The Promotion (by the Cover Chapter 1)

Rose

Outside the window, snowflakes seemed to stream down, flouncing through the air in every which way all at once, like little bits of white tissue paper. As beautiful as the fat crystals were, I felt the day's chill seep through the window panes. Getting up from the window seat, I was unsure what to do with myself on this rare day off from school. The sudden, muffled shrill of my mum's phone sounded from its place on her nightstand, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Rose dear," mum called from the bathroom, her voice sounding faint against the roar of the running water. "Can you get that for me?"

"Sure," I replied, the ringtone growing louder as I opened my mum's bedroom door. The phone was where it always was, on top of the nightstand next to the little dish where mum kept her jewellery.

It was Keith, her boss. "Hello?" He cleared his throat quite loudly on the other end of the line.

"Hello, Carol?"

"No sir, this is her daughter, Rose." I corrected gently.

"Oh right, Rose of course. How are you?"

"I'm good sir, thank you."

"Good, good, how is your school work? Your mum's always telling us how well you're doing."

"Good, we have midterm exams soon, then we're off for the Christmas holiday."

"Well I'm glad to hear it. Well please let your mum know that the corner office is all hers if she decided to takes my offer." Offer?

"Ok sir, I'll tell her," I replied politely.

"Thank you Rose, have a good day."

"Goodbye Mr Mathison."

"Goodbye Rose," he said cheerfully and I heard the line disconnect.

I set mum's mobile back down on the nightstand and stalked out of the room, not even bothering to close the door. I went and huddled sullen on my bed, any ideas of enjoying my lazy snow day disintegrating into anger. How could she do this to me, knowing how hard it has been for me these past few years? I wanted to scream and I really wanted to scream at her.

A few minutes later the water shut off and I got my chance.

"Who was it darling?"

"Mr Mathison," I tried to keep the edge out of my voice.

"What was so urgent?"

"He's trying to bribe you with a bigger office if you take his offer." I couldn't help but scowl. "Mum, what's he talking about?"

She tried to smile, but it wasn't very convincing. "I've been offered a promotion to be the lead reporter in the company's London office. I still have time before I have to give an answer, but this could be a really good opportunity."

Angry tears threatened to fall down my cheeks. "How long?"

"Five months."

I don't want to hear anymore, it was already too awful. I jumped off the bed and ran down the stairs.

"Rose wait," she pleaded, but I didn't. I flung open the front door and kept running. Even the snowy cold couldn't cool my rage.

Maybe it hadn't been the best idea to storm out in my pajamas, but mopping around the house all day would have been worst.

The frosted air stung my skin and my too-small snow boots pinched my toes so hard it brought tears to my eyes. I hoped they would just go numb.

My street lay buried under at least a foot of snow, so it didn't take long for the feeling to seep from my body. Window panes shone with fairy lights and street lamps glowed brightly against the grey sky, illuminating the icicles that hung from their bulbs. Cars stood in the street like silent soldiers standing guard, and other than the occasional harsh gust of wind, the street was completely still. Free from children playing manically, free from traffic speeding by. It seems strange for my road to be so peaceful. I stop for a minute to take it all in, knowing that this is a rare sight.

A frigid blast whipped my hair into my face, successfully shocking me into reality, so I keep trudging forward, only slightly aware that my pajama bottoms were soaked. Closing in on my destination, I counted down the houses. One. Two. Three.

I stood in front of the huge, detached house that truly towered over mine in comparison. The Victorian windows contrasted starkly with the house's modern interior, the rusty, red brick seeming dirty against pure, white snow.

A naked, cherry blossom tree stands guard in the lawn, stripped bare by the winter wind. My favourite part is the front door, handcrafted from beautiful oak, painted in the deepest royal blue, so well polished it reflects the tears still streaming down my face. My face looks red and blotchy from crying. I bang the knocker loudly with a numb hand. The door slides open, revealing a very worried Nathan.

"Rose, Jesus! What are you doing out there?" He asks concerned, spying my soaked pajama bottoms.

Nathan pulls me inside and into a tight hug, as if single-handedly trying return the warmth to my frozen body. A loud sob escapes me and I burst into tears.

"What's wrong? "Nathan asks, sounding quite alarmed as he lead me into the well-heated lounge, where I sat with a cup of tea and tried to calm down.

"My mum's moving us again!" I blubbered.

"Again?"

"Ya," I sniffed. "She got offered some sort of promotion, but if she takes it, we have to move to London." My dad had followed us for a long time after we left him when I was five, so we had to keep moving. I hardly ever had any friends. Well, until Nathan at least.

"But, you know you've always got me."

I nod the tiniest smile spreading across my lips. "Forever--"

"--and beyond."

I hug him tightly 'round the middle, so hard I can hear the air rush out of his lungs in a gasp, but he folds his arms around me even though my clothes are soaked. Despite me being considered pretty tall, my head doesn't even reach his shoulder.

"You wouldn't happen to have any dry clothes around here somewhere?" I ask soft, pulling away from the hug.

"Oh, right," the tone of his voice sounded like he's probably kicking himself for not offering earlier. "Just let me grab some. I'll be right back." As if I'll go anywhere. The cup in my hand is so warm and there's a fire going in the fireplace. I smile, knowing this is just what I needed.

Nathan disappears up the stairs, returning in a minute later with some clothes, obviously taken from his mum's wardrobe.

"Thanks," I say, gratefully taking the dry clothes.

Nathan nods, "I'll be here when you're done."

Hurrying into the powder room, I take a closer look at the clothes, unfolding them carefully before setting them aside. Stripping off every item of clothing apart from my underwear, I lay my wet clothes over the bathroom radiator, before slipping Nathan's mum's soft grey jumper over my head. It reaches all the way to my knees, sending a warm rush up my spine. I then step into the jeans, buttoning them up easily, feeling like a 30 something year old mother. Oh well, it's better than being in wet clothes.

From the lounge, I hear muffled yelling and cower against the door, afraid of getting myself in the middle of a very tense situation. Life in Nathan's house only seems to exist in two states—bitter hostility on the rare instances when his mum is home and relative peace when she's away. Now was one of the few times I've witnessed volatile reaction when both happen at once. I heard the sound of a door slam as it echoed through the huge house and find myself moving to hide in the corner of the bathroom. No, I scold myself, this is silly.

Quickly darting across the hallway into the lounge, I scoop up the discarded phone. There's a missed call. I call the voicemail.

Hi Nathan, it's mum. Sorry I can't make it home this year. I'm sure you will have a good Christmas with Rose. Love you darling and be sure to give my thanks to Rose and her mother, xx.

She chirped it in such a happy fashion that it enraged me to the core, how could she do this too him again, five years in a row now that Nathan has spent Christmas with us. I think it's about time she had one with her son, not that I don't love having him around, but she's his mother and pretty soon, if she doesn't step up, she will lose him.

"You bitch," I snarl, wanting to smash the phone and her message into little pieces. Hiding it in the cabinet, I slam the door behind me, my cheeks burning red with anger.Walking out into the hallway, I could see by his face that he'd already heard the message. I started to walk towards him, but he grabbed his coat and stormed out the back door.

I found him on the back patio, sitting on the step that leads down to the garden. With his head in his hand, he looks so small, so angry. As if sensing I'm there, Nathan stood up, but he didn't look at me. Instead, he darted towards the swings in the corner of the garden. The ones we used to play on when we were little. Not wanting to make things worse,anymore than they already had become,I hesitated before following him.

The snow stung my cheeks more aggressively than before as the feeling began to leave my body. Nathan sat alone on that rusty swing set, creaking every time it moved. The snowfall made the swings slippery, unusable, but I slide in next to Nathan anyway.

"Hey...you ok?" It seems like a stupid thing to ask, because he's obviously not.

He just keeps swinging.

"Im sorry about..."

"I'm used to it by now, ok."

Not sure what else to say, I said the first thing that came to mind. "Looks like you're with me," I blurted.

He doesn't say anything at first. "It's just, don't get me wrong...I love it round yours, but-"

"—you want your mum, I understand."

He meets my gaze for the first time since we left the house, he then lifts his gaze to mine.

"Thanks Rose." I nod, looking out at the beautifully snowy yard.

"Rose?"

"Ya?" I ask, getting a face full of snow.

Nathan laughs, flicking more snow at me."I can't believe you fell for that."

"Oh, you're dead now!" I tell him, gathering some snow, getting up for better aim.

"Now you've done it," Nathan joked, pushing me playfully backwards into the snow.

"Haha, very funny," I rolled my eyes, "Now help me up."

When Nathan offers me a hand, I take it, immediately pulling him down with me. Before he knows what's happening, he's lying face-down in the snow. He turns over, his face red from the sudden face plant.

"Ha, revenge is sweet!" I laugh.

"Rose?"

"Ya?"

"Thanks."

I grin, gazing up at the beautiful sky. "We had better go in before it gets dark."

"Ya," Nathan admits. He helps me up and putting an arm around my shoulder as we head back towards the house, a smile spreading even wider across my face.