How To Build A Flower Shop

Chapter SIX

Bobbi winces and pulls back from her make-up brush, trying to put colour on her cheek, her bruise stinging as she does so.

She gained bruises on her arms and one on her face from last night. The girls from uptown gave her a black eye and a cut lip, too. When she finally got home last night after being attacked and robbed -they stole her bracelet- Lucas was adamant to call the police, but Bobbi convinced him not to as she didn't get a better look of their faces – a lie she told. Truth was, she didn't want any more trouble or attention from the police. Humiliated by it.

She's a strong, independent and a well put together girl who didn't want to show any weakness. Yet this can be viewed as a strength and weakness.

She woke up earlier to do her make-up. Most days she leaves her face bare, others she would be very minimal with make-up. Today she did a full look to hide the bruise and black eye. Picks a dark red to cover the cut on her lip.

Hopes Jamelia doesn't question why she's wearing a lot of make-up as they walk to school together.

'Oooh... Who are you trying to impress?' She teases when she first sees her.

'Me, myself and I,' Bobbi sings back and winks, walking their usual route.

'Speaking of impressing, I want to tell you that thing I tried telling you before.'

Bobbi adjusts her shoulder bag. Pulls down her sleeve to hide the bruise on her wrist. 'Oh yeah! Are you trying to impress someone?'

'No. I only said that to move onto what I wanted to tell you.' She chuckles and Bobbi rolls her eyes but smiles. 'Do you remember Juvante?'

Juvante was a guy Jamelia used to date at the start of the year. They ended a little after two months of them dating. It was Jamelia who stopped it when she saw things were getting serious and she got scared. Nothing happened between them since and Jamelia hasn't mentioned him until now.

Bobbi nods her head. Liked them together. Thought they made a cute couple.

'Well, I haven't told you this, but we've been texting since starting school again, and, you know, we've been flirting and the chemistry is still there. We talk about getting back together and I want to, but I told him I don't feel ready yet even though a small part of me does. So he's nice about it, being patient, until I heard that he hooked up with Eve on Homecoming night.'

Slack-jawed, Bobbi covers her mouth and consoles her friend. 'No way! Oh, I'm sorry Jay.' Gives her a side hug and releases her with a warm smile. 'What a jerk. Are you still gonna give him a chance? Are you okay?'

'It's fine,' she pauses, 'kind of. Not really, no. It's not fine. But I started thinking about what you said, how I've never had a real boyfriend, so I think I'll just-'

'Hold up, wait, wait. Forget what I said. I couldn't control that, it slipped out. I meant nothing by it, really I swear. You just hit home, hit me with the truth, and I couldn't- yeah,' Bobbi finishes, distracted as she thinks about Nicholas forcing himself on her and how she was right to give him the silent treatment for a while. He has been making up for it recently. Knows Jamelia is right about what she said, but Bobbi knows she had every right to ignore him after. That her avoiding him had nothing to do with how she can shut out emotions.

Reminds herself what Nick did wasn't her fault before saying, 'If you have feelings for him you should ask him about Homecoming night. And you should hear it from him if he does want to be with you. Don't think of what I said before, and let me know how it goes. Trust your gut.'

They get to the school and walk up the steps to the open doors.

'Besides, it could be rumours. There's no way he'll say no to getting back with you because look at you, you the bomb.'