Free Early Spring 01 Broken Flower by V. C. Andrews Page B

The species needs us to do it."
"Needs us to do what?"
"Forget about that for a moment," he said with some irritation. Then he narrowed his eyes again. "Let's try one experiment," he said. "But don't ever tell anyone," he warned. "Remember," he reminded me, "how we swore in your bathroom to keep my research and investigation our secret, okay?"
"Yes."
He was spending so much time with me. I didn't want to upset him again. He reached out and carefully unbuttoned my pajama top. He opened it and looked at my buds. Had they grown bigger already? I stood there waiting to see what he had discovered when he surprised me by touching my nipple, only he didn't just touch it and pull away. He kept his finger there, moving it slightly.
"It doesn't just tickle, does it?" he asked.
It didn't. It was different, very different.
I shook my head and said, "No." but it came out like a whisper.
"You're actually getting stiffer. Holy schmoly," he said, and then, as if he realized what he was doing was not right, jerked his finger away,
"What's that mean, stiffer?"
"Button up," he said without answering me, and returned to his desk.
I waited. His fact was flushed. I thought he was upset at me again for some reason. He wrote something in his journal and then he looked up.
"Ok-ay,' he said. "That's enough for now. I'll teach you more and more, but let's go slowly so you don't get confused and frightened. You should never be frightened of knowledge anyway," he added. "Remember, don't tell anyone, especially Mother, or I'll never tell you anything again," he warned.
"I won't tell," I said.
"You'd better go to sleep," he said. "Go on," he nearly shouted.
I hurried out, looking back once at him before I closed his door. He looked different, still flushed. I knew he wasn't alloy at me, but what was confusing was he looked like he was angry at himself.
I closed the door and went to my room. Not long after. Mama came to my room to see if I had gone to bed. She was in her nightgown already and I could see that she had been crying. Her eyes were still bloodshot.
"Grandmother Emma came to see me downstairs," I told her. "I was watching television and she came into the room and asked me to stand up."
6: Not a Freak Page 103
"She said I was getting very tall, growing fast like her sister. Francis, and my clothes were inappropriate, my dress too short."
"Francis? That's interesting," she said. She thought a moment and then shook her head. "Did she ask you anything else? Did you tell her anything about going to the doctor?" she asked very quickly.
"No, Mama."
"Be sure you don't," she said. "We want to keep this from her as long as we can. I don't relish having her comment and complain or even offer advice." She fixed my blanket. "I intended to take you for new clothes. She's not wrong about that. We'll do it this weekend on your birthday. You need something nice for your birthday dinner. Your father promised to take us all out to your favorite restaurant, the Japanese place where they cook the food right in front of you."
"And then we're going to the cabin?" I asked before thinking.
"Yes," she said. "Maybe for longer this time."
I was happy she knew and it wasn't a secret kept from her. "It will do us all good to get away from here," she told me. I knew she really meant to get away from Grandmother Emma. "Are you all right?"
I nodded and she leaned down to kiss me. "You're just a little girl," she said. "This is so unfair. Your youth is being stolen from you."
I didn't speak even though I wondered what she meant. Who was stealing it? How can youth be stolen anyway? It wasn't like anything you kept in drawers and boxes. Tears were coming from her eyes now as she stroked my hair. She sucked in her breath and flicked off her tears quickly.
"You'll be all right," she said. "Why are you crying, Mama?"
"It's nothing. Don't mind me. I'm just not doing well tonight. I'll be better tomorrow. Good night," she said, and left me, closing the door softly.
I lay there with my