Failure was very rare for Gardenia, it was something she wasn't used to because success was her last name, it was given to her by her grandfather. She swallowed hard as she stared at her Physics test, and she closed her eyes as she fought the urge to cry. She got a hundred on the test and you're probably wondering, what was the big deal? It's how she aced the test that worried her. Gardenia was in the middle of taking rest then the next minute she woke up in the nurse's office. They said she fell asleep, but the thing is, Gardenia would have known if she fell asleep. Her body decided to shut down right in the middle of the test, in other words, she went unconscious. That never really happened to her before, and it worried her. She ended up coming back to class after telling her nurse that she had to go to the restroom. She snuck to the teacher lounge to get some coffee, then went back to continue taking her test as if nothing happened.
The next day comes around and she wasn't any better, he class bell rings making Gardenia jump a little, she was lost in a daze. "Gardenia, can you stay for a moment?" He asked her and Gardenia felt her chest tighten, she nodded quickly as she got up. "You have been slacking lately, Gardenia. Are you okay?" Mr. Willis asked and Gardenia nodded as she grabbed her backpack.
"I have to go." Gardenia says and she leaves out of his classroom.
Gardenia walked down the hallway in a rush, she didn't have a class for another ten minutes but she was so livid that she just needed to keep walking.
"Gardenia." Harry called after her but she kept walking.
"Gardenia." Harry called her again and she ignores him, Harry grabs her arm and she quickly yanks it away. "Leave me alone!" Gardenia exclaimed and Harry froze in place, she was red in her cheeks and she was crying so much that tears dripped from her face and onto her maroon sweater. "I'm sorry... I need some space, I need to go home." Gardenia rushed out and Harry licked his lips, he swallowed hard. "I-I can take you home." Harry offered and Gardenia shakes her head, she rubbed her head because she can feel a headache forming. "N-No. I will be fine." Gardenia dismissed him and she walked off down the hallway.
Harry watched her leave and he wanted to follow after her but it would make things worse so he will let her be.
Gardenia walked all the way to Bear's school that wasn't too far away and she got him out of school early. "Gardenia, why are you picking me up-woah, what's wrong?" Bear questioned and Gardenia shook his head as she sniffled. "I just don't feel well." Gardenia mumbled and Bear walked beside her with a frown. "Well, let's get home faster so I can take care of you. I will get Gordon to make soup for you." Bear says grabbing her hand, they walked down the sidewalk.
They finally got home and Gardenia was in her bed resting and trying not to lose her mind.
Bear was doing as he promised her, he stood next to Gordon while he cooked some soup for his friend. "Make sure it's not too hot Gordie." Bear says and Gordon nodded as he stirred the chicken soup. "We also need to clean to cook dinner and stuff so when my Mom and Dad come back.. They won't yell at Gardenia." Bear says and Gordon nodded his head quickly. He will cook and clean for her any day, sadly not forever.
Gordon fixed Gardenia some soup and Bear began cleaning up by sweeping and straightening up everything that had been put out of place throughout the two days of not cleaning up.
Gordon walked into her room and she was laying in her bed, she was sound asleep and snoring quite a Storm because she was so exhausted and he couldn't blame her "Gardenia." Gordon whispered. Gardenia being the light sleeper, she wakes up immediately and she clears her throat as she wipes the slobber from the corner of her lips. "Oh-sorry, I usually don't snore." Gardenia says in a hushed tone and Gordon smiles softly as he sits the bowl at her desk. "Here's your soup sweetheart." Gordon remarked and Gardenia smiled as she got up, she sat at her desk and she began to eat quietly. Subtle slurping sounds fill the air.
Gordon watched her eat as he leaned up against her bookshelf. "I know you have been very busy, just know if you need me to take care of you and Bear... I will. You guys are like my family." Gordon says and Gardenia looked up from the soup bowl, her brown eyes met Gordon's green eyes that were similar to Harry's but just a tad darker. "Thank you." Gardenia grinned and Gordon nodded, he ran his hands through his hair and he looked down. "You don't... have to come to the art show... I know it will have you and Bear as my art inspiration but I don't want you to get in any trouble or be tired because of me." Gordon says and Gardenia shakes her head as she sits her spoon down. "I'm still going to come, no matter what." Gardenia assures him and Gordon didn't want to say anymore on the subject, he pushes himself off the bookshelf. "When you're finished, you can go back to sleep. Me and Bear will do everything else okay, sweetpea?"Gordon remarked and Gardenia's mouth opened to answer but Gordon cleared his throat. "Alright, I should get cooking. You relax and sleep." Gordon says then he walks out the room before she could say anything else.
Hours went by, Gordon and Bear fulfilled their duty by cleaning up and cooking. Gordon looked at his watch and he looked at Bear. "We have enough time, I'll let you look at my finished pieces but you have to promise to not tell Gardenia." Gordon says and Bear jumped up a little, he nodded his head quickly. "I promise Gordie, I will be extra careful and-and I will not tell her until she sees." Bear remarked and Gordon smiled, he motioned for the boy to follow him. "Okay, my mother is home so... come on up." Gordon says holding out his arms and Bear jumps up into his arms, Gordon covers his face and he walks into his apartment.
His mother sat in the living room, bra and underwear making Gordon look at her disgust. His mother looked at him and Gordon shook his head as he walked to his room. "Okay..." Gordon puts Bear down, Bear begins to look around and Bear let out a dramatic gasp.
Bear stared in awe at the painting that appeared to he Gardenia and Bear. They were wrapped in a white cloth together, she held him like Bear was her child when he was because she just loves him so much. It was an oil painting and he got her hair, her skin, her eyes, lips perfectly. Bear looked at himself and he felt his eyes water because he never would've thought of seeing himself like this, this beautiful. His heart swelled at the picture and he wiped his face. "It's so pretty." Bear began to cry and he looked at Gardenia because she's so beautiful and he loved her so much that. "I love my sister so much. I wish I was big so I could love and take care of her better." Bear sobbed out and Gordon crouches down, he hugs Bear.
The poor child was worried for his sister and Gordon could see it. Bear was little but he made sure the house was clean, he took his bath by himself, brushed his hair all on his own and did his homework even though Gardenia helped him do all those things. "Hey... you know I'll take care of you both. We're family, remember?" Gordon remarked and Bear wiped his face, he nodded his head and he sniffled. "I wish you were my brother, life would be easier and we can be happy together." Bear sniffled and Gordon wiped his face, he stroked Bear's hair and he kissed his head. "We will be, it will take time. What I'm about to tell you, you promise to keep this a secret?" Gordon remarked and Bear was a secret keeper for his sister so he is more than willing to keep secrets for Gordon.
Gordon bites his lip because this idea has been on his mind for a while. "I'm saving money.. so I can get a studio but... with these paintings, except the one with you and Gardenia... I'm going to put them in an auction and whatever I make... I'm going to get a place so if anything goes wrong, you and Gardenia can come stay with me. We will live together happily and we can be whoever we want to be." Gordon smiled at the end and Bear smiled widely, his wipes his face. "That sounds like a dream come true." Bear says and Bear tilts his head. "I mean I know you are in love with my sister but she loves Harry." Bear remarked and Gordon almost choked on air.
"W-What?" Gordon pressed.
Bear smirked and he crossed his arms. "I'm her brother and I know everything. You look at my sister the way I look at donuts and I loooove donuts. It's okay and I won't tell her. Be careful because Gardenia is far out with Harry. I don't want it to be a love circle." Bear remarked and Gordon scrunched up his face. "Love circle? You mean love triangle?" Gordon replied and Bear scratched his head, he sighed. "I'm only four, I don't know everything." He replied making Gordon laugh because the kid was comedic and his commentary was always perfect.
Gordon cleared his throat, he shrugged it off. "I think I came to accept that she loves Harry and we're just friends... I'm happy with that because I never had friends growing up." Gordon grinned but it turned into a sad smile.
Gordon lived a life that had a lot of pain and suffering, his mother didn't take care of him properly, his sister died because of her and he always felt like no one loved him before Gardenia and Bear. Ever since he opened that door to the frustrated Gardenia, his life seemed so much better. He has never thought of love, he has never thought of marriage or bettering himself before Gardenia. He would do anything for her if she asked him, that's how much he loved her.
"Now, can you teach me how to paint?" Bear asked him.
Gordon nodded quickly and he let Bear sit in his high chair, he gave Bear an empty canvas. He usually didn't use his canvases willy nilly because canvases were expensive but Bear wanted to learn so bad. Gordon began to show Bear the basics in painting, the little boy caught on so fast. Bear was a fast learner, he was still very young so Gordon could imagine if Bear kept painting and drawing that he would be an amazing artist one day.
~
Gardenia sat quietly at the dinner table watching her parents eat the food that she didn't cook, she was well rested and she was willing to answer the questions that she knows that lingered in her parents' heads. Joel looked at his daughter and Gardenia made eye contact with him, Joel's lips formed into a line because he didn't like that at all. It was disrespectful. "You skipped your classes today?" Joel questioned and Gardenia nodded her head. "I didn't feel too well and I called my teachers, I told them that I will be making up their work. I didn't miss much because I already took my main classes." Gardenia answered and Joel stopped eating, he stared at Gardenia and she stared back because she was tired of cowarding under his gaze, she was just sick and tired.
Tara sat up and she sat her fork down, she glared at Gardenia. "I got a call from your teacher, he says that he is worried for you. You fell asleep while taking your test... and it shocked him because you aced it. But what I don't understand is why you fell asleep." Tara stated and Gardenia swallowed hard. She didn't fall asleep, her body shut down while thinking about an equation. Gardenia only knew from what her teacher and peers around her told her.
That day was nothing but a blur for Gardenia.
"I still aced the test, it shouldn't matter." Gardenia replied.
Tara's gaze pierced even more into Gardenia, her mother's eyes grew darker and darker by the second. "It shouldn't matter?" Tara repeated and Gardenia shook her head as she crossed her arms, she was pissed now because her parents were always so quick to bully her and pick at her. "No, I still maintained my GPA after taking care of all of you." Gardenia said and Tara let out a scoff with a smile as she looked at her husband. "Gardenia is becoming bold now." Tara joked and Gardenia didn't see it as a joke at all.
Joel put his hands together and he stared at Gardenia. "What do you think will happen when you have your family?" Joel questioned her and Gardenia closed her eyes, she honestly hated kids with a passion and the only kids she liked were Bear and Harry's sisters. She maybe wanted one, if she had the time and she felt like going through life and death to have one but in reality, she did not want to have any. "I don't want no kids, I hate them. I want to be a doctor, save lives not become some trophy wife for one of your lowlife friend's sons. This thing you call... preparing me for the future is a waste. It's just another excuse for me to do everything and take care of you and your kid when it should be the other way around." Gardenia huffed and Joel was appalled by her response. Gardenia always said very little when it came to talking to him.
"If you feel that way then get out." Tara stated.
Gardenia stared at her mother and she nodded as she gets up. Gardenia already had her bag packed. While in the midst of getting up, Bear grabbed her hand. "No!" Bear screamed and he tugged at Gardenia's arm. "I don't want her to leave me!" Bear cried out hysterically. Tara grabbed Bear's arm but he slapped her hand away. "No, it's all your fault. You are always so mean to her for no reason. I hate you!" Bear says to Tara and he grabbed Gardenia's leg. "Please don't leave me." Bear begged Gardenia who was just lost for words, she swallowed hard because she wanted to take him. Bear held onto her leg tightly, he wasn't going to let go at all.
Tara stared at Bear because she knew that the child couldn't live without his sister. "You don't have to leave." Tara tells Gardenia. Gardenia's head was throbbing because what's the point of threatening to kick her out? All she did was take care of them and did what she was told, now that she says no it's the end of the world. "Why would I stay when you don't even want me here?" Gardenia remarked and she looked down at Bear. "I'm sorry Barry but I can't take you." Gardenia tells him and Bear lets out a sob. "I don't want you to go, just stay and I-I promise I will work harder." Bear sobbed and his grip was getting tighter and tighter.
"Take him with you." Joel huffed and he leaves out of the kitchen.
Tara let out a gasp and she followed behind Joel, she couldn't believe he agreed to let Bear go with Gardenia. Sadly, Joel's word overwrites Tara's word.
Gardenia picks up Bear and she kisses his head, whispering to him so he would stop crying. Gardenia quickly packed him a bag, Bear sat on the bed and he looked traumatized, she knew because she had that same look as a child. Exhausted, wide eyes and trying to process what just happened. The one person that mattered the most was going to leave him. Even if they didn't let him go, he'd kick and scream, days on end until his body gave out. "Everything is going to be alright. We have each other." Gardenia assured Bear as she packed the last of his stuff.
The house was quiet, the plates with food still on the plates were on the table. Parents in their room arguing, she didn't care anymore and she's finally free from them. Her mind was racing, she didn't know how it was going to be like from now on and how she was going to do this but knew something like this would come. She prepared herself mentally for it. Gardenia walked with Bear, he held her hand so tight that she could feel the circulation being cut from her hand to her arm. Not wanting to bother Gordon or Harry with her problems for now, she headed to the one place that she knew she would be welcome with open arms. The one girl who will fight to death for Gardenia, her very first friend she has made in New York and her sister for life, Batya.
Wow.
I have no words.
I honestly didn't know how to end this chapter so sorry if it's a bit dull.
Anyways, I originally was going to make Gardenia leave Bear but my heart couldn't even take it so I don't think you guys would handle it any better than I would so I let him go with her.
How do you think her life would
be like for now on? Now that she's free from her parents and she's on her own, will it get better or will it be worse for her? I'm curious to your responses.
✨Thank you for reading!
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