YOUR DAISY

THE LAST LETTER - BONUS CHAPTER

This is about when Taylor is obliged to tell the truth and then decides to write the letter that you can find in chapter 20. It's a little bit short, and if you want to fully immerge in the atmosphere, I highly recommend listening to Almost Heaven by Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon. 

If you want to read more bonus chapters, and have an idea in mind/you want to see specific things in this AU, don't hesitate to write them in the comments or send the request to my curious cat (fallfrovmgrace_)! 

Enjoy!

-

Sister Catherine's face says everything her mouth doesn't utter, as she approaches the young girl. The smile on Taylor's face vanishes upon witnessing such a conflicted stare within the sister's eyes. Nevertheless, the blonde looks up from the book she was engrossed in minutes ago and gives the nun her complete attention. The library is eerily quiet, and Taylor is alone in this single aisle. Sister Catherine tries to convey an urgent message through the desperation flickering in her eyes, but Taylor waits for her to speak.

"Taylor," she begins in a whisper. The blonde swallows, fearing the worst. "I need you to please come with me. It's an important issue."

The young girl can do nothing but nod, unsure. She stands up on wobbly legs, her fingers grazing the yellowish and creased pages of the book. Taylor follows the quick steps of the nun, thoughts filled with Karlie's smile and gentle eyes. It's the only thing that calms her down, as they walk through the empty corridors of the boarding school. Taylor fiddles with the hem of the grey kirtle's sleeves, short nails digging crescent moons on the palm of her trembling palms. Within minutes, they reach a room that Taylor remembers all too well, and as soon as they enter, sister Agnes waiting for them on the other side, the sound of a whip against pale and tender skin echoes inside the walls of her brain. If the blonde needs to face the prioress for an important issue, that means that she's in trouble. And Taylor immediately feels a lump form in her throat, as sister Catherine closes the door behind her and locks them in. Cages her like a filthy animal.

"Taylor," the older nun speaks, voice calm and alarmingly tense. "Please, take a seat."

Taylor wordlessly sits on the wooden chair before the table, and she feels the other nun's presence behind her. The blonde fearfully looks up into sister Agnes' eyes, and they look devoid of any emotion. It unsettles her, unease flowing in her veins as she takes a deep breath.

"Will you please, for the love of God, explain to me the reason why you always wander around the school at night? I've already punished you for that, so why would you do that again?" Taylor is about to let a lie roll off the tip of her tongue, but then the nun dismisses her with a curt movement of the hand. "Actually—save it. Why don't you tell me the truth about you and Miss Karlie?"

The blood in her veins freezes. She's sure her heart stops beating for a whole minute, as the lungs stay trapped inside her ribcage and make no movements. Taylor's lips tremble against her teeth, as she's torn between telling a terrible lie and telling the truth. She opts for silence and, ashamed, she looks down at her lap, hearing a disappointed sigh from sister Agnes.

"You mustn't lie to me. One of my nuns saw you and Karlie act in a strange way more than once. If you tell me the truth, you will make everything easier."

Taylor feels her cheeks burn, as memories with the brunette girl play at the forefront of her mind like a broken record. She clenches and unclenches her hands multiple times, a clear sign of internal struggle. "I—," her voice breaks horribly, and she closes her mouth shut. The truth burns her tongue; she doesn't want to put Karlie's life at risk.

"Just answer this simple question," the prioress stands up, wrinkled hands atop the wooden table. She authoritatively looks down at the young girl, and asks, "Did you and Karlie break this rule?" while sliding the paper with all the rules of the boarding school along the table. Taylor stares at the underlined statement, and her eyes sting with tears. "It's a simple question. Yes or no."

Taylor is unable to speak, unable to let her secret out in the open. But then her mouth forms the single word, "Yes," and a deep sigh comes out of the prioress' pursed lips.

The nun nods quickly, as if she's made up her mind. Taylor waits with bated breath and unshed tears. "The consequences will be hard. They must be hard," the nun begins, voice aggravated. She meets Taylor's eyes as she continues, "Therefore you will be divided. I will send you to another boarding school, and you will get back to God's righteous path. You will atone your sin, you—,"

Taylor doesn't hear the rest, as she furiously shakes her head — a few tears sliding along the slope of her reddened cheeks — and stands up shakily. "No," she says, her voice melting with the prioress'. "No, no, no," she keeps repeating. Her hands shake by her sides, but sister Agnes halts and stares at the silently weeping blonde. Taylor's shoulders briefly shake with the force of her strangled sobs, and with a careless movement she wipes the tears from her face with the sleeve of her kirtle. "Please, I will atone my sin in other ways, but you can't—,"

"I can, and you will do as ordered."

Taylor shakes her head, bites her bottom lip and turns towards sister Catherine. There's a hopeless look inside her eyes, as she asks quietly, "Please, sister Catherine, you can't let her—,"

"She's the prioress, Taylor," sister Catherine interrupts her. There's the faint sign of sorrow and ache inside her eyes, but she averts her eyes, for having no more strength of looking at such a forlorn sight.

"You will leave tonight," sister Agnes continues, voice cold and almost annoyed. She doesn't seem fazed by Taylor's outburst, as the blonde runs her hands through her blonde hair, desperately, and cries with so much hurt heavy on her heart. The prioress stares at the student for a moment, before briefly glancing at the other nun and quickly exiting the room. Taylor weakly collapses on the chair, elbows against her knees as she buries her head in her hands. Sister Catherine has unshed tears in her own eyes as she watches her body shake with sobs, the sound of her weep echoing between the four walls of the small room.

She doesn't know how many minutes slowly drag by, but then Taylor lazily turns around and meets the nun's stare. There's empathy inside them, and it makes it easier to let out the next question.

"Can I write one last letter? Please?"

Sister Catherine is caught off guard, but silently agrees and looks for a piece of paper, a feather, and ink. When Taylor has all that she needs, she begins writing whatever comes to her mind. Her tears stain the yellowish material, and she has to pause several times, often times placing her forehead against the wood of the table and crying away the pain she feels deep within her soul. Taylor writes about their first kiss, about the symbolic and meaningful yellow daisy, of their first time. As the ink turns into hurtful and longing words, the memories are vivid at the forefront of her mind. All over again, she feels the emotion she felt those times. She cries harder, thinking that she and Karlie will never share a last kiss. And when the nun urges her to hurry up, she writes as fast as she can, until her palm aches almost as much as her heart and soul do. Then, she folds the letter, holds it close to her chest, and wordlessly hands it to the sister.

And then, she utters her last words. "Please," she whispers weakly. A lone tear rolls down her right cheek. "Give this letter to Karlie from me."