I don't remember when I fell asleep but what I do know is that when I woke up Flinette was sleeping beside me in Shaze's room. I snuggle into her and begin to play with the tip of her hair. I kiss her forehead and I hear her giggle.

"Don't tell me your forehead is still sensitive" I laugh and begin to place wet kisses on her forehead. She begins to laugh uncontrollably while trying to wiggle out of my grip.

"When did you get back?" I ask and she snuggles into my boobs.

"A little past ten" she replies, "I had a few drinks and forgot the time"

"I bet you have a killer hangover" I say and smooth the hair away from her eyes.

"Not really" she shrugs and I know that she is trying to cope with the pain of breaking up with Andre.

"Why did you break up with Andre?" I ask and she shrugs again, "I deserve to know the reason"

"We had a conflict of interests and I do not make compromises when it comes to that" she says like it's something extremely simple, breaking up with someone you've been dating for two years.

"Are you sure?" I ask and she nods her head.

"I guess I just didn't realize early enough how broken I was" she says and my shirt begins to feel wet, "Someone like me would be too much trouble for him if we continued on"

"I guess we both didn't realize how broken we were" I say and continue to stroke her hair, "Maybe if we had realized we were damaged earlier things would have been different"

"Maybe" she says and I hug her crying form tighter to my chest because her crying hurts more than anything that I've experienced well besides losing Adaira.

*

*

"How did you know all what I planned?" I ask Flinette.

She looks up from her mug of coffee, "You're easy to read for me, I could see you had something devious planned so I simply followed you and eavesdropped on your conversation with the bartender and then I also paid him off some more to keep everything under wraps"

"Wow" I say and take a gulp from my orange juice, "what happened to Renae?"

"I took her to our place and left her in the guest room" she says and hums while taking another sip.

"I left a note saying that we went to run an urgent errand and tried waking her up but she didn't budge and that she should also help herself to whatever she finds in the fridge"

"Wow" I say and clap my hands, "you're more cunning than I am"

She smirks over her cup, "I'm not called Queen Bee for no reason"

"Does Shaze know about our plan?" I ask and she nods, "and he didn't say anything against it?"

"Not a peep" she says and I sigh as my worst fears were confirmed. I didn't want thinks to go this way, for him to make himself accustomed to bullying so that he can be around me and yet I have made him make that choice just because I don't want to lose him.

"Is anything wrong?" Flinette asks and I shake my head.

"I just have a lot on my mind" I say and pick up my phone from the countertop when it starts ringing, "excuse me"

I walk into the guest room and lock the door, "yeah?"

The sound of the British voice on the other end of the line only makes me more antsy and sad, "I've sent all what I have to your email"

"Thank you" I say and the heavy weight that I had forgotten is back on my chest, "I'll make good use of it"

"No problem" he says.

"What was Micheal like when he was with you?" I ask suddenly and he takes a second to pause and mull over the question.

"He was kind, protective, attentive, he always had the right words to cheer me up when I was feeling down" he says, "he was good at a lot of things so he was popular but the thing he was best at was lying so don't get swept away by the lies and believe all that he's been feeding you"

"I'm not some dumb girl in those novels who immediately forgets the pain and runs back to him with open arms" I say, "I don't forgive easily and I'm not one to let go of a grudge either, I always see things through to the end"

"Good" he says and cuts the call.

I want to cry, I really want to but that would just be me reinforcing the fact that he meant so much to me, a fact that I wish wasn't true. Before I saw him romantically he was that person I could talk to, a rock I could lean on and when I started seeing him romantically he became that person that I considered being with and to be honest wanted to be with.

I shake my head violently and slap my cheeks with as much force as I can muster, "I shouldn't be thinking like this, it'll only make me want to forgive him and I've come too far to do that"

I exit the guest room and close the door behind me and walk slowly and dejectedly back to the kitchen where Flinette is fixing lunch for us.

"What happened to your face?" she asks, "did you hit yourself?"

I touch my warm cheeks with my finger tips and nod my head, "I just needed a wakeup call"

"Okay then" she says and turns back to the stove.

"By the way why I haven't seen Shaze all morning?" I ask as I take a seat at the dining.

"His dad is around and told Shaze to meet up with him" she says.

"Yikes" I say and play with my nails in my laps, "Did his dad sound mad?"

"I don't know" she shrugs, "but what I do know is that lunch is ready and mom said we should be home before 5"

"Fine with me" I say and accept the plate of spaghetti Flinette hands me.

*

"We're back mom" Flinette shouts as we walk through our front door into our living room while I rush to our fireplace so I can get warm.

"Outside is freezing" I say and try to calm my shivering form. Flinette looks me up and down.

"Maybe it's time you go shopping for winter wear" She says and goes up the stairs to check on our mom.

"You girls are here" my mom says as she walks into the house from the front door, "and right on time"

"On time for what?" Flinette asks as she descends the stairs and gives our mom a hug.

"Dinner with Sam" My mom says casually and if I was drinking water I would have spit it out by now.

"Are you saying that Mr Farrand is coming over for dinner?" I ask and jump up from my spot in front of the fireplace.

"I believe it was implied when I said dinner with Sam" my mom replies and walks into the kitchen, "you girls should get changed, you know that dinner with Sam is always formal"

I stomp my feet on the ground before following Flinette up the stairs, "Why now of all times does she have to invite that stuck up man over?" I whine.

"Beats me" Flinette says and closes her door on my pouting face. I stomp my feet on the floor once more before grumbling and entering my room.

The last time we had dinner with him was last year and it was completely awkward and condescending because he always had something he didn't like about the way I behaved and it always pisses me off.

I take a quick shower and sort through my wardrobe for something formal that he wont comment on. I pick out a navy blue long sleeved body hug dress that ends on my knees with a side split that ends mid thigh, I style my hair into a tight bun.

"Girls" My mom calls from downstairs, "time for dinner!"

"Coming" Flinette and I both chorus. I step out of my room the same time Flinette steps out of hers, "I really like it when we do these synchronized things" I say to Flinette and link my arms in hers and we descend the stairs.

Standing by the dinning is Shaze looking ravishing in a shirt tucked into black pants with his normally wild hair slicked back to show off his ravishingly handsome face, beside him is Mr Farrand who Shaze looks exactly like.

"Mr Farrand" I say and shake his outstretched hand. We do a brief handshake and we all take our seats at the dinning.

"It's been so long" My mom says as we all pass around the appetizers.

"It sure has Alice" Mr Farrand chuckles and his deep baritone voice sounds even deeper, "how have you girls been?" he says and takes a sip from the wine my mom pours from him, "you go first Flinette"

"I've been great" she says and smiles at him, "I'm preparing for college, my application is spotless and I will most likely be accepted into Stanford".

"It's good to see your life is heading on the right track" he says and I squeeze my hands under the table, "how about you Josephine?"

"I've also been great" I say and smile, "I also applied for extra curricular activities so that my college application remains spotless and spectacular"

"I'd expect nothing less from an Anderson" he says and smiles at my mom, "you did a mighty fine job raising them by yourself Alice"

"I'm honored that you think that way" my mom laughs and I just want to go to my room because I hate all these platonic dinners we have, "though I can't take all the credit because you also have a hand in it"

Mr Farrand has been the strict and stern father figure in our lives ever since my dad passed away. He and my dad were business partners so our families were always close but I guess we became a little distant after Adaira went into a coma. He used to be around a lot but after that he and my mom immersed themselves in work neglecting Flinette, Shaze and I and when they were around the family dinners we had were awkward and strained and slowly we grew apart.

"What is the real reason for this family dinner?" I ask, "I know you didn't come all this way from California to just eat with us"

"You're all grown up now" he remarks, "you couldn't even look me in the eyes before"

"That was then and this is now" I snap and tell myself to reign in my temper.

"I heard about your health status" he says and wipes his mouth with a napkin, "I promised your dad that I would take care of you so I want you to come live with me in California"

"What does your promise with my dad have to do with me moving states to live with you?"

"There are qualified psychiatrists and physiotherapists who have reviewed your case and are ready to treat you" he says, "so I want you to move there and get treated"

"Do I have a choice in the matter or have you already decided for me?" I ask and grip my fork with so much force that it begins to dig into my skin.

"You do have a choice when you turn eighteen but while you're seventeen and Alice and I are registered as your legal guardians you don't"

"Screw you" I say and stand up angrily from my seat, "there's no way you're making me give up my life here"

"Your life?" he scoffs, "I've been keeping tabs on you Josephine and there's nothing significant going on in your life right now that would make you want to stay"

"My answer is still no" I say, "and keep in mind that I can file for Flinette to be my legal guardian"

"I'll give you till the end of the week to think it over before I make the choice for you" he says with finality and continues eating his steak.

AN

I really don't have anything to say but doing this has become like a tradition so.... Yeah.

Till we meet again next week.
Byeeee!!!