Text Me Back

29. One Single Text

"I'm not really feeling up to going to see a movie tonight, can't we just stay in?" Florence whined when Chloe tried to pull her off the couch.

She was surrounded by homework and take out boxes, giving away that she'd been here for a while, and Chloe was sick of it. She had texted a very urgent message that she was coming over and Florence should get dressed. Apparently there was movie being shown at Hollywood Forever Cemetery and apparently Florence just had to be there for it, but she didn't have the energy. The indecisiveness regarding Eric had permeated too much in her life now and she had found herself locked away in her apartment, ordering Chinese food and pizza every other day. It had started smelling like the back of a restaurant in her apartment.

"The fact that you want to stay inside this smelly place is a sign that you're not well, you need to go outside and get some fresh air." Chloe pushed and kept on pulling her arm.

"I have air condition, I get air,"

"Not the kind I'm talking about. I mean when was the last time you ran a comb through your hair?"

"Shut up Chloe," Florence whined and closed her eyes in hopes that she would leave.

"Florence; if you don't come with me I'll never speak to you again."

Florence sighed and sat up. Had it really gone that far? She had only been in here for a week; couldn't Chloe call Grace and go with her instead?

"Are you really pulling that card with me? Can't you see I'm—"

"—wallowing in your own sadness? Oh I can see it very much and now I'm sick of it. You smell like pepperoni and I can see crumbs of pizza all around you. If you don't come with me tonight I won't step foot in here again." Chloe crossed her arms and frowned seriously.

With a sigh Florence got up and allowed her to be pushed toward the bathroom where a warm shower awaited her.

"I'll lay out some clothes for you while you clean yourself up." Chloe said cheerful and hummed as she opened the closets door in Florence bedroom.

*

Chloe had bribed her with Skittles to get in the car and it had actually worked. The car journey was quiet, only the music was playing; she wasn't sure why she felt strange about going with Chloe to the cemetery this evening – perhaps because Chloe rarely suggested things like these. For a moment she thought about it but decided that this was one of her many attempts to cheer Florence up and for that she was thankful for her friend.

"You didn't have to do all of this to make me happy, you know?" Florence said when they exited the car and Chloe tossed a furry blanket to her.

"Yes I did, trust me." Chloe said vaguely and they started walking.

"You're being awfully quiet today," Florence mumbled when they reached a spot to sit down at.

Chloe glanced at her for a moment but quickly returned her eyes to the phone in her hand, as if she was waiting for someone. Florence spread out her blanket and ate her sour Skittles to keep herself occupied; it seemed to be a cold night. She smiled when she saw the crowd around her, anxiously anticipating the movie. Maybe it had been a good idea to get out for a while after all.

"Look I have to get something from the car...can you just wait here?" Chloe said and waved to her without as much as a look.

Florence rolled her eyes and assumed it was Travis calling her attention; they had been seeing each other quite regularly it seemed. She scrolled through her Instagram feed to pass the time but was briefly interrupted when a message from Eric popped up on her phone.