Chapter 1
Chapter one.
"Please, please, please - do not leave me here on my own. I'm serious," I ball the hem of my old, shitty, white dress in my fists, silently begging my heart to stop pounding and verbally begging my sister to stay by my side.
I'm used to quiet, small spaces, with only the sound of fingers hitting keyboards to accompany me. I didn't even want to come to this stupid dance, we've only been here for three weeks for Jobas sake.
"Don't be such a baby," Bee chides, "You can't just stay in the chicken coop all day everyday, go talk to someone!"
"I don't-" I huff but she's already gone.
Fuck.
I turn to look at the two wooden planks placed over the gap in the floor and sigh. There's absolutely no fucking way I'm walking alone over that again. Just getting here I nearly fell to my death, Bee had to grab me by shoulder to stop me.
So, onwards then, I guess.
Up ahead Bee is laughing with the scary blonde girl and the most stereotypical American jock looking guy I've ever seen. We're not even in the US. There isn't even a school here. It's like secondary school all over again, there's such distinct groups, I can't just join them. I don't even know how. I definitely can't join my sister, that would end in certain death. So I go over to the little stall, run by that shop guy I don't remember the name of.
"Ah, Bridget is it? How are you finding the festival?" He says as soon as our eyes meet. I muster my most polite smile and take a deep breath.
"Just Bree, Bee is fine. It's certainly...pretty?" Please let this conversation end so I can go back to being a background character.
"So Bee and Bree? That must get confusing quickly!" he laughs, and then when I don't respond, "Anything take your fancy?"
His wares are shit. Why would I buy a barrel of flowers when we plant flowers every month? But now I have to buy something. I point at the barrel, and some weird ceiling leafs so I can be on my way. Except now I'm lugging a barrel of flowers around cause it sure as hell won't fit in my backpack. I smile and nod my thanks, dragging my barrel and I to the nearest wall to lean against. I think the flower dance is starting.
It is no surprise that my sister got someone to dance with her. She's never been the shy sort of person and everyone likes her. We may be twins, but the familiarity ends there. I started dying my hair lilac in school, so that people would stop mistaking me for her, but by the time we were sixteen, we didn't really look alike at all.
She's dancing with Leah, which I didn't think would be her first choice. Especially with the way that jock keeps glancing over at her from where he dances with the scary blonde.
"They make a good pair don't they?"
I just about jump ten feet in the air, turning to look at the deep unexpected voice. The man's auburn hair brushes the red shoulders of his blazer, he leans against the wall next to me, his right knee bent, foot against the stone behind us. I think his name is Elliott. When we first got here, I went with my sister to greet the whole town, until I inevitably got overwhelmed and had to head back. Elliott was the last person I saw. He's a writer which is so damn cool. He lives in a hut on the beach, no neighbors, no noise, nothing. And I envy him for that.
I look into his face, glimmering green eyes, a single brow arched waiting for a response.
"They....do," is all I can manage.
"You're Bridget right? I haven't really seen you around since your introductions," he says, an easy smile playing across his lips. Very nice lips. Heat rushes to my face,
"It's Bree...Bridget is my grandmother, I've always hated it. Maybe it will grow on me one day, when the grays start coming in, though I did find a grey hair the other day-" Oh my god, stop talking! I expect him to look at me with judgement, instead he chuckles. A beautiful low noise in his throat which makes my heart pound ever so slightly.
"I guess that's farm life for you, I would be going grey too if I had to look after plants and animals all day," he pushes a loose strand of hair behind his ear and smiles at me, "You know a lot about plants right? I'm struggling with a plant of my own, she's so droopy, I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Maybe you could come over some time to have a look for me?"
When do I tell him I can't deal with plants to save my life? At my old job, I watered a dead plant everyday, hoping to bring it back to life but actually drowning it. There is a reason Bee looks after the crops on the farm.
"-Sure- I..I can have a look for you. Green thumb and all," I say, giving him a pathetic thumbs up. No, that wasn't it.
"Bree, are you ready to go-- Is that a barrel?" My sister reappears beside me, saving me from making a fool of myself any further. I give her a nod, turning back to Elliott.
"You can come over anytime, I'll see you soon Bree" he says, giving me a final smile before turning to find Leah.
Bee raises an eyebrow, and opens her mouth.
"Don't start, I'm going over to help him with his house plant," I say, cutting off her impending teasing.
"How are you going to do that? You kill everything you touch. This barrel isn't going to make it to fall."
"I don't know, I panicked. But it's a house plant, I'm sure it will be fine..." I say, not confidently.
"Are you really that dim?" she rolls her eyes and pulls the barrel onto her shoulder. Dang her.
"Worse comes to worse, I'll just lend him some fertilizer, or maybe give him a book on plant care. I mean, I never made sense of it but I'm sure he'll be able to figure it out-" Bee cuts me off with a deadpan look, "This is going to be fun."
And so we go home. The flower dance isn't something I think I'll ever enjoy. And yet, I can't help the small smile that curves my lips.