Chapter 4

Steve woke up with a long yawn the following morning. He turned to look at his girlfriend of three years, Asher. She was still sleeping soundly. The covers barely hid her nakedness to Steve's pleasure.

Steve silently got out of bed and hid his skin from the waist down in a towel. He then made his way to the bathroom, scratching and yawning. When he was done, he dried his hair and still with his towel on, he went into the living room. He turned on the TV to listen to the morning news.

"What would you like for breakfast, sweetie?" Asher joined him wearing only his shirt.

Asher's scratched her short red shaggy hair. Her large breasts were almost sticking out of the shirt that didn't hide her curves. Steve's blue eyes beamed back at her hazel ones in joy. He put his hand on her waist, and pinched her chin lovingly.

"Toast and two eggs with extra and I do mean extra beacon would be nice." his deep voice demanded with a grin.

Asher playfully pulled away and held her broad hips. She narrowed her eyes at Steve and then suddenly burst out laughing.

"Why are you laughing?" Steve asked her.

"Don't blame me if you get fat, Stevie. If you keep eating like this, you will be as fat as a cow." Asher answered in between her laughs.

"Can't a man eat extra beacon when he wants to?" Steve whined, but Asher went into the kitchen still laughing at him.

Steve was about to say something after her when the news began. He turned his attention away from Asher and onto the TV.

'Good morning city of Kansas. I am Michael Moon and our headliner this morning is... the body of a young woman identified as Whitney Stewart, was found in the woods by local campers."

Steve's heart dropped as his eyes widened in astonishment. He picked his glasses off the coffee table and put them on. Increasing the volume, he listened attentively just to be sure that his ears were not playing tricks on him.

'Sources say that the victim was brutally beaten and stabbed to death.' the reporter continued

Asher walked in smiling only to freeze puzzled by Steve's shock. He just stood motionless and stared at the TV as though he hypnotized. Asher wondered why and turned her attention to the TV. She gasped bedazzled to see a picture of Whitney on TV with the devastating headline.

"Whitney is dead?" she asked, her hand over her mouth.

"I can't understand how this happened to her. Why would anybody do this?" Steve sat down shattered.

"This is a cruel world." Asher slowly sat down on the couch and hugged herself in despair.

"I wonder how her sister is doing." Steve turned off the TV and wiped his forehead stressed. "I will go and check on her before I go to work." he resolved.

Asher nodded her head sympathetically. "Yes, it is best that you do." she remarked.

****

Mr. Martin sat at his desk, deep in thought with his arms crossed. He indeed felt awful that Whitney was dead. Despite her recklessness that almost put the firm in jeopardy, she was still an excellent lawyer. He intended on hiring her back after speaking to his fellow founders but now it was clear that it wasn't going to happen.

The firm was going to miss her. He was going to miss her.

Rose got into his office. Mr Martin was too lost in thought to notice her. Rose opened her mouth to say something but words couldn't come out. She slowly put the papers she brought with her on his desk and quietly walked out.

When she got into her office, she slowly sat on her couch. Her heart ached at Whitney's death. She and Whitney were rivals for as long as Rose could remember. She thought back to the times when they used to prank each other.

One time, Rose put shaving cream on Whitney's scones which resulted in a hilarious display of Whitney cussing at her. For revenge, Whitney poured itching powder on Rose's keyboard and desk.

Rose laughed softly when she remembered how much she scratched that day. Rose leaned back on her couch. She embraced the vivid memories of how they met flooding in.

It was a bright summer's day in Chicago. Rose, who was a tiny girl for an 8th grader, was going to her new school for the first time. She walked in the hallway feeling so nervous and scared.

Her thick red hair nearly covered most of her face but not her large glasses. Some older kids noticed her 'gigantic glasses' and started mocking her while others laughed. Things got worse when one mean blonde girl stepped in front of her and blocked her path.

"Well, isn't this cute? We have ourselves a newbie. Looks like she's got some ugly looking glasses." she said to the snickering hateful crowd.

She pulled out Rose's glasses and threw them to another girl who threw them to another and before Rose knew it, all the kids in the hall were tossing her glasses around. Rose helplessly squatted down and began to cry. The sound of her cries only made the other kids laugh even more. The mean blonde girl got the glasses back, and held them up.

"The cry baby wants her glasses back but I think I should break them. I mean, I will be doing her a favor." she laughed "She could use a new and better pair." she added with a smug.

The girl tightened her grip on the glasses. Another hand suddenly held her wrist and squeezed it hard. The mean girl turned and saw a tall biracial girl in dreadlocks behind her.

"While you are breaking the glasses, I will break your arm. Sounds like fun doesn't it?" the biracial girl asked her.

Everyone stopped laughing and backed away from the girls. Tension filled the air along with whispers. Due to the sudden silence, Rose lifted her head and with eyes full of tears, she looked at the girls in front of her.

The biracial girl squeezed the mean girl's hand so hard that she let out a sharp scream and let go of the glasses. They fell hard to the floor and broke. A teacher who was passing by choked on his coffee when he saw what was happening.

"Good god man, stop it!" he sternly yelled

Upon hearing him, the students scampered away scattering in different directions. The biracial girl let go of the mean girl. The mean girl ran to the teacher whining aloud to Rose's surprise. The other girl just rolled her light brown eyes.

"Mr. Brigs, I was just trying on this girl's glasses when Whitney attacked me." she lied with a pout and pointed an accusing finger at Whitney. "She always picks on me."

Mr. Briggs gritted his teeth and with a scowl he pointed furiously at Whitney who was just stood there with a blank look.

"You have detention for a week, young lady!" he yelled and angrily walked away. "Kids these days, why I never?" he complained to himself.

The mean girl gave a victory laugh. "That's what you get for trying to be a hero... bitch."

Whitney maintained her straight face. That only agitated the girl.

"Are you even listening to me?" she balled up her fists.

"Oh, you were talking to me? I apologize, it's just that I don't speak psycho bitch." Whitney smirked at her.

"How dare you?" she took a step closer.

Whitney crossed her arms and looked her dead in the eye. "Come near me and I'll beat you up." her eyes scanned the place and returned to the frightened blonde. "There aren't any teachers around to stop me and moreover, I already have detention. So what's it going to be, Carol?"

Carol backed away in fright. She stole a look at Rose who was still in tears on the floor. Carol glared at her and turned away in a haste.

Whitney picked up the broken glasses and walked to Rose. She knelt down and handed them to her.

"I'm sorry that they are broken." she scratched the back of her head with an awkward smile.

Rose wiped her tears and took them. "It's alright, you were only trying to help me." She put them on and Whitney chuckled. "Why are you laughing?" she asked, puzzled.

"You look funny with broken glasses on." Whitney answered and Rose faced down. "Oh come on, don't be like that. I take it back. I'm sorry." Whitney furrowed concerned.

Rose laughed softly, "You are the first person to be so nice to me in all the four schools I have attended. Thank you." she put on her spare glasses and extended her hand in greeting to Whitney. "My name is Rose Peterson." Rose introduced herself.

"Whitney Stewart," Whitney shook her hand.

From then on it was adventure to adventure. Whitney was the coolest girl Rose had ever known. She felt so lucky and happy to be her friend. Everything was going great until that one afternoon that changed their friendship forever.