Their Little Rose

As I practically lie on top of my suitcase to close the zipper, I hear a catcall whistle behind me. I look over my shoulder, where Chris fills my doorway. He leans his large body against the doorframe, and his eyes roam over me and my situation.

“Are you just going to stand there, or could you maybe give me a hand?” I ask him, letting out a little huff of air. After packing and repacking over the last few hours, I’m all sweaty.

“I’ll just watch the show for now,” he says with a smirk, before someone shoves him from behind so he all but falls into my bedroom.

“Stop being an ass,” Samuel’s deep voice says before he comes over to help me put weight on the suitcase so I can get the zipper closed all the way. Samuel is my foster brother slash best friend.

I sink back on my heels, thanking Samuel for his help.

Samuel looked around at my suitcases, bags and backpack. “Are you sure you have everything, little Rose? Maybe you need to borrow a suitcase or two from me?” he asked sarcastically.

“Ha ha, very funny. And very original to comment on how much luggage a girl packs.” I snapped back.

This is the first time I’m moving since I came here five years ago. And when I got here all I had was the clothes on my body. So, this is the first time I’m moving, and I was afraid to miss something. Hence the overpacking.

Samuel reached out to me and tugged me to my feet, and immediately wrapped to long, warm arms around my slender body.

“Don’t,” I started to push him away. “I’m a mess, and I probably smell like a dead rat.”

But I had no chance of matching his strength, so when he pulled me against him again I fell into his body.

“You know I’m just messing with you. If you want to you could bring this whole room,” he said while resting his head on top of mine. “I’m just glad you are joining us this year. I have missed you.”

I couldn’t help melting into his embrace and leaning my head against his hard chest. My ear resting against his beating heart. I have missed him too. And the guys, Chris and Nox.

When they left for Exter Prep three years ago, I stayed behind here. I was supposed to go after them a year later, when it was my turn to start high school. But Camilla, my foster mom, wanted me to stay here to be homeschooled. She wasn’t ready to send me away, and maybe I wasn’t ready either.When I moved here at the age of twelve my education was a sad history of switching schools and missing classes. But after being homeschooled by top tutors for the last five years I was up to par, and ready to join my peers. So this year I was actually going to school for the first time in years, and the school was a boarding school, so I was moving away from the safety of my sanctuary.

“I missed you to. But remember what you promised me.” I took a small step back to be able to look into his eyes.

“You agreed that I could be my own person. That I could make my own friends and not loiter around the three of you all year.”

I knew Samuel and the guys didn’t exactly agree, but they had promised me some space at the school.

Without answering me Samuel nodded towards the suitcases, and both he and Chris took it upon themselves to carry them downstairs.

When I was alone in my room I sank down at the bed. Thinking back to the beginning of summer and why I now needed some assurance of space.

__

Samuel and I lounged by the pool, while he was drawing patterns on my arm. Chris and Nox were in the pool, tossing a ball back and forth.

When Samuel’s phone went off he snatched it from where it lay in the shade under the sunlounges. “Party tonight at Tate’s,” he announced high enough for us all to hear him.

My ears perked up. “Jenny texted, and supposedly Tate’s parents are out of town all weekend. This could get wild,” Samuel elaborated. The guys spent about 0.5 seconds deliberating before deciding to go.

Samuel quickly shot off a reply, before his hands went back to caressing mine. When his phone went off again he just ignored it.

But when the buzzing didn’t stop I nudged him. “Aren’t you going to answer Jenny?”

“Why would I, when I have my favorite girl right here?” he asked playfully.

“Oh, I’m your favorite? Then I’m sure you would like me to come with you to Tate’s.”

Camilla wasn’t the only one who didn’t want me partying. Samuel had never invited me to go along, and when I had asked previously, he usually shrugged me off with some lame excuse.

Before Samuel could answer Chris yelled from the pool. “Yes! Little sis is going to get wasted.”

“No, she is not.” Both Samuel and Nox protested.

Chris hoisted his body out of the water. Water droplets ran down is pecs and abs. He looked excitedly at Samuel.

“But she is going to come with us? To the party? Pleeease!”

I couldn’t help but join in. “Pretty please” I asked while bashing my eyelashes and pouting my lips at Samuel.

His eyes darted down to my lips before they met mine again.

“Do you promise to stay by one of our sides all night?”

“Yes.”

“Do you promise not to drink?”

“Yes.”

“Do you promise to do as I tell you?”

“Ye… well, maybe. It depends on what you ask.”

He tried to look strict, but I could see the twitch in the corner of his lips. He couldn’t quite hide his amusement.

“Fuck it, you can come.”

I squealed in delight and heard Chris’ “Hell yeah” and to a little happy dance.

Nox had made his way over to us by now and leaned over me. “You better behave, Nuisance” he said with is fake-stern-voice.

In the beginning I was afraid his nickname for me was a not-so-discreet-hint that he didn’t like having his best friends foster sister following them around like a puppy. But now the way he said it made my insides churn in a good way.

With all the boys crowded around me, and none of them wearing anything other than swim trunks there was a lot of testosterones in the air, and I would be lying if I said it didn’t do something to me. But instead of unwrapping that piece of information I jumped to my feet.

“See you later, alligator’s” I chirped.

“Where are you off to?” Samuel asked.

“To find an outfit obviously. What kind of party is it? What does the other girls usually wear?”

I saw the boys exchanging glances.

“Mostly people dress casually,” Samuel said. “Like jeans and comfortable clothes.”

“Yeah, and it can get cold,” Nox added. “Because we often stay outside. So, I would wear a hoodie.”

Chris looked a bit confused at them, and to be honest so did I. I had wanted to dress up.

“I was thinking more of a dress or a skirt. Oh. I got a cute skirt last week when I went shopping with Camilla.”

“No,” Samuel interrupted. “That would be too dressed up. Trust me.”

And the thing is that I do trust Samuel. So, I found myself agreeing.

__

When we neared the party, I fidgeted with the sleeves of my hoodie. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little bit anxious for this. Nox and Samuel talked amongst themselves in the front. Chris and I sat in the back, but he texted away on his phone, all the while singing along to the music blasting through the speakers.

When we pulled to a stop along the curb I looked up at the house that would be tonight’s party central. It was a fairly large two-story house, and people were crowding the front porch.

Before I could get out of the car Samuel was opening my door for me.

“Remember the rules, little Rose,” he said as he grabbed my hand and tugged me along with him. “You are always within sight of one of us.”

“Yeah yeah, I remember.”

Samuel didn’t let go of my hand but held it while we approached the house. Some people greeted the boys, with shouts or just that slight lift of the chin.

Suddenly a shrieking voice rang out in front of us.

“Saaammyyy!”

It was Jenny. And she ran towards him and threw herself at him. He had to let go of my hand to catch her as she jumped up and hooked her legs around his hips. I could almost see her underwear in the ridiculously short skirt she was wearing.

When I looked around, I could see all the girls wore short skirts, low-cut tops or pants that were so tight that they looked painted on.

“What the fuck?” I turned to Nox on my left side, slapping him in the shoulder. “Everyone is dressed up, Nox. Why would you tell me to wear casual clothes?”

He just smirked, shrugged and bopped me on the nose with his index finger.

“Because we could, Nuisance.”

Fuck him. I turned and stomped up the porch steps. But before I made it to the door an arm slung around my shoulders, tugging me into a hard body.

“Don’t mess this up, little sis. I want to party with you,” Chris leaning in and said against my ear. Then we were engulfed in people and music. I could feel the music vibrating through my body.

Chris guided us through the living room, and into the kitchen. There people stood in small groups talking, drinking and laughing. A lot of people greeted Chris, and he had smiles and helloes to everyone. But not once did his arm slip from around my body.

I recognized some of the faces, but no names came to mind.

Chris introduced me to a group of guys standing near the keg. One of them was Tate, the owner of the house. He had dark ruffled hair and was almost as tall as Chris.

“Nice to meet you, Rose,” Tate said. “The guys have kept you under lock and key long enough.” His eyes swiped quickly down my body, but I couldn’t get a read on what he thought of what he saw.

When a beer bottle suddenly appeared in front of me, I looked up to meet the eyes of another guy. “Would you like a drink?” he asked with a two-dimpeled-smile. Before I could respond Chris tugged my whole body back against his front and put both his arms protectively around me.

“Hell no. No beer for little sis. Samuel would kill you,” Chris said to the cute guy. I could see the guy visibly cringe. “And then he would kill me,” Chris added solemnly.

“Can I at least get a soda?” I asked over my shoulder. Looking right up in Chris’s warm eyes.

Chris gave an affirmative nod, and suddenly Cute guy was offering me an unopened can of soda.

“Thanks,” I smiled and took the can. Our fingers touched for an instant, but once again Chris tugged me backwards. I could feel his warm breath against my ear and he said with a low growled voice, “behave.” Then he took what was supposed to be my beer, and chugged it to the guys loud amusement.

Chris talked some more with the guys. Mostly about hockey. I drank my soda and exchanged a few more smiles with Cute guy.

When a group of girls came into the kitchen Chris gave each of them a one-armed hug, seeing as the other arm was still wrapped around me.

One of the girls, a long-legged blonde, leaned into Chris to whisper something in his ear. She ran her hand suggestively down his arm, while talking to him. I couldn’t hear what she said, but I heard his response. “I’m on babysitting duty. Find me later, babe.”

What the actual fuck? Babysitting-duty-my-ass.

I turned to get Chris’ attention. “I’m going to find Nox.”

Chris looked at me for a second, but then one of the guys yelled something about beer pong, and his concentration was waning.

I seized the opportunity and made my escape. Fuck him if he thought I would go from one babysitter to the next.

In the living room there were a lot of people, but luckily none of my keepers.

Most of the people here were dancing, and I felt like getting lost in the crowd. I tugged my hoodie over my head and headed into the crowd.

I love to let music guide my body. And in this dimly lit room, surrounded by others, I let myself let loose. My jeans were loose enough to let my body move the way I wanted to. And my tight-fitting white camisole made me feel a little more dressed up.

Suddenly someone was in my space. Right in front of me.

I looked up finding Cute guy smiling down at me. The music really didn’t make conversations easy, but I found that dancing with him didn’t require talking. We didn’t really touch each other, just danced, smiled and laughed together.

I felt his fingers against mine, and I became acutely aware of him and his body. He stepped in a little closer and ensnared his fingers in mine. If I wanted, I could remove my hand at any time, but I liked it. His warm fingers against mine.

He felt different. I was used to Samuel and the guys touching me. But this was something new. Someone who didn’t just see me as a little sister, or a platonic friend – but who liked me as a girl.

He leaned in and talked right in my ear. It was the only way I could hear him over the music. “You’re so freaking hot.” His words were accompanied by his fingers gliding up the sides of my camisole. Dangerously close to the underside of my breasts. That made me take a step back and I crashed into a hard body.

Before I could step away a warm large hand snaked over my abdomen, holding me in place. And I could see Cute guy looking at the guy behind me and immidiatly backing away.

“Little Rose. What the hell do you think you’re doing?” A deep voice said directly into my ear. It made a whole body shiver rake through me.

Samuel didn’t let go of me while I turned to face him. Holding our bodies together. He just looked at me at shook his head slightly.

The next second he hauled me through the living room while fishing out his phone. I could see him texting something before I shoved in back in his pocket.

Once we were outside and not in the thick of the crowd, he upped his pace. His long strides made my stumble over my feet.

“Wait up, Samuel. You are ridiculous.” I tried to protest.

No answer.

“Samuel, don’t ignore me.”

No answer.

“It’s a party. You are supposed to have fun.”

No answer.

“I was just dancing.”

That made him stop abruptly. “You weren’t just dancing,” he seethed. “You were dancing with fucking Thomas. He had his hands all over you for fucks sake.”

So Cute guy was Thomas.

At that time Nox and Chris came towards us. Nox a few feet ahead of Chris, because well fuck me, Chris was rebuttoning his pants while walking over. So I couldn’t dance with a guy. But he could manwhore his way through the party. Double standards much?

“We’re going home.” Samuel said with no room for discussion.

In the car Samuel updated the guys on what had happened. Nox didn’t give anything away. But Chris clenched his hands and looked ready to throw a punch.

I nudged him with my foot, making him look over at me. “You have my permission to punch Samuel for ruining your hook up,” I whisper conspiratorially to him.

“Oh, little sis,” Chris answered. “You think I’m mad because I couldn’t get my dick wet?” I cringe at his blatant words and he continues. “No, I’m livid because Thomas fucking touched you. If we didn’t want to get you straight home we would go back there and show him what happens when he touches what’s ours?”

I’m appalled by his words. Did he just threatened violence, and call me “theirs”?

The rest of the way home we all stewed in our anger. And the next day none of us brought it up, and I didn’t ask to go with them again.

I sighed as I hauled myself of my bed. Time to get moving. Next stop would be Exter Prep. And heres to hoping the guys respect my wishes for some space.