Black Roses

Because Of You

Flashback

'No!' Bridget's scream chilled Logan's spine. He wished he could stop him but he couldn't because if Jeffrey Cohen was like this, he would kill anyone who got in his way.

Bridget's tears rushed down like waterfall as each lash of the belt stung her and left a red mark. Her fragile body couldn't take it anymore so blood trickled out from the wounds.

Logan squeezed his eyes and ears closed. Neither of his older brothers were home and he didn't dare go out of the room. He wanted so much to save Bridget but his body felt like lead. He couldn't move.

'Daddy, stop it.' Bridget whimpered between sobs. 'He touched you. You need to be cleansed. Those filthy faggot hands should be cut. He should burn in hell.' Jeffrey's voice was cold and distant. Bridget's cries were ignored as he brought down the belt on her tiny four-year-old back.

'Stop it, daddy…' Bridget couldn't hold it anymore so she surrendered to the darkness.

When she woke up, her neck ached as she found that she was lying on her front. She tried to get up but the stinging pain on her back caused her to cry out in anguish.

'Honey stay down,' She recognized Jordan's voice. Tears sprang out of her almond shaped eyes as the pain ran through her body. It was too much for her to take. Why did her father do this to her? Why did Anthony have to leave? Why?

'Get out of here, dad.' Jordan's warning voice made Bridget slowly turn and when she saw her dad with tears running down his cheeks, Bridget whimpered. 'Daddy…' she said as she reached out her hand to him. Jeffrey ran to her side and kissed her small hands. 'I'm so sorry, Bridget…I am so sorry I did this to you…how could you ever forgive me?' Jeffrey sobbed while still holding on to his daughter's hand.

Bridget bit her lower lip as she shivered. 'I couldn't…' she whispered softly but Jeffrey heard it and his face fell and even more tears rushed down his face.

'Dad…leave…please.' Jordan's voice was pleading. Bridget closed her eyes and tugged her hand out of Jeffrey's and closed her mouth with the hand to stop from sobbing out loud.

Devon went to her side and stroked her hair. 'We're gonna be all right…everything's going to be better soon, Bee…don't worry okay?'

End of Flashback

Bridget stepped out of the shower and hurriedly put on her undergarments when she caught sight of the crisscrossing scars on her back.

She examined her back in the full length mirror and winced. She was glad that the only affected part was her back. Although she found a straight line on the edge of her left shoulder running down to her forearm. She winced. She still couldn't shake off the fact that her father had done all of this to her and so much more just because she loved Anthony. He was her brother after all, shouldn't she love him?

She put on a powder blue t-shirt and slipped into a pair of black jeans and threw a dark trench coat over her body and tied the cloth belt around her waist neatly. She went to her closet and pulled out a box and looked inside. The shoes which were inside were neatly arranged. It wasn't so hard to believe that shoes could be arranged neatly in a box but that was only because Bridget only had five pairs of shoes. A pair of black Converse All Stars with white stripes running at the sides (it was worn and battered but they were her favorite pair.), one pair of black ankle-length boots, one pair of grey sneakers, light brown sandals and a pair of two-inch high heels which she rarely uses. She took out the grey sneakers, slipped into them and put back the box in her closet before grabbing her shoulder bag and walking to the front door.

When she opened her door, Ethan was standing in front of her, holding a bouquet of black roses in one hand and in the other, held a silver box. Bridget raised an eyebrow. 'Black roses?'

'Someone left this at the door. I thought I'd bring it in.'

'What are you doing here in the first place?' she asked, forgetting all about her favorite type of flower.

'Drew straws to see who was going to send you to school just to check up on you and all that jazz.'

'I'm glad my brothers can settle issues like these like adults they truly are.' Bridget rolled her eyes.

'Hey, it's not my fault you got your laptop scratch your face you know. Come on…you're gonna be late for school.'

'Flowers? Box?' Bridget held out her hand and Ethan grinned and handed her the gifts which she immediately took action on. She placed the flowers in a plastic glass jar she produced from her kitchen cabinet and put the silver box on the countertop, untouched.

'Aren't you going to open that? Or at least read the card?' Ethan asked as he sat one of the high stools at her countertop.

'I want to be surprised, so sue me.' Bridget grinned as she rolled her eyes. Ethan nodded.

'Are we ready to roll?' she asked. Ethan nodded again and both of them went downstairs to get Ethan's Vanquish. 'Ethan, aren't you afraid someone might just break it or egg it or something? Vanquish doesn't really come cheap.' Bridget asked as she noted the sleekness of the metallic blue Aston Martin. Ethan had personalized it and gone crazy over the outside. So now, it had orange and green fire racing down the sides and the hood had a drawing of a smoking devil. 'Cambridge isn't that big and the people here are friendly. Seven-year-olds can walk through the alleys at 3 in the morning without any fear except for the absence of sunlight. So wouldn't it be safe to say that no, I'm not afraid someone might break it or egg it or something?' Ethan said as he motioned for her to get in.

'You're gonna be late for classes if you don't get in, Bridge.'

Bridget nodded and went…no melted into the leather seat. 'I think I just creamed my pants.'

'Over share Cohen, over share.' Ethan said as he revved up the car and sped off.

--

'Best paper yet, Miss Cohen.' Professor Ridge smiled as he placed her dark binder on her desk. She opened the binder and saw an A. Her biopsy report on Case Study of Robert Hennessy in 1997 who died of a malignant tumor had gotten an A star. She smiled and stuffed her binder in her bag.

Someone tapped her shoulder and she turned. The person behind her whom she knew to be Michael Riddick gave her a small piece of paper. She raised an eyebrow. She ceased passing notes back and forth with her friends in her freshmen years. But then…that was only four years ago. She took it with a smile and faced the front before unfolding the note.

As dark as the moon is bright

Black roses become a touch of light

In the life of Bridget Cohen it hosts

The girl I love the most

Bridget, dear Bridget whom I love

You were sent to me from above

If you're not too busy for the day

Please meet me at the Blue Bay café

Today at the post meridian of four

I'll be waiting forever more

-Anonymous

She slipped the note into her pants pocket as she tried to hide a smile that was threatening to burst on her face. She wondered if this person was the one who sent her the black roses that morning. She resisted the urge to look around the lecture hall as Professor Ridge started to open the discussion for the day. Today they were to discuss how epithelial tissues could be examined for any chances of any kind of cancer. Bridget sighed as she joined in the discussion.

::-::-::-::-::-::-::

Four o'clock had come and gone but no one had come up to her yet. She started to wonder if this was a joke.

Fed up, she grabbed her bag and stormed out of the café only to crash into somebody who wanted to enter the café. Waiting for the inevitable fall, she was surprised it didn't come because the person happened to have a strong hold on her. Her eyes traveled up to meet the person's eyes and were struck by how familiar they were.

'Bridget.' He simply said before straightening her. Bridget ran a hand through her hair before straightening her coat. 'Do I know you?' she asked. There was something so familiar about the guy but she just couldn't point a finger as to what it was.

'This might probably refresh your memory.' The guy said before leaning closer to her face. Bridget gulped as their noses touched. Her heart hammered. He's not going to kiss me, is he? She thought. His cheeks brushed hers before she heard him whisper in her ear. 'Jawbreaker.'

A flashback hit her like a bullet train.

Flashback

'Give it back to me!' ten year old Bridget yelled at a boy the same age as her. He had jet-black hair which was always unkempt and icy blue eyes which were now sparkling with mischief as he waved an A paper up high. He knew Bridget was too short to reach. 'You'll have to get it yourself.' He smirked.

Bridget growled and punched him in the face. The boy's head snapped back and his grip on the paper faltered. The paper fluttered down and Bridget jumped to catch it. She waved it triumphantly at Mark whose warm brown eyes widened. The green-eyed adolescent walked over to her best friend and smirked.

'Jawbreaker…' Mark shook his head, disbelief etched across his face. Bridget giggled. 'You break hearts and jaws…'

Bridget punched Mark's arms playfully. 'I do not…'

End of Flashback

'Mark?' her voice choked with emotion.

'Hey Bridge.' He grinned; his dark brown eyes sparkled with mirth. Bridget almost knocked her best friend to the ground if not for the fact that he had grown. She placed him at arm’s length and inspected him.

He was wearing a navy blue t-shirt which showed off his lean body. He had a slender yet muscular figure. He still adopted his usual baggy cargoes. He was wearing his favourite pair of worn sneakers. She never forgot what he said when she commented on how old his sneakers were. 'The first time I wore them was when I was in the seventh grade. It's a miracle my feet have stayed this small for these years. And to defy the equilibrium of this earth, I will wear it until I die…just to state the point that something can last your whole life.' She had laughed it off then and now seeing him with it still, she felt like nodding in appreciation but she held back. His dark blonde hair was hidden under a red baseball cap which accentuated his features somehow. She remembered his hair. Baby fine and curled. She used to run her fingers through his hair every Friday and Saturday nights when they had movie nights. They would curl up on the really plush couch her mother had brought for her fourth birthday, just before she passed away, and they took turns using each other as a pillow as one of them would lie down on the other's lap. Whenever it was her turn to become the pillow, she would just run her fingers through his hair. No matter how many times she ran her fingers through Mark's hair, it never amazed her how soft it was. And how good it smelt.

'You look good.' Bridget smiled. On instinct, Mark's hands flew to the back of his neck which he scratched in embarrassment. It was a habit he obviously hadn't grown out of.

'You don't look too bad yourself, Cohen.' Mark commented after he got over the initial embarrassment.

Bridget rolled her eyes. 'Right.'

They took a moment's silence just to smile and look at each other. They'd been best friends for so long, the silence was completely companionable.

'What are you doing here?' Bridget asked when she had enough basking in his handsome features.

'Oh…um…I've rented a place down south.'

'Bakers Ville?'

'No…Adams Way.'

'Hey! I live around that area!' Bridget exclaimed.

Bridget thought she saw a smirk on his face but it disappeared so suddenly that she thought she had just imagined it. 'Really? What number apartment are you living in?'

'Seventy-two. You?'

'Seventy-three!' Mark exclaimed with a huge smile on his face. Bridget shrieked with excitement. 'This is unbelievable!' she started jumping up and down.

'Whoa…Bridge. This is all exciting and whatnot but please! Save me the embarrassment!' Mark pulled Bridget into the café and they sat at one of the tables. 'Oh man…I was supposed to meet someone here but he totally ditched me.' Bridget suddenly said right after they ordered their drinks. She shrugged off her coat and placed it on her chair and looked back at Mark who had a sly grin on his face. 'What's with the smirk?' Bridget asked, eyebrows raised.

Mark wiped it off completely without effort and shrugged. 'Nothing.'

'You're making fun of me. You're saying that I can't hold on to a potential date for a minute.'

'No!' Mark cried out. 'No.' he said softly when everyone around them looked at him. 'And I'm the embarrassing one? Puh-leese.' Bridget rolled her eyes and scanned Mark's face.

'You're withholding precious information. Spit it out.'

'Oh nothing…' the smirk was back on his face. 'Just the fact that it was me who sent you the note.'

Bridget's mouth dropped. 'You cannot be serious. And I suppose the silver box and black roses were from you as well?'

Mark shrugged. 'One and the same.'

Bridget made to smack Mark's arm but he caught it just in time and thumbed her inner wrist, the part where her veins showed and Bridget hissed. Mark knew which buttons to push. That area was Bridget's sensitive spot, which she mistakenly told Mark who used the move every time she had a fit. Right now, Bridget had stopped trying to struggle and she put on a smile on her face as she withdrew her hand, letting Mark win this round.

'Thank you for the flowers. I haven't-'

'Opened the silver box yet. I know you too well. You love surprises.'

Bridget smiled and pinched his cheeks. 'You do know me too well.' Mark rubbed his cheeks. 'Well…I'm attending Harvard as well. On scholarship no less.'

'Congratulations, buddy!' Bridget and Mark did their special congratulatory handshake they made up when they were still in the third grade. They had different handshakes for different occasions. Birthdays, greetings and congratulations had their very own handshakes.

'Thanks, Bridge.'

Their orders came and they drank in silence.

'Let me be honest with you.' Mark broke the silence and Bridget took that to be the part where she put her coffee down, licked her lips of the froth from her decaf and leaned forward to capture every last word that came out of Mark's mouth. Mark grinned. It was tradition for the two to do that. To drop everything they were doing and listen to the other rant.

'I deliberately studied too hard to get a scholarship from Harvard so we could be together.' Mark said after a pregnant pause. Bridget nodded encouragingly. 'I threatened Logan to tell me your address so we could see each other.' Bridget raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips. 'With this laid on the table, I don't want you to think that I'm stalking you because I hate stalkers and you're not worth my time to stalk, no offense.' Mark and Bridget chuckled at that. 'It's just…I happen to take our pact rather seriously.' Mark stood up and fumbled with the back of his pocket and produced his wallet. He sat back down and opened his wallet carefully. Three photos spilled out and a folded piece of paper fluttered out.

Bridget took the pictures instead of the paper and saw that it was of them both. One picture showed them as six year olds. Another picture showed them at the age of twelve and the next was a picture of them at fourteen. The last one was taken the day she left for Harvard. All three had both of them with their arms around each other, cheeks pressed and giving off this cheesy smile. Bridget was brought back to the past, how they first met.

Bridget was still a toddler, barely talking and when she did, it was gibberish. Mark was a few days older than Bridget but he could already make out words. They were put outside so that their parents could talk to each other. Bridget's family had just moved in. Her brothers were nowhere in sight but that didn't bother Bridget because she was happy kicking the wet dewy grass. 'Don't…bad.' Mark pulled Bridget down to sit with him. Bridget sat down and pulled out tufts of grass, along with its roots and stuffed them inside her diapers. Mark hiccupped with laughter before he was wrestled to the ground. They rolled on the muddy ground for quite some time before Bridget ran inside the house with Mark trailing dirtily behind her. They were inseparable since.

'Bridget.' She blinked twice and smiled at Mark. 'Yeah, I'm still here. Just remembered how we met.'

Mark smiled widely before delicately opening the paper, seemingly afraid it would crumble to dust. Bridget remembered that Barbie scented pink paper Mark stole from his older sister's book. It had six rules on them both had strictly followed to a T.

Without looking at the paper, Bridget started to read out what was written on the paper.

'This piece of parchment holds the rules I, Bridget Alyssa Cohen and my friend, Mark Robert Young solemnly swear to follow for the rest of our lives. If for any reason either of us does not follow the rule, the forfeit will be that he/she will have to jump into Mr. Parker's pool at precisely 3 post meridian when he's out with a cigar and newspaper. Or…if Mr. Parker were to die before we forfeit or not follow the rules, the forfeiter will have to dance the baby dance from Ally McBeal in only diapers (and in my, Bridget Alyssa Cohen, case in my bra and diapers) in front of at least five people, not including family or close friends. And the person who didn't have to forfeit will choose the place and the date. The rules are as stated below.'

They read off the paper together. Bridget's cursive writing in black contrasted with the rosy colour of the piece of paper.

'Firstly, of course as all pacts made by friends are made, we should stay friends till the day we die. Should for any reason we were to be separated, we should at least attempt to try and find one another, by nook or by hook. (This was crossed out seven times with read ballpoint pen and written by hook or by crook.)

Secondly, we MUST go to Harvard together, no matter how stupid we think we are.

Third, if we are not married by the time I, Bridget Alyssa Cohen, hit menopause, we will marry each other in the chapel Mark Robert Young's parents married, for nostalgic purposes. Take it as something borrowed. If the church has been stripped down to make way for a highway/strip club/school etc, we will do it by the beach as my, Bridget Alyssa Cohen, parents were married, again for nostalgic purposes.

Fourth, we should at LEAST own THREE of the same CD's so that we would remember each other every time we watch/listen to the CD.

Fifth, NEVER think of having any relationship with each other UNTIL I, Bridget Alyssa Cohen, hit menopause.

Sixth, the last rule ever. No matter where, no matter when and no matter what Bridget Alyssa Cohen will always be special to Mark Robert Young and Mark Robert Young will always be special to Bridget Alyssa Cohen. Even if they have their very own significant halves.

Signed,

Bridget Alyssa Cohen and Mark Robert Young.

Bridget started chuckling to herself. 'I was smart even then…' Bridget smirked. Mark shrugged. 'I'm not one to differ.' He said before folding back the paper and slipping it inside his wallet again. 'You saved that paper. I mean…after all these years? Wasn't it supposed to be in our time capsule?'

'I copied this and put the copied version in the time capsule.'

'No wonder you were so sneaky when you put the paper back in.'

'Guilty as charged.' Mark grinned. Bridget nodded. 'Smart.'

'So…what now?' Bridget asked.

'Well…since you didn't try to look for me, which by the way hurts me to no end, you have to perform the forfeit.' Mark grinned.

'Ah it would be easy. Mr. Parker is deaf and partially blind.'

'Oh…um…I forgot to tell you. Mr. Parker died two months ago.' Mark's brown eyes twinkled.

'No way…no way! No way! You did this on purpose, you twerp!'

'Of course I did. You stopped calling, stopped emailing, stopped writing…it sucked okay? I was stuck with the Dawns.'

The Dawns were what the two friends called the backstabbers and gossips of Fairview High, Dawn Marie Baxter and Dawn Levy.

'They fawned over me. Fawned! They would take turns feeling me up and then one day, they cornered me in Mr. Doe's class and blackmailed me into having a date with both of them. Do you want to know what they blackmailed me with?'

Bridget shook her head, knowing all too well what it was. 'They threatened that they would show my baby pictures to all the girls. I was VC, Bridge…no one needs to see my baby butt!' Mark shook his head as he shivered.

'Sounds horrible…I'm not sorry I left.' Bridget said before correcting herself. 'I mean…um…I'm so sorry I didn't-'

'Tomorrow, there's a party at Kevin Whitman's dorm. At precisely 9:45 at night, you will stand on one of his chairs and do it.'

Bridget gulped. Tomorrow will be the longest night of her life.