Elementally Unstable

Chapter 7

*Rocky's P.O.V*

       In my rage driven scribble fest, I don't see or hear Rose coming, and my blasting music doesn't help, either. Once I do, I flinch and turn around, a lopsided smile on my face, and a lazy wave substitutes my greeting. She sighs and turns off my music.

       "Is everything alright? Tony was being a bit of a... jerk." She says. I'm sure more colorful language appears in her mind, but she almost never uses it. It's very rare to say the least.

       "Yeah... You're right. He was being a total dick. But he was... under the influence..." I say, thinking back.

       He'd swung moods super fast, though, and he must have a high alcohol tolerance... Wait- why was I defending him? He's supposed to be our caretaker, not an intoxicated asshole! I sigh, and slam my fist down onto the desk, confusion masking my thought process... clouding my judgement.

       I let out an audible groan, placing my head into my hands. She pulls up a chair next to me and then sighs, placing her hand on my shoulder comfortingly. I feel a cool, calming sensation flow from her palm, directly to my core. It helps clear my thoughts a bit, which helps me sort this all out.

       "Look, I understand that you probably find him attractive, but falling in love with him- or even in like with him... That would simply be toxic." She says, her words flowing out of her mouth with wisdom and a certain calming tone laced into them.

       "I know, Rose... I know. I don't like him." I say stubbornly and then grab a new sheet of paper, going back to my doodles to avoid the subject.

       Rose grabs a sheet, too, and starts to do some drawing of her own. We sketch for a while in peace, the only sounds coming from either of us being the scratch of led on paper. I like these moments between the two of us. I know that whatever is going on, I don't have to worry about being alone. I'll always have my sister, and she'll always have me.

*Rose's P.O.V.*

       From the stubborn tone in her voice, simply to the way she looks at him, I can tell that she finds him attractive. And that's the thing that scares me. I don't want her to fall in love and get her heart broken by a man who doesn't want her for who she is, but what she can do for him.

       After a while of doodling, I finally sigh and put down my pencil. "I'm going to go check on lunch... It's about," I check my phone, "two o'clock, and I know you're hungry." I says knowingly. There's never a time when this girl isn't hungry. She looks up and nods, and then silently returns to her drawing. I turn on my heel and exit the room, closing the door behind me. I then travel to Stacy's room, tapping on the door. She opens the door, raven hair dripping wet, only a white towel covering her body.

       "Hey, Stace! I'm going to order a pizza, and suggestions for toppings?" I ask, waiting patiently.

       She hums softly in thought, glancing upward. "Pepperoni is always good... Extra sauce, extra cheese, of course."

       I nod, making mental note of her order. "Gotcha." I say and then place the order online with my phone.

       Rocky eats anything, which is why I didn't ask her, and I'm a vegetarian, so I'll either get plain cheese or cheese and veggies. I decide on extra cheese and veggies.

       I wait about a half an hour, sitting on the couch before JARVIS notifies me that the pizza has arrived, and a mechanical arm pays for the pizza and another brings it to me inside the tower. "Thank you, JARVIS." I say politely, and take the three boxes in my arms.

       I carry one box to each of their rooms, but Stacy stops me when I get to hers.

       "Uh-uh. We're gonna eat these together." She protests.

       I nod and go back to knock on Rocky's door. When she flings it open, I look up from the carpet as I feel a rush of air from the speed of the door. She's already eaten half the pizza, and as I look down, she has on no pants.

       "What's up?" She asks casually, taking a bite out of another slice.

       "Stacy wants us to eat together..." I trail off, assuming that it's a lost cause.

       "Whoops..." She replies, and then looks down at her bare legs- only covered by her PINK shorties.

       "Well... come on in, I guess?" She suggests, stepping back to allow me in.

       Once the three of us were in the room, we allow the door to close and start to get comfy on her bed. She sets aside her box, and lies back. We chit chat a while before the door abruptly opens.

       Rocky immediately sits up, "Um, there's a thing called knocking?" She says sassily.

       Of course, it was Tony who barged in. And he, obviously had something to say. "Well, this place is called my house, and there's a thing called pants." He replies, his eyes lingering on her legs a bit too long.

       "There's also a thing called eyes." She snaps back, and rolls her eyes. "Now, what do you want?"

       Tony bites his tongue for once, and takes a deep breath. "I was going to ask if you girls wanted dinner, but I see you've already gotten it. Without me."

       Rocky sighs and standing up, feeling bad for some reason. She walks over to him and holds out her box with the other half of her pizza inside. "Here. Now shut up and sit down."

       Tony grumbles a bit, but actually does what he's told for once. He pulls up a chair and starts to eat. "Thanks. But usually when a half clothed woman is nice to me, she has ulterior motives." He winks at her and she sighs softly, and looks away.

       I notice her cheeks redden a bit, and I let out an exasperated sigh. 'Great,' I think, 'This'll be fun.'