Another Night: Rose

They're laughing up ahead. Especially Angie. She always gets this giddy around guys. Apparently things are twice as funny when they're around. I kick a rock with my chucks, and let out a sigh, bored out of my mind. It's dark and stuffy out, the kind of air that properly defines the word humid. Sweat trickles down the side of my face. As I wipe it away with the back of my hand a mosquito zooms past my ear. I swat the air around me.

I knew I should've stayed home, I think to myself. Just another summer night wasted, but as time moves along it seems that this is the only way I can get Angie to spend time with me anymore. By following her on her night outs. Part of me wonders why I bother, but deep down I know that someone responsible should be with her. I'm only a year younger, but far more levelheaded, so therefore a chaperone in a sense. At least in our grandmother's mind that's how it works.

Our grandmother is the main reason for me watching over Angie. "Go with her Rose. You know she'll just sneak out if I say no. I'm getting too old to keep chasing that girl." This is more or less her usual winning point. When she's worked up she gets this real flustered look that makes her brown weathered face crease. Every time a pang of guilt hits my chest, thawing the ice around my heart. I hate to see her stressed out.

Up ahead, Angie and the two boys are under a light post. I never bother to remember the names of the people Ang and I hang out with. She's always been popular. Half of it's because she has a way of drawing in eyes and ears wherever she goes, and the other half is because she loves the attention.

The tall blonde one says something I can't quite make out, and Angie throws her head back in a big laugh. Her curls dip to the top of her white shorts, about the same length as mine. Under the light her warm almond skin glows against her blue halter top and gold sandals.

She flashes me a white warm smile. Her slender arms beckon for me to catch up, and the collection of bracelets around her wrist jingle a sweet tune. Soon I'm under the light post as well, right beside her. I become like a clam when I'm around people I don't know, and clingy to the one person that I do. I'm shorter than her, so I have to lift my coal eyes to meet her ocean blues. Something floral tickles my nose. My perfume, I think to myself, but I don't mind. We used to borrow from each other, so her taking it is actually a pleasant surprise.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"Back to the car," she says. "Why were you so far back, Rose?"

I shiver when something tugs on my hair, and find the tall blonde grinning.

"Yeah Pocahontas, keep up," he says.

I don't find him funny. "Alright let's go then," I say. It comes out hard and directed towards her instead of him and this night in general. I purposely ignore her question, though. Her stupid question.