THESE ARE THE TIMES
Chapter Three

It was Monday, and the hallways of Preston High School were crowded with students going to their classes. Rose was closing her locker when Samantha and Katrina cornered her.

"We saw you on TV Saturday." Samantha crossed her arms. "Why didn’t you tell us you were going down there? We would have gone with you."

"Because I wasn’t planning to go down there. It just happened." Rose giggled. She knew she wouldn’t hear the end of it. "Besides…I wasn’t alone. I was with someone."

"Don’t tell me." Samantha waved her hands excitedly. "You were on a hot date with Caledon Hockley. Am I right?"

"Ew…no. In his dreams. No, I wasn’t out with Cal. And it wasn’t a date…not exactly, that is. I was out with Jack Dawson."

"You mean Heather Dawson’s cousin?" Katrina asked in disbelief. "How did you manage that one?"

"We met in the park, went to lunch, and the rest of the day we spent together." Rose shrugged. "And he listened to me. Really listened."

Samantha laughed. "Girl, you’ve got it bad. I think you’re in love."

Rose smiled. "Maybe."

"Well, don’t expect to see him again. When Heather finds out, she’ll change his mind." Katrina shook her head.

"I don’t know, Kat. We exchanged numbers, plus we’re going to a movie Friday evening. This may be the start of a wonderful relationship."

Meanwhile, at Titan High School

Jack and his group stood just outside the cafeteria. The group was abuzz about Jack’s hot date the other day.

"We’re just friends," Jack once again insisted, while his friends laughed and poked fun at him.

"That’s not the vibe I was getting, boyo. I think you two are head over heels for each other. She even resisted my charms, and that says a lot." Tommy nodded. "Especially when I offered her a tour, and you were glaring daggers at me."

"That’s because I know how you are with girls, Tommy. You’re into them one minute. Then, the next, you move on. I don’t want to see my friend get hurt like that." Jack shrugged.

"What are you guys talking about now?" Heather approached them.

"Jack’s date the other day." Fabrizio laughed.

"It wasn’t a date!" Jack growled. "We’re just friends."

"Oh, yes. You and the mysterious Rose." Heather rolled her eyes. She had tried to get more information out of her cousin about his mystery girl, but kept coming up empty.

"Yeah. Tell us about this Rose DeWitt-Bukater, Jack. From what I’ve seen, she’s quite a catch." Tommy crossed his arms and leaned against his locker.

"Rose DeWitt-Bukater? Wait a minute. She’s the girl from Preston. I knew she sounded familiar." Heather narrowed her eyes.

"Yes, she does go to Preston, and we’re just friends. That’s it. Why is everyone making such a big deal out of this?"

"Because it’s been six months since Megan moved away and broke up with you. Ever since, it’s been like pulling teeth to get you to even look at another girl. Now, all of a sudden, out of the blue, you’re seen with Rose," Fabrizio explained. "Don’t get us wrong. Tommy and I are glad you’re moving on. We just can’t resist teasing you a little."

"But really, Jack, you should be going out with a girl from our school. The girls from Preston have their nose stuck in the air too much," Heather said.

"Rose isn’t like that. She’s the most down-to-earth person I’ve met. And, Heather, I suggest you wait to meet her and get to know her before passing judgment on her like that. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have World Civilization to get to," Jack scolded his cousin before pushing past his friends to get to his next class.

"Yep. He’s got it bad if he tells us off like that." Tommy nodded.

"I think it’s time to have a talk with this Rose." Heather unhappily looked after her departing cousin.

*****

School was over, and Rose and her friends were at the mall, shopping for new shoes. They were entering the food court when Heather approached them.

"Rose, we need to talk." She crossed her arms.

"Rose has nothing to say to you." Samantha stepped in front of her friend. She knew there would be trouble sooner or later, and she was prepared.

"Well, I have something to say to her. I know how you Preston girls work. You flirt with guys, then dump them when someone better comes along, and I will not see you do that to my cousin."

"Number one, Jack and I are just friends, Heather. Number two, I have never and would never do that to anyone. Number three, you don’t know me, so you can’t stand there and pass judgment on someone you know nothing about. And four, if Jack wants to be my friend, or anything else, for that matter, that’s our business, not yours. So, I suggest you stick your nose in someone else’s business." Rose angrily stood her ground. She wasn’t going to let Heather scare her away that easily.

"Jack is my business, especially now that he’s finally gotten over a bad breakup. I’m not letting you break his heart again."

"Listen, you two. Can we just sit down and have a civilized conversation about this?" Katrina stepped in. She could see that her friend was heading for trouble. "Listen, Rose. Why don’t you just agree not to see Jack anymore, and leave it at that?"

"Because Jack’s my friend, Katrina, and I don’t run out on friends. You know that! I’m not going to start now!"

"Hey, Heather, Rose. What’s going on?" Tommy slid in between the two angry girls, who were glaring daggers at one another.

"Tell your friend here to mind her own business." Rose glared one last time at Heather before allowing Samantha and Katrina to lead her away.

"Heather, what did you do?" Tommy asked, staring at his friend.

"I just told her in so many words to stay away from my cousin. I don’t want to see Jack hurt again."

"They’re just friends, Heather. Plus, Saturday was the first time in a while that I saw Jack really happy. I suggest you just leave them alone and let Jack take his own tumbles."

Heather sighed, shaking her head. "You may be right, Tommy. But I can’t help but worry about Jack. He just moved here two years ago. He’s not even a true New Yorker. It’s so easy to hurt him."

"Well, don’t you think you’re hurting him by trying to convince Rose to end their friendship? I think you are."

"Shut up, Tommy, and mind your own business," Heather growled, stomping off towards the exit. Tommy shook his head. If Heather wasn’t careful, she’d lose her cousin.

*****

Jack was up in his room, staring blankly at his portfolio, when Heather arrived for another visit. It had been two years since her Aunt Sarah and her cousins moved to New York, and their house was still her favorite place to be.

"Jack! Chrissie! Aunt Sarah!" Heather called as she entered the house in search of her cousins. It had been a long day, and a bit of fun, which she always had with Jack and Chrissie, was just what she needed. She walked into Jack’s room, and her eyes lit up. "There you are. I thought no one was here. What are you doing?"

"Nothing. I just got a phone call from Tommy," Jack said, closing his portfolio, since he was getting nowhere in the way of inspiration anyway. To say he wasn’t too happy was an understatement. He had a thing or two to say to his cousin.

"Really? What did he want?"

"He said that you had a little conversation with Rose at the mall today. Something along the lines of stay away from your cousin…" Jack glared at her.

"Jack, listen…"

"Heather, I don’t know, nor do I care, what you have against the kids from Preston. It’s really none of my business."

"Jack…"

"But it is my business when you start harassing and threatening my friends, and that’s what Rose is. A friend. Whatever your beef with Preston is, Rose is out of it. Starting now. You don’t talk to her, you don’t approach her, or anything else, unless it’s to apologize and be nice to her. Is this in anyway unclear?"

"No, Jack. It’s not. Listen, I was just looking out for you. I don’t want to see you get hurt again. That’s what will happen if you keep this thing with Rose up. I know these girls, Jack. They hurt people. They get off on hurting people."

"Rose is not like that, Heather, for the thousandth time. I mean it. Leave her and her friends alone. Understand?"

Heather nodded, looking at the floor.

"Good."

"Are you mad at me?" Heather meekly asked.

Jack shrugged. "No. Just annoyed. You don’t have to leave or anything. Mom and Chrissie will be back any minute now. They’d like to see you."

"Okay, then. I’ll stay." Heather shrugged, sitting down and grabbing his portfolio. She happened to open it to a sketch of Rose in the gazebo at Preston. "Just a friend, huh?"

"She’s easy to sketch, okay?" Jack snatched the portfolio back.

Heather just laughed. "Keep telling yourself that, Jack. I just hope you know what you’re doing."

"I do. Don’t worry." Jack shook his head at his cousin’s overprotectiveness.

"So! What are you up to Friday night? How about you and me go to the Bowling Star? You still have to beat my record. Come on, Jack. Tommy and Fabri will be there, too."

"Well…I kind of have plans."

"Plans? And what are these plans?" Heather placed her hands on her hips.

"Rose and I are going to catch a movie. But we can stop by afterwards, though."

"You really are serious about pursuing this girl, huh?" Heather sighed in defeat. From the look of things, her cousin was determined to date the girl from Preston whether she approved or not.

"I’m not pursuing her. This is just two friends going to a movie and having fun. That’s all. We’ll meet you guys at the Bowling Star afterwards, okay?"

Heather shrugged. "Fine. Besides, it’ll give me a chance to really see what Miss DeWitt-Bukater is really made out of."

"Heather," Jack warned.

"What? I just meant that I was going to get to know the girl who has enraptured my cousin and inspires his beautiful artwork. That’s all."

Jack laughed. "Yeah, right."

"Really."

"Uh-huh. Sure." Jack got to his feet. "Just be nice to her. If you can’t say anything nice, then don’t say anything at all."

Heather rolled her eyes. "Of course. I guess you’re going to call her now and apologize for my horrid behavior?"

"No. I wasn’t going to call her. I was going to call Fabri and tell him to keep you busy Friday night while I have my date with Rose." Jack laughed, earning a playful punch from his cousin.

"Joker," she growled.

Chapter Four
Stories