Read Online A Rose Revealed by Gayle Roper - Free Book Online Page A

box away, and become Esther again, sweet, docile, gentle, the cover girl for Amish life.
    “She swallows real hard, puts the game away, and goes to her room for a while. When she comes out, she’s Esther again.”
    Grinning, I said, “I love people. They are so full of contradictions and surprises. Never in my wildest imagination would I have expected Esther to be as driven as any professional athlete. She’s got the heart to make a great lineman if we could find shoulder pads small enough to fit.”
    “How about me?” Jake asked. “Am I a man of contradictions?”
    “Are you kidding?” I laughed, a short burst of air. “You’re kind and comforting one minute, grouchy the next, sunk in a black fog the next.”
    Jake made a face, not exactly pleased with my analysis. “And you are sensitive and weepy, then sassy and independent. You’re Rose the Evangelist and Rose the Caregiver, Rose the Comedienne and Rose the Heartbreaker.”
    “I’m all that?” I was amazed, especially at the heartbreaker part. To my knowledge I’d never broken anyone’s heart, at least not romantically.
    “And more,” he said as we pulled into a parking spot.
    As I climbed out of the van, I checked the pager on my belt, hoping I wouldn’t get a call. I could use the mindless suspension of disbelief that a good movie caused.
    We bought our tickets for an adventure movie that was all the rage and entered the lobby.
    “Popcorn?” Jake asked as he paused.
    Knowing full well that the last thing I needed was more food but as always a sucker for popcorn, I said, “Sure.”
    “Soda?”
    “Why not?”
    We joined the line by a counter where I told myself that I didn’t want that phony butter dripped all over my popcorn. It was bad for me, it would make me fat, and it would get my hands all messy. But it tasted so good!
    I was dimly aware of others taking their places behind us, but it wasn’t until a young woman said, “Rose?” in a too-pleased-with-herself voice that I paid attention.
    I turned and found myself facing Allie Priestly, a “friend” from high school whom I hadn’t seen in years and hadn’t missed. Standing beside her was Ben Abrams, my ex-fiancé.
    “Look, Ben. It’s Rose. Isn’t this wonderful!”
    Not a Kodak moment.

Chapter 4
     
    A s I stared with dreadful fascination at my old nemesis and my ex-fiancé, two mental pictures formed.
    One was of Allie in tenth grade. She and I had both wanted to be cheerleaders. She was leggy, blonde, just out of braces, and unencumbered by conscience. I was slim, my euphemism for straight as a board, could never make my hair obey, and I wore glasses, my astigmatism making contacts impossible.
    We both went to tryouts that long-ago day, she arriving on time, I arriving fifteen minutes late because of a makeup quiz I had to take. I slid into the bleachers beside her and asked, “Did the coach give any special directions?”
    Allie shook her head. “She said we should just get out there and give it our best. Be bouncy.”
    I nodded as I watched a couple of candidates. I felt certain I could do better than they. When my name was called, I ran onto the gym floor and gave it my all, trying to look so bouncy that I gave Tigger a run for his money.
    Allie was called after I was, and she ran out onto the floor. Just before she began to cheer, she looked over at me and smirked. Then she looked down at the floor. For the first time I saw a circle inscribed with tape. Allie carefully stood in the center and began.
    I thought back to the girls who had preceded me. I looked again at Allie. All had stood precisely in the center of the circle. I had not. I hadn’t even seen it in my excitement and nervousness.
    With a sinking feeling, I leaned forward to the girl sitting in front of me. “What’s with the circle?” I asked.
    “You have to stand in the center the whole time,” she whispered. “The coach said how important it is to her that you listen to instructions, and if you can’t