A/N: One more chapter after this one. Details are at the bottom. And there's nothing else to say, apart from enjoy the chapter and review! And I'll see you at the bottom.
In the police station, I sit in the middle of Bloom and Miele. I have an arm round my sister. Layla is in the middle of her questioning.
Riven has come into the police station with us. He says that he will turn himself into the police willingly if need be. I try to tell him that he doesn't have to but in our hearts, we all know that he should be in as much trouble as the rest of us.
We can hear yelling coming from the consultation room and we know that whatever the woman is saying to Layla is very unfair. Bloom has told me that Layla is usually a very calm person and that something needs to be very extreme before she will begin to get the slightest bit angry.
"Miss Flora Cheffriz, please." The officer at the counter says. I take my arm from Miele and stand up reluctantly. I walk to the door of the consultation room but before I can knock, the door opens and Layla storms out, with her fists clenched and a frown set deep on her face. My eyes follow her and a wave of guilt washes over me as I see her sit in the corner, away from everyone else.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see that Miele has sidled up to Bloom and they were in our previous position. I sigh and then turn back to the door.
I curl my hand into a fist and bring it up to knock.
But I can't. My hand muscles have tightened and no matter how hard I try, I can't get my knuckles to move forward and gently tap on the door.
Suddenly, I feel a hand on my upper back. "Do it, Flora. They won't do anything to you. Or to your sister. You are not to blame." Riven whispers in my ear. I turn my head to him and smile sadly.
I take a deep breath and knock on the door. Knock, knock, knock. I feel my lunch churning in my stomach and I swallow.
"Come in!" I hear from the other side the door. I take a deep breath and put my hand on the handle. I push down and I hear the door unlock. I open the door but before I enter the room, I look back into the waiting area, and look around in pure fright and shock.
Miele looks back at me and smiles weakly, Bloom has a smile that portrays reassurance. I look at Layla but she glares at me and then looks away, ducking her head. I feel so bad for bringing her into this mess. Gareth nods at me with a mock salute. I look at Riven and he looks at me. For a whole minute violet stares into jade green, as though they are having a silent conversation. Then, he gives me the slightest nod and a beaming smile. I smile at him and and I turn back to the door.
I push it open just enough to let myself in and put a small - but still fake - smile on my face. "Hello, Miss Cheffriz. How are you feeling?" The officer lady asks with a big beam on her face - though her eyes tell a whole other story.
"I-I'm feeling a bit shaken but otherwise I feel good, thank you." I say timidly.
"No nervousness at all?" She questions, eyeing me up and down. She unnerves me a lot but I don't say a word; she seems shaky enough as it is.
"A little." I say with a hesitant shake of the head. Her smile widens and somehow she changes from unnerving and scary to small but comforting.
"Well. If you're in this particular situation, then I should believe it's normal." She says, trying to lighten the mood a little. "Please, take a seat." She nods to the chair opposite her and I gratefully let my knees buckle and fall onto the hard wooden seat.
"Before we begin," I start by saying, "what... what happened with Layla?" At my words, I see the woman tense her shoulders and hunch up small. I instantly feel terrible for opening my mouth. She sighs.
"Layla... doesn't want to accept the fact that she will be put in a cell for ten years." The woman says. My eyes widen. My anger is bubbling up inside me but I have to control it and keep it down as low as shock. I can't go as far as Layla did.
"Ten whole years?!" I say with a hint of surprise. The woman nods forlornly. "Ten years is a bit extreme in this case, don't you think?"
"Well... I'm sorry to say this, but what Layla did counts as assault." She explains.
"I understand that that may be so, but I will admit this. I've assaulted loads and loads of people in my teenage years and not once was I told that I would be jailed for ten years for putting a punch in where it belonged." I argue. I don't know how much longer I can keep up the act of 'controlling my anger and turning it into shock'.
"Yes, but she was at a crime scene. In front of the police." She counters.
"Whatever. Just get on with this will you? Before I walk out like Layla did." I sink back in my seat, with a sense of annoyance and defeat. The woman sighs and she relaxes.
"Flora, sweetie, I know you were just trying to defend your friend. But sometimes we have to understand that some things are better losing to." She says softly.
"What. Ever." I lean forward and point my finger at her with each word. "I couldn't give a fuck with your bloody words. All I know is, that Layla is my friend and that I think ten years in prison for mere assault is a tiny bit too extreme." I hold my thumb and first finger an centimetre apart to show it. My words come out a bit more menacing and threatening than I am expecting. "So if you have nothing more to question me on, then I strongly suggest that we call it a day and adjourn this meeting." I sit back in my chair for the third time in ten minutes and I am quite pleased with my little speech.
"Flora. Just be quiet and listen, sweetie." She says. However, the sweetness has gone from her tone of voice and is replaced with firm and bitterness. She sounds cold and annoyed and it seems she has lost all forms of positive emotion.
"Well... whatever." I muse. "Just get it over and done with."
"What-" knock, knock, knock. Someone knocks on the consultation room door. The woman looks at me with a skeptical eye and then back at the door. "Come in!"
The door opens ever so slightly. And then a bit more. The gap widens until eventually, it's big enough for a person to walk through. The person walks in and my stomach flips.
"Dad..." I wince.
"Flora, honey, may I have a quick word with you outside, please?" He asks softly and calmly. So now we're in front of the police, he decides to be sweet and act as if there isn't a conflict going on between us. Great. "Uh, if that's fine with you, miss?" He asks as an afterthought.
"Well, yes, I suppose so." She nods slowly.
"Perfect. I'll bring her back in a short while." He nods to the woman and looks back at me. "Come along, my flower."
I retch at his display of affection. I reluctantly stand up and follow my twisted manipulator of a father. We walk out of the room and the officer at the counter nods at Dad.
"Mr Cheffriz. Take as long as you need, sir." The officer smiles.
"Thank you." Dad turns to Gareth and Miele. "I'll need you two to come with me, please." Gareth stands up with a frown. But Miele doesn't obey. She sits with Bloom, nudging herself into my friend's side. "Come on, sweetheart." Dad coaxes. I can see the frown edging its way onto his face. Bloom leans in to whisper in her ear. Miele takes a deep breath and hops down from the bench seat. "Good girl."
We walk down the corridor of the police station. I hold Miele's hand and follow Dad. Gareth lingers beside me, with his hands in his pockets and his head down. We get to a room.
"Right. Miele, Mr Willingson, wait outside. Flora. In here with me." He points to two chairs outside the door. I gulp and my mind whirs with thoughts about what he could want.
"What is it, Father?" I ask sweetly.
"What have you gotten yourself into, you idiot?!" He hisses. I jump at his sudden change in tone of voice.
"I... it wasn't me, Dad! I swear!" I plead as I sit on one of the chairs in front of the office desk.
"Too right!" He starts pacing the room folding his hands over one another behind his back. "Of course it wasn't. It never is, is it?" He comes up close to my face and I lean back, feeling the pain in my back getting bigger and bigger.
"Dad, stop! I'm telling you it was not me!" I say. I frown at him. "It's just not fair how you keep blaming me. For everything. It gets so annoying!"
He throws his hands on to my shoulders. "Will you fucking keep your voice down!
No! Don't do what he says! That's what got you in this position! The position that hurts you, makes you feel like a wreck.
I know... but he's my father. I have to listen to him.
Not for this. He is being unfair.
But... "OK, Dad." I whisper meekly.
"Good. Now, be civilised and tell me what happened at Willingson's store." He lets go of my shoulders with a shake and resumes walking around the office.
"Gareth was going to take Miele and me-"
"Miele and I, Flora. Not Miele and me. Miele and I." Dad interrupts me. I frown.
"OK," I say irritably. "Gareth was going to take Miele and I home. We had only just got to the gate when I felt a hand in my pocket. And it was Selina taking my purse. And it all kicked off. Layla and Bloom jumped in."
"Right. And I'm gues-"
"Can I come in, please, Mr Cheffriz?" The police officer that questioned me.
"Uh, yes, miss..." Dad says, but his voice is strained and forced.
And all I remember is Dad being taken away from me, protesting and yelling. Miele clings to me, crying her eyes out. She confesses that she has told the officer - with Gareth's help - about all that Dad had done to us. I tell her that she did the right thing.
A/N: How was that? And yes, the last chapter is the next chapter. But I'm not going to say anything. You'll find out soon enough. If you review, you get it faster!