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RIVEN

It's the day after the arrival of Bloom, Layla, Helia and his friends. I am at a grocery store with Flora, shopping some gardening tools. That Vince guy came with us with one of the twins which I don't know who.

"Riven, which one do you think is better?" Flora asked, showing me two garden shears.

One was pruning shears, the other one was hedge shears.

"I think it's better to buy loppers, Flora," the Vince guy suggested.

"Nice thinking," she agreed. "Anyways, what would you guys like for snacks this afternoon? You can tell me anything you want, I will make it if I can."

"Really?" the twin girl exclaimed. "Cookies!"

Do Canadians really love cookies? Helia asked Flora for the same thing.

"Ana, we're watching our weight. Don't go requesting for fats," Vince pointed out. "We have a photoshoot next week for the next brochure. Our manager would eat you for a pound gain, you know."

"Then I'll have them less fats," Flora interrupted. "Even if you're models, you shouldn't go starving yourselves for work. It might be the cause for you to have a worse disorder or sickness."

"That's what I've been telling Vince but no," the girl responded. "He only eats food that won't affect his weight. And he worked out too much as well. Picture healthy, but unhealthy."

"That's awful!" Flora turned to the guy as Ana and I watched in amusement.

Flora began lecturing the guy, and he was asking for help but we just continue watching. It took a while for my sister figure to calm down, and we went back to shopping again. After that, we went back to the car which is Musa's to put the items there and went back to the mall to shop for clothes since our visitors said they might stay for a while. Flora also needed new clothes. We went around shopping on every clothing shop and boutiques. Ana can shop alright. Vince and I went back and fort to the car to put the shopped clothes because our hands were always full after a shop or two.

"Let's hit the arcade!" Vince exclaimed.

"We have to go back, Vince," Ana said. "The others might be expecting us for lunch."

"One hour?" Vince pleaded. "Oh, come on! We shopped for your clothes for three hours straight! Give me some incentives!"

"Can we, Riven?" Flora asked.

I nodded.

"Let's just call them that we are not joing them for lunch and we'll be back some time before afternoon snacks," I replied. "The arcade's this way."

"Yes!" Vince joyed.

"So childish," Ana commented while rolling her eyes which made Flora and I snickered a little.

"You look cute together," Flora smiled at them. "Why aren't you two a couple?"

"Yuck!" they both exclaimed which made us laughed.

"Who would like this childish idiot?" Ana scoffed.

"Who would date this spoiled brat?" Vince retorted.

"Stop that," I said. "Flora, can you call them about the plan? Musa might start to worry."

"Your girlfriend is spoiling you too much and it should be you who is spoiling her," she commented. "I really think you gave her a potion or something."

"Just call them!"

LAYLA

We were in the living room, except for Flora, Riven, Vince, and Ana who went out. Helia said that he has something to tell us, something that he cannot tell with Flora around.

"Before you go on about what you are going to say," Musa started. "Flora called me to tell you guys that four of them are not joining us for lunch since they decided to stay a bit while in the mall. They'll be back around 2."

"Vince must have sommething to do with that," Law commented which made the other Canadians agree.

"We're missing the point, guys," Maggie said. "Helia, go ahead and tell them. I mean, they do deserve to know."

"So what's this all about?" Nabu asked. "Are you finally admitting you're gay?"

"What?"

Nabu's question made Helia's friends blink and laughed.

"Nabu!" I scolded. "What Helia might say may be important. Don't go ruining the serious atmosphere!"

"Sorry, I'm just kidding," Nabu apologized. "He seemed so tense about it so I had him loosen up a bit. So what is it that you want to tell us, Helia?"

"And why does it look like Tecna knew about this?" Timmy's question made us looked at the short-haired lady. "You know something about this, right? That's why it's you who forced Riven to take Flora out today."

"Let Helia speak first, Tim," the lady replied. "I'll tell you what I know after him."

"Actually, let me start on it," Gavin said. "It actually involves our clique, and that we are going to ask a favor from all of you."

"No, Gavin, I'll start," Helia intervened. "Well, good thing Flora ain't here because she doesn't need to know about this. At least not yet."

He took a deep breathe.

"I actually know Flora before she came here," he started. "I met her at Canada, we went to the same schools."

"So what if you know her before?' Brandon asked. "And why is it that you didn't tell us about that?"

"I don't think that's the whole story, Babe," Stella called out to his boyfriend. "Let him continue."

"I'm her ex-boyfriend," what he said made us rose from our seats.

"What?!"

"Helia?" Timmy asked.

"We met in middle school, we became a couple on our sophomore year, but we broke up just before I moved here to Cali," he explained. "She broke up with me because she said she wouldn't be able to handle a long distanced relationship."

"That's why you were immediately attached to her," Bloom concluded. "You still love her, and couldn't help but take care of her."

"Your actions towards her make sense now," Stella commented.

"But you were hurting, weren't you?" Sky's question made him flinched. "That's probably why you went away from her for a while."

"And Flora is actually our friend, too," Mina intervened, saving Helia to answer Sky. "And about the favor we want to ask, please don't tell this to anyone. Even your parents."

"You all heard that she was involve in an accident, right?" Clyde asked. "Actually, it was no accident. The only ones who know about this is us, the police, and Flora's aunt. That night, they were actually people who were trying to kill her."

"Wh-what?"

"Why?"

"We don't know what the motive is since they are still on the loose," Derick answered. "So, we would like to ask all of you to keep an eye on her all time."

"Are we asking too much?" Maggie asked. "We would of course inform you for leads and improvement of the case."

"Flora," Timmy mumbled. "When did people started hating her?"

The Canadians looked down, like saying they have no idea.

"Can we count on you?" Clyde asked.

"I'll do it," Timmy answered. "She's family, after all."

"Me, too," I said.

"I don't see why not," Nabu said. "And we can torture Helia for it."

We started agreeing about it.

"Thank you," Mina said. "You don't know whatb this means to us."

"But who will tell Riven?" Tecna asked. "We got to have him informed about this obviously."

We all turned to Musa who sighed.

"I'll take the role," she said. "I mean, only I could handle him well."

"Got that right."