Briar Rose by Jana Oliver
‘And that’s different, how?’ her friend replied.
Joshua headed their way, the dog on his heels. ‘Hi. Sorry I’m late,’ he said, addressing Reena. ‘Lots of tourists at the stables this time of year so my boss wouldn’t let me leave early.’
It sounded as if he and her best friend had planned to meet at the party.
‘No sweat. I just got here,’ Reena replied.
Joshua was staring at Briar now, a faint redness to his cheeks. He was dressed in a pale blue T-shirt and jeans that were worn at the knees, and, as usual, his hair was doing its own thing. On him it looked good. Briar had to admit she’d caught herself checking him out at school more often than was wise. At least when she thought no one was looking.
She started in surprise when the collie’s cold nose nudged her palm.
‘Come here, Kerry,’ Joshua said, slapping his thigh. ‘Leave her alone.’ The dog complied, though the awkwardness of the situation didn’t change.
After Reena cleared her throat, he fumbled in his jeans pocket for something.
‘Umm, Briar, I have a—’ A spike of panic filled his eyes as if he’d just found himself head to head with a nine-foot grizzly bear. ‘Ah . . .’
Reena raised an eyebrow, but didn’t weigh in.
‘I should get Kerry some water,’ he said, and hurried off towards the lake, the dog in tow.
Her friend huffed. ‘Wimp,’ she muttered.
‘What was that all about?’
‘Give me a sec, will you? I need to talk to him,’ Reena said, already on the move before Briar could reply.
Everybody’s weird tonight.
Briar’s cousin waved her over to the picnic bench. Though everyone said they looked similar, Saralyn had shorter hair and bigger boobs, which she liked to show off by wearing tops that were too small. That little trick bought her a lot of male attention, which she thrived on.
‘What’s up with Joshua?’ she asked. ‘Why’s he hanging around you?’
‘No idea.’
‘He’s just cruising for trouble.’ Saralyn watched a guy walk past, checking him out from head to toe. ‘Cute. Do you know who he is?’
‘He’s a sophomore this year. Name’s Greg something or other,’ Briar replied.
Saralyn adjusted a bra strap, tucking it underneath her sleeveless tee. ‘How’s Aunt Maralee doing? Is she going off the deep end yet about the curse?’
Curse? ‘You know about that?’ Briar hissed under her breath, stunned that Saralyn would blurt out that kind of thing in front of everyone.
‘Yeah. Most of the family does,’ her cousin replied. ‘From what my parents said, your mom’s been nutty since your Aunt Sarah died, only she’s much worse now.’
‘It’s not like that,’ Briar replied. Though it really was.
‘I never believed the curse was for real anyway. I think it’s just her wanting attention. She’s such a drama queen.’
Before Briar could respond, a familiar sound cut through the party noise. The laugh belonged to her ex-boyfriend and it took her only a few seconds to find him near the bonfire, his arm round a tall redheaded girl clad in a micro bikini.
The ex.
Mike was an athlete, with a cocky smile and an impressive set of pecs. His light-brown hair had gone summer blond and his eyes were a dark brown. In short, he’d been the perfect boyfriend and everything had seemed great between them, at least until he’d dumped her a few weeks back.
The memory of that dumping rose along with a thick coat of acid in the back of her throat. Now here he was with another girl hanging all over him. No break-up grief there. Briar checked the girl out and found that she wasn’t that special: her legs were short, her neck too long and her hair needed serious help.
‘Bet you miss going out with him,’ her cousin observed.
‘What? No way.’ But that was a lie.
She’d liked Mike. He’d been pretty cool, though his constant pushing for them to go all the way had doomed their relationship. They’d sorta come close one night in the back of his car, but she’d decided it didn’t feel right. When she’d said no, he’d been mad, even though they hadn’t even got their clothes off yet.
Mike had accused her of being a stupid kid, which in guy speak meant he was angry that she wouldn’t put out. From what she’d heard, his new girlfriend didn’t have that problem.
When Briar rose from the bench, eager to go somewhere where she couldn’t see the pair of them, Mike smirked at her. He said something to his date and she laughed. When they turned away, he made sure to put his hand on her butt.
Now he was just being cruel. Jerk.
Another check of the parking lot told her Pat hadn’t arrived yet. The evening was starting to suck.
Maybe I should have just stayed home.
If she left now, Mike would know he’d won, and she’d lose her chance at Pat, the chance to catch herself a really good guy. That would be the ultimate revenge, letting Mike know just how much she wasn’t missing him.
Needing a friend, Briar looked around for Reena, but she was still talking to Joshua, so she forced herself to wander around, making the rounds half-heartedly. There were lots of happy-birthday wishes and hugs, which she appreciated, though it was hard to muster sufficient good cheer.
There were also whispers behind her back, and it made her nervous. Did everyone know about her mother’s illness? Were they laughing about it?
Probably. Bliss loved a good rumour even when it came at the cost of one of their own.
‘Too much drama,’ she muttered.
When someone offered her an unopened can of beer, she broke one of her father’s rules and accepted it. Why not? I’m almost sixteen.
After popping open the top, Briar took a sip and quickly discovered that the stuff didn’t taste that great. Since a couple of her classmates were watching her, she nodded and smiled like it’d actually been good. Maybe that was why beer was so popular – everyone acted as if it was good just to impress their friends.
‘You better hope the cops don’t bust this party,’ Saralyn said as she walked by.
‘Now you sound like my dad,’ Briar replied.
Her cousin muttered under her breath, but she couldn’t catch a word. Briar suspected it hadn’t been very nice. The second sip of the beer made her head buzz and by the third she was feeling pretty happy. Her worries about her mom were fading, at least for the moment.
She smiled as Reena wandered up. ‘Hey! What are you and Joshua up to? You guys going to hook up or something?’
‘What? No.’ Her friend frowned at the beer. ‘Josh is just having . . . issues.’
‘A Quinn with issues? Who knew?’ Then Briar giggled, rather enjoying the bubbling feeling coursing through her. ‘Sort of like us Roses. We’re all screwed up.’
‘Just how many beers have you had?’
‘Just one,’ Briar replied. She lowered her voice conspiratorially. ‘For the record, this stuff is yucky.’
‘So I’ve heard.’ The frown was still in place.
‘Guess what? You’re so not going to believe this one. My mom thinks I’m cursed and that I’m going to croak at midnight. Can you believe that?’
Reena didn’t respond, her eyes wider now.
‘This is the part where you say, “Yeah, your mom’s nuts. Sorry about that, girlfriend.”’
‘She actually said that?’
‘Dad did. It’s why she’s been so crazy recently.’
‘A curse isn’t something to joke about.’
Briar’s attention swung to the parking lot and she smiled. ‘Score! He’s here!’
Her dream guy unfolded himself from his car, and when Pat’s eyes lit on her he smiled in return.
‘Wow, did you see that?’ Briar said. ‘He’s totally hot.’
Her friend gave Pat a cursory glance. ‘Look, he’s just a dude. He’s not a handsome prince and he doesn’t have a fancy castle. Live in the here and now, girl, OK?’
Briar shot her a glare, fur
Reena pulled her phone out of her pocket. ‘I’m going to call Gran to see what’s going on.’ She stepped away, turning her back to muffle the party noise.
Briar kept watch on Pat as he made his way towards her, stopping along the way to talk to other kids. His dark hair was softly tousled, just short of collar length, and he had a rich tan from his job as a lifeguard at the local pool. He wore faded jeans, a black T-shirt that moulded to his chest, and a runway model smile.
When Reena turned back towards her, her eyes were wide and her shoulders stiff as she ended the call.
‘Hey, you OK? Something wrong with your gran?’ Briar asked.
‘No . . . she’s . . .’ Reena’s eyes met hers. ‘She didn’t pick up. Gran Lily always picks up.’
‘She’s probably just having a nap or something’.
Reena shook her head. ‘Something’s wrong here. I’m scared that the curse is for real, Briar.’
‘Oh, come on. That’s total crap. I know all the stuff your gran is teaching you is kind of spooky, but seriously – a curse? That’s kids’ book stuff.’
Her friend didn’t respond, but the way she stared at her made Briar take a step back. ‘OK, if you think this curse thing is righteous, what if tonight’s all I’ve got left? What should I do to make it perfect?’ she said. ‘Here’s a clue: no one wants to go to their grave a virgin.’
Reena’s deep frown told her she’d struck a nerve. ‘Don’t be stupid. Don’t trust that loser. Pat’s not like you think.’
‘Whatever,’ Briar murmured. ‘Go be a bummer somewhere else, OK? I’ve got a guy to charm and you’re not helping.’
‘When you’re ready to go home, find me. I’m going to try calling Gran again,’ Reena said, then cut off towards the water.
Now Briar felt like a jerk. She didn’t like arguing with her best friend. Besides, if tonight was her last night, she wanted it to be special. Memorable.
Feeling her cheeks warm at what that might entail, Briar returned her attention to Bliss’s star athlete and full-time chick magnet. He’d already dated a few girls, but word was that he was on his own at the moment and she knew that wouldn’t last long. To Briar’s amazement, he’d been paying more attention to her ever since she’d broken up with Mike.
He tracked right for her like she was the only girl at the party.
‘Hey, birthday girl,’ he said. Then, to her surprise, Pat leaned close and dropped a kiss on her cheek. The scent of musky aftershave tickled her nose.
‘Thanks!’ Suddenly self-conscious, she felt lots of eyes on them. In particular, she noted the stern frown on Joshua’s face.
Like he had any reason to be upset.
‘Briar?’ Pat nudged.
‘Huh? Oh, sorry. What did you say?’
‘I said I was hungry. Let’s go stoke up on some food.’
They wandered through the party, chatting with other kids. She couldn’t help but notice the jealous expressions of some of the other girls, including her cousin.
Finally they reached the twin picnic tables, which were laden with munchies. It was the usual summer fare – lots of meat for the guys and vegetables and carbs for the girls. Pat threaded three hot dogs on a skewer and took them over to the fire. Briar wasn’t hungry, not with her stomach churning around, so she grabbed a paper plate and loaded it up with buns and chips for Pat.
When she was finished, Briar placed the plate on an empty picnic table. Pat was joking with one of the other guys, taking his time doing the grilling thing. It was then that she had the unusual feeling of being watched far too closely.
She turned to find Joshua standing behind her, the Border collie at his feet. He looked nervous, twisting something in his one hand.
‘What is it with you?’ she said, trying to keep her voice low. ‘You want to get us grounded?’
‘No. But . . .’
Pat called out to her that the hot dogs were about done.
‘OK,’ she called back. ‘What’s up, Joshua? Why are you even talking to me? You know we’ll get into trouble.’
‘I . . . ahhh . . . have something for you. I was going to give it to you at the battle today, but . . . it’s . . . a birthday present.’
‘What?’ she said, completely caught off guard. ‘Do your folks know about this?’
He shook his head. ‘Best you don’t tell yours, either. There will only be hell to pay.’
And then some. Her suspicions rose. ‘Why would you give me a present?’
‘Because we used to be . . . friends,’ he said, continuing to twist something in his hands. Somehow the answer felt incomplete.
Why would that matter to you?
Joshua stretched out his hand. A curl of silver sat in the middle of his calloused palm.
Briar gasped.
He lifted up the charm bracelet and held it in the air with two fingers. ‘Please, take it. Act like I’m not a Quinn, just for one second, OK?’
He was so sincere that she’d feel awful if she turned him down. But if she accepted the gift and her mom found out . . .
I don’t care. When Briar flattened out her palm, he dropped the bracelet into it. The metal tingled against her skin, like it had a faint electrical charge. She leaned closer to study it, moving it about with her fingers. Once she realized what she was seeing, her eyes met his in wonder.
‘All these charms are from a fairy tale. How did you know?’
‘I remember you read them all the time at the library,’ he hedged. ‘I hope you like it.’
‘Ohmigod, it’s awesome, Joshua. Thanks!’ She hesitated. ‘I don’t understand. Sure, it’s my birthday, but—’
‘This is just between us,’ he said solemnly. ‘I don’t care that my mom hates your mom or the other way around. That’s their thing, not ours.’
‘This afternoon you said—’
‘Doesn’t matter what I said. I was . . . upset.’
He had been, but he wasn’t now. If anything, he was hopeful. ‘I don’t want you to get in trouble for this.’
‘Same for you,’ he said.
‘Briar? Where’s those plates?’ Pat called out.
The dude’s timing sucked. This was way awkward.
Though she wanted to hurry over to Pat, she put on the bracelet and watched the little charms twirl round on their jump rings. So cool.
‘Briar?’ Pat called out again.
‘Ah, sorry, I gotta go,’ she said. ‘But thank you. I really love it, even though I have to disavow any knowledge of where it came from.’
‘You’re welcome. Happy birthday, Briar.’
As he walked away, Joshua looked back over his shoulder, a faint smile in place. For a brief moment Briar wondered what it would have been like to kiss him.
CHAPTER FIVE
If Pat had seen what had gone on between her and Joshua, he didn’t act like it. Instead, he led her further down the lake to an empty picnic table. Fortunately the moon was fairly bright and it cast a lovely glow over the woods and the water beyond.
Just like in a fairy tale. But in this one the princess dies.
Where had that come from? Briar shoved the ridiculous thought as far back in her mind as possible, not wanting to ruin the moment. They settled in at the table and she watched Pat eat. Briar tried not to be nervous, but it was futile. This was the guy she’d been dreaming about since the first time she’d seen him in the school hallway, leaning against the lockers. Even then he’d looked as if he owned the place.
‘So what did the horse dude want?’ Pat asked before loading more chips into his mouth.
That hit an unexpected nerve, especially after the awesome gift. ‘His name is Joshua.’
‘I know, but he’s always on that old nag so that makes him a horse dude.’
Joshua’s mare certainly wasn’t a nag. If anything, Arabella had been a race horse in a previous life.
Though aggravated at his attitude, Briar bit her tongue, not wanting to
‘Joshua gave me this for my birthday,’ she said, extending her arm so he could admire the bracelet.
Pat peered at it and then smirked. ‘Is that an axe murderer on that thing?’
‘What? No, silly. That’s the huntsman from “Snow White”.’ She pointed at another charm. ‘This is a prince, probably from “Cinderella” or “Sleeping Beauty”. And that’s a flying horse and a—’
Pat leaned over and stole a kiss, breaking her recitation. Her body began to glow at the attention, especially when he pulled her closer on the bench seat.
‘How’s about we go for a walk down by the mill?’ he suggested.
The warm glow from the kiss fizzled and died. The mill was the last place Briar wanted to go. It was dark and kind of creepy, and Pat had no idea that she’d nearly drowned there. But how could he? He wasn’t a local boy.
Her old fears went to war with her hopes. In the end, the hopes won.
‘Ah . . . OK.’ It wasn’t like they were going into the river or anything.
After discarding their trash, they headed down the tree-lined path to Potter’s Mill. Briar found herself shivering at the thought of their intended destination. When Pat’s arm curved round her waist, she tried to relax. This was exactly what she’d been wishing for ever since the last day of school. She’d be safe with him. Why ruin it?
Briar knew everyone was checking them out as there were whispers behind them. She shot a glance over her shoulder and found some of the kids pointing and snickering. What was that all about? Then she saw Joshua and he was frowning, his hands clenched at his side.
Briar stumbled and that made her pay closer attention to the uneven path before them. In the distance, she could hear the river coursing over the sluice gate, the rattle and clank of the aged wheel as it turned. The mill had been built before the Civil War by slaves from the Ashland Plantation, and while damaged by the Union troops during the battle of Bliss, it had only ceased grinding grain in the early 1930s. Though a local group of preservationists had restored it as best they could with limited funds, it was still weather-worn in many places.