Just Flowers Chapter 11

Later on in the week, Will called Bryn asking her to come over and help move some of Jen's stuff.
"So what're you doing with all this?"Bryn asked delicately.
Will thought for a second. "I guess the clothes are going to charity, and the stuffed animals too. The rest we're putting in storage and we'll figure out what to do later."
Bryn pursed her lips and squinted, confused. "Why are you taking her stuff out anyways?"
"Did you think there would be an everlasting shrine to her?"
"Will."
"What?"
"Why are you doing that?"
"Doing what?"
She rolled her eyes, the pain to cry pulsing through her neck. "Why do you insult her like you don't care."
"I don't care."
"Will!"
"Shit, Bryn, not everything is rainbows and sunshine. She's dead. Get over it."
Will picked up a box and left the room letting Bryn stand alone with his words. She shook her head, discouraging herself from crying.
Why let him affect you? He's an asshole.
She folded a sweater and put it into a small cardboard box. She looked around the room. The walls were empty. The bed was stripped of its dressing. All around the room were boxes of what was left of her best friend.
I'm packing her away.
"If you want to, you can leave," Will said, leaning against the wall.
"I figure this is as much my burden as it is yours."
"I never said she was a burden."
"Yeah, not until she died, right?"
"Fuck you."
"Get over yourself."
"Get out!"
"Fuck off!" Bryn yelled, pushing over the box she had just filled.
"Hey!" Will yelled back, running after her as she ran down the stairs. He grabbed her shoulder.
"What're you doing?"
"Don't touch me," she yelled, pulling away angrily. They faced each other.
"Why did you do that?"
"Why are you doing this?"
"Stop saying that!"
"No, I want to know what. Why are you saying all this shit about her and treating this all like nothing?"
"I'm not. I'm coping," he mocked.
Bryn slapped him and watched terrified as he raised his hand. It stopped in mid air and he curled it into a fist, bringing it down on the stair rail.
She cleared her throat and blinked out a stream of tears. "There." Bryn turned and walked out of the house and down the street. She was almost at the corner when Will called to her.
"Bryn!" He yelled to her, repeating her name as he ran after her. He stopped at her side.
"Don't even."
"Wait, listen. I wasn't going to do anything."
"Is that why you put your hand up?"
"It was instinct."
"It's instinct for you to hit girls?"
"It's instinct for me to fight back. And anyways, you hit me first."
She stopped and again looked into the eyes she thought she could have loved. "I wanted to make you realize you were being stupid."
"How-"
"You always think you're the victim. Your sister fucking dies and you still think the world is out to get you."
"Hey, you don't know me so don't even act like you do."
"You're right. But I know enough to say that both of us lost her. Not just you. Just because you're her blood doesn't mean you can go around saying shit like you are. You'd think something like this would teach you compassion."
Will only stared. His teeth were clenched and his face was red with either embarrassment or anger.
"Say something," Bryn demanded, stamping her foot. When she got no reply, she walked away.

Against all reason in her, Bryn took refuge in her home. She'd lost all other places that brought comfort and was left with the place she hated.
She sat down at the corner of her bed and rested as she digested the enormity of what just happened. "Our first fight," she said, then debating the thought, answered herself with, "or our break-up fight."
Her stomach growled and she winced. Having not eaten breakfast or lunch was taking its toll on her, and she was weak from anger and hunger.
The door creaked open just as she was getting up, and Angelica knocked. "Bryn?"
"Yeah, what?"
"I just want you to know that I'm sorry."
"For what?" she questioned more by habit than having time enough to revise her thought.
"Well," her mother replied, ignoring the suggestion of having done multiple things wrong. "First of all, for last week. I didn't mean that you could never come home. You always have a home here, regardless of what you or I or Ellie do."
Bryn held a hand on her stomach and looked at the other. She was preoccupied with hating and wanting Will to listen completely.
Her mother continued. "Also, for the whole incident with Mr. Currant. I know I already apologized, but I still feel there's tension. It was irresponsible for the both of us to think that doing something like that could speed along the healing process."
"Sure was," Bryn said, pressing her temples with her thumbs.
"What is with the hostility Bryn? Why are you so angry."
"Be-"
"It's not all because of me. I know it. You're still mad about Jen."
"Yes I'm still mad, but I don't want to talk to you about it."
"If you cut yourself off from the world, you're pretty just flipping everyone off without an explanation."
"Why do I have to explain anything to you?"
"Why don't you want to? Three years ago we were friends and now you put yourself in a barricade when I enter the room. It's a challenge to even have a simple conversation with you now."
"Then why bother?" Bryn asked, trying to focus on anything else.
"Because you're my daughter. Because I spent sixteen hours in labour to push you into this world."
"You could've at least warned me it would be this hard."
"What do you mean?" Angelica sat on Ellie's bed and leaned her elbows on her knees.
"Losing a friend. Losing her."
"Bryn," her mother breathed, shaking her head slowly.
"No. You're my mother. You're supposed to protect me, and you didn't. Not when Dad died, not now."
"Is that what it's all been about?"
"Why else would it be?" Bryn cried, covering her face as the tears poured.
"You're almost an adult now. I won't be able to protect you forever, as much as I wish I could. And your father's and Jen's deaths were hard for me. They still are."
Bryn sniffled and looked at the woman. For the first time in so long, she felt sympathy for her mother and realized now that she had acted no better than Will. Instead of blaming her problems on the deceased, Bryn passed the harshest judgement on Angelica, who, in her weakened state, was unable to fully fight back.
"It's just that every time something goes wrong, you're there. I mean you're the one telling me."
"Believe me, it absolutely kills me to be the bearer of bad news. It just kills me."
"I guess it would."
After a moment, her mother said, "Well I just wanted to clear the air."
"You don't have to go, I mean, if you don't want to," Bryn offered, sitting up.
"No, I do. I have some more people I have to talk to. Mainly Ellie. I yelled at her yesterday and she seemed pretty upset."
"Okay."
Her mother left the room and Bryn sat frozen on her bed thinking. She didn't want to sit around alone, and now that Will was as good as out of the picture, she focused her thoughts on another young man vying for her attention.