"– Why do you need that? – a sudden voice asked behind Florida that made her shiver.
– Go away, – she answered firnly.
With her peripheral vision the girl had sighted a mop of pink hair. Melisha sat next to her with her legs dangling over the parapet.
– You shouldn't make snap decisions. You can solve everything in this world but if you are dying, then there's no way back, – said Mal after a minute of silence.
– I wouldn't ever think that someone like you can utter something like that, – her companion grinned gloomily.
A harsh wind tossed their hair and made them hush for some time.
– We are really like each other, – Melisha turned her head to Florida and smiled at her sadly.
– Even more than I would like.
– So... are you going to tell me what's happened?
The silence was the answer. The lioness sighed gently.
– Fine, it's your business and I won't persuade you...
– Why do you need to listen to my stupid fables? – Florida interrupted her.
— I don't want to listen to your fables, — Melisha frowned seriously, — I want to know the truth.
Flo's teeth grinded. What an obnoxious kid!
— Alright, — she gave up, — I was born in a big family and I was the smallest child. Usually, the smallest chidren are groomed and spared the most, but not in our family... my parents worked for the whole life just to support and sinch us, and we were raised by the oldest sister. She was a devil, — Florida's voice trembled, — she beated and bullied us. That's because of us, how she said, her best years were lost.
— That's why you... — Mal swallowed the lump rised to her throat.
— Ran away from home. But this happened later, after my parents' death. They sharted to fade away and finally they died. After that the life in parental home became a neverending nightmare. And I gave up. I was terrified. I betrayed others and escaped.
— This is a lie! — her friend answered tearfuly, — you are strong because you found strenght to run away from the place where you spent all your childhood! And now I understand why are you so...
— Trenchant, savage, intolerable? Yeah.
— No, I...
How stupid she is. A small stupid child.
Florida stand up, gain a deep breath and sighed.
— We need to go. It's cold, we might sicken."