A Bloodie Rose Chapter Twelve

"Rosetta?" Zero said, making me snap out of my dream.
"I was friends with Candace when we were younger?" I asked.
"Uh…" he said, not knowing what to say.
"I just remembered something from back then and I saw her there. It was her, right?"
"Yeah, it was her," he said.
"Was I friends with her?"
"Yes and no."
"What does that mean?"
"You were friends with her but that’s not the only thing you were," he said.
"I’m confused."

"You should be," he asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Ask Candace about what I mean. She wants to tell you. She told me not to," he said.
"Not to tell me what? I want to know," I said.
"Ugh. She’ll be home in a little bit," he said.
"Fine."
"Are you hungry?" he asked.
"No. Not really. I’m never hungry, really."
"I wonder why Mia thinks you’re anorexic," he said, sarcastically.
"It’s not my fault I’m never hungry."
He chuckled. "What happened to the girl I knew more than tens years ago who was always hungry?"

"She went on a long diet," I replied.
He laughed. "Yeah, of course she did."
"So…?" I said after a short silence.
"So…" he said, "Did I really have the most beautiful blue eyes?"
I blushed. "Fishing for complements?" I asked.
"Maybe… Well, did I?"
"You did. And you still do."
He chuckled. "Well, thank you… And you have the most beautiful brown eyes."
I smiled.
"Why is your skin still so pale?" he asked.
"Why is yours?"
"Being locked in a sunless underground city speaks for itself… So, why is your skin so pale?"

"I hate the sun."
He laughed. "You still do? Wow, you didn’t change much did you?"
"Probably not."
I heard a the rumble of a car from outside.
"Candace and Lukas are home," he said.
"School’s over, already?"
"Yeah," he said.
"Aw, that means I have to go home, right?"
"Wasn’t there something you wanted to ask Candace before you left?" he asked.
"Yeah. I was planning on asking her."
The door opened and standing there was my mother with Stephanie. "Come on, Rosetta, let’s go home."

Zero chuckled. "Worried?" he asked my mom.
"Why wouldn’t I be?" she replied.
He shrugged. "Are you worried about me or Jason hurting her?"
"Zero, I trust you with her. I don’t trust Candace—and you know why."
"Why don’t you trust her?" I asked.
"Rosetta remembers her," Zero said, ignoring me.
"And you?"
"Yeah. I told her after she told me she remembered."
She smiled.

I heard the front door shut and Candace called, "Rosetta? Are you still here?"
"Ye…" I started to say, but Zero covered my mouth with his hand.
"Don’t," he said.
He moved his hand and I said, "Why?"
"Because."
"But…"
"Rose, come on. We have to go," my mother interrupted.
"You lied," I said to Zero.
"How is that?"
"You told me I could ask…"
He covered my mouth again as he glanced at my mom. "Shh."
I removed his hand from my mouth and climbed down the ladder for the bed.

"Let’s go," I said.
"Okay," she said.
We went down the stairs. My mom tried to sneak us out quietly, trying to go unnoticed by Candace, but I ruined her quiet escape. I needed to know what Candace was to me. I needed to know why she was in my memory.
I made myself trip down the stairs and I slid across the floor and hit my head on the door—the front door—which was in front of the stairs.
"What was that?" I heard Candace asked Lukas from the living room.
"I don’t know," he replied.
They walked into the den and over to me, my mom, and Stephanie.
"Hey, Rosetta," Candace said. She glanced up at my mother with a fake smile on her face.
"Hi, Rosetta… Stephanie… Juliette," Lukas said.
Candace elbowed him in the ribs. He sighed.
"Candace, I need to ask you a question," I said.

"Rosetta, not right now," my mom said.
"Yes, right now. I need to know. Candace, what were you to me when we were living in France? I know you were there and Zero wouldn’t tell me."
She looked surprised by the question. "You didn’t tell her yet?" she yelled at my mom.
"N-no," she replied.
"Are you embarrassed by me?" she asked, her voice broken.
"No, Candi, darling. I love you, but I couldn’t have you near Rosetta while you were so unstable with the disease," she said.
"Rose, what are they talking about?" Stephanie whispered in my ear.
"I don’t know, honey. I really do not know."
"You couldn’t bring yourself to tell her about me though! You told her about Stephen!"

"This has nothing to do with your brother! I couldn’t tell her that—I didn’t even know that she had forgotten about you," my mom said.
"What the hell are you guys talking about?" I yelled as I stood up, "And how is Stephen her brother when he’s… Mine… Wait, are we… Sisters?"
Candace smiled. "I didn’t tell her a thing, Mother," she said, "Rosetta, we aren’t just sisters, we’re twins."
I looked up at her in shock. "How… How did I not remember… How could I forget…?"
"You were too young," she said.
"How could you not tell me?" I asked my mother.
Then Zero came down the stairs and stood behind me.
"I-I didn’t want you to think I had being lying to you…" she said.
"You were never going to tell me?" I asked.
"No, she wasn’t. That’s why she didn’t want you alone with me—so I couldn’t tell you," Candace said.

"That’s not true…" my mother argued.
"Yes it is! You can lie all you want but I know you never would have told her!" Candace interrupted, "And I have one more thing to say!"
"No! Please don’t, Candace," my mother pleaded.
"Oh, I will," she said, "Stephen isn’t dead—he’s living with Dad in Paris! And the reason she told you that her and Dad were separated was a lie! He has the C.I.D and that’s why Stephen and I have it! And that’s why you have dreams that tell the future!"
I froze. What else did my mom lie to me about? Tell the future in my dreams?
"So, that dream I’ve been having is really going to happen?"
"Yes," she said.
"Candace!" Zero yelled, "Why didn’t you say that to me?"

She laughed. "Because maybe I want her to die! Maybe I hate her and Sam for not getting the disease like me!"
I remembered something she had said when we were younger… You need to pull the water, Rose, control it. The power to control it might save your life one day.
She lunged towards me.
I saw two vases to the sides of me that were filled with water. I stretched my arms to the sides and pulled the water from them and flattened it in front of me. I closed my hands into fists and the water froze.
Candace slammed her body against it and the force almost cracked it.
"Damn it," Zero said, "Luke, do something!"
Candace held her hands out in front of her and touched the ice with her palms. The ice melted and the water spilled over the floor.

Zero grabbed me and turned around, so that his back was facing Candace.
"How the hell did you remember how to do that?" he asked.
"I-I don’t know, I don’t even know how I did that at all," I said, "What is going on with her?"
"It’s not Candace—it’s Jason," he said.
"What? How…?"
"Jason has the ability to shape-shift into anyone or anything," he explained.
"Oh…"
He turned to Stephanie and my mom. "Get out of here, now."
Stephanie nodded and ran out the door.
"What about Rose…?" my mom started.
"I got her. She’s safer with me—sorry," he said.
"Okay," she said and followed Stephanie out.

He pressed his lips to mine briefly. "Stay."
"Where are you going?" I asked.
"I’m helping Lukas."
He pushed me against the wall, so I was farther away from Jason/Candace.
"Be careful," I whispered.
He smiled and ran off towards Luke and Jason/Candace. I had no idea what to call him/she since he/she was both Jason and Candace… It was so confusing.
Lukas had Jason/Candace in choke hold and Candace’s body glowed white and then morphed into Jason’s body.

Zero pulled a box of matches from his jeans’ pocket and lit one of them on the box. He took in a deep breath and then blew the fire out and it came out like a dragon breathing fire. It was amazing. But, right before the fire hit Jason, he disappeared.
"Damn," Zero said.
"How long was Candace gone?" Lukas asked.
"I don’t know… Probably since that first encounter in the woods when we saved Rose… Why?" Zero said.
"Gross."
Zero laughed. "What? Did you kiss Jason, thinking it was Candace?"
"I think I’m going to throw up," Lukas said.
Zero laughed again.
"Did you know?" Lukas asked.

"Yeah."
"Why didn’t you tell me?" he asked.
"I needed to keep it quiet about it and you needed to act normal or else he’d think something was up."
"Where is Candace?" I asked.
"Where ever Jason is hiding…" Zero trailed off.
"In my tree house," I said.
"I know," he said.
"We need to go get her," Lukas said.
"No. Not now. She’ll be guarded by Jason—really tightly right now. Later," Zero said.
"But I…" Lukas started.

"I know you want to see her and you miss her, but it’s best for her if we just wait," Zero said.
"Was Jason telling the truth before about everything?" I asked.
"Yes," Zero said.
"Why didn’t my mom tell me?"
"She wanted to protect you from all of this… She only did it because she loves you," he said.
"But, my brother… My dad… Candace…"
"I know," he said, and then paused before he said, "You do know Louis is your dad’s brother right?"
"Wait, what?"
"You didn’t even know that?" he asked.
"No…"

"Wow…" he said.
"She could have told me that," I said.
"I guess she just wanted what she thought was best," he said.
"You know my dad, don’t you?"
"Yeah," he replied.
"What’s he like?"
"He’s a great guy. He’s a dentist in France—one of the best around. He has total control of the disease now, so he can have a job that involves being around humans now… And he always talked about you and your sisters all the time with me and Stephen," he replied.

"You know Stephen, too?"
"Yeah, of course I do."
"What’s he like?" I asked.
"You don’t remember?"
"No," I replied.
"He helps your dad out at his office, but he wants to be doctor like me. And he misses the three of you a lot."
"I want to go see them."
"Over the summer—I promise. You know I always keep my promises," he said.
"That’s so far away, though," I complained.
"I know, but you can’t really go any other time… My parents probably wouldn’t let you come if it was only a week that I was gone… The whole summer makes sense."

"But, my mom might not let me leave the whole summer… I mean, she’s not going to see me all year—I’m going to be in college."
"I’m hoping we get rid of Jason before that," he said.
"Why?"
"I love hanging out with you all day and everything, but I kind of want to go to a doctor’s college—instead of a life science one," he said.
"I’m sure they have medical classes there."
"Yeah, but I need the same classes as you," he said.
"Oh… Sorry…?"
He chuckled. "Don’t worry about it.
"Can’t I sleep at your house? I mean, I let you sleep at mine," I said.
"I don’t think that argument would go smoothly with your mom," Zero replied.
"Are you going to stay at my house again tonight then?"
"Don’t I always?" he asked.
"When do you sleep?" I asked, randomly.

He chuckled. "I don’t need sleep with the disease. But, I am able to sleep—I just don’t need to."
"That sounds nice…" I said.
"I guess, it would be a lot more fun if I had someone to spend the time with."
"I wish I could stay up all night with you, so you wouldn’t be bored, but I need sleep," I said.
"I know you do. I wish you could, too."
He parked the car in my driveway.
"I’ll see you in the house?" I asked.
"Let me walk you to the door."
"But…"
"I should be a gentleman—it would be rude to just let you walk by yourself and Jason could be lurking around the front door," he said.

"Fine."
We walked up the wooden steps, across the stones in the lawn used for a walkway. I opened the front door and stepped inside.
"See you in a few minutes," I said and kissed him on the cheek.
"Love you," he said.
"Love you, too," I replied.
I shut the storm door and the regular door, locking them both.
"Hey, Mom," I said as I saw her sitting at the kitchen table with Louis.
"Rosetta!" she called and ran down the hall to wrap her arms around me.
"I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you about everything with your father and Stephen and Candace," she said.

"Don’t worry about it. I knew you were just trying to protect me. But, I wish you did tell me about it."
"I know."
"Why didn’t you ever tell me Louis and Dad are brothers?" I asked.
"Half-brothers," Louis corrected, "Who told you that?"
I looked away from him. "Mom? Why?"
"Who told you?" she asked.
"Was it that flesh-devouring, gothic kid?" Louis asked.
"Shut up! I don’t care what the hell you have to say! If you’re talking about Zero, then yes he told me!" I yelled.
"You need to stay away from that kid," he said.
"You can’t tell me what to do."
"I’m the man of this house. I keep food on the table. You obey my rules!" Louis yelled.

"Yeah, like I’m going to stay away from the one person who makes me actually feel like my life isn’t a waste," I said.
I turned and walked up the stairs and into my room, slamming the door behind me.
My kitten was lying on my bed stretched out across the pillow.
"Zero, are you in here?" I said, calling for the real one—not the cat. Tears were streaking down my face. I hated fighting and for some reason I always cried like a baby afterwards.
My kitten glowed white just like Jason had and my heartbeat quickened. The light formed the shape of a man. The man’s face looked just like Zero’s.
"J-Jason?"
"What? Oh, no, Rose it’s me—Zero. I can shape-shift, just like him," he said.
He stood up and took a step towards me. I took a step back.
"Stay away from me."

"Rosetta, please, it’s me," he said.
"How do I know that?"
He sighed in aggravation.
I heard footsteps in the hallway and a light glowed around Zero’s body and he changed back into my kitten again.
My mother opened the door and stepped inside.
"What?" I asked.
"Rosetta, I need to talk to you," she said.
"Okay, talk."
"Alone," she said and stared at my cat.

My kitten changed back into Zero and he said, "No problem. I’ll be upstairs." Then, he disappeared.
"Why is he going in the attic?" I asked.
"Not important right now," she said, "You need to be a little nicer to Louis. He helps put food on the table and he helps pay for this house. You need to treat him with some respect, Rosetta. I’ve been letting it slide for the years, but now it’s getting worse and worse. You have to realize that he is partially your father. Why can’t you respect him like Sam?"
"Are you kidding? Do you hear what Sam says about him when he’s not around?"
"Yes. But at least she doesn’t yell at him. She tries to be nice to him," my mom said, "… And in return he is nice to her."
"Even if I was nice to him, he still would have told me to stay away from Zero."

"Even as true as that might be, you might have been able to convince him to respect that he was your friend," she said.
"Yeah, right."
She sighed. "I’m trying to make you like him as much as you possibly could, so please…"
"I already like him as much as I possibly could," I said.
She turned around and left my room, shutting the door behind her.
Then, Zero appeared back in the room again.
"Stay back," I said.
"Rose, stop it. It’s me."
He came closer to me, so fast that I couldn’t get out of the way. He pinned my hands back against the wall behind my bed and he was leaning over me.

"Let go," I said.
He shook his head.
"Why?"
"Because, I have to prove it is me, not Jason," he said.
"How…?" I started.
"Shh."
He pressed his lips to mine, passionately. I felt the spark between our lips just like before and I knew it was Zero not Jason at that moment. He pulled away and we just looked into each other’s eyes for a long time.
"Do you believe me?" he finally said.
"Yes."
"Good," he replied.
"Why did you go in the attic before?"
"Come on, I’ll show you," he said.
He pulled me up off the bed with him. He pulled me to my closet door and opened it.
"Uh… What are you doing?" I asked.

"Look at the ceiling—do you see anything?"
I looked up and saw a normal white ceiling. "No."
"Look closer—do you see lines that form a square?"
I squinted into the shaded ceiling and saw the lines he was talking about. "Whoa… When did those get there?"
"It’s been there since you’ve moved here."
"Really?" I asked.
"Yeah… There’s a hidden room up there."
"That’s so cool… How did I not know that?"
He chuckled. "Because if you did, then you would have found me while I was watching you."
"You stay up there?"
"While you get ready for school—you should be happy about that," he said.
"Yeah… That was basically the only reason I was mad at you for watching me…"
He laughed.
"Can I see it?"
"Yeah," he said, "Let me get the rope so you can climb up."

He reached up and pushed the square and it flipped up and over onto the attic floor. He grabbed the rope and dropped it down for me.
"You’re really tall," I said.
"You just noticed that?"
"Well, most people are taller than me, so I don’t really notice when someone is really tall or just taller than me unless they show off how tall they are," I laughed.
He smiled.