Between Living and Love || Complete ✔

//9//

As I think to myself, I notice something red hiding behind the toilet. I reach out to grab it, what it revealed sucked the life out of me.

A blood-red rose petal. Just like the ones I imagined in my head. I got closer to find a whole colony of them, not just roses, lilies too. It shocked me to discover such an unexpected thing to be here. It couldn't have been mine. I know it isn't.

Knock. Knock. Knock. "You done yet Emma? Penelope called. She invited to us for lunch. I know it isn't the best time, but we can't mourn over Ella for eternity. It can hurt, but for the time being, we need to learn how to heal ourselves." Jenny yells as she bangs on the door.

Please don't tell me you said yes. We're not exactly in the mood go out for a small drink in the café.

"So, I said yes. Now get ready, Penelope's coming over to pick us up at 4. oo"

That little piece of potato. Sometimes I wonder if she knows when to plan events or not. Well, at least I know who won't be a funeral planner after they graduate. I tuck the petal into my pocket, disposing the rest down the waterfall after I press against the handle to flush.

Getting myself together was difficult, but knowing one of your best friends are going through this isn't the best either. I wash my makeup of completely and take a quick shower. Wrapping myself with the bathrobe that was hanged on the second hanger. While, examining the pretty petal, a conversation I had with Grace decided to strike back

~

"A few years ago, a girl named Jenny was diagnosed with KPD the day after she was diagnosed with the Hanahaki Disease. You know what the Hanahaki Disease is right?"

"Yes. It has to do something with coughing up flower petals."

~

It can't be, it can't be it. There must be a better explanation to this, there has to be one. I don't want to be going about my life believing Jenny is still going through this, and I didn't even know about it to start with. I knew I couldn't just sit there and wonder, I had to get answers. Even if they don't confess, at least I can start making guesses using their face expressions.

Maya came back from the cemetery just about an hour before Penelope was going to pick us up, I could tell it was hard to even decide to leave Ella there, underground with nobody keeping her updated about all the shit that we're going through. Like she's going to listen. She's probably fed up with all this, I bet she's happy she isn't living in this cruel world.

I got dressed and called everyone downstairs for an emergency meeting. Topic of meeting: Flower petals in the bathroom.

One by one, they came down the stairs all ready to go and try to heal our own hearts. One by one they sat down on the couches, one by one they asked "What's going on?".

Ana came down first, wearing ripped jeans paired with black heels and plain white t-shirt under an army green bomber jacket she bought online. Maya, Lisa and Carrie came as a group wearing plain shirts and shorts accompanied with flats. Jenny arrived with a pink sundress with the title "Queen" on the waist area with pink sneakers to match it up. Finally, Falynn arrived last wearing a black Rose Hoodie, black shorts, black boots and her signature black beanie.

They sat down according to rooms, with me sitting on the only "one's" chair. Taking a deep breath before doing anything helps with everything if you were me.

"You guys might be wondering why I called an emergency meeting."

"Well duh, we asked you that like three times each. That's a lot of times." As Ana babbles, she munches on pistachios.

"Just get to the point here, Penelope said she was going to arrive early since her dance tutor didn't come in today." Jenny demands while flattening out the ruffles of her flowy sundress.

"I found both lily and rose petals in the bathroom upstairs. It was hidden behind the toilet, I just wanted to know who coughed these up."

That...was...relieving. Very relieving to get that off my chest that quickly. As I look up, the girls had a confused face fixed onto their emotions. It's either they're acting it all out or they've never heard of the Hanahaki Disease.

Everyone had their faces up all confused, except for Falynn. It was weird because I was expecting Jenny to be the one with her head down.

"Falynn, do...you have...something to say?"

She stayed quiet, still her hair down covering her small face. Wiping off the waterfall of tears that shed as she took a deep breath.

"I do." She murmured, so quietly nobody heard it. "Can you say it louder? Just slightly...Please."

She took an even deeper breath like she was about to get on a truck to war. Like she knew she wasn't going to survive.

"It's okay if you don't want to say it. I was just wor-\"

"I DO. I have the Hanahaki Disease."

It wasn't unexpected. She hasn't been in a good mood this past week. I think Ella's death made it a whole lot worse. Now that's she's confirmed it, I need to know when she first had it. And most importantly, who she had it for.

"How long have you had it for?"

The other girls were all eager to know, we were about to plan a devilish plan to make him fall for her, or... just gather enough money to get it out surgically.

"Since the English Exam. It was very sudden, and worst of all...I-I don't know who I have it for."

"What do you mean by you don't know who you have it for?" Carrie questions out of the blue, with her lips pursed.

Carrie knew exactly what it meant, but she looked like she was hoping Falynn would spill something that might be helpful.

"I've only ever had a small crush on someone and he doesn't exist anymore. At least not for now. I vowed to never fall in love after that. I can't believe I broke it without even knowing."

That fucking mixed Portuguese kid. Jason. He knew for a fact Falynn had feelings for him, and yet he still had the guts to tell her to "fuck off". He died about a year ago, drug overdose. Not a surprise, honestly, he was already drinking at the age of 13. It's amazing how the world works, and yet, there are so many errors in it.

It's actually a good thing that she doesn't know who she has it for, because now, there's a higher chance of her agreeing to the surgery.

"Since you don't know who you have it for, maybe we can gather enough money to get it surgically healed. Just for the sake of your life, it's a plus that you don't know who it is since it's going to be an easier process."

"I...don't think I want to. There's something I have to do."