Bellflower Part 38 (Patreon)

In this installment, Fran looks to try & help a slightly reticent Deidre, while Rachel & Camille both share their concerns over a growing problem.

Long, long overdue. I kept banging my head to write their conversation & kept feeling like every iteration was coming out worse & worse. And between not having the time to work like I thought I was, dealing with intense allergies, & trying to contend with the day to day anxiety of what's just going on in the world? It was difficult.

 So sorry for the massive delay but I feel like this will work. For now at least. Now that I'm over this hump, more updates will hopefully follow in a more regular fashion again! Again, really sorry about that! I should also have more art so share shortly as well! So be on the look out!

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38

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"Are you sure all of these... precautions... are absolutely necessary?" Deidre huffed. While she used to enjoy the outdoors, going on hikes, spending time in the wilderness? Months of living at the Bellflower had changed all that. Then again, it wasn't like the sides of the roads in all this office park sprawl weren't exactly the scenic vistas she was more used to back home. Still, even if Fran was quite a bit bigger, Deidre found herself having a hard time keeping up. That, plus the way everything seemed to just... jiggle with every quick step she took? She couldn't help but be overly self-conscious. Which wasn't helping her overall mindset.

"The safer, the better." It was a bit reassuring to hear that in her voice, Fran was almost as gassed as she was. But somehow, she seemed to possess the drive or endurance to keep on going. It would've been inspiring to Deidre if Deidre could just get over herself & just how out of shape she actually was personally. "Just a little bit further. By the overpass. There's a... blindspot. No Penny... prying eyes." Fran pushed. Deidre was gasping for air. And still not entirely clear why they were coming out this far, she could feel her whine working its way out of her.

"But... if she's already seen us... leave together... & jog this far...?" A pained Deidre slowed.

"Just wait... a couple hundred more yards. You can... do this!" Fran tried to cheerlead, even though she herself sounded like she was having her own difficulty. She looked back to see the taller short haired woman getting left further & further behind.

"Can we at least... go... slower...?" Deidre whined.

"Ech, fine..." Fran begrudgingly hit the brakes. Her wobbly jog settled more into her usual bit of a waddle as a relieved Deidre started to make up the few step distance. Mostly on account of just having longer legs. 

"Thank... you..." She puffed softly. Both beet red & sweating profusely, Fran led them around another corner towards the highway. Deidre slowly let the air come back to her lungs before going on. Her run-in from earlier was still playing in the back of her mind.  "Like I was saying... it's not even that me & Dawn... were necessarily all that... close... really... we just shared the same sort of... position..." Deidre continued to lament. She only agreed to this "jog" because she needed someone to talk to. Someone "in the know." And for whatever reason, Rachel wasn't answering. 

"I mean... I get it." Fran nodded, her thick arms up to fix the frizzy curls she had thrown back into a thick headband. "Earlier on... there was a girl down the hall I didn't even like... noisy as all hell... at all hours! Kept me up... hated her guts for it!" She snickered. "Over time... living there...? She got quieter alright. Last time... I saw her... poor thing had trouble squeezing past... her front door. Few weeks later? Her place is on the market. Still made me feel terrible for her. Almost missed the racket... you know...?"

"Yeah..." Deidre exhaled.

"At the end of the day... the whole thing? It's... it's like a... trap." Fran's pace slowed even a bit further. "I know how it feels. I wish we could get through to everyone. A lot sooner too. But at the moment... it's important we each stay safe so we can save the people we can." She reached into her ample cleavage. "That's why I wanted to give you... Oh. Shit. Sorry. Um... it got... a little sweaty." The thing Fran threatened to give her, what they came this far for, to be sure they weren't in view of the Bellflower? Seemed to be a folded slip of paper. Now slightly... moistened.

"Um..." Deidre tried not to be too grossed out. 

"You might have to flip it depending on... the layout." Fran explained. "But it's a diagram of where all the speakers & mics & cameras are in a Bellflower unit. Mikayla drafted this up a while back." 

"Oh!" Deidre got over her initial disgust & became a bit more interested. "Good. But..."

"I gave one to Rachel too. But she's a bit leery about detaching or smashing anything, given it is her sister's place. But if you were so inclined, you could go about & turn your place into a blindspot. I mean, personally? I'd recommend it."

"What like... punch holes in the walls & stuff?" Deidre vaguely remembered the time she was at Fran's. Seeing pictures being hung a little too low, presumably covering a spot where a hammer connected. Dents in panels. A few exposed wires. Dead, hanging, mechanical arms pulled along the tracks to the corners. She could see the purpose. It just wasn't exactly in line with her own young professional aesthetic.

"Depends on just how  safe you want to play it." Fran shrugged, stopping to stretch in place for a minute. She teetered a little as her center of gravity shifted. "I did it. Just to be safe. And even still, the fucking robot tries fixing it back up every now & again."

"I... I don't know..." Deidre looked it over. The few she saw hovering very close to where her bed were didn't make her feel very comfortable. And it wasn't like she was all that opposed to DIY. But putting holes through drywall? It was maybe just a bit too firmly into tinfoil hat territory for her.

"Well. Just hold onto it." A semi-disappointed Fran seemed to wave. "For safe keeping. And somewhere Penny won't find it."

"Okay." Deidre nodded, waving the folded guide in her hand. She was sincere though. Impromptu wall surgery aside, having an idea of where exactly Penny was lurking was at least good to have. "Um... thanks. If it comes to it? I guess I'll bust out a hammer." Luckily, her sweatpants had a pocket. 

"Yeah." Fran was bad at hiding what seemed like a bit of frustration. To her, the choice seemed much more obvious. But a grin flashed on her face as she realized how she could repay Deidre's seeming lack of interest. "Ready to jog back?"

"Ecch..." having only regained her breath, Deidre suddenly deflated. "Can't we just like... rideshare back?"

"C'mon!" Fran said, already lumbering back the direction they came.

"Fuck." Deidre let out in a soft, but sharp burst just barely over her breath. It took her a few steps to get back to pace.

“So out with it! Tell me, what’s up?” 

"I… um… don't really want to go into all of the specifics but…" Rachel mumbled while looking off to the side, avoiding direct eye contact.

"Well, I think I'm safe in assuming it's something Holly-related," Camille sniped, her usual mousiness gave way to a bit of coy confidence, as her eyes rotated performatively off to the side. “Am I right?” That was maybe the one thing about her that bothered Rachel. The more she got to know the girl, she found that what she had always perceived as a general mousiness in Camille? It turned out not to be out of any insecurity or lack of self-esteem. At the end of the day, she was actually quite self-assured. And sure, it might’ve taken her a little longer to warm up to people, but for the most part? Camille was just naturally soft-spoken, & very deliberate with the things she did say. And for Rachel, someone with all of her own insecurities out there, on her sleeve, running rampant? In a way, it almost felt like stolen valor. And remembering this, looking at her across the table, outside the coffeeshop? Hearing her trying to guess at what issues were plaguing her right now? It caused Rachel to squint, & give the same bit of attitude right back in this instance. She cleared her throat of its own mousiness & hoisted her shoulders up, if only to pretend to possess the same level of confidence.

“May...be.” Rachel responded slowly, not entirely wanting to congratulate Camille’s guess. “But of course you’d assume that. You only know me through her after all.” Camille smirked a soft smirk after swallowing a long sip of her cappuccino.

“Touche.” She nodded. In the recent weeks that Rachel had known her, Camille had certainly thickened quite a bit herself. At least since that night they ran into one another at the grocery store. What could’ve been written off as just a few extra layers of pudge initially had turned into a general roundness in the girl, finding most of its purchase in her soft, flabby  belly area. Pulled to its tightest, her dress did little to hide its curves. Rachel couldn’t quite put a number on how much it might have been pound-wise, if she had to guess. And anywhere else? It would’ve been a significant, noticeable, & perhaps maybe even worrying amount to gain. But in the grand scheme of things? At the Bellflower, with girls like Holly? Or Marissa? Throwing the bell curve off? Even her now, to a small extent?! The way Camille continued tovery gradually  round out basically amounted to just white noise. 

She finished another, longer sip. She was going through it quickly, but it was looking like she had more of her thought to continue. “Mmm. But also? The two of you just strike me as being such complete polar opposites. You know?”

“Oh?” Rachel interjected as Camille blotted her face with her napkin a second.

“And I mean don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love her to death! Holly? She’s as sweet as could be. One of the nicest people I’ve ever met.” Rachel couldn’t hold back the “Heh” that involuntarily quaked its way out of her to contest that last one. Camille acknowledged it with a bit of wryness tacked into curl of her lips. “Hell, say what you will, but she was there for you when you needed it!” Being reminded of that made Rachel feel even more useless in her current situation. “But at the same time… How do I say this…?” She rolled her eyes skyward in thought, eventually tacking on a “Politely” for good measure. “Sometimes? It seems like… well… not always a whole lot going on... UP-stairs.” A bit of mousy trepidation entered back into her voice, riding sidecar with some of her snicker. She looked as though she was tip-toeing through not wanting to offend but also seemed pretty confident it wouldn’t.

“That’s… one way of putting it, I guess.” Rachel softly snorted with a short huff. Like her “Heh” seconds ago. But also letting the dark haired girl in the dress off the hook a little. Rachel seemed keen to hear where exactly Camille was going with this. Was she just going to call Holly dumb to ingratiate herself to her, or was she really  just a catty fake friend of her sister’s? Like in the vein of Veronica?

“Whereas you...?” She leaned in a little, looking up at Rachel with that continued smirk. There was a weird quality to it she couldn’t quite put a finger on. Camille wiggled her chin, or at at least the spot where one had softened away into roundness. “Well… I feel like there’s a lot going on up there. At all times!” She gesticulated by pointing towards Rachel’s noggin. “And honestly? I think it’s pretty intriguing.”

“What?!” Rachel recoiled. “Get out of here!” She was unsure how to respond to what sounded worryingly like a compliment. And automatically, she defaulted to humility. 

“I’m serious!” Camille insisted in her soft but assured way. Her smile warmed a bit further. “I get the feeling you’re typically a little quiet, &...” she paused to wave her hands as if to cite the present moment as an example. “... you clearly  don’t like being the center of attention, but when you are? You’re like… so smart… & funny!” She hesitated a little, seeming as though she didn’t want to gush too much. But Rachel was already a bright red. If this was some weird ploy to ingratiate herself, it seemed to be working.

“Ok, but also if you know I hate being the center of attention, then you should realize that compliments really only make me super uneasy.” She winced a little, even though there was a warmth to her tone to show some appreciation. Camille chuckled & relented.

“Fine, be like that. Whatever.” She grinned, flapping her hand as she leaned back into her chair. “My main point in all of this is that you two both each have these really endearing qualities. But as an objective third party in all this? It’s kind of clear to see how some of those same qualities might create… friction. Beyond just being, y’know, siblings. Like… as cliche as it is, it’s almost like your classic introvert/extrovert personalities, both rubbing each other the wrong way.” 

“I mean, maybe partly.” Rachel admitted with a heavy sigh, withdrawing a little slightly. “But it’s… not quite as simple as all that. At the moment anyway.” Camille’s eyes meandered while she waited a beat.

“Is it her… eating?” She pried.Exhibiting the same confidence she had when testing the waters to see if she could call Holly a bit dim. Rachel in turn, looked up at her reflexively with wide eyes. In the sort of way that would make her a terrible poker player, as to almost immediately affirm Camille’s question without even responding. The tan girl shifted in her seat a little with light, knowing nod. At the same time, Rachel couldn’t help but feel some vindication too. If Camille was the one to broach the topic, completely unsolicited? Even if the issue should have been blatantly obvious to everybody, it made Rachel felt a smidge less crazy. Even if she knew she was right!

Having gotten a sufficient enough response from Rachel’s telling look, Camille let out a sigh. “Well, I mean it is sort of obvious.” She went on to admit out the side of her mouth, not wanting to sound too disparaging toward Holly. “But it’s almost exactly like… well, I really hate to say it. But like what happened with… um... “

"Courtney...?" Rachel volunteered, squinting a little. Feeling very strange she had to remind Camille of the name of someone who was one of her very best friends up until recently. It felt... odd. Enough for Rachel to make a mental footnote, as Camille seemed just a little too with it to just slip on a detail like that. But a somewhat bubbly Camille seemed to laugh it all off, nonplussed. 

“Courtney, yes. My god, what's wrong with me I couldn't...?" She trailed, giggling to herself. "But yeah! The constant snacking? The gatherings we have where all she does is just like… eat? Maybe at times, Holly’s almost a little worse, honestly!” A chill went down Rachel’s spine, hearing this from a more objective third party. Camille took it as a nerve being struck, & thought she might need to backpedal. “No offense!”

“No, no! It’s…” Rachel attempted to reassure, bouncing her open palm towards the table. “Not offended just… I mean… that’s… that’s a huge problem.” She said, realizing & catching herself almost immediately. “Uh, pun definitely not intended.” Camille winced in a playful but painful expression, but biting back further, possibly somewhat catty laughs.

“Andrea & I were talking about this whole thing. Just the other day.” She narrowed her eyes & tilted her head a little. “And also Deidre & I a couple of times before that. If I’m being honest. Going back weeks ago at this point. I mean, it's... come up.”

“Well, Deidre & I have talked about it a bit ourselves. But Andrea? The rest of you are seeing it too?” Rachel pushed, trying to not come off too wild-eyed & eager. “Regina even?”

“Oh, Regina? If you want to talk about not having a lot going on upstairs…? I mean I love her to complete bits but, frankly, I don’t know if the poor thing even knows what day it is half the time.” Camille grit her teeth. “But from what I’m gathering, I’m thinking she’s got to be seeing it too. I mean, it’s kind of impossible to ignore.” She halfheartedly shrugged. Rachel’s mind began racing a mile a minute. Shit, if Camille was the one volunteering her observations, could she maybe be swayed like Deidre? Could she get someone else on board? Andrea too?! Rachel tried to restrain from getting too enthusiastic. Her head was moving way too fast. Right now, more than anything, she was just looking for some help in trying to get Holly to stop the trajectory she was on. Or at least slow it down a little. 

She sighed, centering herself on the exhale. And decided to have the original conversation she had planned with her mother with Camille instead. “I don’t know what I’m going to do though.” 

“Have you tried… maybe just… I don’t know. Talking to her?” Camille asked point blank. It came with more sincerity than Rachel would’ve expected. She was asking her this? She realized that maybe Camille wasn’t entirely in the loop on each of her & Holly’s interactions. But it was extremely difficult for Rachel to not recoil at the assertion. She tried to not let her true emotion fly, so it landed somewhere between frustrated & gobsmacked. But she was still comfortable enough around Camille to intonate it with some level of sarcasm.

“Oh my god!” she feigned in a gasp, mock slapping her forehead. “Why didn’t I think of that sooner?!” Just going off Rachel’s tone alone, Camille immediately saw the error in her ways, & was quick to respond.

“Okay. Okay!” She attempted to corral. “I know you guys tend to bicker sometimes. Just... didn’t know how real you two get with one another.” It had trailed off back into her usual mousiness by the end.

“Oh. Plenty real.” Rachel assured with a smirking nod. “Realer than any of you get with her, anyway. Talking behind her back. I mean, if you’re going to cast any aspersions.” Camille pursed her lips as Rachel redirected some of the blame back in her direction. She really couldn’t argue. She didn’t have much of a leg to stand on. Like Courtney, it seemed like they were all perfectly content to sit & watch it happen again. Watch Holly too, make a complete pig of herself. Till she too was a whale. But Rachel wasn’t looking to dwell. Her shoulders raised with a deep sigh as she tried to calm back down. Pulling back to lament. “Frankly? What's going on with her? All I try to do any more is try & confront her about it. The problem is just getting her to try to listen. She just… won’t!” Rachel, losing eye contact, shook her head. "She just keeps... eating."

Silence flooded into the space between them for a moment as Rachel's frustration only became more palpable to Camille, urging her to speak. 

"We should definitely look to do an intervention. The right way!" Camille nodded slowly. "No Veronica, with any of her bullshit! Let Holly know we're all concerned for her. What she's... doing." It could've all been lip service, but it seemed to ring in Rachel's ears with some level of sincerity & excluding Veronica seemed fine by her. But it still felt like it was up to her to stress the severity.

"And SOON!" She added. "The longer we wait... the b-bigger..."

"We'll talk to Deidre." Camille tried to assure her, now sounding slightly blow-off-y, as she chased the last few drops of liquid from her cappuccino. "Mmmm." She motioned, mid-chase. “In the mean time? Why don't we get your head off things a little? You’re totally welcome back to my place.” Camille shrugged. “I mean, if you’d like. No pressure or anything!” Rachel remembering the shorter pudgy rich girl's general pushiness. And almost desperation to hang out. But the prospect of going back to the Bellflower? Right now?

"Actually..." Rachel slowly stammered, thinking as she went. "Did you drive?"

"Ech, well I certainly didn't take that disgusting shuttle! For damn sure!" Camille sneered.

"Can we maybe just like... go for a ride... somewhere... instead?" Rachel's own genuine mousiness coming in as she realized she might've been overstepping a bit. But anything to avoid the whole condominium right now would be ideal.

"Sure!" Camille pleasantly clucked. Almost surprised to be taken up on her offer. "Anywhere in particular?" Rachel winced.

"Just... anywhere but the Bellflower would be great. Just for a while."