Chapter 10. And the title of this chapter is obviously a play on My Sister's Keeper, you know where credits to the title goes. Great movie BTW, but very sad. :'(

"Cash, are you okay?" asked Sandy looking worried about her friend. He seemed very distant about something.

"Huh?" Cash woke from his trance. "Oh yeah I'm fine. Why you ask?"

"Well you seemed a bit zoned out and I got worried."

"Oh. It's that obvious?"

"Cash, if something's bothering you, just tell me. We're best friends. You know that right?"

Cash sighed. He knew that he could tell Sandy everything, but he swore to Flora that he won't blab her secret to anyone.

"Sorry Sandy, it's something between Flora and me." Cash answered Sandy.

"Oh, okay." nodded Sandy, understanding. If it was something between Cash and his sister, she won't butt in. "I understand."

"Thanks Sandy." said Cash sighing that she wasn't mad at him. The secret was killing him. He wanted to tell his brother and best friend, but every time he was tempted, he remembered the pleading look Flora shot him last night. He could not go back on his word to his sister. The only way for Cash to tell and not feel guilty was to get Flora's okay on it.

Please Flora, please say it's okay to tell Bobby and Sandy. They won't tell anyone. Thought Cash to himself.Sandy especially. He wasn't supposed to keep secrets from her.

"Listen Sandy, I'll be right back. I gotta straighten something out with Flora." said Cash walking off.

"Okay then." said Sandy, not getting Cash's rush.

...

Flora sat there thinking about what to do with her dilemma. Cash did have a point. Bobby is their brother and she should tell him everything. But what if it somehow slips out of Bobby? If that does happen, she can imagine the punishment she'll get from her father for disobeying him. She can imagine him saying to her: "I trusted you Flora, but clearly, I made a huge mistake. From now on, you're not going anywhere without a chaperone." Flora knew well that the "chaperone" would be her own father or Manny.

"Morning Flora." Bobby greeted warmly as he woke up.

"Hey Bob." muttered Flora pretending to still be asleep.

"Sleep well?"

"Still tired."

"Really. Tired enough not to tell me that secret between you and Cash?"

Flora gulped. Did Cash tell him? Of course not, he left after that discussion we had! Flora reassured herself. But what if he told him after promising her he won't?

"What secret?" asked Flora innocently. She then saw that playing dumb wasn't going to help.

"The secret that you and Cash were talking about this morning." Bobby reminded her.

"How much did you hear?"

"I don't know exactly what you guys are keeping from me. All I heard was that debate that you two had whether to tell me or not when I was slowly starting to wake up. Flora, you know you can trust me with anything. If you have anything to tell me, just tell me."

Again, Flora gulped. "I don't know. I'm still thinking about it."

"You're still thinking about it? Okay if you won't tell me, then I'll just ask Cash." Bobby said casually going to find his brother.

"Go ahead, I'm not stopping you."

"Or maybe even Dad. You two are close enough that I'm sure he knows all the deep, dark secrets that you're not telling everyone."

"Come on Bobby, we're not little kids." Flora rolled her eyes. But inside her head, she was saying, No, don't! Dad will know something fishy is going on for sure!

"And if not, Cash will probably spill his guts because someone would be questioning him. Harsh."

"You wouldn't!" gasped Flora. She can't believe Bobby would go as low as blackmail her! (maybe it's not blackmailing, but I didn't know what else to call it) He knew better than that!

"And if he does, maybe Dad will happen to hear what you're hiding and-"

"Shut up, SHUT UP!" cried Flora not taking Bobby's threats of getting Cash to talk. "You wanna know, fine I'll tell you!"

Flora then explained the secret to Bobby while sounds such as geysers, birds, tides and monkey screeches heard in the background blocked out the talking. (Don't know why, I just love how they do that in movies)

"Really? That's it?" asked Bobby. He thought that his sister seeing Sam was nothing. He wasn't going to control her life, he's barely older than her!

"You can't tell anyone." concluded Flora. Especially not Dad and Manny.

"Cross my heart and hope to die." pledged Bobby.

"Flora, listen!" Cash burst in.

"Cash,I know what you're gonna ask me." said Flora. "It's okay, I told Bobby everything."

"You did?" Cash sighed in relief.

"I'm sworn to secrecy." said Bobby.

"Oh that's great." said Cash. "But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about. You don't mind if-"

Flora knew where this was going. "Don't tell me." she rolled her eyes.

"Flora, I tell Sandy everything, it kills me to keep this one thing from her!" pleaded Cash.

"Cash."

"Sandy would never tell on you. She likes you."

"Fine." huffed Flora. "But just Sandy. No one else."

"Thank you Flora!" Cash nuzzled her cheek in gratitude as he ran off to tell Sandy.

"But we're coming with you!" said Flora following Cash with Bobby.

…

Sandy stood there waiting for Cash. She wondered what he had to straighten out with Flora.

"Sandy!" panted Cash from running to his friend.

"Hey buddy, I was wondering what happened to you." greeted Sandy. She took notice of Cash's siblings."Hi Bobby, hi Flora."

"Sandy, can you keep a secret?" asked Cash.

"That depends on the secret." replied the black saber. Cash looked at Flora, who nodded her head approvingly, and started talking. He told her about Flora meeting Sam and how her father forbade her from doing so. He told her about how he ran into Flora when she snuck out and begged him not to tell, and all the other details.

"Don't worry, I won't say a word about it." promised Sandy.

"You won't?" asked Flora in gratitude.

"You can count on it."

"Thank you so much Sandy!"

"No problem."

Cash sighed happily. It felt good to tell the secret to the other two people who are close to him.

"Happy now?" asked Flora.

Cash felt guilty when his sister used that sarcastic tone with him.

"Sorry." he apologized. "But I couldn't keep it from Bobby and Sandy anymore, it was freaking me out."

"It's fine. As long as you don't have the need to tell anyone else."

"Well, maybe we should tell-"

"CASH!"

"I'm kidding!"

Flora just rolled her eyes and walked off. Three people now knew her secret. This better be worth it.

What do you think? Bobby sure sank low huh? So I'm gonna get started on chapter 11 soon, and chapter 7 of "A Ragtag Bunch". In the mean time, this is laughs4life saying, see you next week!