After school, Rosemary made her way home. She took as much time as she could, so she could try her best to avoid her father. Xander sneakily followed Rosemary home as this could give him some sort of lead on his new mystery about her.

Rosemary was casually walking down the sidewalk, looking at her phone. She wasn't dumb, she knew Xander was following her, she could see his blonde hair in the bushes.

She stopped on the sidewalk and faced the bush Xander was hiding in.

"You know, it's creepy to follow someone home," she told Xander and his eyes grew. "Xander, I can see you."

Xander exposed himself and gave her an awkward smile.

"Hey," he greeted and she smiled at him. "How'd you uh-how'd you know it was me?"

"You're fluffy blonde hair is a dead giveaway," she remarked and he blushed, flattening his hair. "What do you want?"

Xander stumbled out of the bushes and over to the girl. She giggled at him and she continued walking down the sidewalk with him.

"Okay, I have a knack for solving mysteries," he began and she nodded. "And just by looking at you, I know you have some sort of mystery hiding inside you."

Rosemary looked up at the boy and felt her blood run cold, "and what makes you think I have a mystery? I could just be naturally mysterious."

"That's true, but I saw something earlier," he began and she stopped, turning to the boy.

"What'd you see?" She asked him with worry.

"You have bruises on your neck," he pointed out, softly, stroking her hair and she grabbed his hand.

"Oh, those?" She asked, removing his hand and covered her neck with her hair. "I'm a very clumsy person and fell."

"Those look like a lot more than just falling," he remarked and Rosemary shifted her eyes away. "What happened?"

Rosemary sighed and continued forward, holding her arms close to her body. "It's nothing, okay? Can you please just leave me alone?"

Xander followed behind her, "but maybe I can help."

"No thank you," she denied in a polite voice. "I'm fine on my own. Now please, leave me alone."

Xander sighed at her and stopped in his tracks. He allowed the mysterious beauty to walk away and thought for a moment.

She's definitely hiding something and I will find it out. She's too beautiful to let go of.

——
That Night

After helping Kenzie crack the case of the stolen fireworks, Xander agreed to team up with her and help her with her stories, but he needed to know more about something.

"You wanna team up? Let's team up," he agreed. "But it's totally noncommittal and I wanna know something about a person you know."

Kenzie got out her recorder, "the ace detective fears commitment."

"You wanna work together you gotta keep up," he told her. "I think fast, I work fast, and I move fast." Xander put his helmet on.

"Oh, that's a lot of fast for a guy on a scooter." Kenzie mentioned and he gave her a look, mimicking her.

"I wouldn't mock me, mister." Kenzie said, "or else I may just keep Rosemary's secrets to myself."

Xander basically leaped into the air and grabbed her shoulders. "What can you tell me about Rosemary?"

"Hey, it's not my position to you about her life," Kenzie began and he let go of her. "It's up to Rosie to tell you and she's built up several walls to protect them."

"How'd you get her to tell you?"

"I found out," Kenzie admitted. "Not to mention, I am her best friend and the only person she trusts."

"How do I get her to trust me?" Xander asked her.

"That's up to you," Kenzi shrugged. "How far will you go to take care of this girl? Just don't underestimate, Rosemary, she's smart, quick thinking, and has seen more danger than you have."

Xander pondered on her words for a moment, "what's her last name?"

"Williams," Kenzie told him, "maybe you can find out more about her family's name and go from there."

Xander didn't respond and just give her a nod, before driving off.

"See ya in class!

——

Rosemary walked into school about an hour late and immediately walked into the empty art room. She shut the door and took out her makeup to apply to her face and legs.

She made a stupid decision of wearing a dress today and her bruises were very visible on her legs. She woke up today and her father was in a very bad mood. He got drunk last night and Rosemary had a very bad beating this morning. She had a black eye and a bruised lip, and a small cut along her cheek.

She sat down on a chair and silently cried to herself for a few minutes.

"I'm so tired of all this," she mumbled into her hands, "I just want it to be over. I wish I was never born."

Rosie never did anything, all she did was be born and have her mother pass away from a terrible disease. She didn't ask for this. She wants help, but she scared of what her father might do if something goes wrong.

Outside of the art room, Xander and Kenzie had just finished all of their small cases within the school. There was only one case left to solve and that was the Mysterious Beauty.

"Alright, I helped you out with your reports, now can we talk about Rosemary?" Xander asked Kenzie as they walked the halls.

"Okay, here's the thing," Kenzie paused and faced the boy. "If I tell you, I could lose my best friend. Rosemary has trust issues and only trusts me, so if I go out and tell someone else, she won't handle it well."

"But I want to help her," Xander reasoned. "There's something about her that's so-"

"Mysterious?" Kenzie finished.

"Exactly," Xander said.

"Okay, I do know this, whenever she's upset or crying, she locks herself in the art room," Kenzie informed him with a sad look, pointing to the locked art room. "That's her safe place."

Xander looked at the art room and made his way over there.

"What are you doing?" Kenzie asked Xander, following behind.

"I haven't seen Rosemary all day," Xander began and reached the classroom. "And by the looks of it-" He paused and peeked through the small door window. "I've found her."

Kenzie peeked in the window and saw a crying Rosemary sitting inside.

"Just don't be blunt," Kenzie warned Xander. "She's sensitive and won't just openly tell you anything. It took me years to get her to tell me."

"I'm determined to solve this case," Xander remarked. "And I'm not gonna stop until it's solved."

Xander tried to open the door, but it was locked. He took out a small pin from his pocket and easily unlocked the door. He opened it and Rosemary didn't hear him come in. Kenzie stayed behind Xander as he approached the crying female and just stared at her best friend with sorrow.

"You know, a pretty girl like yourself shouldn't be crying."

Rosemary jumped at the noise and moved away, stumbling over her own feet.

"Ahhh! What-What are you doing here?" She asked Xander and noticed Kenzie behind him. "Kenzie? What-"

Rosemary tried her best to keep her face hidden so they wouldn't see her bruised lip or black eye.

"What are you doing in here?" Xander asked, shutting the door and flipping on the light switch. Rosemary panicked and quickly turned around from the two.

"That's none of your business," Rosemary muttered. "Kenzie, please make him leave."

"I told you," Kenzie muttered and stepped closer to Rosemary. "Rosie, talk to me."

Rosie remained silent and shook her head. Kenzie shared a look with Xander and he motioned her to leave. Kenzie understood and walked out of the room.

Xander sat down on a chair and looked around. "So, this is where you shine most, huh?"

Rosemary shrugged at him. "Sort of, I have a knack for art, I guess. It's been with me since I was a child."

Xander nodded, "what got you into art if you don't mind me asking?"

"Listen, if you think you can get me to open up to you, it's not gonna happen," Rosemary remarked and Xander raised an eyebrow. "I'm not an open book."

"I figured that out," Xander told her. "But, I just want to get to know you. You seem like an interesting girl."

Rosemary sighed at him, "No you don't. You don't want to get to know me."

"Why?" He asked her, standing up.

"Because you just don't," she reasoned and Xander got closer to her.

"But why?" He asked again.

"Because I'm scared!" Rosemary exclaimed before Xander grabbed her shoulders and turned her around. Xander's eyes found Rosie's bruised lip, her black eye, and her tear stained cheeks. "I'm scared something might happen or someone might hurt me."

Xander didn't speak and pulled her into his arms. Rosemary was shocked and didn't react at first. Her head laid against his chest and she felt her body shake out of pure shock. Xander rested his chin on her head and Rosie's arms slowly wrapped around his torso and she silently cried into his chest.

"It's okay," he shushed her and Kenzie peeked back inside to see the two hugging. "It's okay."

Kenzie smiled sadly at them and Xander sighed, turning his head to Kenzie.

"Good job," she mouthed to him and Xander smiled with success.

Kenzie walked back inside as the two pulled away and Rosie wiped her eyes.

Kenzie placed a reassuring hand on her best friend's shoulder and Rosie gave her a small smile.

"I'm sorry," she apologized.

"For what?" Xander asked Rosie, "you didn't do anything."

"I'm sorry for coming off a little cold to you," Rosie told him. "I've just been hiding this in for so long and forgot what it's like for someone to care about me."

"I've always cared," Kenzie mentioned.

"I know," Rosie responded. "And I've should've listened to you, I think it's time I actually talk about it." Rosie looked up at Xander and sighed, "my dad abuses me-"

"It's okay," Kenzie assured her as Rosie began to tear up.

"Ever since my mom died, he's made some really bad decisions," She explained and Xander rubbed her shoulders. "For the past ten years, he's been hitting me and abusing me. He blames me for my mom's death, but it's not my fault she got Leukemia and died."

"It isn't your fault," Xander spoke.

"But he makes me believe that it is," Rosie retorted.

"But it's not," Kenzie reasoned. "You didn't do anything."

"Then why is he doing this to me?" Rosie asked them and the two shared a look.

"Nobody ever knows why anyone abuses someone." Kenzie told her, "but Xander here, is determined to help you out."

"I am, Rosie," Xander told her and Rosie looked up at the boy. "And now that I know what is, I'm even more determined. We're gonna stop your dad and take care of him."

"But how?" Rosie asked them, "he's not exactly the easiest person to reason with."

"We're beyond that," Xander remarked. "Reasoning with this man is impossible, we may have to get physically here and give him a taste of his own medicine."

"How can you be so sure this will work?" Rosie asked them, "that's what I'm scared of most."

"Hey," Xander took her shoulders and stared into her eyes. "This will work, you know why? Because it has to work and I'm Xander DeWitt, this is my job."

Rosie blushed and gave him a softly smile, "thank you."

Xander smiled, "no need to thank me."

Kenzie smirked, "looks like we've got a huge case on our hands."

The three smiled and Rosemary felt somewhat relieved she confessed to Xander her secrets.

Xander thought to himself.

And just like that, I was able to get Rosemary to talk to me. After figuring out what she's been hiding, I'm determined to solve this case and save this mysterious beauty from the abusive man she lives with. She's special.

——

Rosemary returned home after school and she had a smile on her face for the first time. Her father wasn't home at the moment, which made her happy. Xander didn't want her to go to her house, but she assured him that her father wasn't home and that she would be okay.

She sat in her bedroom and did her homework peacefully. Rosie received a text from Kenzie, telling her to meet her at Xander's house. Rosie got confused when a photo was attached and it was a selfie of the two covered in swamp mud.

(Kenzie texted her his address as well)

After applying some makeup to her face to cover up her bruised lip and black eye, Rosemary headed out. Once she got to Xander's house and knocked on the door, Charlie DeWitt, Xander's grandfather,
answered the door and she gave him a smile.

"I'm here to see Xander and Kenzie," she told him. "I'm Rosemary."

"Ah, the mysterious beauty Xander hasn't shut up about." Charlie chuckled and the girl blushed bright red at his words.

"I guess so," she giggled bashfully. "May I come in?"

"Of course," he smiled and allowed her in. "They're upstairs. Xander, your little girlfriend's here!"

"She's not my girlfriend!" Xander called, rushing downstairs and Rosemary blushed again. "Hey, sorry, about him."

"It's fine," she remarked shyly, before they headed upstairs and Kenzie was there as well. "So, what happened?"

Xander explained to her what happened and she was shocked. Xander's scooter brakes got cut and lost control, which caused them to fly into a swamp.

"I don't think that was an accident," Rosie mentioned and Xander looked at her.

"You're right," he told her. "What happened out there wasn't an accident, okay? Someone cut the brakes and rigged the accelerator."

Kenzie didn't believe him, "you're messing with me, right?"

Xander didn't respond and revealed all of the evidence on his father to Kenzie and Rosie.

"My dad disappeared three months ago," Xander confessed. "I think he's in town somewhere. And somebody's trying to scare me off the case. And he's my own dad, so I'll risk my neck a thousand times for him, but I'm not gonna risk yours. Or yours, Rosie, you already have enough going on with your life." Xander stared at the blonde with seriousness and she grabbed his arm.

"No, Xander, no." Rosie stopped him and stared into his brown orbs. "I've been through a lot these past ten years and finding your father can't be as bad as what I already go through."

"But I'd be putting you at risk," he reasoned.

"Hey, don't underestimate, Rosie," Kenzie stepped in. "She's smart and quick-thinking. And I'm so sorry, but this gives us a reason on why we should stick around. We can find your dad and take care of Rosie's father together."

Xander glanced between the girls.

"I mean, we just pulled your scooter out of the pond!"

"It's a swamp," Xander corrected.

"We towed it out," Kenzie protested. "With nothing but vines and brainpower."

Xander thought for a moment, "genius."

Kenzie smiled with flattery and Rosie was confused.

"Thank you, I'm-"

"No, no," Xander cut her off and the girls rolled their eyes. "I was talking about me, the GPS in my dad's car brought him here to this town, right? Suppose he parked it and never came back."

"It get towed," Rosie smiled.

"Exactly!" Xander beamed, "every town has a place where they tow the cars, right? We just got to go there and-"

"Woah!" Kenzie cut him off and Rosie shook her head. "That is not gonna work."

"Why not?"

"They take cars to Trucker Joes and you cannot sneak into Trucker Joes," Kenzie explained to him and Xander gave her a look. "It's like a fortress!"

Xander opened his dresser and the girls watched him dig through it for something. Xander pokes his head out moments later with a clown costume and the girls chuckled.

"Is there any take out places around here?"

"Did you work up an appetite?" Rosie asked Xander.