Flower.

ten

CHAPTER TEN
[ braids & old friends ]

HARRIET'S mouth dropped open, "Who's the father? Do you know? Did they run a test to find out or not?"

"They didn't bother. The started testing on me and there was something wrong. I mean since there was a whole other organism growing in me, of course something was wrong!" She exclaimed. "I'm pretty sure the father is Newt though. Because 6 months ago before we made it to the Right Army's camp we were at a crank party. And Newt and I.... you know. So I would think it'd be his, right?"

"He's the only one you've done that with, right?"

"Well, n-no."

"Florence, who else did you have sex with?" Harriet said grasping her shoulders.

"I didn't want to!" Tears began falling from her eyes. "He forced himself onto me! I couldn't do anything. I was chained up and..." Harriet brought the girl into a high hug and let him cry into her shoulder.

"How far along are you?"

"Five months."

"Oh shi-"

"Five months for what?" Newt asked walking into the bathroom. He saw Florence in Harriet's shoulder crying and rushed over to them. "What happened to her, Harriet?"

"She's on her period. It's just the cramps getting the best of her."

"Oh. Is there anything I can do to help?" He asked worried.

"Can you get her some water and somehow find some chocolate?"

"Yeah. I can do that." He stood up and walked out the door closing it behind him.

Florence's cries couldn't be quieted anymore. She sobbed into Harriet's shoulder. Harriet rubbed her back trying to sooth her cries. "It's okay, Flora. Shh. It's okay." Harriet picked up a comb and lifted Florence off her shoulder.

Florence had tears running down her face. Dark bags under them and her face was red. Harriet cupped her face then said, "I'm gonna braid your hair, like I you used to do when you were scared or sad, okay?"

Florence nodded. Harriet went behind Florence and pulled the toilet seat down. She sat on top of it and Florence moved between her knees. Florence tucked her knees into her chest while Harriet began to comb through Florence's loose curls.

Florence still had tears running down her face and was lightly breathing trying to keep them at bay. Florence wiped her eyes as they began to sting. The two sat in silence.

Until Harriet began to hum.

Just the two of us, Bill Withers & Grover Washington, Jr.

Florence lightly moved her head to the small tune. Harriet parted her hair down the middle after she messed up the first part from combing through it.

She braided the hair on Florence's left side of her head. And finished the braid off with a pink rubber-band. She braided the hair on the right side of her head. She finished the braid off with a purple rubber-band.

While Harriet was making sure they looked the same, the door flung open. In came Sonya and Aris. "Are you alright, Florence?" Sonya said in a rush.

"I'm fine." She said with a scratchy voice.

"You've been crying though, and you barely cry." Aris pointed out.

"She's fine, guys. Nothing she can't handle. Now let me finish this braid and we can all get something to eat." Harriet said.

Aris sighed, "Alright, Harriet."

Aris and Sonya walked out the bathroom leaving the door wide open. "How thoughtful of them, they closed the door." Florence said with the most sarcasm known to man.

"Really thoughtful, I swear." Harriet replied. 'I'm finished with your hair by the way."

"Wait, really?"

"Yeah. Get up and look at it."

Florence stood up and walked to the mirror. She rested her hands on the sink and looked into the mirror. "Thank you, Harriet."

"It's nothing, Flora. I'm just happy your somewhat okay."

"Yeah. Somewhat..."

"Hey." She placed her hand on Florence's shoulder. "It's gonna be okay."

"Do you think he'll be mad at me? Do you think they'll be mad at me?"

"They have no damn reason to be mad at you. No matter how strong you come off as, your still scared. You just hide it so well with all of your humor and sarcasm. You were scared then, you're scared now. They can't be mad, okay."

"Okay." Florence whimpered nodding her head.

"I know this is hard for you. But tell me who. I don't want to know what happened. I just want to know who, so I can put a damn bullet in their head."

Florence looked down, she exhaled then looked back up. "It wasn't a person..."

"What do you mean?"

"It..He uh... I don't think he was a human at least."

"Florence. Who was it?"

"I guess it was a crank. I don't really know."

"Okay, now I need to know what happened."

"I won't go into...detail. But uh... I was just walking around late at night for some fresh air. Next thing I know i'm in a dark room with a small dim light in the middle, hanging from the ceiling. And then A man with a ton of dark veins walked in and started yelling. Then he lunged at me and it happened."

Harriet brought Florence into a hug. "Florence."

"Yeah?"

"You are so strong."

"No i'm not. It's all an act. Just like you said earlier. I'm not strong it just seems like it. I'm scared."

"You can be scared and strong, Florence. You are strong. Especially with what you're dealing with right now. But what we really need to deal with is..."

"Is what?"

"Do we tell them or not? And what do we tell them when they see you're stomach growing?"

"We can tell them...eventually at least." Florence said rubbing her arm.

"And what about the baby bump?"

"I'll wear baggier clothes. I mean look at what i'm wearing. You can't really tell i'm 5 month's pregnant can you?"

"Yeah. You really can't."

"Oh shit."

"What. What is it, Flora?"

"We're supposed to be eating with Aris and Sonya."

Harriet looked Florence in the eye then dashed out the bathroom dragging Florence with her.