A Ship Without Sails

Chapter 12

"Why do we have to do this?" Daisy groaned from the driver's seat. They were in the parking lot of the local floral shop.

"Mom wants us to. Just get out," Shayna sighed. She opened her door and stepped out, blinking against the harsh sunlight. "It's gotten a lot hotter, hasn't it?" she commented, straightening her shorts. She was grateful she had worn a white tunic style shirt, unlike Daisy, who wore her usual super-skinny black jeans and dark colored top.

"Can't I stay in the car?" Daisy called from inside the bright red Corvette previously owned by Kerry. Shayna huffed and walked over to her sister's side of the car. She opened the door and dragged Daisy out. "Why're you acting like a little kid?" Shayna snapped.

"Why are you acting like a mom? Chill out." Daisy brushed off her spotless pants, straightened her charcoal gray hoodie shirt, checked that her silver heels weren't smudged, then slammed the car door and locked it. "What're you waiting for?" she asked as she walked towards the floral shop, leaving her sister behind.

"Hi, how may I help you?" the floral shop girl chirped. Daisy let out an "ugh" of disgust and scoffed "tuh!" under her breath every time the girl tried to approach her. "You can help by getting a new outfit, your current one is giving me a headache. Like, that's almost as bad as my sister's. So talk to her."

Shayna shot an apologetic look to the shop girl and waited until Daisy walked away before approaching her. "I'm so sorry about her," she murmured.

"It's cool. I'm Laurie. What're you guys looking for?" Laurie smiled.

"Um... Flowers." Then Shayna blushed and quickly added, "No, duh. Uh, nice flowers. A bouquet?"

"What's the event? And what color? Any flowers in mind?" Laurie asked.

"They're for... a sister," Shayna says carefully. Daisy ruined it by poking her head in from behind Laurie and adding in a sinister voice, "Our dead sister."

"Oh... Would you two happen to know her favorite flower?" Laurie asked, her face growing a bit paler.

"She's always liked lilies," Shayna remembered. "There isn't a black lily, is there?"

"Actually, there is! We have black lilies in the traditional flower shape, then there's some that are more trumpet shaped! Want a bouquet of a mix of those two?!" Laurie perked up as she reached for a clipboard.

"Anything to get us out of here sooner," Daisy scowled. Shayna smiled brightly, trying to ignore the look of shock on Laurie's crestfallen face and said, "Yeah, sounds great. Can I pay when we get it?" Laurie nodded, clutching the clipboard tightly to her chest.

"Okay, thanks, bye!" Shayna called over her shoulder while pushing Daisy out the door. Once they were back in the car, Shayna slumped in her seat. "I cannot believe you did that!" the sisters exclaimed at the same time. Then they leaned back away from each other, glaring at each other in shock. "Me? You!" Daisy said first. Her eyes narrowed, sending alarm bells through Shayna's brain. When her eyes narrow like that, take cover, she thought, beginning to panic. She did not want a showdown in the car.

"Know your place, kid," Daisy snapped. "Like, I'm older. And your twin isn't here anymore. You're all alone, Shayna, never forget that."

Hot tears stung the corners of Shayna's amber eyes, threatening to spill over in a waterfall of emotions. Frustration and exasperation made a dangerous combination in her mind; add some more anger and she could explode.

"I'm not alone," Shayna said through gritted teeth. She swallowed hard and tried to keep her emotions in check. "Let's just go home."

Without replying, Daisy gripped the steering wheel and drove out of the parking lot.

In record time, they made it back to their house. Both girls went up to their rooms, but Daisy slammed her door, shaking the house, while Shayna shut it quietly. The first thing she noticed in her room was her phone on her bed, vibrating. She lunged for it and unlocked the call without checking the caller.

"Hello?" she said breathlessly.  

"Shaye? It's Kurt," Kurt's voice echoed.

"Kurt? Hey. What's up?" Shayna flopped on her bed and leaned against her pillows.

"Can you meet me outside my house in like two minutes? Thanks," Kurt said in a rush, then hung up. Shayna stared at her phone screen, then turned it off. Sighing, she stood up and changed into a lavender gray skater dress and slipped on her black and white Vans. As a last minute thought, she grabbed a black cardigan in case they stayed out after dark, when it could be a little chilly.

Dashing down the porch steps, she jogged down N. 27th Road to Kurt's house, where he was waiting outside. His shoulders were slumped forward and his hands stuffed in his jeans. His bloodshot eyes turned to Shayna, the redness contrasting with his blue eyes.

"Hey, thanks for coming out," he said to Shayna as she went to his side.

"Of course," she said. "What's up?" 

"I keep thinking of her," Kurt said. "I can't get her out of my mind, and it's driving me insane."

"I know, me too. Everyone is feeling like that, Kurt." Shayna's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Why do you think that what you're feeling is different?"

"Because I can't remember if I killed her or not."