Falling // Florence Boswell // Finn Shelby

(23)

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Florence had been for the past four days, her side was still sore. When she was able to pull up her dress, the whip marks were still there, imprinted into her skin. The only good thing was, she had stopped coughing up the blood.

Daniel came into her room, always checking to see if she was okay. Florence adored his company and tried to keep him in her room, away from their father.

It was Sunday, which meant that tomorrow was the first day back at school. Florence was nervous, unsure of what would happen. She couldn't possibly take any beatings from the nuns, especially now that her father was back on the drink and angry as ever.

She held onto the bannister as she walked down the stairs, a small wince on her face. She got to the last step, her eyes drifting up to her father as he was sitting at the table, a bottle of whisky in front of him.

His eyes peered up at her, harsher than usual. "So you finally up?" He asked.

Florence looked at him with wide eyes, unsure of what she had done this time. He stood up quickly, his chair falling backwards.

Florence held onto the bannister, her body shaking.

"I've been waiting until you were up and awake. Mind telling me why Lee told me you were seen with not one, but four Shelby's the other day?" He asked, his hand clenched.

"I...". Florence let out a scream as her father threw the bottle at the wall, the small shards of glass falling on the ground beside her.

"DON'T FUCKING LIE TO ME FLORENCE". He shouted, marching towards her.

Florence let out a cry as she was flung to the floor, her hand coming to her head. "I wasted a perfectly good fucking bottle, now tell me". He shouted.

"I...I was walking back from the shop...and they followed me....I told them to leave me alone...but they didn't". She whispered.

Bartley let go of her hair, his face scrunching up in disgust. Florence turned her head as she watched her father walk towards the cabinet, grabbing another bottle.

They both looked at the door as someone knocked on it. He placed the bottle down, his eyes landing on Florence. "Be quiet". He whispered.

Bartley sighed as he walked towards the front door. He racked his fingers through his wet hair and opened the door, his back tensing.

"Hello Mr Boswell, is Flo in?" Tillie asked, a smile on her face. Eddie stood beside her, a smile on his face too.

"Wait a moment". He muttered. He shut the door and turned to look at Flo.

"You're going to tell them you don't want to be friends with them anymore. That you don't like them". He said.

Flo shook her head, tears in her eyes. "I...I can't do that. There my friends. My only friends". Flo whispered.

Bartley smiled and nodded his head. He walked towards her and grabbed her face. "Do as I tell you. Or Daniel will get the same beating as you did, and I will go worse on him than I did on you". He pushed her away towards the door.

Florence let out a gasp as her father grabbed her arm. "If they ask about your head, you tripped okay?" He asked.

Flo nodded her head, her eyes turning to the door. She opened the door slightly, her eyes landing on her friends. "Hi". She whispered.

"Hey you okay? Isiah told us that Paul and Finn were saying how you collapsed a few days ago. We called over, but no one answered". Eddie asked.

"I'm fine. Just the time of the month that's all". She answered.

"Right. Well, you want to come out. Just the three of us. We can go to our special place, have a catch-up?" Tillie asked.

Flo shook her head and looked down at the ground for a moment. She gulped and looked up at her best friends. "I'm sorry but no. I....I don't want to be friends anymore. I think we should stop hanging out". She responded.

"What?" Tillie asked.

"You heard me. I don't want to be friends with you anymore. I need to think of my future...and you're both just...dragging me down. So, can you please leave?" She asked.

"You joking aren't you? Flo, we've been best friends for years. Have...have I done something. Look, I like Isiah but if it means that I'll lose you to him then I'll stop talking to him". Tillie responded.

"It's nothing to do with him. I don't want to be your friend anymore. Just leave. GO AWAY". She shouted.

"Come on Ed". Tillie muttered as she grabbed his arm.

Flo watched as her two best friends stormed away, tears streaming down her face.

She shut the door and let out a cry as she wiped away her tears.

"That's my girl. See it wasn't that hard, now was it?" Bartley asked. He wrapped his arms around his daughter.

All Flo could do was cry in-between the pain and the fact she lost two dearest people to her.

She didn't know why, or how it happened. But her father really had become a monster.