0.7

one day rolled into two, then three, and so forth.

karla and gwendolyn still hadn't said anything to each other. it wasn't because they were ignoring each other, they were just busy.

a fight had broken out hours after gwendolyn and madeline hung out, and they were called in immediately.

while gwendolyn was swarmed with injured people, karla had been busy with paperwork and meetings attempting to see who started the fight and hurt her members so badly.

so until the storm calmed down, they wouldn't be seeing each other anytime soon.

bright and early the next morning, she pushed the door open into the infirmary, being blinded by the bright reflection of all the white in the room. "good morning!" gwen chirped.

people lying in their cots all turned towards the freckled girl, some smiling and saying good morning while others waved with their eyes closed.

"g'morning, gwen!" cheered madeline, wrapping bandages around a patient.

"morning, gwen," chimed mrs. andrews from the backroom.

gwendolyn placed the pot holding a yellow poinsettia under the window. "here, something to bring a bit of color in here, isn't it nice?" she said aloud. she'd always thought that there was too much white in this room— like an asylum.

"let's hope this one doesn't die like all the other ones," mrs. andrews nagged at madeline. "it's always a certain someone forgetting to take care of them. and i always tell you—"

madeline rolled her eyes. "it's just a plant, mom. the world goes on." she cut the excess bandages off the patient and shoved her airpods into her ear, ignoring her mom's words.

gwen sighed at mrs. andrew's sharp words. not a day went by without her criticizing her daughter for the smallest actions.

walking away from the quarreling mother and daughter, she went over to a bed, holding scarlett.

"how are you doing scar? are you feeling any better?"

gwendolyn hadn't seen scarlett for a while. after her first night of arrival, she had only talked to scarlett a handful of times. upon finding out that she had been hurt, gwen assumed the responsibility of caring for her and having time to catch up.

"eh, i'm alright," scarlett said. "i mean, i'm not bleeding out of my side anymore."

gwen held back a laugh and checked the red gauze. "here, i'll rewrap this for you." she sat in the chair next to her and slowly unwrapped the bandages.

they sat in silence for a moment, until scarlett spoke. "how have you been doing lately? i know we haven't had a proper talk in a long time."

"me? well i'm... alright," gwen paused. "work's keeping me busy along with school. things could always be much worse."

let's also not forget that i kissed a mafia boss and still haven't talked to her. she considered to herself nervously.

she indulged in light conversation with scarlett, slowly swaddling the gauze around her waist. working on scarlett's stomach, she noticed the faint-six pack details. just from her arms, she could tell that she worked out.

"holy crap," gwen whispered under her breath.

"you like 'em?" scarlett smirked, noticing where gwen's eyes were focused. she ran her hand through her hair. "they'd be easier to see if i didn't have a bullet on my side, though."

gwen chuckled and cut off the excess bandages. "it's hard work getting them anyways."

"it's always worth the work when cute girls like you notice them," scarlett teased.

gwen paused at her words, then decided to take it as a joke. "ha! good one. i bet you use that one all the time."

"only to girls i like."

the door opened before gwendolyn could react. gwen silently thanked the person who had just entered. she had no idea how to react to scarlett's words.

yet it was karla valetin, just the person gwendolyn was nervous about seeing.

standing in all her glory, she looked elegant as she usually did.

gwen felt her heart race at the very sight of her.

karla cleared her throat. "excuse me for interrupting, but may i speak with gwendolyn westbrook? it shouldn't take too long."

mrs. andrew's nodded her head. "oh, yes! go ahead."

oh, crap. fretted gwen. she's gonna kill me.

and she didn't miss the look madeline gave her.

.°🌹°․

holy shit. this is so embarrassing.

almost a week since the kiss, and she still didn't have the balls to do anything.

"at this point you might as well not say anything to her," ezra told her. "imagine how stressed she is right now!"

those exact words had been repeating in her head, so she finally decided to talk to gwendolyn today.

That put her in the present situation— sitting in utter silence outside in the garden with a brown-headed girl on her side.

say something— anything! she pleaded.

"ms. westbrook," she started stoically. gwen titled her head at hearing her name. "sorry. it's just... i have no clue how to say any of this."

karla glanced down at gwendolyn, who fidgeted with her sleeves. "i didn't mind it when you kissed me." she said quietly, so soft that karla almost couldn't hear.

"you didn't?" sounded karla.

"i-i enjoyed it— really, i did!" explained gwendolyn, blushing furiously the more she spoke. "i mean, i've never been kissed before, but when you did it, i..."

"hold on," karla interrupted. "that was your first kiss? from someone who was drunk?" gwen hesitantly nodded. "oh mon dieu." (oh my god.)

gwen tilted her head. "well— uh... is that a bad thing, ms. valetin?"

"it's not a bad thing," karla said. "but for me to take someone's first kiss while drunk? how distasteful of me."

"no, really." gwendolyn fretted. "it wasn't as bad as you're making it out to—"

"go on a date with me then," stated karla. "one were i won't be drunk."

gwen paused, stunned "a what now?"

"i don't like to repeat myself," declared karla. "it could be anything you want it to be."

"i, uh, well... honestly i have no clue." gwen laughed humorlessly, overwhelmed."i would love to go on a date with you, i just don't want to make it a boring experience for you."

"i see." she looked down at gwendolyn's shuffling figure. karla rummaged into her pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. "here: my number. i'll text you later to get details figured out."

gwen looked down at the paper in her hands, then back up at karla. the mafia boss wasn't directly looking at her, yet gwen spotted the tip of her ears a faint red. "o-oh! thank you! i won't lose this!"

the faint remains of a smile sat on karla's face. "i surely hope you won't." as she turned to leave out the garden, she glanced back at gwen. "and call me karla, ms. westbrook."

and she was gone.

oh my god. gwen silently screamed. did a mafia boss give me her number and asked me out on a date? she felt so happy that she wanted to cry. she pressed the slip of paper against her chest happily.

"be careful of her. one wrong move, and your heart might get broken," someone warned.

"huh? scarlett?" exclaimed gwen. "what are you doing out here? you should be lying down!"

scarlett sat on the bench next to gwen. "needed some fresh air, that's all." she motioned her wrapped arm at the paper clenched in the smaller girl's hand. "but i still mean what i said. be careful."

"what do you mean by that?" asked gwen.

"i'm just looking out for you. that's all."

"come on," sighed gwendolyn. "let's get you back in bed."

what did she mean?

yet even with scarlett's ominous words, gwen couldn't help but feel excited about her date.