"I don't know if you know but I am an orphan." Aaron snorts, something that he apparently can't stop doing. Or maybe it's just her.
"A few days ago, before I went mindless a message from Emily told me that I was adopted by someone else…." Flower stops, not knowing what to say. She suddenly feels dumb and exposed because she just suggested that the FF took her in. Now that she is thinking about it, it's a horrendously stupid idea. What was I even thinking? Now I've completely embarrassed myself. Instead of ignoring her comment or going easy on Flower, Aaron barks out laughing.
"Like I said kid, you surprise me every time I meet you. Do you know who we are and who you are? Please" He says before continuing his fit of laughter. He looks bemused at the proposal she just put out. Flower can feel her face heat up so much, Aaron could cook an egg on her forehead. Something slightly less than hate for this man grows in her chest, but humiliating a child and putting them down didn't make a difference to him, so she goes on. The best way to deal with embarrassing moments is to pretend they didn't happen. She clears her throat and starts again.
"I know a couple of people that are members of the Five Families for sure. Cindy and Ray are the ones I know. K-" Flower stops herself. Kate didn't tell Flower her name, and Aaaron cannot know that she knows. "A well dressed woman came by on my first day and I'm pretty sure that she is part of the FF. As well as you of course." Aaron wears an evil grin while the girl's head is lowered.
"Which ones are you not sure of?" He says testing her while Flower can't even look at him.
"N-none"
"Hm, interesting, we'll see about that later."
"Later?" Flower asks, panicking. "What do you mean later?" Aaron only laughs in response, but after Flower begs him to clarify, he answers her with a grin still pasted on his lips.
"You thought we would just leave you. Are you really that much of a fool? With the way you are acting, I can't believe you've made it this far without visiting the hospital at least once."
"For your royal highness's information, I was supposed to go to the hospital after the mob that happened near the mall, but didn't because a certain someone I'm sure you know of, took me back to my room instead."
"I thought you said you didn't know anyone else from the Royal Three."
"The Royal Three? I thought that you guys were called the Five Families."
"Apparently, the both of us thought different things, but we have severe names. You'll know it's us just by the name. Who else do you know?"
"Nobody."
"Just tell the truth kid and drop the attitude. I can't believe that you'd talk back even when you're scared. I wonder how you'll act if we actually pointed a gun at you? Would your attitude change or stay the same? Are you fearless or plain dumb?" The man genuinely looked interested in finding out the answer and almost put his hand in his suit pocket. Flower decides that she'd rather not get him too excited.
"Adam, Xavier, Nathan, Kate, Ky '' Flower blurts out. She didn't even know she'd known those names. Instead of being surprised, Aaron continues to smile at her.
"So fear makes you talk. Weak but interesting. Do you know who those people are?"
"Some of them. The rest just popped in my mind."
"That's enough for now. You'll see much more later." Before Flower can say anything more or ask if she's being studied for weaknesses, Aaron continues talking.
"Here's how it's going to go. We'll let you leave." It seems that Flower's whole body sighed in relief with her. "But" Oh come on!
"But- we'll meet again. I believe Cindy invited you to tonight's dinner."
"Yeah the triplets are going to skin me alive. When I snuck here I heard them brainstorming ideas for how to embarrass me. What a way to use your only five brain cells." Aaron's face doesn't change.
The door bursts open and several men enter the room. Flower can't completely see them because she is behind the desk, but the good side to that is that they can't see her either. Aaron stands up and greets them. He tells the group about the young girl while she is hiding behind the desk. She goes all the way at the corner and rolls herself into a ball. Maybe the ground will open up and swallow her if she tries hard enough? Maybe they'll leave her alone when they see that she is just a pathetic peasant girl.
No such luck. The group crowds the girl under the desk and laugh between themselves. Flower doesn't get the chance to look at any of their faces because her head is tucked between her arms. Buried as if that will stop time from moving forward and these people from standing over her.
"Kid, raise your head." Flower doesn't want to but listens." This is so embarrassing. Not only am I being caught by these people, but I am also going to see them tonight. I don't want anyone I know to find out about this. Nevertheless, Flower raises her head to look at these people and try to memorize their faces. Flower doesn't know what to say before she remembers that if she acts with these people the way she did with Aaron, like a dumb fool, they'll just laugh, point, then leave her alone and she'll calmly go back to the group without a problem.
"Can you all introduce yourselves because I don't know any of you." It works and a couple of them laugh while the others just stand faraway and glare at her like Aaron.
"Don't worry, you will know all of us by the end of your classes." one man says.
"What do you mean? I'm going to meet all of you?" Though they are standing over her laughing at her, she still gets excited over this news.
"Yep! Your class is going around the whole Sheero and you'll meet us."
"Wait, can you all sit down so I can see your faces and everything?" They smile at one another then take a seat on the ground. Well, if Flower is being honest only four of the eleven men sit on the ground. To Flower it seems like a small percentage of the FF are calm and sarcastic and most of them are willing to kill her. Again, Macy's warning rises in her head.
" If you see any member of the Five Families: run. You never know which ones are nice and which ones will rip you apart."
Interesting. I'll keep that in mind. She won't.