GLADIOLUS

[MUSIC RECOMMENDATION: LETTING GO~ DAY 6]

The yellow cab Lily was in finally stopped in front of her house. She got down and fished out a wad of notes from her purse, then handed it to the driver who muttered a thanks and drove off.

With Lily's hand on her chest, she gripped the jacket tightly. The night had somehow turned chilly, but it didn't look like it was going to rain; the sky looked very bright.

Lily climbed the stairs that led to her own room, everything that happened during her date with Jeffrey somehow wasn't just sticking to her memory, all she could think of was the man she saw after.

Lily paused in her steps for a moment, her finger curled on her chin as she thought deeply, "Is he stalking me?" She muttered inaudibly. Lily shook her head, erasing such thought. The man looked very rich and busy, and he didn't seem like someone who would waste his rich time stalking a plain girl like her. Lily nodded, then she continued climbing until she got to her room door and there was someone squatting just right in front of her door.

"Tori?" Lily called out, and the person turned. It was Victoria.

Victoria stood on her feet and waved, "Lil baby." She smiled.

Lily pressed her lips, "I didn't know you were coming." When she got to the door, she fumbled with her keys until she found the right one, unlocking the door she pushed it open for Victoria to step in first, then she followed behind before locking it properly.

"I didn't want to tell you, if I did you wouldn't have let me." Victoria replied, pulling out her sneakers; she dropped it carefully on the shoe stand.

Lily smiled, "Of course, I don't want to be a bother. Don't you have work today?" She dropped the jacket on the floor and unbuckled her shoe.

Victoria cocked her head, "I said it, you always like to go through things alone; that's why I'm here to change tha- what the fuck, Lily Parker!" The girl shrieked.

Lily rushed inside the room to find out what it was that startled Victoria. Most times, rats run around when the lights are off; Lily thought maybe one of them must have startled Victoria.

"Tori, what is the problem?" She asked getting inside the main room.

Victoria pointed at every corner of the room. "Lily, what is this? What in the name of an abandoned war zone is this?" The girl asked holding her chest.

Lily rolled her eyes; it wasn't the rats after all. "I haven't had time to separate the laundries; they are all neat. Here, let me...you can sit here now." Lily grunted as she moved all the clothes to a side, creating space for her petrified best friend to sit on.

Victoria shook her head and finally relaxed on the sofa, "Lily, I worry for you. But that's not why I'm here; how was your date with the you-know-who?" the girl asked excitedly, grinning ear to ear.

Lily sighed pulling down the gown she wore to the date; she got herself comfortable in a big black and white gown that had a hood like a cow's ear. The entire wear looked like a cow color too.

"It was a disaster." Lily finally said to her friend, cleaning her glasses properly before fixing it on her eyes.

Victoria's brows furrowed, "How so? You were sure it was going to be perfect. I'm here for all of it! Don't try to hide anything from me. How was your first kiss?" Her voice pitched in a sing-song tone.

Lily sat on the couch with her leg folded, taking a minute before she narrated to Victoria everything that had happened, skipping the part of what happened to her at the boutique and who she met after the date night.

"If you had asked me, I would have gotten one of my gowns ready for you. But I don't think that's the problem, Lily when you're with this officer you don't get to be yourself. I might not be a great person, but I'm going to tell you that's not love." Victoria replied staring at her friend.

Lily paused her lips, "In what way?" She asked.

Victoria moved closer to Lily, holding her hands, "I know he is kind, took care of you when you had family issues and also now with Fred. But he might just be a nice person and that's all. With everything you told me? You both won't work honestly." The girl said gauging her friend's expression for a moment then she continued.

"You had to pretend to eat what he likes? Just to please him, and he even called you fat? When you're infact the tiniest girl I've ever seen. Unlike you, you were lying while you were with him. Also not driving you home when he knew your dress was torn, even if you said you were going somewhere, he should have insisted you get changed first. I don't think he has any romantic feelings towards you, Lily." Victoria completed.

Lily reclined on the couch, somewhere in her mind, she knew that Victoria was saying the truth. "But he gave me his jacket and said we should meet some other time."

Victoria nodded her head, "That's great, Lily; where is this jacket?"

Lily looked around the room and spotted the jacket at the door, where it was lying roughly. She pouted her lips and pointed for Victoria to see the jacket. "There it is."

"Exactly," Victoria chimed, "There it is, and that's exactly what you feel for Jeffrey. It's called infatuation. If it was love, you wouldn't want to let go for a moment; why? His scent would engulf your senses. Lily, do you remember Jeffrey's scent?" She asked.

Lily shook her head sadly; she didn't remember what Jeffrey scented like, but it would be something masculine or not. "I guess you're right, but I can try to make it work, right?"

Victoria scowled, "I don't even know what you see in that guy that makes you head over heels. Someone who had a date with a lady, and he wouldn't even call afterwards. Lily, I've met several guys, and I'll be the one to give you advice where you're lacking. Take it from me, but Jeffrey or whatever his name is doesn't see you as a woman." The girl remarked.

Lily sneered, "You don't have to rub it in; you've made your point now leave my house, you wicked human. If he doesn't see me as a woman, then what does he see me as?" The girl frowned with her hands akimbo.

Victoria looked closely at Lily and snickered, "Maybe a cow; he even called you fat."

Lily ran to hit her friend with the pillow when her phone rang; she picked up the phone and waved it in front of Victoria.

"He is calling now; swallow all those fancy words and keep quiet let real lovers have a conversation." Lily warned her best friend playfully, and this caused Victoria to roll her eyes at her.

Lily picked up the call and cleared her throat, "Hello Jef-"

"Lily, you need to be at the station right now. Your brother has been charged with murder."

The words didn't register very well in Lily's mind; they kept flowing bit by bit like she suddenly became slow in reasoning then she dropped the phone, which crashed on the floor with the screen breaking into pieces.