Rose Bridges

Fifty eight

Carmen
November

"That guy is gonna make me lose my hair," Ivy grumbles under her breath as I walk next to her down the path from the building where our debate team meetings are held.

I chuckle. "He reminds me so much of the guys on my high-school debate team that harassed the hell out of me."

She blows a straight piece of brown hair out of her face and rolls her eyes. "Don't even get me started. They pretended I didn't even exist in school."

I smile and glance around the pretty campus and the red and brown leafy trees that cover the land. "They only pretended I didn't exist after one of them hit me and got sent to prison," I reply with a shrug and smile.

Her blue eyes widen and she looks at me with shock. She clutched her books tighter to her dark blue sweater vest and brown jacket. "Oh my," she whispers.

"Don't worry," I begin. "My boyfriend who was also in prison at the time attacked him."

Her mouth drops open but an amused amazed smile soon forms. "Wow. That's..."

"A bit inconceivable for a second, but he said the night in solitary confinement was worth it," I sigh with a soft smile and pride at the thought do Romero, my beautiful sweet man with a heart of gold.

When Ivy remains silent, I look back over to see her staring at me with wide eyes and an ajar mouth, looking shocked.

"Wait..." she starts and shakes her head. "So...you want to be a lawyer, and you're dating an ex-convict...?"

I flash her all my teeth and nod, feeling no shame because he's Romero and despite what others may think, I know him, so what other people think doesn't really matter.

All I can feel for him is love and pride, not shame or embarrassment.

Her pink lips part and she chuckles. "That's..." She nods. "Wow. That's...that's amazing."

I laugh, which quickly turns into a smile as my phone lights up with a text from Romero saying he's here.

"He's actually here to pick me up right now, so I'll see you tomorrow Ivy. Text me what you're thinking of doing for the assignment!" I yell to her as I start walking off the path and in the opposite direction.

She nods and waves bye. "Gotcha. Tell him he has my respect."

I smile and quickly head over to where he parked, trying to walk fast in these tall patent Mary Janes.

With the chilly November air, I've migrated more into my winter and fall clothes. So today I'm wearing white tights, a black skirt, and a button up white shirt. My thick light brown jacket keeps me warm along with the baby pink scarf Romero got me that I wear everywhere. And my pink ribbon is tied at the back of my head, as usual.

I can't wait to enter a heated up car and put down this heavy light pink Christian Dior bag. Ma got it for me when I started this semester and it's so big and carrie's all my books and looks cute too, and it's pink. How could I not love it?

The second I enter the car Romero looks from outside the driver's side window and looks to me with a rising smirk. He just manages to get more and more attractive, from his slightly grown out hair to the slit in his eyebrow to his body and his piercings and tattoos and just- ugh. Everything.

I immediately reach across the console and hug his neck.

"Hi baby." He kisses my cheek and then my lips when I lean back.

"Hi," I murmur as I kiss him again.

I pause after a second when I get whiff of something good.

I freeze and pull back completely, looking around. "Where is it."