Gotham (Everybody)

Chapter Eighteen: Flower

In the limo everyone was in their own mind. A lot had happened, Edward quit  a life of demands, Oswald had taken trauma to the head for me, and I gave up on my only surviving family. I looked at my two friends, Ed was shaking and Oswald was in shock. Poor boys, they've been through so much. I don't want them going down in emotion. Butch drove away from my old life, the life I barely knew, he watched me from the drivers mirror.
"Can we stop at my house real quick?", Ed asked to Oswald.
"Of course.", he nodded to Butch, Ed gave him the address. We were close by his home.
"Ed.. Your house is amazing.", it looked like a huge, ancient, dark manor.
"Thanks..", he put his hand behind his head like he was embarrassed. "I inherited it from my father."
"Well it's lovely,", I added.
"Yeah.. superb.", Oswald was shocked, he probably was surprised in how impressive Ed's home was.
"Wanna come in?", Ed asked fixing his glasses.
"Yeah, that would be nice.", I replied with a smile. "You coming, Oswald?", he had his mouth wide open. Edward and I laughed as we pushed him into the entrance.
"Oh my..", it was just as breath taking inside as it was on the outside.
"There is three stories, six bathrooms, a pool, jacuzzi, sauna, a basement with a pool table and things in the same category, a secret lab, twelve rooms, some of them bedrooms.", he advertised standing up straight,fixing his glasses again. Oswald had his mouth open again in astonishment.
"Just when we got him back too.", I put a hand under my chin thinking what we would do with him, Edward laughed loudly.
"I think it'd better to stay here.", Edward added. "Only problem is I don't have a map."
"Why would we need a map?", Oswald asked sitting on his couch.
"Why would you need a map for anything? To reach a destination or so you won't get lost. Why would you get lost, you may ask? Because this house moves, I swear.", Edward joked.
"Butch and I will go get our things.", Oswald volunteered.
"I will show Ashline around then.", Edward said in a tone that sounded like he was asking for permission.
"Sounds like fun.", I replied before Oswald could eject. Butch and Oswald turned to leave and I went behind Oswald and hugged him, he felt warm. We stood their for a bit and he left Ed and I.
"You can't deny it.", Edward said. I turned around to see him close to me. "You like him?"
"I'm not sure.. I think so..", I wasn't sure if I did or not. "I care for him deeply.", I replied. This was true, at first I thought I liked him. "There's a bit of a problem.", I gulped. I also had feelings for the man in front of me. "Thank you for the birthday wish. You're the only friendly person to wish me one.", he looked like he suspected what I was thinking, he got closer to me.
"What's the problem? I bet I could solve your puzzle.", he stated ignoring what I said last, he stepped in closer. I could smell his minty breath.
"I love to watch the rose grow but I'm still stuck on the daisy. The rose is simply unique and isn't accepted by the bees, it pretends to have a strong stem and it informs me that I can pick it but I'm afraid I'll ruin the rose because I don't have enough water to feed it, I don't even have enough for myself. The daisy and I have memories, it's strong but is completely toxic to me. I try to get closer to it's beauty and it shrivels, the closer I am too it. I can tell wants me but it doesn't mind my feelings, this daisy also shrivels at the thought of me feeding the rose. I don't want to hurt the daisy but I want to give the rose a home and love. I try to pick the rose and ignore the daisy's wishes, the rose apologizes for its points. This makes it feel insecure on the inside and this always makes the daisy envious.. I then go back to the daisy, it's upset and sends the poison through my body and sucks it up before the poison gets to my heart. The daisy tells me it won't do it again, if I stay and water it instead of the rose.. I don't know, sometimes I feel like leaving the garden and never returning, to leave the flowers to die.", we were close and I feel him reading me like a book.
"You're confused? Lost between two destines.. You are interested in both of these, they have stories and different futures. Sorry to say but you'll be crushed-- destroyed either way, just pick which ever one you are most attracted too. Who cares about what the other one thinks?", he listened too me and gave me real advice, he looked me in the eyes. I got lost. He was right I'd need a map but not for his house..
"I would.", I replied to his wonderful voice.
"Did you want to see my house?", he asked changing the subject.
"Oh, yeah."
We walked throughout his house, it was big. I was thrilled every time he opened a door so I could look inside the room. The last room he showed me was his room, it was huge. It looked like a hotel suite room. A house within a house, type of deal.
"You live in your home by yourself?", I asked.
"I used too.", I was confused. "I have two new faces living with me."
"Oh.", I laughed.
"Weren't you lonely?"
"No not really. I barely stayed here, I was only here at night. I was at work the other half of the time.", he said moving out of the way so I could leave. I walked out and he closed the door behind him.
"Hello? I'm back. Sorry it took forever, mother wouldn't let me go.", Oswald called. We walked down to the second story and saw Oswald from the stairs. The black metal stairs twisted and turned until it got the bottom. Oswald met us halfway up them, we laughed.
"I got your things.", he stated.
"Thank you." Butch was carrying a lot of bags.
"Butch, I'll show you were to put them.", Edward said helping him with the bags. That was another reason why I liked him, he was a gentleman.
"We have to leave soon.", Oswald said.
"Why? We just got here."
"No, not like that. We have to work.", he reminded me.
"I think we should invite Edward.", Oswald nodded with agreement.
Edward walked over to the open metal railing, he stood tall and looked down at us.
"What am I invited too?", he asked.
"Come to us with to the nightclub?", Oswald asked for me.
"I-I never was invited to anything before.", this made me frown.
"Well that's too bad, you're cool.", I smiled, he smiled back.
"We leave in two hours. Get ready.", Oswald instructed as he walked pass me.
I walked into my room and found my bags on the floor. I changed into a white dress, it had thin lace that replaced anything on the shoulders, it started at my chest and went down to the V on the back. The V didn't connect but only to the lace that had weird designed. (It also had a clean cut on my left leg, it exposed my whole leg). I added my sliver high heels and I threw my hair in a fancy ponytail, it was long and straight so I curled the end of my ponytail. Oswald instructed Ed and I dress up as much as we could. There was a party tonight, I was a guest and I wasn't going to work tonight. I walked down to see everyone dressed up (even Butch dressed up). Oswald wasn't wearing his usual tuxedo with a green tie but a older type of tuxedo, it was black and white, there was a fluffy thing that replaced a tie (he even had a new cane). Butch had his hair brushed back and he had a tuxedo that had a bow, his pants and jacket were white and his under shirt was black with his white bow. Edward had a tuxedo that had a tail thing, he had no glasses on, his tie was sliver and his undershirt was white his jacket and pants were black (he's pants were the only ones that didn't have a flair. I noticed a girl that was with Oswald, I stopped walking down the stairs for a moment. There was that poison I talked about.

She was really skinny and her hair was long like mine, she looked almost identical to me. She had black hair, long eyelashes, and a black silky dress on, it wasn't floor length but it was tight around her small body, she also had black stockings on with garters. They showed bad as her thigh-gap did.
Edward looked at me like he knew it hurt me.
"You.. Stunning.", Edward said to make me feel better. I didn't reply, I just stared at the girl.
"Oh, where are my manners.", he said. "Yeah, where were they?", I thought with my fist squeezed.
"This is Xanna Howell. Xanna, that's Ashline Wayne.", he smiled unknown of me thinking where to hide his body.
"Did he introduce her first and call me 'that'?!", I thought.
"Pleasure.", she smiled holding up her hand she had long black silky gloves on.
"Yes.", I replied, not shaking her hand. I still had my fist squeezed, if I shook her hand I'd have to stop squeezing them and I feared punching Oswald right in the gut.
"I guess... You'll be my date for the night.", Edward cut in, grabbing my hand. I looked up at him.
"O-okay."
Xanna and I are together for the night.", Oswald was testing me.
"Are we ready?", Butch asked.
"I think burning him would be the best option.", I whispered to Ed, he put his other free hand around my hip to make Oswald jealous. Oswald didn't even look in our direction.