I double check all my pockets and gasp. "No! My purse!"
"Are you sure its not in one of your bags, Flora?"" Gareth asks. I check them all and shake my head.
"No. This is just... what should I do?" I ask desperately.
"Here, just for you, Flo, take your shopping." He takes my bags from me and fills them up.
"Gareth, I can't. Just... forget it." I say, shaking my head. I turn to walk away but Gareth calls me back. I thank the gods that there isn't a queue behind me.
"No, Flora. I'm going to worry about you. You're taking these bags back to your house. I'll take them for you if I have to." He turns around. "Fish!" Adam Fisher, whom we locals know as Fish and Gareth's 'number one assistant' comes running. He blows his dark blonde hair out of his eyes.
"Yeah, Gath?" Fish asks as he slows himself to a stop. He eyes me and smirks. "Afternoon, Flora. Hey, what's up with you?" He asks.
"Good afternoon, Fish. I... I had an... accident at school." I say. I feel useless.
"That's bad." He says sympathetically, "What did you want me for, Gath?" He turns back to Gareth.
"Look after the store for me, would you? I'm taking Flora back to her place." Gareth explains. He leans in close to Fish and whispers something in his ear. Fish nods but a frown is plastered on his face.
"Wow, someone really cares." Fish smirks.
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever, dude. Just look after the store."
"OK, but... be careful, Gath. You know how he is. Try not to create a big mess." He sighs.
"Yeah, I know. I'll try not to. Won't promise anything though."
"And get well soon, chicka." Fish smiles and I nod at him. Gareth takes my bags and picks up his keys (the ones with the 'I am a very, very old gorilla' keyring on it) and phone. We go out to his blue Audi and he takes my shopping bags to his boot. "Right then, Miss Cheffriz. Get into the front and we'll get going!"
"Gareth, I promise I'll make it up to you." I say, as we speed off. He chuckles, not taking his eyes off the busy road.
"Oh, Flora. Seriously, it does not matter." He says firmly. "I can live without a few hundred pounds."
"But I feel really bad. I'll just have to work a bit harder for a month or so." I shake my head, sighing.
"No, you won't. You either forget the whole payback idea completely, which I strongly suggest or you can ask your dad to give you the money." Gareth tells me. As I glance at him, I see a frown edging its way to his face.
"Dream on, Gareth." I scoff confidently. "Dad will go nuts if he finds out I've lost his money. If you think he'll spare another batch of two hundred, then you have another thought coming." I feel another sting in my back.
"Flo," he sighs with a shake of his head, "you really do need to speak up about your dad to someone. The way he's treated you after... the incident is just plain wrong. I would have said something already but I didn't want to interfere. I didn't want to lose a wonderful friend." He takes a risk and smiles at me. I smile back at him.
Wow. And you say nobody likes you.
Oh, be quiet. Both Gareth and Fish are twenty. That's way too old.
Picky. Flora, I'm telling you - no. You're telling yourself - that you are a beautiful girl and will grow up to be a beautiful woman. You just need to stay optimistic. Pessimism never helps anyone.
Please. What do you get out of annoying me?
I just like seeing you hurt and confused. Its my way of having a laugh.
Go die in a hole, then.
That's rude.
I know. "You and your sister's lives are going to strain if nothing's done about it." I tune back into what Gareth is saying.
"But... Miele will fall to pieces if we're taken away. I think the only reason I'm keeping quiet about things and not telling anyone is because of Miele." I sigh, remembering my cheerful, sweet sister and how she'd feel if I was to say anything to the social services and we were taken into care.
"Flora. Miele is sweet and smart. She will understand if you tell her nicely." He reasons.
"I know she will. But inside she'll break. Its what happened after Mum left. Her demeanor was happy until Mum went out the front door. Then she went into a massive depression." I remember what happened a year or so ago.
"But she's happy now?" Gareth asks.
"As far as I can see."
"Then what do you have to lose?"
"But..."
"No buts, Flora. What happens in the future is now up to you." He stops the car in front of our house.
"I know. I guess I'm just scared." I sigh.
"Don't be. If you need anything, be that actual, physical help or just a chat, you know where I'll be." He helps me out of the car and goes to collect the shopping bags.
"Thanks, Gareth." I smile.
"No worries, milady." He locks his car and walks up to our gate. He pushes it open and walks up the drive. "Don't worry about paying me back, Flo. That's not necessary."
"Fine. Fine." I sigh, giving in and rolling my eyes.
"And tell your father to be expecting a phone call." His blue eyes look dark and he frowns.
"Huh?" I look at him, feeling as confused as ever.
"Just do it, Flora." He says impatiently.
"OK. Thanks again, Gath." I smile at him.
"My pleasure, Flo." The door opens and I see Miele holding the door open. She looks surprised at seeing the two of us.
"Gareth?" She raises an eyebrow. "Are... are you going to be staying?" She asks politely.
"Might as well." He shrugs. "I need to put these in anyway." Miele glances behind her.
"Uh, I can take them." She reaches for the bags but Gareth steps back, holding the bags out of her reach.
"Whoa there, young lady!" He says, smirking. "You have a problem with me coming in?" He asks her playfully.
"N-no." She stutters. "Its just..." another look backwards.
"Miele, what is it sweetie?" I ask, filled with concern.
"Dad..." she mumbles. Gareth and I frown.
"What has he done, Miele?" I ask firmly, and then worry that she'll think I'm being firm with her.
"He's angry. Very angry."
"Why?!" This comes from Gareth.
"A guy knocked asking for you. And I think he got the wrong idea of the stick." She explains. I look at Gareth and see that he has raised his eyebrow and is smirking.
"What did he look like?" I ask.
"Uh, magenta spiky hair, navy blue eyes, cocky smirk-" she starts to explain.
"OK, I think I know who you mean. What did he want?"
"He said to meet you in Bramblewitch Pavilion." She says.
"Right." I look at Gareth. "Can I... actually no, don't worry. I can make it on my own." I muse to myself.
"If you were going to ask for a lift then fine. I wouldn't have minded." He tells me.
"No, it's OK." I say. Gareth rolls his eyes, puts the bags down and takes my shoulders.
"Flora, please, just... listen to me just this once." His voice is raspy and I feel the need to do what he says.
"Fine. I'll take your offer." I turn back to Miele. "Stay away from him. Or come with us, if you like. You could stay at Gareth's store while I'm at Bramblewitch and he can drop us both off."
"OK. Hop in then, girls." He picks up the bags again and puts them just inside the door.
"OK." Miele smiles.
"Good girl." Gareth ruffles her hair.
Gareth drives us to Bramblewitch Pavilion and drops me off. At the entrance, a guard guy stops me from going in. "Excuse me, madam." He says after taking my arm. I pry it out of his grip and step back a little.
"Yes? What is it?" I ask impatiently.
"We have new rules that state we need to take down people's name and purpose before we can let them in." He says with his hands behind his back.
"Purpose?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.
"Why they are here." He explains. "We believe that with this information, we can assist the public in the best ways possible."
"I'm not sure I agree... but whatever. My name is Flora Cheffriz and I'm here to see someone who's name is Riven Jeffreys." I explain wearily.
"Round the back, please, Miss Cheffriz. He will be waiting by the bush that's shaped like a cat."
"Um, OK..." I say slowly. "Thank you." He nods and I walk inside.
At the back of the pavilion is a whole glass wall. In the middle of the wall are glass double doors. I peek through them to see if I can spot Riven. Sure enough, like the guard said, he's waiting on the patio by the cat shaped bush. I push open the door and step outside, my pink knee length dress (that I changed into before I went to the store) flowing out around me.
"H-hi, Riven." I say when I reach him.
"Hey, Flora. Here, sit down." He pats the patio next to him. I take the seat gratefully and slip my arms out of my crutches. He watches me with a sad smile on his face. "Flora, I am so so sorry about what happened at school today. I... I want you to know that it was not me. My friend James was being an idiot and pushed me into you." He explains. I smile sadly.
"Riven, I really, really want to believe it wasn't you." I say, "I heard what you said when I was in the infirmary and I thought you said it from the heart but... I don't know, I kind of have no evidence that it wasn't you. Bloom said everyone saw you." He closes his eyes. "I'm sorry, Riven. Like I said, I really, really, want to believe it wasn't you."
"I know. You don't have to be sorry. It wasn't you." He takes my hands. "I... I found your purse."
"Huh?"
"Yeah." He takes something out of his pocket and it is my purse!
"Riven! Thank you! Where did you find it?" I take it from his hands. Dad's money is still there, all two hundred pounds of it!
"Uh, my friends gave it to me." He flushes.
"James?"
"No, Baltor." Something is fishy about that name. Then I realize.
"You don't mean the Baltor that hangs out with Sky, Brandon, Selina, Icy and all that lot, do you?" I ask.
"Y-yeah."
"You mean they found it?"
"No. They took it from you." She says sheepishly.
"But... but..."
"Flora, they're thieves. They take things from people and I..." he hesitates for quite some time.
"Riven? What's wrong?"
"I sell the things that they steal." He whispers.
"So you're telling me you were going to sell my purse?" I half shriek.
"Yes." I see that he has gotten closer to me quite a lot. "But then I saw your picture and I couldn't bring myself to put it on my shelf." I take his hands.
"Riven, don't worry. I appreciate the fact that you decided to return my purse instead of selling it. It takes a lot courage to admit what you did." I reason.
"I quit the group and... I want your help to report them."
"OK... I-I can't believe they played me!" This time I do shriek.
"Flora, its what they do." He shrugs. He glance inside and see the clock.
"I-I need to go. I'll see you tomorrow." I stand up.
"Do you want me to give you a lift home?" He asks as he stands up with me.
"Not home. To Gareth Willingson's Store?"
"You got it!" We go out to his blue Ferrari and he helps me into the front. "Flora, again, I'm really, really sorry."
"I'll do my best to try and forgive you." I smile. Though he was facing the road, his mouth twists up into a smile.
"Thank you, Flora." He says and I have a feeling it is sincere. We reach my Gareth's store and he stops the car.
Without thinking about what I am doing, I ignore the pain in my back, reach over and peck him on the cheek. Without saying anything, I get out of the car and walk back towards the store. I don't turn back round to watch him drive off because I don't want him seeing the blush in my cheeks or the grin on my face.
A/N: What did you think of the ending conversation?
Next chapter, Bloom, Layla and Flora confront Baltor and his gang.