Strawberry Island (girlxgirl)

When We're Alone

"I didn't just lay all of my religious trauma out on the table for you to be a complete and unsympathetic asshole about it." Clara rose to her feet, annoyed. 

"You want my sympathy?" Florence tilted her head at the blonde's scrunched up face. 

"You know what? Maybe I do, Florence. You've been callous to me ever since I arrived on the island and I was fine with it at first, you know because I thought your cold exterior just needed to be warmed up in like a microwave or something before revealing your soft interior but you've only let me down." Clara snapped at Florence who was taken aback slightly by her sudden bluntness.  

"Why are you so committed to getting to know me?" Florence pressed.

"Why are you so committed to pushing me away?" Clara turned the questioning towards the brunette who let out an exasperated sigh. "Because I value my escape away from the real world and would prefer not to have that threatened by an outsider like you" She tightened her jaw.

"What could be so horrible in the 'real world' for a spoiled rich girl like you, that you need to escape from it? And how am I-of all people putting said escape in jeopardy?" Confused, Clara  countered. However, she couldn't wrap her head around the intimidating Florence Ainsworth being threatened by herself.  

"As the eldest grandchild, I have a reputation to keep up in my family and you don't understand what having all that pressure on me so when- never mind, it doesn't matter, I don't have to explain myself to you." Florence rubbed her tired eyes.

"Why are you all like this? You and your family are so reserved when it comes to showing vulnerability and it's starting to make me feel crazy-- as if I'm the only one within a 3 mile radius with a heart." Clara's face reddened out of frustration.

"I honestly don't know what you want me to say." An irritated Florence stood up, preparing to storm off but stumbled slightly, feeling light headed. "Shit, are you okay?" Clara frantically leaned over with a soft and concerned expression. "I'm fine." Florence fell back into her seat with her palm to her forehead, dizzily. 

"My friend- she has low iron too, if that makes you feel any better." Clara shrugged with a sincere smile. Florence rolled her eyes, letting out a faint groan. A blanket of silence fell upon the girls, the only sound being the harsh storm raging outside. 

Clara stared out the clear glass window, watching the wind violently harass the weak oak trees.  

"Are you still.. religious?" Florence couldn't help but ask a curious question, knowing she had no intention of leaving the guest house and on top of that, she hated the awkwardness that had pierced the air.

Clara was surprised, realizing that she hadn't ever admitted her revelations surrounding religion aloud. "I guess you could say I've distanced myself from the whole 'God' thing. I haven't attended a service in a few months and don't plan on returning anytime soon... are you and your family religious?" Clara relaxed back into her seat as the conversation reignited, to her delight.

"My family has yet to partake in such belief systems." Florence shrugged. "You've never celebrated Christmas or-or Easter?" Clara's eyes widened, unable to comprehend a life without any sort of higher power. "No." Florence responded, incuriously. "Have you at least  heard of Santa Claus or cheesy Hallmark holiday movies?" Clara's mouth hung open for a few seconds. "I'm agnostic, not living under a rock." Florence chuckled to herself as she watched the blonde's face twist into perplexion. 

"Right." Clara clicked her tongue, a little embarrassed by her own daft questions. 

"Are you into Logan?" Florence prompted without hesitation, yet again, though she regretted it right as the words flowed from her mouth. "I uhh... why do you ask?" Clara had to do a double take, she couldn't tell where the conversation was now headed. "No reason." Florence responded, now a bit defensive. 

"He's nice and cute but I'm not looking for a boyfriend right now." Clara shrugged, hoping to move past the topic. Florence nodded, in her head she felt relieved that the outsider wasn't interested in her childhood friend but more or less ashamed of even asking such a personal question. 

"Are you into him...orrr?" Clara let out a nervous laugh in an attempt to mask her attempt at holding her breath. "Don't be ridiculous, I'm not 'into' anyone." Florence gritted her teeth defensively. "Oh." Clara couldn't help but swallow heavily, not wanting to upset Florence, especially now that she was starting to open up to her. 

A lighting bolt struck nearby, the noise similar to the sound of a machine gun, startling both girls. Florence rose to her feet slowly, noticing a flash of terror cross Clara's tired face, the brunette walked towards the windows and tugged the blinds down before returning to her seat, though this time she was a few inches closer to the blonde. 

"Thanks." Clara smiled.