Forgotten

 

 

California, Present Day

 

It has been almost five years since the disappearance of Roslyn Jenkins, a beautiful seventeen-year-old girl from California, and there was still no body. Because that was what the police were looking for now, if looking at all, a body. No one believed her to be alive, not now, not after all this time. Her parents had given up years ago, and the posters with her name splashed on them in ugly red writing were discarded, forgotten, at the bottom of an unused draw. These were the last reminders of the once energetic seventeen year old to lie in the house that had once served as her home. Her room hadn’t been kept the way it had been left by her those many years ago. No pictures of her beaming face were left standing on the living room mantle. None of her clothes hung in her wardrobe anymore, they were in someone else’s, and her most treasured possessions had been sold on to unworthy children. It was like she had never existed; even her birth certificate had been lost, ‘accidentally’ slipped into a dustbin. Her family and friends had pushed her out of all existence. No one knew about the missing posters, and the memories had already faded away.

 

But in a house on the other side of town, it was a whole different story. In the darkest part of the damp, peeling cottage, a small flame flickered in its cellar. It cast dancing shadows on the picture laden walls, making the faces on them look like they were moving, talking. A loose photo slowly floated to the floor. A smiling teenager’s sea green eyes gazed happily up at the ceiling, golden brown curls blowing softly in the wind. A banner was loosely thrown around her smooth, tanned neck, hanging just above the waist of the gold dress she had just got for her birthday that morning. The florescent writing adorned on it displayed the words ‘Happy 17^th Birthday Roslyn!’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Five Years Ago

 

“Get your sexy behind down these stairs now babes, we gotta hit the road!” shouted Glory up to my room. I heard her trademark bangles jingle as she waved her arm in aspiration. “Paris and Ace Already went out to the car!”

“Just give me two seconds,” I shouted back as I pulled on my Gucci boots. “I’ve got to grab my purse!” As always I was running late for going out with the gang. It’d taken ma an hour to pick out my outfit before finally settling on a brown, chord mini, a beige spaghetti strap top and my Swede boots. I finally snatched up my purse and cell and bounded down the stairs to greet my best friend since Pre School.

“My God! What took you so long?” she cried with a peck to my cheek.

“You know me!” I said with a hug. I shouted to my mother that I was going out and headed through the door, arm in arm, with Glory.

Paris started cheering as we emerged. Glancing up, a smile spread across Ace’s face and he started to honk the horn of his red Porsche convertible and wolf whistle. Playing along, I started to walk with an exaggerated swagger whilst Glory stopped, posed and pouted

Laughing so much it hurt, I slipped into the front seat next to Ace whilst Glory flicked her slender legs over the side next to our other best friend, Paris in the back. All efforts to look as glamorous as we had intended went out the window as we realised it was pointless to try doing so whilst forcing ourselves to straighten up from the laughter.

“Hey gorgeous, what took you so long? I’ve missed ya!” Ace pouted as he sipped his arm around the back of my seat and flipped his curly brown hair out of his eyes. Ace is my eighteen-year-old boyfriend and he really is amazing. He has these beautiful warm brown eyes that glint dangerously in the sun. His deeply tanned skin felt good against my skin, it felt right.

“Yer Roslyn, what took you so long? You’re beautiful enough even when you’re not trying to be!” Glory said from behind me as she ruffled up my cascading curls.

“Hey! I’ll never look beautiful if you keep doing that to me will I?” I yelped as I turned to glare at her. Paris smiled faintly, her blue eyes glittering with an emotion I couldn’t quite place, her strawberry blonde hair bouncing on her shoulders.

“You’d look amazing even if you’d been through hell,” Ace stated as her lent over, tugged my face to face his and kissed me hard on the mouth. I felt the now familiar prickling of pleasure race up my body. Whenever he touched me, even if it was fleeting, my body reacted in this way. We might have been together for pushing two years, but the excitement had never died away. I was in love. “Anyway, how’s my birthday girl? What does it feel like to finally be seventeen?” he asked when he drew away.

“No difference whatsoever!” I answered after a slight pause, the heat from Ace’s hand on my leg captivating me for a second. Chasing the feeling away with a quick shake of the head, I announced with slight surprise as I heard the strength of my voice; “So guys, where are you taking me today then?”

“It’s a surprise of course!” squealed Glory as Ace put the car in gear and sped off to my secret birthday location.

 

How dare she ignore me! Just because she has money she thinks she owns the place! How dare she saunter off with that pompous bottom of a jock? That pathetic whining little snob! She doesn’t notice anyone else when he’s there. She doesn’t notice me! I hate his f***ing guts! He doesn’t deserve her. I’d do anything for her. My beauty. My glorious Roslyn. I love her with all the shattered pieces of my heart. I’d do anything. I bet he wouldn’t. Anything at all. Anything she even though of asking would be my next move. Anything!

I’d kill.

 

“Is this it?” I asked after about twenty minutes of driving. “Is this where my birthday treat is?”

“Don’t sound so disappointed,” Ace commented, sounding downcast, as he came up behind me and circled his arms around my slim waist.

“This is our local diner, two minutes drive from my house. Why did it take so long?” I inquired whilst Glory and Paris came up on my right.

“We drove around in a few circles for a while. Sorry it’s this place, too boring for a birthday party huh? It was the best we could do on a days notice. Kind of forgot,” Ace replied with a cheeky laugh.

“Boring?” I said whilst I turned round in his arms. “Are you kidding? I love this place! It’s got the most amazing view of the sea and I just love those cute uniforms the waitresses wear! Come on honey, let’s go in.” I gave Ace a quick kiss on the mouth before detaching myself from his arms and leading my friends inside.   

 

Our local diner is a copy of a sixties diner that was destroyed in a fire about ten years back. The waitresses glide around on their roller skates in the candy pink mini skirts and equally revealing tops. Some of them even dance on the bar at late night openings. They never seem to hire any men though.

We don’t come here that often. It is really expensive because of where it’s situated. I guess you pay for the scenery. A meal for four uses up at least a fortnight’s allowance. In the eyes of my peers, this makes me incredibly spoiled. Anything that I want, my Fathers gets for me. Designer clothes, expensive electronics, anything I wish for I will get. I sometimes think that my Father is trying to make up for all of his absences in my life. I believe that he blames himself that his job takes him to far away countries. At the moment he’s in New Zealand working on some big blockbuster. I know I’m meant to miss him, but I don’t really know him.

A flirtatious auburn haired waitress with a shorter skirt than the others glided over and showed us to our table overlooking the beach. As we slid into our seats, the women fetched us our menus, returning moments later, this time with her top button undone. She purposefully leant over Ace to give out the menus, exposing her rounded breasts in front of his eyes. I tried to suppress the coil of jealousy from winding up inside me as I saw Ace take a swift glance at them.

Seeing the sneering expression on my face she blasted a cocky smile before wandering off once again. But as she was, she dropped her pocket-sized clipboard and leant over to retrieve it. This gave Ace a perfect view of her toned ass. She shot a glance backwards towards him to make sure that he had noticed. I couldn’t help but feel smug as anger shone on her face as she saw that Ace had turned back towards me.

“So Roslyn, are you ready to open your presents yet?” Ace asked. When I didn’t answer he followed my gaze to the back of the waitresses retreating figure.

“That’s Tamara Simpson. She’s been after me since the beginning of the year,” he whispered into my hair. Giving me a quick kiss on the cheek he continued; “Don’t worry. She’s nothing on you.” Placing his arm around my shoulders he repeated his original question.

“I get presents? Ooo, gimmi!” I squealed in delight.

Glory passed over a long oblong box from her prominent seat on the other side of the table. She always was the loud and lively member of our little group, whereas Paris was always so much more shy. We had all met on the first day of school, before beauty, popularity and make-up had meant anything, but over the years, Glory and me had become more glamorous and attractive, while Paris had stayed her old childish, shy self. She never bothers with make-up and perfume; she hasn’t even got a load to her name. We stay with her for old times sake I guess, (although our interests couldn’t have become more different) and maybe even pity. No one ever took any notice of her. Paris was an outsider to us popular, and dare I say rich, kids. We had started to drift apart as well since me and Ace had fallen in love. My priorities had totally changed.

“You will totally love it! I promise you. It’s the one you really liked,” Glory gleamed.

I snatched it off her like a little kid and ripped off the wrapping. Ace chuckled at my eagerness. Inside laid a white box, plain except for the gold letter R embedded on the lid.

“Oh my God. I can’t believe you would spend so much money on me,” I muttered in disbelief as I lifted a gold, shimmering dress out of the box. I had seen it in a shop a few weeks back and I’d instantly fallen in love with it. Everything about it made me squirm in pleasure, it’s low cut front and back, how it had hugged my hips perfectly and flowed out in golden waves just above my knee, everything. It was gorgeous and had cost just under £1000.

“You are so worth it!” Glory cried as she leant over the table and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Careful there Glory. You might get me jealous!” Ace said with a cheeky grin. “Anyway, here, this is mine.” He handed me a small blue box with sliver swirls encased on the top. I opened it and inside was a pink sapphire ring. Inscribed on the band were the words ‘Yours Forever Ace X.’

“It’s beautiful,” I breathed in awe.