Carrying the Legacy: The Revolution Continues

No More Flowers

Chapter's song: We All Get Lonely - The Wrecks 

Frances stretched as she sat in bed. It was the first day since the sunflowers began to appear that she didn't feel anxious about falling asleep because she knew there wouldn't be any more night guests.

Many consecutive days passed with Todd giving her even more elaborate gifts such as stuffed animals and showering her with compliments, with more sunflowers now appearing with the small gap of two days. She honestly enjoyed when it was just the sunflowers, only once a week as a reminder: "Hey, I still think of you." But it grew to something she was sure that didn't like with all of that unnecessary attention and money spent, only trying to show off his money and trying to buy her.

Frances tried to make him understand that she wasn't interested, returning all of his gifts and hiding away to avoid him when that didn't work, too embarrassed to actually have a talk about a break up without even being in an actual relationship. The only date they had was more awkward than anything else to her, even though Todd didn't seem bothered at the slightest. He took her to a fancy restaurant and she felt dislocated at that place, and by the time they finished dinner they didn't even get to the point of having an intimate conversation.

However, Frances' actions only seemed to convince Todd to try harder to impress and swoon her. At his eyes, she was only acting shy in his presence, but in reality she was trying to find a way to jump off from that train without an awkward scene. Until she finally snapped.

She was hiding behind a bush, looking through its leaves to check if Todd had already walked away. He had seen her there but she managed to rush and hide before he could approach her, but still, he was looking around for her.

"What are you doing?" A voice whispered behind her and Frances turned around, which in a reflex she punches whoever was there in the stomach, making the person wince and bend over to hold the hurt place. "Uurgh, what's your fucking problem? Oof-"

"I am the one supposed to ask that, Lee!" She whisper-yells back, pushing Alfred back and he falls at the grass, muffling the noise of his fall. "Why are you following me?!"

"You insane? I wasn't following you, and why are we whispering?" He asks in the same tone as he stands up, trying to look at what seemed to interest her so much behind the bush.

"None of your business, now can you just-"

"Oooh..." Alfred whispers when peeking from behind the bush with a smirk, "You are hiding from Dracula."

"Dracula? Seriously?" She scoffs crossing her arms.

"Yeah." Alfred nods, ignoring her sarcasm completely, "Todd looks just like those European vampire myths. I wouldn't doubt he is one of them, showing up out of nothing and plotting to swoon young virgins just to kill them in the end."

"You're fucking crazy, ya know that?" Frances spats with narrowed eyebrows and Alfred steps back from the bush.

"If it is so, why are you hiding from him?" He curiously asks tilting his head, quickly glancing down before looking up at her face. "Everyone knows you two have something going on so, please, enlighten me, Laurens."

"I-" She hesitates before shrugging violently, "I have to tell you nothing!"

"Oh?" He sarcastically says looking away for a second before looking at her again with a smug expression, pointing at the bush's direction, "Then you wouldn't mind if I call Todd here, right?"

Frances forcefully pulls him back by his arm and hisses, "Don't you fucking dare."

"Make me." He challenges her and she stares back in disgust before groaning and pulling his face away from her.