'm not friends with Clarissa!" Brooke stomps in anger.
"No, I mean Chelsea! She's mean and nasty and she just uses you for her own gain."
The upset girl softens a bit, "We've been best friends since kindergarten. I don't know how to be anyone else's friend." Brooke tries wiping her tears away again, but she leaves a dark mascara mark along her cheek.
"You don't need to know how. You just... be yourself, and friends will start showing up before you know it. You just gotta... let them get close to you." Carter shares a small smile with Rosie.
"Yea but... Chelsea says I'm too dumb to make any other friends."
This upsets Carter, so used to Chelsea's effortless put-downs. "Oh yea, well Chelsea is a stinkin' liar and a drama queen! Don't listen to her!"
"Hey, that's my best friend you're talking about!"
"But Brooke, is she really?" Rosie offers, trying to calm her as she gets on edge.
"Yea! Yea... she is. And I'm not gonna stand here and listen to you bad mouth her! I'm gonna go think of ways to get her back."
"Fine. Do what you want. I don't care," Carter snips.
"No, you do what YOU want, because I DON'T CARE!" and with that Brooke stalks off. As usual Carter is left a little confused by Brooke. ".....Ooookay then, " she shares a half-hearted shrug with Rosie before they head back to the game.
The girls arrived next to Ed just as the game finally got interesting. They watched as the Lake Monroe team scored the last two touchdowns by blowing through an impressive defensive line and winning the game. The crowd erupted with cheers from Lake Monroe supporters. Even Carter was clapping.
~~\/~~
As they leave the bleachers to stand on the grass under the bright lights, waiting for the crowd to disperse so they can cross the field to the parking lot on the other side, Carter hears a high-pitched whistle come from the side. A young boy wearing a camouflage hat and hiking boots almost too big for his tiny frame is leaning over and staring at Rosie's legs. "Wheeeew man, dat's a mighty bite! Ya get it from a King?" he asks in a drawling country accent.
Looking down, Carter notices that Rosie's scar is almost spotlighted in the bright field lights, left clearly visible on her left calf by the pair of Carter's capris that she is wearing. Carter is wary instantly, worried about Rosie getting self-conscious, but Rosie instead has a slightly confused face.
"I'm sorry? No, I believe you are mistaken, I was bitten by a snake, not a royal -"
The boy interrupts her quickly, "Sheesh yeah ya were! A Kingsnake! Mah brother got bit once and cried his fool head off. Was a nasty scar though, I tell you what. Yours looks a heckuva lot better though..." And the boy crouches down to get a good look at Rosie's leg, much to her slight discomfort.
"Oh I see. So you believe it was a Kingsnake that bit me?"
"Pretty sure, Ma'am. Them puncture wounds ain't too deep, like a venomous snakebite. This one was just givin' you a warning." Carter is put-off by this kid. How can you tell the difference between a rattlesnake bite and a Kingsnake bite? He's probably just bull shittin', Carter thinks spitefully.
"Oh, my. I'll admit I was frightened of being poisoned when I was bit. But Carter here was very efficient and tended my wound with expert care, with the help of her father's anti-venom kit."
"Pfft, what kinda crock is that? Er'ebody knows that Kings ain't poisonous!" Carter's eyes flash and she steps up half in front of Rosie and says through clenched teeth, "For your information, it was anti-venom premedication. I'm not stupid! It was a precaution."
Rosie picks up on Carter's mood shift and lays her hand on her shoulder, "It's all right Carter..."
"It's just lucky that she wasn't poisoned because I was in too bad of a mood to care back then," Carter continues huffily. The boy stands back up but seems to shrink in his big boots and ruffles his hair sheepishly.
"Sorry Ma'am, I didn't mean no disrespect. I just got a lil' excited s'all. Snakes are kinda mah thing, see, e'er since I was little. I wanna study 'em when I get older."
"That's nice that you've found a dream," Carter sneers, erecting her sarcastic guard instantly; she doesn't trust this know-it-all pipsqueak for a second.
"Erh, what exac'ly was you doin' dat pissed dis one off? Ya know, dem Kings are normally real gentle creatures. Some people keep 'em as pets."
"Rosie is new 'round these parts, she went wanderin' foolishly." Carter supplies, tiring of this conversation.
Rosie steps between the two bickering children. "Well, thank you for your input, Mister... ?"
"Ah, name's Charlie," the boy smiles and holds out his hand. Rosie shakes his hand cordially and continues, "Yes, thank you Charlie. Kingsnakes sound very interesting, I applaud you for striving for higher education. Have a nice night. Now, Carter, shall we go to Edwin's car?"
"With pleasure," Carter mumbles, and stalks off ahead of them. Charlie waves goodbye and Rosie has to jog to catch up.
~~\/~~
Rosie is still wary around Carter when Ed drops them off back home. She follows behind her by a few steps as Carter leads them to the front door, but the miffed tomboy stops just short of it. Rosie tilts her head as Carter sighs and looks over her shoulder. "Wanna go on a walk around the lake with me?"
The minutes pass by in silence, save for the cacophony of insects and woodland creatures stalking the grounds. Carter kicks dirt with her shoe every few steps. Rosie is content to wait for Carter to speak.
"I'm sorry about earlier, Rosie. That kid was just edging me the wrong way."
"That's all right, Carter. He was very excitable, I understand your frustrations."
"Not really though," Carter says quietly and stops to look out over the lake, the breeze revealing itself in slow ripples across the surface visible by the waxing moon overhead.
"I... I never you told you this, but I was really scared that day. When you got bit. I put on a brave face, but really I wasn't thinking clearly. It's just like that kid said, if I had given you the wrong injection, you could have been in a lot more danger. I was afraid it was a rattlesnake bite, but I couldn't tell. And I couldn't decide which vial to use so I just did the adrenaline shot and was going to wait it out, hoping that Dad would show up. But then, you know, I got angry and stalked off, and I felt so guilty about that. I mean... it could have been a lot worse. And I just abandoned you like that..."
"Carter, I had no idea you... why didn't you talk to me?"
"Because I wasn't close to you back then. In fact I came pretty close to hating you on most days. I couldn't just admit my mistake to you. Not when you were so perfect, and I was so flawed."
Rosie moves closer, "Carter, please don't -"
"No, I know, I don't think like that anymore." Carter grabs hold of one of Rosie's hands, "You've taught me better, Rosie. I see my self-worth now when I look in the mirror. But back then it was hard. And that's why I acted so cold to you. And I'm so sorry." Carter feels her eyes begin to water so she blinks rapidly and looks off to the side. But Rosie stills sees it, and she pulls Carter into a tight embrace.
"Carter... a hero may have knowledge, but without bravery and heart, she can do little to help others. You showed me that day that you have an incredible heart and are fearlessly brave. You still saved me."
Carter lays her head on Rosie's shoulder and lets the night air dry her moist eyes.
"You're a hero to me, Carter."
~To be continued