to break the stems. Some come right out of the dirt by their roots. I shrug. They still look pretty.
“I love flowers,” I tell Nicole, sniffing them—except they don’t really smell.
“My mom lets me help with her flowers,” she tells me. “She belonged to a garden club where we used to live, and I’d go sometimes. There were so many beautiful flowers there.”
“I think I like wildflowers best,” I explain. “They just grow wherever they want. No one has to plant them. And then their seeds blow in the wind, and they find a new place to grow.”
Nicole stops to think about it and nods. “I think I like wildflowers best too.”
I take the flowers from her hand and run into the woods, stopping a couple times for her to catch up. It’s hard waiting, so sometimes I just run back and catch up with her before running ahead again. She’s definitely not in a rush to get anywhere.
When we finally get to the tree house, Rae is sitting on the ground, leaning against the tree, with Cal standing beside her.
“Finally,” Rae huffs, standing up. “Cal, can we go up
now
?” Then she sees the flowers I’m holding. “No way. You are not putting
flowers
in the tree house. It’s a
fort,
not a dollhouse.”
I ignore her and start for the ladder. She steps in front of me, crossing her arms.
“Come on, Rae. Get out of the way!” I demand. She doesn’t move. “Cal, tell her that I can put flowers in the tree house.”
I turn toward Cal. He looks to Nicole. “What do you think?”
Nicole looks from me to Rae. I’m afraid she won’t say anything because she doesn’t talk much… ever. “Richelle was excited to pick them for the tree house. I think it will make her sad if she can’t.”
I smile.
“Rae, let her put the flowers in the tree house,” Cal says. He’s used to being the tiebreaker, and usually whatever he decides is what happens. Otherwise, he doesn’t really care what we do—as long as we’re not playing house or dolls.
“Come on, Nicole,” he says to her. She walks in front of him, and he waits for her to start climbing before following.
“Fine,” Rae grumbles. “They’re going to die anyway.”
“And then I’ll just pick more,” I snap back. I start up the ladder. Cal looks down at me and I smile back up at him.
Chapter Five
“Excuse me.”
I look up and realize there’s a line of people trying to get out of the row and I’m still sitting. The screen of my MacBook is dark. I have no idea what happened during class because I spent the entire time wondering when I’d see Nyelle again. And now… it’s over. I’ll have to borrow notes from the guy who sits next to me.
“Sorry,” I say to the girl shuffling by.
I snap my computer shut and grab my bag. I’m still thinking about Nyelle as I follow the drove of backpacks through the exit. I get anxious each time she walks away. I hate not being able to get ahold of her. I’m at the mercy of her random appearances, and it sucks. Last time, it was a week before I saw her again. I wonder how long it’ll be this time.
I push through the double doors into the blinding sunlight. Now that we’re nearing December, the temperatures can fluctuate between arctic and a crisp fall day. The weather’s cooperating today, and I only need a sweatshirt. It actually feels like Renfield’s weather, which reminds me, I should probably check on Rae to see how she’s dealing back home. I know she feels trapped there. But she’ll be here soon enough.
I pull out my phone but hesitate when I notice the wavy brown hair bouncing next to me. Nyelle’s walking alongside me. Where’d she come from?
“Hi.”
“Hey,” she responds casually.
“Two days in a row. That’s… unexpected,” I say.
“Are you keeping track of when you see me? Aw, Cal. I’m flattered.” She’s teasing me, and now I wish I hadn’t mentioned it.
I’m about to cross the street when she takes a left. “Where are you going?” I know she would’ve kept
“I love flowers,” I tell Nicole, sniffing them—except they don’t really smell.
“My mom lets me help with her flowers,” she tells me. “She belonged to a garden club where we used to live, and I’d go sometimes. There were so many beautiful flowers there.”
“I think I like wildflowers best,” I explain. “They just grow wherever they want. No one has to plant them. And then their seeds blow in the wind, and they find a new place to grow.”
Nicole stops to think about it and nods. “I think I like wildflowers best too.”
I take the flowers from her hand and run into the woods, stopping a couple times for her to catch up. It’s hard waiting, so sometimes I just run back and catch up with her before running ahead again. She’s definitely not in a rush to get anywhere.
When we finally get to the tree house, Rae is sitting on the ground, leaning against the tree, with Cal standing beside her.
“Finally,” Rae huffs, standing up. “Cal, can we go up
now
?” Then she sees the flowers I’m holding. “No way. You are not putting
flowers
in the tree house. It’s a
fort,
not a dollhouse.”
I ignore her and start for the ladder. She steps in front of me, crossing her arms.
“Come on, Rae. Get out of the way!” I demand. She doesn’t move. “Cal, tell her that I can put flowers in the tree house.”
I turn toward Cal. He looks to Nicole. “What do you think?”
Nicole looks from me to Rae. I’m afraid she won’t say anything because she doesn’t talk much… ever. “Richelle was excited to pick them for the tree house. I think it will make her sad if she can’t.”
I smile.
“Rae, let her put the flowers in the tree house,” Cal says. He’s used to being the tiebreaker, and usually whatever he decides is what happens. Otherwise, he doesn’t really care what we do—as long as we’re not playing house or dolls.
“Come on, Nicole,” he says to her. She walks in front of him, and he waits for her to start climbing before following.
“Fine,” Rae grumbles. “They’re going to die anyway.”
“And then I’ll just pick more,” I snap back. I start up the ladder. Cal looks down at me and I smile back up at him.
Chapter Five
“Excuse me.”
I look up and realize there’s a line of people trying to get out of the row and I’m still sitting. The screen of my MacBook is dark. I have no idea what happened during class because I spent the entire time wondering when I’d see Nyelle again. And now… it’s over. I’ll have to borrow notes from the guy who sits next to me.
“Sorry,” I say to the girl shuffling by.
I snap my computer shut and grab my bag. I’m still thinking about Nyelle as I follow the drove of backpacks through the exit. I get anxious each time she walks away. I hate not being able to get ahold of her. I’m at the mercy of her random appearances, and it sucks. Last time, it was a week before I saw her again. I wonder how long it’ll be this time.
I push through the double doors into the blinding sunlight. Now that we’re nearing December, the temperatures can fluctuate between arctic and a crisp fall day. The weather’s cooperating today, and I only need a sweatshirt. It actually feels like Renfield’s weather, which reminds me, I should probably check on Rae to see how she’s dealing back home. I know she feels trapped there. But she’ll be here soon enough.
I pull out my phone but hesitate when I notice the wavy brown hair bouncing next to me. Nyelle’s walking alongside me. Where’d she come from?
“Hi.”
“Hey,” she responds casually.
“Two days in a row. That’s… unexpected,” I say.
“Are you keeping track of when you see me? Aw, Cal. I’m flattered.” She’s teasing me, and now I wish I hadn’t mentioned it.
I’m about to cross the street when she takes a left. “Where are you going?” I know she would’ve kept
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