𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃
chapter 27

"I heard you were giving speeches off the back of the wagon, Pol." Tommy sighed as he entered the room, looking at Polly who held a cold towel to her forehead. "I can't remember a fucking thing." she groaned in response.

Florence looked between the two.

"Well moss tells me you were threatening to burn down the town hall." he spoke. "Tommy, we were having a laugh." She scoffed. "You know, actually, the crowd around me was bigger than the one around Jessie Eden—" she took the towel from her head. "Who's Jessie Eden?" he asked with a frown.

"She's too soft, not gonna break the capitalist system talking about separate lavatories for women."

"Who's Jessie Eden?" he asked again. "She's a new best friend." Lizzie raised a brow, looking down at the newspaper. "Shop steward at the Lucas factory."

"A woman shop steward, i've heard of her." Tommy hummed.

"There's a leaflet here in you want to take a look, Tommy."

"So separate lavatory is that it, is that what you want?" he asked, reading the paper. They rolled their eyes. "I don't know what you want. You have to tell me what it is that you want then i'll know."

"I'm going to see Arthur, is he in, Linda?" Florence asked. Linda nodded, not even looking at her.

"Actually, we want to know about the robbery you're planning." Esme got in his face. " Not the factory one, the other one. The one you're not telling the women about." Florence just rolled her eyes and stood to go to the door.

"John has a big mouth—" Tommy said. "No." Esme stopped him. "Arthur's got a big mouth, he told Linda, Linda told me." Polly said.

-

"Arthur?" Florence asked as she stepped into the house over the road. "Yeah," he huffed, slamming down his glass. "How are you?" she smiled, sitting opposite him.

"Losing my mind..yeah."

"So am i Arthur." she shrugged, pouring herself a glass of the whiskey. "My dad's died." he said quietly, staring at the table. Florence's mouth parted and she gently placed the bottle down. "Oh, Arthur, i'm sorry."

Florence didn't know much about the Shelby's dad, all she knew was that he was a deadbeat who walked out on them 12 years ago. He came back a while ago but soon left after using Arthur for money. But Arthur still saw hope that he'd changed.

"In the night, before he died, he'd asked for out forgiveness." he sniffed, rubbing a hand through his hair.

She hit her lip, leaning back. 

"Is there anything i can do?" she asked. "Yeah," he huffed, "take this fucking thing off me." he placed the gun on the table.

She frowned, realising that the lie she'd told the night prior had became true. She picked it up, emptying the bullets onto the wood, watching as some rolled onto the floor. She wrapped her hand tightly around the gun before shoving it into her pocket. The last thing she wanted was Arthur doing something to himself. If she could stop that, she would.

"You'll be okay," Florence reassured him as best she could. She knew they were only words but she didn't know what else to do.

"Fucking hell Florence—" he sighed, holding his head. "It's funny you know," he chuckled. "You're the only one who truly understands me."

Florence tutted and placed her hand over his.

"Yes, Arthur. That's because our minds work the same, in ways we are the same person. Two people who probably need help, but refuse it. That's why i don't judge you Arthur, i don't think you're insane. Even though we both probably are, i know exactly how it feels." she said quietly, pouring him a glass.

Arthur listened intently.

"But one day it'll be me and you out of this mess alive. We are the strongest of all of them. They think that we are their puppets to boss about but we are more than that, Arthur. We have mind ten times as strong as theirs."