Rose's In Flames

Chapter 2

Snowy's mom studies Logan for a second. She was particularly interested as to the fact why Snowy had brought a human to her house. Gwendolyn clicked her tongue, and she was about to speak, but she stopped herself, and she was going to ask Snowy about this later.

"Where are my manners? Come in," she said. Gwendolyn held the door open for Snowy and Logan, and they both stepped inside. Logan takes his shoes off, and Snowy was already in the hallway while Gwendolyn stood behind Logan.

As soon as he turned around, Gwendolyn formally introduced herself to him.

"I'm Gwendolyn. Snowy's mother. It's nice to meet you," Gwendolyn said. She had a sweet look on her face, and Logan studied her for a moment. He guessed that Gwendolyn was in her early fifties, but she was beautiful dragon for her age. Logan remembered that dragons could live up to two hundred years, so Gwendolyn is still young.

She offered Logan her tail. He didn't know what to do so he kissed it.

Gwendolyn giggled and she stared at him wondering why he kissed her tail. At first, she told herself thinking that she was flattered he kissed her tail, but then Gwendolyn said, "You are supposed to shake it. It's a formal way of Dragon's greeting each other." Gwendolyn kept her smile up, as she didn't want her guest to feel embarrassed of himself.

"Let's try that again, shall we?" she said. Gwendolyn held her tail up again, ready for Logan to shake it properly this time.

Logan grabbed Gwendolyn's tail fins slowly as if he thought he could get it wrong again this time.

"There you go, Logan. Anyway, it's nice meeting you, now if you excuse me, I have to tend to my children. Feel free to look around. Snowy, you treat your friend nice, okay?" Logan guessed that Gwendolyn is one of those dragons who is assertive and won't take anyone misbehaving.

"Okay, mom, bye, I love you," Snowy said, embarrassed. She tried to hide by putting her wing in front of her face.

Snowy hugged her mom and, Gwendolyn disappeared into the kitchen. Logan could hear that she was making dinner for everyone. Logan stood in the hallway for another moment before walking up to Snowy towards the kitchen. "Where's your dad?" Logan asked. "I don't see him anywhere."

Snowy sighed. She wished that Logan didn't ask her that question. "Work," Snowy answered, "I wish he were at home more. I miss him." Snowy's dad, Asher, is away on another one of his business trips, and he is gone most of the time. He hasn't seen Snowy in a few weeks, and right now all Gwendolyn keeps telling her children is that he will be home soon.

Logan felt empathetic to what Snowy meant and, she proceeded to lead him into her bedroom. Logan followed Snowy to her bedroom, and he saw once Snowy had opened the door that Snowy's siblings were lounging around her giant bed. He noticed that her walls were painted a pinkish color, and he saw a dresser as well as stuffed animals. Across the wall were her favorite bands, and Logan saw a few pictures of Snowy with Logan.

"Oh, you invited a human. That's nice," Rico said. He was Snowy's little brother, and he was the one closest to the door. He sat up, and he arched his back, then he prepared to leave and go downstairs. "What, are you in love with my sister or something?" he said passing by Logan.

"Your sister is gentle and kind. I like her," Logan said. He felt awkward when Rico said that to him. He offered his hand to Rico for him to shake it.

"Did my mom show that to you?" Rico said. "Dragons don't do that anymore, she likes the older traditions better." Logan thought it was polite for Gwendolyn to introduce herself the way she did. "I think your mother is friendly," Logan answered. "She was nice when she introduced herself to me in the fashion she did," Rico shrugged. "Okay, well, if my sister and my mom like you, I guess you're cool," Rico said, shaking Logan's hand.

"Hi," Suri said, "Nice meeting you." Suri had a pleasant look on her face. But she didn't say anything else to Logan.

When Suri left, Snowy shut the door and said, "Yeah, my siblings may be cool when someone is over but, when it's just me, they are annoying." Logan laughed.

"I'm sure your siblings are just messing around. It sounds like they're pretty cool."

"Yeah, your right," said Snowy as she sat beside her bed.

"Well, what do you think?" Snowy asked. "Should I give you the grand tour?"

Beside her window, she had a small shelf brimming with books.

Logan walked over to the shelf of books and, he picked a book with a lock on it.

Curiously, he studies it but, Snowy sees him carrying it and, she gasped slightly.

"Please don't read that," Snowy said. "Even you don't need to see my secrets. It's a diary where I put all of my thoughts and feelings in. I know, it's embarrassing,"

"No, it's alright and I don't think it's embarrassing, Snowy. I would have one too actually."

"Really?" "Do you mean that?" Some part of Snowy thought he was kidding about having a private diary.

"Alright," Logan said, putting it back.

He pondered about the diary he found but, he dismissed it.

"Would you like to go downstairs?" Snowy asked. "Maybe you could talk to my mom more? I think you two would get along well,"

Logan nodded. "Sure, I wouldn't mind talking to your mom. What was her name again, Snowy?"

"My mom's name is Gwendolyn, and my siblings are Rico, Suri, and Ivy."

Snowy opened the door again, and she led Logan downstairs and into the kitchen where her mom was cooking dinner.

"Have you guys seen Ivy?" Gwendolyn asked.

Snowy shook her head. "No, I have not seen Ivy," she answered. "I think she's with her dragon friend."

Just then, the door to the front swung open and, Ivy came into the kitchen. She saw Snowy, Logan, and Gwendolyn. It looked like she had been crying.

"They hate me, mom! They all hate me!" She cried.

Gwendolyn wrapped her wings around her child as she stood up on her hind legs to embrace Ivy hugging into her. "Shh, shh, it's okay, let's just talk about it here, alright?" Gwendolyn said, calmly. "Everything is going to be alright, Ivy." Gwendolyn was patting and rubbing Ivy's smooth, scaly back.

Ivy couldn't speak at first since she was bawling her eyes off for the first few minutes; then she began to explain what happened. "My friends completely ignored me while I was at Venom's house! I never felt so horrible!" Ivy buried her face into her mom's shoulder. Gwendolyn looked at Logan. She knew he would understand that these things happen eventually one time or another. "They just pretended like I wasn't even there."

"Ivy, Ivy, please calm down," Gwendolyn said, "Easy, just walk me through what happened."

Ivy began to explain what had happened to her and what happened at Venom's house. Logan and Snowy heard it all and, it sounded devastating. Logan felt awful for Ivy, and Snowy sat in front of her mom and her sister. Snowy placed her tail around Ivy's shoulders. "Thanks," she said sniffling.

"Would you like something to eat?" Gwendolyn asked Ivy. "I'm making dinner, but there's some ice cream left in the refrigerator."

Ivy nodded and, she ate ice cream outside when her other siblings came to her asking, "What's wrong?"

Gwendolyn muttered to herself. She didn't like anyone who bullied her daughters or her youngest, Rico. However, she didn't prefer to use the word hate. "Hate is a strong word," Gwendolyn would say. She would always give that advice to her children whenever they used that such language.

"I knew that those dragons were no good, I tried warning Ivy," she thought.

"I had to go through this same thing when I was her age and, my dad warned me about it. I got over it and confronted my bully, so will Ivy."

Snowy's mom resumed to making dinner in the kitchen.

"Oh, Logan? Would you like to have dinner with us tonight?" Gwendolyn offered. Logan walked over to where Gwendolyn was making dinner. He smelled the air, and it smelled like he was dining at a fine restaurant. "Do you like fish?" she asked.

Logan smiled slightly. "Yes, ma'am," he answered. Gwendolyn looked back at him and, she smiled. "Thank you," Gwendolyn replied.

"I can help you make dinner," Logan offered. "It looks like a lot of work for you,"

Gwendolyn scoffed quietly and she shakes her head. Gwendolyn has been doing the job of being a mother for years, so she is more than capable to handle dinner by herself.

"It's okay. You talk to Snowy at the table, alright? But thanks for offering."

Logan smiled slightly again and, he sits, down at the kitchen table. Snowy sat down beside him. Logan looked at the corner of his eye, and he saw that Snowy's mom was paying a close attention to him.

"Your mom is nice," he whispered. Gwendolyn could hear everything he was saying about her or anything else for that matter.

Snowy giggled quietly to herself.

Snowy's mom was humming to herself as she multi-tasks through everything.

Snowy quietly slips her tail under the table, biting her lip. She gently wraps Logan's leg with her tail and, she squeezes firmly.

"Hey!" Logan hissed quietly.

Snowy giggled to herself again.

Snowy's mom looked at what Snowy was doing with the corner of her eye. She saw everything but, she kept it to herself. She was a bit surprised that Snowy likes humans but, there was nothing wrong with it. She knew that dragons sometimes become attracted to humans. Even Gwendolyn herself fell for one year's ago.

"Rico! Ivy! Suri! Dinner!" Gwendolyn called out. The meal looked delicious. It smelled great. Its aroma stretched from both sides of the kitchen. All three of them came from the yard, and they sit at the table. Gwendolyn had several portions of trays lined up for the kitchen table. Gwendolyn had already set up the table with napkins and utensils. Logan was surprised at the level of etiquette that dragons have during the dinner table. "Excuse me, Snowy," Gwendolyn said. Snowy gave up her spot beside Logan, and Gwendolyn sits down next to him instead. She didn't want Snowy to be next aside Logan the whole time, and Gwendolyn was curious about Logan now.

"And?" Gwendolyn said.

"Thanks mom!" everyone said in unison. Gwendolyn heard that Logan didn't say a thing. She cleared her throat, and she let Logan know she was waiting for him. "Oh, thank you," he answered. Gwendolyn nodded her head, and she politely began eating her meal. "At this table, we have established proper manners, like for instance no more than one elbow at the table and always ask if you can't reach the salt."

Gwendolyn looked at the tiny portion on Logan's plate. "After dinner, I would like to speak to you about something," Gwendolyn added as she took another bite of her fish.

"What might that be?" Logan inquired.

Gwendolyn reached for a pot of coffee that was on her right, and she poured some of it into her cup. Funny enough, Gwendolyn slurped noisily on the hot, black liquid. Logan snickered.

"Is something amusing you?" Gwendolyn said. Logan nearly choked on his water.

"No," he said.

Logan looked across the table, and it looked like Rico was trying to tell him something. Logan peeked up to look at Gwendolyn in the face. She had a stern look written across her face. "No, ma'am," he said quietly.

Gwendolyn nodded. "You may eat," she said.

"Gwendolyn is so firm," Logan thought. Logan wondered what type of Mother Gwendolyn was. She sounds so strict and stern, and she looks like she has attitude spelled all over her. However, Logan was there when she comforted her daughter. "It seems like she only wants to set an example in front of her kids," he concluded as he thought to himself. "She has to be nice sometimes, but she also has lessons to hand out to them,"

Logan looked at Gwendolyn as she was politely eating her dinner, and sometimes wiping her mouth off with her napkin. "So, what do you like to do for a living?" Logan asked. Gwendolyn sets her coffee cup down, and she hesitated to answer for a second. "I am a stay-at-home Mom," she replied. "Also, I'm not sure what customs humans may have when they ask each other about what jobs they have, but with us dragons we don't ask that,"

Gwendolyn picked up her coffee cup again, and Gwendolyn looked at her daughter trying to ask her something. "Mom, why are you being hard on him?" Snowy whispered. "Not at the dinner table, Snowy,"

Everyone finished their dinner rather quicker than Logan anticipated. "Alright, guys brush your teeth and go to bed. I'll tuck you in, but no complaining!" Rico, Ivy, and Suri trudged up the stairs to their rooms as Gwendolyn finished the rest of her dinner before putting her plate in the sink.

"So, Snowy, aren't you going to go to bed too or?"

"But, mom, I thought I was going to tell you all about Logan," she whined.

Gwendolyn sighed. "Tomorrow, sweetie, tomorrow. But I want to talk to Logan all by myself, and I'll listen to what you have to tell me about him in the morning, ok? He will be here."

Snowy groaned, "But is Logan staying tonight?"

"Yes, now go to bed please, and good night."

Gwendolyn turned her attention to Logan. "So, how old are you?" Gwendolyn asked.

"I'm eighteen," Logan replied.

"Alright, and can you clean?" Logan felt pressure from Gwendolyn after she was asking him so many questions.

"Yes, ma'am," he said.

"Good, so you can help me clean these dishes right now,"

As soon as Gwendolyn heard Logan complaining, she put an end to that immediately. "In my house, we do not complain. You are my guest, but I will not hear such nonsense. I worked hard when I was younger, and I didn't complain about anything for even a second. So, straighten up young human, and focus." Gwendolyn started washing the dishes, and Logan helped her.

"So, where do you live?" Gwendolyn asked.

"Nowhere, now," Logan replied. "My Aunt and Uncle didn't want to take care of me anymore, and I've been trying to find work. So, for now I've been living with friends, but I'm sure they don't like me,"

Gwendolyn felt bad for Logan. "Well, if you say you're trying to find work. I don't mind if you were to stay here for a while with us," she answered.

"Oh, my god. I don't know what to say. I would love to move away from those guys, I can't take them anymore."

Gwendolyn clicked her tongue, "Yeah, but are you sure you want to live with dragons? Wouldn't your species see that as something weird?"

Logan shook his head. "I don't care what anybody thinks or says about me,"

"Alright, I respect that," Gwendolyn said. Logan finished doing the dishes, and Gwendolyn cleaned around the sink before she led Logan into the living room.

Gwendolyn opened a sliding door made out of birch, and Logan walked in from behind her. In the middle, were two chairs and a fireplace, and surrounding it was the chimney and it was adorned with pictures and drawings presumably from Gwendolyn's children.

"Alright, so this is the living room," Gwendolyn said. "As for every room in the house, I expect good behavior in here,"

Gwendolyn took one of the seats by the fireplace, and she put a pair of reading glasses on her face.

"You act so similar like humans do," Logan said.

Gwendolyn said nothing, instead she broke out a chessboard. "Do you play chess?" she asked. "Or are you one of those humans who isn't productive, and is someone who's addicted to those pocket screens that you humans love so much?"

Logan shook his head. "No, it's okay. Even though, I don't know how to play."

Gwendolyn showed Logan how to control and play the pieces, but she didn't want to play a game with him right now. "Do you know how to play well?" Logan asked.

"I do. I was the state champion for chess in 1985. It's not a big accomplishment, but it's something I am proud of saying,"

Logan was impressed. "What else do you know?" he said.

"I think I know a lot of things," she answered. "But I'm not going to explain several hours of it to you."

Gwendolyn stared into the warm fire. "So, you like my daughter, huh?" she said.

Logan nodded. "I like her, Snowy is very nice and a sweet dragon."

"Alright, so you will treat her with the respect she deserves, or I will hear something about it,"

"Yes," he replied.

Gwendolyn looked like she was waiting for something, but Logan said nothing.

"I like it when someone addresses me as ma'am," she stated.

"Yes, ma'am," said Logan.

"Thank you,"

Logan wondered why that is, and Gwendolyn doesn't even look that old anyway.

"So, how old are you?" he asked.

Gwendolyn shook her head. "Are all of you humans rude? Never ask a lady her age, so go to bed," she said. "I had enough of you, go to bed. Snowy's room is the furthest down the hall to the left. Good night and have nice dreams."

Gwendolyn had a stern look on her face, and Logan felt like she might jump him, so he left in a hurry.

Logan found where Snowy's room was, but she was already sleeping. Logan curled up quietly next to her, and he thought about why Gwendolyn sounded so rude to him, at least Logan thought that.

Gwendolyn made sure that she heard the door click to Snowy's room. "Good, riddance he asks so many questions." Gwendolyn said. She pushes her reading glasses close to her eyes, and she began reading a book by the nice, warm toasty fire while having another cup of coffee to herself just the way she likes it.