𝐋𝐞𝐭'𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤

Chapter Ten

Talia's highlights have started to go away. But it looks even better now, because the colors of her hair look more mixed.

Lillian and Ava are arguing again, and Tiegan's not helping by cheering for them to fight. I tune them out, observing the flowers that are just beginning to grow back.

I sigh happily and skip over to the plants. Spring is my favorite season of the year. It's bright, it's cheery, and it's beautiful, the beginning of beginnings. What's not to love?

I lean down and pluck a fully grown daffodil from the grass. I tuck it gently behind my ear, inhaling the scent as I do so.

But suddenly, the flower is yanked away from me. Gasping, I spin around.

Talia stands there, a twisted smile on her face. Annalise and Rheana stand behind her, wearing identical smirks. Talia gazes at the flower, and there's so much rage in her eyes that I'm scared the flower might catch on fire.

Her eyes snap up to meet mine.

"Do you know what this flower represents?" Talia asks calmly, pinching the stem between her thumb and forefinger.

"N-no." I reply, my voice shaky.

"Stupid, as usual." She remarks, then turns her attention back to the flower. "It represents our friendship, or what's left of it, at least."

"What are you doing?" I ask weakly.

Talia ignores me. "This petal represents all the good times we've had together. Oh, they were fun...Until the memories were marred by newer ones."

She jerks the petal off the stem and it glides softly to the ground.

"Stop." I beg her. "Please Talia, just don't."

"This petal represents the trust I had in you." Talia declares. "I trusted you for everything. My opinions, my beliefs, my deepest, darkest secrets. And yet, you betrayed my trust."

She violently twists the next petal off.

She yanks petal after petal off the poor flower, listing the flaws of our broken friendship as she does so.

Finally, only one remains. Talia looks at this one different, as if it is much more precious than the others.

"This one," Her voice cracks a bit. "Is for how we forgive each other, no matter what."

I gaze up at her hopefully. Is this her way of accepting my apology?

But then she rips apart that petal, piece by piece.

And then I hear a beep.

I snap up into a sitting position and look around myself wildly. I'm in my home, I'm in my room, I'm in my bed. Talia isn't here. It was all a dream. I sigh in relief, then lean over and turn off my alarm.

But the ringing still persists. I realize that my alarm wasn't the one that was ringing. It was my phone, and it's Lillian calling me.

I groan and fall back onto my bed. Why is she calling me at this ungodly hour? Maybe if I ignore it she'll give up.

Eventually, it stops ringing. I smile, satisfied.

And then it starts ringing again.

I give up and reach over to pick it up off my nightstand.

"Whatsa matter?" I slur into my phone, still half asleep.

"I need you to come to my house." Lillian says. "Right now."

"Why?"

"I'll tell you when you get here. Just hurry up. Tiegan and Ava are already on their way."