Hey guys! I know it's been so long before I updated but I had problems with my laptop. I'd rather not discuss it because you guys might get bored. It just had to include an issue of deleting my files on chapters 20 and 21 which is currently getting rewrote for future updates. I dont want to delay this chapter anymore but let me warn you that the next chapter will be coming real soon and it is oozing with FloraXHelia...
This chapter contains mature themes and language...
"I didn't think you would take that for me." Layla said keeping her eyes on the road.
The wet senior kept her mouth closed, not a single sound escaping her cold pink lips. The past events taking effect, almost like she's been traumatised. The more she thinks about it, the more stuff she gets.
Flora heard everything Tides said. Only to fade away in her own imagination of what could happen if she didn't jump in the pool. The seventeen year old felt a cold reach up her back making her jump up.
"I'm sorry. I should've been there." Layla apologised as she took the brunette's cold hand and gave it a comforting and warm squeeze.
"Do you want me to tell B? Maybe he could do something about it at student council." Tides asked after a brief silence, signifying her respect on all the previous events.
She shook her head, maintaining silence.
"Okay-" The driving senior made sure that Flora understood why she was so quiet. "I just want to know if you and Helia really-" She said slowly, giving off a regretting tone by the end of her request.
All the dark haired female received was a long period of awkwardness. Leaving a concerned friend unanswered.
"We didn't." Flora felt guilty for her friend who kept reaching out to her, only to get rejected multiple times.
"Then what was Nicole- We all thought you two kissed." Layla took small, and observant glances at her as she continued to drive.
"Although I wouldn't think Helia would- at least not as I imagine- not because of you- I just, I never see the thought of him in love." Tides kept retracting her words hoping not to hurt her friend.
The next minute went by and left Flora on their doorstep. The night slowly slipped. Leaving majority of the seniors' population confused of what really happened during the party. A day passed and everything still seemed brand new. Very fresh gossip to feed on all the socialites at school. Lucky for the victims, they still had another day before school.
The sun delicately peeking, showing orange lights. It was surprisingly slow for the Lynphea household. With the faint smell of pancakes emitting from the two story residence. Then there were the siblings, up to their own little agendas.
"Mind making me coffee?" Brandon asked loudly over the sound of keys clashing.
It was 2 days after, after all the mayhem and yet the year older brother still didn't know what went down.
Flora was by the kitchen window watering her plants as her brother approached her with his car keys in hand.
"Sure. Are you going to eat?" She immediately changed the topic to avoid any more questions with a thick voice.
"Uhm, Maybe I'll just take an apple and skip coffee." He said before grabbing a red apple from the fruit basket in front of his sister and taking an exaggerated bite from it. "Anyways, I never asked you about the party last friday." Brandon continued chewing.
Her back turned away, she thought she could pretend not to hear but decided to give an indecisive answer.
"It was great. Very fun." Flora replied with low volume as she set down her spray bottle while her brother grabbed a coat from the rack.
"I'm glad you had a good time." He returned, putting on the coat.
"Where are you going so early?" The younger Lynphea asked as she stood behind the kitchen counter.
"I'm meeting with Stella, Bloom, Sky and Helia at the park." The male opened the door, letting in a cool breeze that made Flora shiver. "Tell mom I'll be back by lunch."
"Mom isn't going home for lunch. She's taking an extra shift at the restaurant." Her thick and unusual voice came through once more.
"Are you okay? You sound sick." The concerned sibling asked.
"Yeah," She reflected to herself. She finished reminiscing the cold pool water.
"Take a pill for me will you? The snow isn't going away soon." The younger sister nodded and he left. The thought of their friends meeting up with Brandon made her shiver nervously. Maybe they have something to tell? More specifically to share. Maybe the happenings of friday night?
Brandon drove, slightly seeing small snowflakes fall from the sky. The white frozen figures started to form up on his wind shield as he parked in front of the park.
He made his way through the walls of cold vines, stomping through the dried leaves from fall. The Lynphea took a familiar path towards their secret garden at the park, expecting his girlfriend and his other friends to be there.
He walked in on familiar ground with slight unfamiliar changes. The leaves were mostly on the ground and as well as a few flowers. And as usual, his friends were on their picnic mat eating food.
"Look whose here." Sky called for the two girls' attention.
"Snookums!" Stella stood up from the mat, rushing to her boyfriend and gave him a peck on the lips.
Bloom and turned her head to see Brandon approaching them. "Hey Stell. Hey Bloom." He spoke as he flashed a smile.
"B! Come sit. We got a few sandwiches and some hot cocoa." Bloom invited.
"No thanks. The apple I ate was somehow enough." Brandon paused. "It's getting really cold now, isn't it?" He sat down next to Solaria who was overdressed for such a simple gathering.
"Ask Stella," Bloom mocked her friend wearing a large, lumpy coat, a scarf, a beanie, some mittens and earmuffs. All in warm tones, of course.
"I just want to be prepared for anything." The blonde senior reasoned.
"I'm actually very surprised you got up this early. Especially after the sale spree you went on yesterday." The girl beside her with the red hair continued to tease playfully.
"Of course I can and I do. I always watch the sun go up during the morning. It's just so... magical." Stella explained like a little girl.
"Where's Helia? He's not the one to be late. Considering he only lives a few blocks away from here." Sky noticed an empty spot on the mat they were sitting on.
"He's probably on his way. He would have texted us if he'd cancelled." Domino pushed Sky's previous statement.
Helia then cut in, coming from the same direction Brandon came in. He was dressed very much like his friends. All cozy and warm as the wind started to get colder.
The group prolonged their stay as they relived old memories. Small conversations went by with the gang, only simple topics. It was all going fine until a big one was opened with Brandon's question.
"Yeah, She's flying out next week for the treatment." Knightley shared.
"I hope she gets better. Lily was always so welcoming. Remember when we had that party for Helia's birthday?" Domino relived the old memories, transporting them back to that time where Mrs. Knightley helped them assemble a party for their navvy haired friend.
"That was when we got Musa and Riven together!" Solaria exclaimed then continued. "Next thing we knew, they were already at their third date."
"How about we do that again with this pal right here?" Eraklyon teased the Asian guy beside Stella.
"With Flora? Huh?" Stella teased but was immediately stopped.
"Right." The brother was reminded. "About the victory party last friday. I know something went wrong." Brandon was on to them, as what they thought. He wasn't really suspicious about that matter, more on what his sister went through, which was a bigger and more controversial matter. "I asked Flo this morning and all I heard were lies."
Bloom, Sky and Stella all looked at Helia, their eyes asking for saving after the dangerous question.
Knightley decided to come clean, remembering the time Brandon spoke to him in his car. He really wanted to protect Flora, though the happenings of last night didn't show his intentions.
"I guess we have to tell you the truth then." Poet-man took a deep breath, taking glances at all his friends.
He told everything, from the 2 shots, the closet, the almost kiss, his confession, the beer bottle and the pool.
"So, she was forced to jump in the pool..." Helia stopped, waiting for Brandon's reaction.
"What the actual Fuck Helia? I trusted you!" The wide receiver reacted, almost pulling on the grass he was now sitting on due to frustration.
"Snookums, It's not his fault." Stella comforted the Lynphea by holding on to his shoulders.
"B, I promise I would never want anything like that to happen to Flora. I just couldn't help but to tell her." The tone Helia used was more than compelling, but sounded like he pleaded for more chances.
"To tell her what?" Brandon asked, trying to intimidate.
Surprisingly, Bloom and Sky stayed silent with the witness of a new and different path on Helia and Brandon's friendship.
"Everything." Helia replied straight without hesitating. "But everything just went wrong-"
"Fuck this bullshit! How could you keep this from me? You promised to protect her!" The still shocked brother threw his car keys at Helia, hitting him lightly on the shoulder.
"Brandon," Bloom called, trying to calm him down.
"Brandon, get up." Sky pulled him up to drag him behind a tree covered in vines to relieve him of his overprotective attitude which triggered a sense in all of them.
"Sky, now is not the time." Brandon said with a clenched jaw and a worked up brain and attitude. He faced his bestfriend, still with rage building up.
"You can't be that harsh on Helia. He never did anything wrong. You can't punish him for liking your sister, because in truth your sister is very likeable. See even Nicholas the asshole does. You're lucky to have a guy like Helia court Flora, not some dick like Anthony Perkins or Nicholas Woods. Look, B What happened last night was beyond anyone's control. Don't you see how well both of them work with one another? You can't just pull him away when you know clearly that both of them are capable of being with one another." The blonde paused. "God, they both deserve someone. Give them that opportunity."
"How do I risk her safety for helia, for her happiness?" The overprotective brother asked his best friend.
"You don't. Let her make the decision to do whatever she wants. You have your own life to mess with." Sky spoke bravely, being one of the only few people to understand how the brunette's brain works. And then they walked back, to the two girls and Knightley who waited eagerly for what Sky had to say about Helia for Brandon to change his mind.
"I'm sorry for lashing out on you." Brandon received a look from Sky while the two girls looked at Eraklyon.
"It's fine. I deserved it. Not holding up my end of the promise." The midnight haired senior took a breath.
"Promise me one more thing." Brandon called for Helia's attention.
"Talk to Flora about this. Tell her everything." The Brunette male earned a smile from Sky, remembering his words.
'Everything' meant more than just the surface. Helia knew 'everything' was hard to pull out even if he did last friday and ended up failing.
"I will." Helia smiled and ended up hugging his friend.
A small silence went by, waiting for someone to just break the ice and make them smile. In this case, Eraklyon saved the time.
"I bet operation 'Been looking for a decent girl Helia could date since 1973' would be finally over in about 2 weeks time." Sky said with a smile, standing up next to his best friend whom he was slightly enraged with minutes ago.
Lynphea nudged an elbow towards Sky's chest. Joking about an overprotective brother sensitive topic. Just when they thought he was at his peak of over protectiveness, he states an earth shattering, heart stopping joke that didn't sound like he was fooling around.
"Maybe take longer than that." Brandon added, making everyone look at him, speechless.
"You agree? You- you like that idea?" Bloom asked for the group.
"I agree that they both deserve someone to make them happy, like the rest of us for 2 years now. Maybe it's time?" The brother made contact to Knightley. The two seniors exchanged smiles between the other three people who knew they did the right thing.
It was time to tell her 'everything'. Time to tell Flora how he really felt.
"Are we leaving right now?" The girl with fiery red hair asked as Knightley began to pack up too.
"No." The midnight haired senior disagreed. "Only me."
With that, the only single person in the group left. Leaving the two couples to find his own partner.
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I hope you know what helia would do in the next chapter ;) Again, I'm sorry for updating so slow and I also want to thank all of you for continuing to support my story. Please continue to give feedback and favorite this story