Chapter Fourteen

The Lake House

Scarlett's POV

Florence snuggles closer, as she snores lightly. I give her more of my shoulder. Darn, I tried to move her to my lap. But, she wouldn't budge. Snuggles further. I give in.

"Take left." Michelle reconsiders, "No, maybe a right."

I rub my eyes again. I'm starting to get tired. We've been on this track for more than an hour and according to my time calculation, airport to Florence's lake house is approximately 35 minutes.

"Damn it, Michelle. Get your instructions, right. Or just give the map to someone else." Hazel scolds, she's got some calmness right there. "But, I'm really good at this. You know that. This map is just so confusing." She curses. Amie adds to her defense. "Who uses paper maps, in this era?" Pause. "Hell-oo, google!" She exaggerates. I keep on munching, those mini-chocolate filled croissants. They sure are making this journey interesting.

"Take a U-turn." She shakes her head and squints her eyes to scan the enormous paper in front of her. Hazel is just about to do that, when Michelle interrupts, "No, just don't." Then, she throws the paper out the window, and covers her face with her hands. Just as her body starts shaking.

"This is it! We're lost." She cries, hopelessly. Oh Lord, I can't move. "Mich, come on." I console. Cursing the fact that I can only deal with one bestie at a time. The one, that's napping on my shoulder and there's this other one throwing a fit.

"And they say, I'm the drama queen." Bree mocks. I glare at her coldly. Now's not the time to play mean, I mouth to her. She just shrugs. Though, that stops Michelle from sobbing.

"Do you honestly realize what could happen to us, if we are lost at this time of the day, in the middle of nowhere?" Michelle questions, worried. I second that.

"Absolutely nothing. You aren't five and I'm not a toddler. We've got company and this is a forest. We've been here before." Bree replies, very calm. "And besides, this is adventure."

"Not to me, it isn't." Ashley adds. "You see the time, woman. It's 6 in the evening and it's already dark."

"Ashley's right, Bree. No time to play Indiana Jones." Hazel agrees. As I finally decide, it's wakey wakey time for sissy. "Florence." I nudge her ever, so softly. "Like she'll get up that easy." Bree laughs, as she slaps Nista on her arm.

"Ow! What the actual heck." Florence curses, awake. Bree is so dead.

"What kind of a fat headed freak did that?" Florence glares at the obvious target. Bree gives her the famous Ethan innocent smile. Florence scowls, as I really do mutter the obvious, "B, my advice. Don't ever smile like that. It looks worse, than it ever did on Ethan."

"That's epic. Because, already on, Ethan it looked like poop." Amie comments. I laugh harder than I should. But before, Bree can reply. Haze cuts in.

"Girls, girls. Please." She weighs her words, as she gulps like she's had enough of us. "Save the insults for later. It's dark now, shouldn't we concentrate on finding that damned lake house." Hazel's had it. No wonder. We are a piece of work.

"Slow your roll, girl. It's right there." Florence points to an unknown direction. "Take a slight right and we'd be at the door." I frown, I turn my head in several ways to see how she saw the house, that's clearly invisible from my line of sight. Nope, I don't see a thing.

"Are you sure about that, Florence?" Ruby asks hesitantly, as she plucks out her airpods. "Because, I don't see a thing." What I said, I give her a nod.

Florence chuckles at the looks of uncertainty on our faces. "Just trust me, would you? I've been here, more times than I can count."

"Or maybe, you just can't count." Bree teases.

"Who pisses in your fruit loops, daily?" Florence grates, as she give her the I'm-going-to-claw-your-face look. "She's just tired." I add, to her defense. Or mostly because, I don't want to be the first eye witness to this murder. "Isn't she –"

"Okay! Let's turn right." Hazel announces, stopping another cat fight. Oh God, if this goes on further. We're going to eat each other by the end of this trip. I offer, Nista some of those croissants. Well, whatever's left of them. She smiles sweetly, as she declines.

"They're a treat." I urge.

"No, kitten. That is a treat." She corrects, as she points at the jaw dropping view in front of me. Out the window.

Surreal.

I gulp.

Indeed.

The Lake house.

"Oh my God!" Michelle squeals, all tears forgotten.

"Damn, girl." Ashley compliments, as she pats Florence's back.

"What happened to woods and a hut?" Amie asks, amused. "Renovation." Florence answers, like no biggie. I look at the girl, who hasn't said much. Ruby's breathless. Damn, I don't really blame her.

The van comes to a halt. Bree opens the door and escapes like a prisoner. I'm next. I stretch, because my body is so immotile. "I'm suing Guinness world records." Bree says, out of the blue. "And, why would you do that, drama mama?" Florence smirks, as she's out. Then, the line follows.

"They forgot to add this, in the wonders of the world." Bree gushes and Florence laughs. I nod simultaneously. Do they even add wonders of the world?

"Florence." Hazel starts. "This was worth the struggle." Definitely.

"I'm going –" Bree motions, towards the door. As I get back in the van to get my phone. Reminder: Call mom. I do just that. No signal. Wow.

The sound of the door clashing towards the walls, gets me in panic. As I quickly jump out of the van. The door opens by itself. Bree walks back afraid. My friends gasp. A man's laugh, makes its way outside. Accompanied with an eerie silence next.

"Welcome to Arizona, ladies!" A man in his mid-forties, grey hair and black beard announces, as he finally walks by the door. The door, we thought was opened by something else. Or simply just nothing. Or no one. Girls, take a sigh of relief and Florence looks unfazed.

"Uncle Burton, try something else. Next time."

The man, who tried to scare us laughs and everybody laughs too. I, on the other hand feel really uncomfortable. "So, ladies!" Burton says. Bree tries to go inside and he blocks her way. "Not just yet." He tells her. "For you girls, to enter this house. There's a condition."

"Ugh, what now?" Amie whines, annoyed. He gives her, a look of dismay.

"One by one, you enter. I'll let you pass, if you tell me your name." He asks, in a tone of a suspicious riddle. Florence rolls her eyes. "No, Flora. Mind your manners." He objects.

Flora? Hmmm.

"We'll start with you." He looks at Bree. "Impatient one." He further comments. Bree scowls, but pads towards him. "Bree. Access granted?" She answers, with the mock, clearly visible in her tone. "Sustained." He smiles, so politely and moves to let her in. Mich is next, "Hi, I'm Michelle Brown and this is my sister." She points at Haze. "Hazel." Haze introduces herself warmly. "We're not twins. She's older." Michelle adds, to which Burton laughs at. "There was no doubt, little one." Hazel pushes Michelle inside.

"It's Ashley." He nods, smiling. "No sister." She adds. He chuckles again, as he pats her head.

"Ru-by." Ruby stammers, she isn't really comfortable with strangers. He smiles so warmly at her and it's a wonder, she smiles back.

I go next. "Hello, Uncle. I'm Scarlett." I manage, my best welcoming smile. But to my shock, his face goes pale. He looks at Florence and she gives him a twisted smile. The one, Tony gave me on the stairs that day. Weird.

He looks back at me. He scans my appearance.

Then utters, "Poppy" completely breathless. I frown. What?

Florence coughs and pushes past him. She drags me with her, as I look back at her uncle's emotionless face. "Amie Flinn. Mr. Burton." She greets, but he doesn't respond. He stands there, without flinching. I frown harder.

The Lake house is more beautiful inside, than it was from outside.

Florence starts, "Get the bags. The rooms are upstairs!" Pauses, she points left. "That's the dining and the kitchen." Then, points to a door-less exit. "The pool –"

I just can't seem to concentrate. All I'm thinking about and I blurt it out,

"Why did your uncle call me 'Poppy'?"

"Scarlett, the pool is at the back." Florence answers, instead. Did she just dodge my question? Yes, she did. "Florence..." I try again. But, she pretends to ignore me; by showing others around.

"Your hair, little one. Your hair. You are just like a flower. Little poppies." Uncle Burton, answers the question for me. I smile, "That's so sweet. Thank you." Florence taps on my shoulder and I turn to give her my time of the day. "Let me show you, your room."

"Great. Let me get my hand bags." I say, too excited. "Don't worry about that, Poppy. I'll make sure, they're placed safely in your room." Uncle Sweet Burton says and I give him, my most grateful smile. "Thank you so much!"

"In my room." Florence says, as she grits her teeth. As I look at her strangely.

Then, I follow her through a fine wood staircase.

I see, girls getting settled and I hear Bree screaming after every five minutes. Oh, the drama. But, this place is so beautiful. To think, how modern it is; in the middle of nowhere. As I pass the hallway, I touch the perfect timber walls and admire the forest canvas. "And here you go." Florence says.

Finally, as she pushes open the door at the far end. I smile with curiosity, as I peak inside. It's dark.

I move my hand, to switch on the lights. But, she stops me before, I get to it. "Wait, for the final touch." She pulls the curtains. I forget to breathe.

It's amazing.

The majestic grey sky, during night fall. The white clouds that look like cotton, spread like smoke. Ash mountains giving wonders of an ordinary slate, yet they still don't cease to amaze. Especially, the thick snow fallen over them looks like vanilla ice cream. Followed with the green set of conifers, that are aligned from the mountains way up to down. Just as chilly, cold and wild the view is. It's just as breathtaking.

"It's beautiful." I answer, feeling no different from the breeze that blows through the lush green leaves of the tall trees. I'm just as part of the view, as the one out the window. My hands have a body of their own, as my fingers trace the snow.

I'm lost and I don't want to be found.

"Indeed." Florence admits, and when I snap out of my reverie. I look back at her, to see her gazing me. I let out a nervous laugh, as I shake my head. "It must be really cool, to have it all." I comment, feeling giddy with the luxuries.

"When you have everything. You tend to have nothing at the same time." She

answers, making me confused. "How is that possible? I thought, with power there's nothing worthwhile that you can't have." I frown, as I question. She settles herself on the edge of the bed. "That's where the world is wrong. Power doesn't give you everything, it takes it away." She replies, the sadness in her tone makes me want to eliminate, whoever caused the pain.

When I touch her arm and she looks up, I gulp. Her eyes are the deepest shade of black. She looks hollow and empty.

"You have no idea. How much this power has made us desolate."

I know, why she's feeling this way. She's feeling at loss for what she did. It's not easy to forget, when you let go someone who loves you. I know, it's hard. Especially, when you love them back. But, you're forced to choose otherwise. Getting so tangled up in you dreams.

"I'm here for you." I remind her, as I move to hug her. But, she stands up.

"Power is power. If you can't get what you want. You take it." She adds, with a rough tone on the edges. Then, she stares at me hardly. I fiddle with the ends of the blanket, on the bed.

"Like I'm going to take your happiness."

Pause.

She starts laughing, all of a sudden, like it was a prank. Her hand raised to my face, "Oh my God! Look at your face!" She keeps on her laughing fit. I let out a breath, I was holding.

"Pst, you scared me." I laugh, my hand going to my chest involuntarily.

"I was fooling around! Oh, come on. Don't tell me, you took it seriously." Florence adds and I give her light shove, because she did scare the hell out of me. Though, that just adds more to her laughter. I cross my arms together and face away from her. She needs to know, that if she can pretend so can I.

"Hey, Scarlett. Come on, it was a joke." I will not give in. She reaches for me and I move away. "Come on. You forgot didn't you?" I frown, what is she talking about?

"You and me, together forever." Florence states, our famous besties line. Damn, who can stay mad after that? I can't. I smile so wide, it's hard to hide. Then, I jump to hug her and we fall onto the floor with a thud. Laughing the pain in our bum away.

About five minutes later, when we recollect ourselves. She scrambles to stand up and walks out the door. Not before saying, "Dinner at eight."

Great, I have like half an hour and I haven't even showered.

"That's too early!" I complain and she replies with, "Sleep hungry, then." I throw a pillow at her and she dodges, it ends up hitting Bree. Who just happened to walk in my room. Oops.

Florence laughs, as she leaves me with a pissed Bree.

"So, you want a pillow fight." She picks up, the fallen pillow from the hallway.

"Bree, don't. No. No. No..."

And that's why, I don't change.