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Rocoso Diaries: Rosephanie Vance: Rocoso Diaries II

by Carmen Lopez

Carmen Lopez Is this very long? No. Am I dying to post something in the Corner? Yes. This (along with my earlier Lucy Devlin short) are in a mini-series I call Rocoso Diaries that follows various characters. As it takes place within the same universe as my other fics, it's most definitely canon. Also this is my first time writing in third person in AGES.
The snow fell lightly as Rosephanie and her Buneary named Anna walked along the familiar route to the Battle District. She wore her purple coat, chulo, and boots with her skinny jeans to keep warm. There was none of the infamous Veilstone winds so it was an overall pleasant stroll through the cute neighborhood that resembled a Solstice card because of the snow. It was a far cry from the area around her family’s apartment that was as dreary and lifeless as the people who lived in it. She’d left behind yet another argument between her mother and stepfather and her half-brother Graham’s torment. It was a relief to escape.

That was her Saturday so far. She didn’t want to stay at home so the rest of the clique agreed to meet at the park and plan something for the day. That normally consisted of taking fifteen minutes of people throwing out sometimes outrageous ideas until everyone more or less agreed on one. Last weekend they went down to the old railroad depot so Callum could catch one of the Magnemite that gathered there. It was great guard came and chased them off the property…but at least he got a Magnemite. The weekend before that, they got into the old abandoned mall where some trainers had set up their own ultimate arena…but then the police raided the place. Every weekend doesn’t involve them getting kicked out of places, but those were among the most fun

Rosephanie enjoyed every moment of it. Most of the people around her were surprised that she partook in all the craziness. She had told people that just because she is quiet and polite doesn’t mean she dislikes a little adventure. Anna was just as adventurous—in fact she probably got a bigger thrill when they got in trouble than her trainer. She was also glad to be out of the house. Rosephanie’s stepfather often threatened to kick the Buneary out for making even the smallest amount of noise. That was the one thing Rosephanie wouldn’t stand and it caused most of the bloodshed between her and her stepfather. She shook her head; she didn’t want to think about her family right now.

The park was already full of people enjoying the weekend by the time Rosephanie and Anna arrived. In spite of that, it was enough to spot her friend. Lucy Rayne Devlin and Ryan, her Croagunk, were leaning against a low, stone wall, but to Rosephanie’s surprise no one else was there. Her familiar afro had been straightened out so that her brown hair hung past her shoulders. She wore a blue coat that matched her Dialga print leggings and red boots. She looked slightly annoyed while Ryan stared into a point in space while making deep throaty noises as his cheeks inflated and deflated.

“So, I just as I get here,” began Lucy as soon as she laid eyes on her friend, “I get a message from Chase saying they all went to meet Mateo at the ice skating rink. And I know for a fact that they could’ve texted us before now. Shoot, letting me walk all the way here from my house after Dad yelled at me about some dishes. He didn’t say when they needed to be washed so I did it at midnight. Who cares as long as it got done? He needs to get the dishwasher fixed anyway…”

But as Lucy chattered on, Rosephanie was filled with a familiar sense of dread and went pale. And just as her day was starting to get better! Anna looked up at her trainer and could sense something was wrong which in turn caught Lucy’s attention. She pulled out of dishwasher rant.

“Oh, let me guess,” she said as she twirled a strand of her straightened hair around her finger. “Why can’t you come this time?”

Rosephanie honestly wanted to tell the truth, but wasn’t sure how to even start.

“Sephy, how long are you going to keep this up?” Lucy asked.

She felt deflated at those words. Why, why did he have to return to Veilstone City? And to her school no less? Avoiding Mateo Sandoval was an exceptionally difficult feat that was becoming harder every single day. He was a really good trainer and he attended school here for two years so naturally people would gravitate towards him, including her clique. Chase battled him once and everyone in the group became enthralled with him after that. They tried to see him battle and to hang out with him every chance they got—everyone except Rosephanie that is. She made excuse after excuse for why she couldn’t come and it’s starting to wear very thin… If her friends were more perceptive she would’ve been exposed long before now.

Lucy kept talking when Rosephanie remained silent still. “…I mean, what do you have against this guy? Or do you have a crush on him or something?” she teased.

Rosephanie felt nauseated at the very thought. She turned and looked Lucy straight in the eye. “You mean…you’ve never noticed?”

Lucy looked at her incredulously. “Never noticed what, Sephy? Don’t talk in riddles.”

She took off her chulo and fiddled with it anxiously. In the back of her mind, she was amazed that no one ever noticed. Maybe it was because their demeanors were so different. “Mateo and I look very similar, don’t you think?” The black hair, the same green eyes, and even the freckles across the bridge of their similar noses...

At first Lucy’s expression went blank before realization smacked her hard. “No way! You mean you and Mateo are—”

“Half-siblings yes,” she finally admitted. “We have the same mother and different fathers. In fact, he’s the spitting image of our grandfather. I-I don’t hate him, but it’s just so weird and awkward!”

“Sephy….” Lucy said in a gentle tone. “Why didn’t you tell us? Now I feel awful for the stuff we said. Did some family drama go down or something?”

“Yes.” Though Rosephanie was only about seven at the time, the memories were as vivid as if the event had happened yesterday. “My mom had all but abandoned Mateo because of his father, but when he was about nine years old, she decided she didn’t like another woman raising her child. She attempted to take him back from his father and step-mother.”

“And I’m guessing that went over like a lead balloon?” Lucy deadpanned.

“Ooooh yeah. Mom was granted a week with Mateo but no one except her was happy about it. Mateo was furious at being taken away from his home and he acted out the whole time…breaking things, screaming, and just being stubborn. His foul mood was compounded by the fact that Mom had no idea how to take care of his diabetes. She taunted him the whole time saying that he would never see his stepmother again. It was all so awful. After two days Mom, said she couldn’t take his behavior anymore and sent him back. Mateo never spoke to me whole. Graham doesn’t even remember him, but Mom’s basically brainwashed him so he thinks Mateo is a horrible person.”

“Ouch,” Lucy said. For a moment the two were silent and in spite of herself, Rosephanie smiled at Lucy’s awkwardness. She always thought she was unhelpful whenever Rosephanie came at her with family drama, but she always ended up saying the right thing. “In that case, we can always do something together if you want to…since you don’t want to see him and all.”

“I’d really like that,” Rosephanie said. “I think I’ve had enough family craziness for one day. Like I said, it’s just awkward right now. I don’t want to keep avoiding him, but…”

Rosephanie sighed in frustration. She was telling the truth when she said she didn’t hate him, but she certainly envied him. He was the one who had the supportive, functional family—that much she could tell. Rosephanie used to dream that her own birth father would take her away. But she didn’t know whether he was a bad person or if her mom had driven him away. Mateo was a fascinating person, but she couldn’t bring herself to face him. Not yet anyway.

Anna tapped Rosephanie. She looked down at her Buneary’s adorable face and couldn’t help smiling. She reached down to pick her up. Lucy also walked over and hugged her.

“You don’t have to explain,” Lucy said. “We can text the others and tell them we decided to go the swap meet.”

“So you can pick up something else to add to that abyss in your room?”

“You know it!”

As the two friends and their Pokémon walked out of the park, Rosephanie felt a new resolve rise within her. She knew she would never be able to rest until she had a heartfelt conversation with the half-brother she barely knew. She was determined that it wouldn't be long.
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  1. Psycho Monkey
    Psycho Monkey
    Well this is a surprise. I wasn't expecting Mateo to have an extended family outside of what we already knew of. I'm interested in seeing what impact this will have on future works of your canon.
    Jun 3, 2014