I sat on the floor shirtless with my legs crossed, facing the wall.
"Ouch!" I shouted.
"Sorry, hold still", Beatrice ordered.
Fourteen years old Beatrice gently pressed the warm soaked towel on my back.
"Does it hurt?" Eight years old Grace asked, moving to my front. The wild cat of the group. My favourite feature of hers was her curly hair and black gleaming skin.
"No, it doesn't", My age mate Anna said sarcastically. "She just loves to cry of pain after being dragged down three staircases", Anna rolled her eyes at her.
I couldn't help but let out a small laugh staring at Anna's face.
She was always a calm person and cheerful but sometimes was as harsh as Grace.
"Whatever... Wasn't even talking to you!" Grace hissed.
"Then stop talking", Anna turned to me, gently stroking my hair.
"Ugh! You can be so annoying", Grace got up, walking back to the group behind me.
"Wish I could trade you for some candy", she muttered angrily, sitting behind me.
I rose my head up to Anna smiling, "Hehehe...". Anna grinned, still stroking my hair.
"Done!" Beatrice placed the last bandage over my shoulder, with Kate handing me a dry towel.
"Wrap this on", she ordered.
Kate was one of the oldest amongst us, a year younger than Beatrice, but she was Grace's closest and best friend.
Dianna, the tallest and most quiet girl of us all, who I was never sure of her age, calmly picked up the first aid kit and walked to the door.
My eyes followed her skinny lean body, as she made her way to the hallway.
I always wondered if she was dumb, but she was obviously not deaf. I had never heard her speak, nor interact with any of us. Although I hardly played with the others because of Sister Regina, they said she only spoke when spoken to by Sister Regina, which was kind of strange.
"Thank you guys so much", I turned to Beatrice, Kate, Grace, and the four other girls behind them.
"It's okay dear", Beatrice rubbed my cheeks gently.
I gave them a warm smile, then slowly moved my eyes to the door and back, with my smile fading.
"You guys should probably leave... Before she comes back", I clutched the towel.
"No! We're not going anywhere! We'll stay here till you get better!" Anna shouted with authority and anger.
I turned to her shocked, "But Ann..."
"She's right".
I swung my head back to Beatrice and Kate, "What?"
"We're not leaving", Beatrice responded. "Yeah!" Grace added crossing her arms.
"Buh... But... Sister Regina banned you all from staying close to me", I stared at them concerned and scared.
"So?" Kate rolled her eyes. "The Bible also bans her from doing all that she does to you, but doesn't stop her from doing it?"
I turned back and forth at the girls surprised and scared at the same time, "But what if..."
"No buts!" Anna interrupted.
"Yeah, she can't beat us all. Even if she can, she went out with to meet Mother Stella, and will definitely return tomorrow morning", Grace said smiling.
My eyes watered as I stared at them speechless.
"How do you know that?" Beatrice turned to Grace.
"I know people", Grace grinned.
"Hmm, I see", Kate nodded turning back to me.
"Don't worry, Lola, we're here for you now", Grace rested her hand on my shoulder.
"We know we haven't been good enough friends to protect you-" Beatrice started.
"Mainly because we've been scared", Grace poked her head out. Beatrice shot her a stare, shutting her up.
Beatrice sighed turning back to me, "But now we're not... Because we're fighting together. As sisters!"
She tightened her grip on my hand, rubbing my cheek. A tear slowly rolled on my cheek, sighing heavily. I sobbed...
"I wish you remember that before she was dragged down the stairs", Grace mumbled mockingly, staring at Beatrice.
"What?!" Beatrice turned her head impatiently.
"Nothing!" Grace smiled innocently.
I chuckled at Grace, wiping my eyes as I looked back at them all, "You guys..."
They all moved closer, wrapping their arms around me, embracing me in a warm hug. I couldn't help but burst into tears and laughter, smiling widely as my tears poured out.
...
Kate, Grace, and three others walked in with folded bedsheets and blankets.
"Finally!" Anna said, adjusting the mattress on my bed.
"Took you long enough", Beatrice tucked in my freshly new borrowed bedsheet.
"We would have come earlier if someone didn't sneak off to the kitchen for food", Kate rolled her eyes at Grace. Grace stared at the floor ignoring Kate as she walked toward me.
"I didn't sneak... I went hunting!" she placed her blanket on my bed, with me standing right next to it. She turned to me, "For you".
"Me?" Pointing at myself.
"Yeah!" She pulled out a plastic bowl from under the blanket, thrusting it to my chest.
"For you", she smiled at me. I slowly received it, opening it.
"... Puffballs!" I shot my head up excitedly.
"Puffballs?!?" The rest turned around hastily. "Yeah, I found out where Mother Stella hid them before she left".
"But wouldn't she ask?" Beatrice asked.
"She will, and I'll tell her I did it... Because she knows how much I love food", Grace patted her belly, sticking out her tongue.
"Aww that's so sweet", Kate said staring at us. My smile widens, throwing my arms around her.
"Thank you..." I whispered into her ears. She chuckled, hugging me back.
...
With two lamps lighting the room, finally, the girls were done rearranging the room. Beatrice had placed her mattress on my bed, with Anna's sheets, and Grace's blanket. While the others used the remaining sheets and cloths to set their floor beds.
"Thanks so much, everyone" I sat on the edge of my bed, with my legs swinging.
"You're welcome", they turned to me smiling.
I laid on my bed, pulling over the blanket. Anna got up, running to me.
She landed a kiss on my forehead, "Good night!"
I smiled back, slightly raising my head, "Are you sure you don't want to sleep on the bed with me? There's enough room here".
"No, no need, you're the patient here not me", she stroked my hair behind my ear.
"Hm... Okay", I nodded laying back down. The rest got up one after the other, planting a kiss on my forehead.
It was a usual tradition Mother taught us, to draw us closer as sisters. But since this was the first time I slept in the same room with the others, it was my first experience.
They all exchanged hugs and kisses, wishing themselves good night.
I laid on the bed, watching all of them with a smile, till I realized.
"Where's Dianna?"
I rose my head up immediately, grabbing the others' attention. They all turned to themselves and around.
"Oh, you're right... Where is she?" One of the other girls asked.
I sat up properly, looking around at the room with only eight girls, nine including me.
"Dianna?" We called out at once.
"Maybe she went downstairs?" Another said turning to Beatrice.
"Maybe?" She responded.
Beatrice turned to the clock, at 10:43 PM.
"Let me go and check", Beatrice stood up, grabbing one of the lamps.
"No, wait! I'll come with you", Kate got up.
"Me too!" Another stood.
"What about me", the second followed.
"No! Me!" The third.
Beatrice turned, "No. No one is following me, I'm the oldest so I have to go".
"But Bea..." Kate pleaded.
"No. No buts!"
"Um... Technically you're not officially the oldest..." Grace said standing up slowly.
"Meaning?" Beatrice looked over her shoulder.
"Well... You may likely be the second oldest because no one actually knows Dianne's age... And she most likely might be older than you, both physically and mentally", Grace crossed her arms with a mocking face.
"What!?" Beatrice narrowed her eyes.
"Um... She does have a point", Kate said behind Beatrice.
Beatrice turned back at her surprised.
"So... If you're most likely not the oldest, that means you most likely don't have full power to restrict us from going with you right?" Grace walked forward grinning.
Mumbling began to grow amongst the other girls with Beatrice in the middle.
"Ugh! Fine! Let's all go!" Beatrice hissed.
"Wait what? But I don't wanna go..." Grace said in a timid tone.
"What? Then why did you go through the stress to prove Beatrice wasn't the oldest then?" Kate turned to her.
"I didn't stress, I just used my brain, something most of you don't like using..." She smirked.
"And um... It just felt like the right thing to say at the moment".
I jumped off the bed and matched to Beatrice, "We're all going and that's final!" I ordered, pulling the lamp from Beatrice's hand.
They all froze, exchanging stares.
"Okay!" Anna responded in the silence, walking joyfully towards me.
She stood behind me and turned to the others.
"Shall we?"
They stared at each other once more, then back at our short selves.
"Okay!" They replied happily, walking towards us, all except Grace.
"Grace? You coming?" Kate asked.
Grace stared at us with all seriousness, slowly shaking her head.
"No... I'll just wait here for you guys". She slowly sat back on her sheet, covering herself with a cloth.
"Okay..." Kate and Beatrice answer, gently pushing the rest of us towards the door.
"Here's the second lamp", one of the girls placed the second lighted lamp at the centre of the room, "We know you're scared of the dark".
Grace nodded with her body buried under the sheet. "Thanks..." She whispered.
"See you later", Anna waved, as we walked through the door, shutting it behind us.