Wildflower

Chapter 2

I was doing it again. Going out of my body.

I could see myself sleeping with Poppy lying next to me in her bright blue dolphin hoodie. I look over to the East and see that dawn was just about to break. There was a lilac tint to the darkened sky and the air was dry and crisp.

Well great job Violet, third time this week. It had been getting worse ever since Flo had left. I couldn't control it and once it had taken me nearly 5 hours to get back in. That was far too dangerous. My mama had always told me that if I "fell out" to just muster all of my strength and courage and try to resolve it.

"Hum your favorite tune, take a breath and step back in." She would tell me every evening before putting me to bed. And it always worked too. But that was when she was still around.

A rustle from the trees jolts me from my thoughts. Not now, please don't let a bear or something attack us now when my body is essentially comatose.

I see a dark figure emerge from between two trees. It's a man about 6'2 with a large black hoodie and his hood up so his face is obscured.

"Just who I was looking for" I hear him mutter. Oh god, please not now. Without warning he begins to move swiftly towards us. I begin to scream as I feel the panic rise inside me and then suddenly I'm back.

I jolt awake just in time to hear Poppy scream. The man is on top of her and I hear her struggling underneath him. Without delay I jump on top of his back and begin pounding my fists on his back with all of my might.

"GET THE FUCK OFF OF HER YOU PSYCHO" I scream as I continue to pummel him.

"Oi let up killer!" He cries out. Wait a second.

"Joshua?" I say incredulously getting off of him. He laughs raucously and looks down at Poppy giving her a passionate kiss.

"Just thought I'd come wake you little darlings up." He says with a chuckle and sits up.

Poppy gets up and bursts out laughing. The two of them are well met. Both beautiful, Joshua with his brown hair, sallow skin and athletic physique and Poppy with her petite pixie like nature. Both popular, the it couple at our high school and of course both friendly and funny as hell.

All of us are about to go into our Senior year at Livingston High and the thought about leaving it all is enough to get me giddy.

"You told me yesterday you were coming up here so I figure I'd wake you both up and take my two favorite girls out to breakfast to celebrate my lil killers 18th" He grins toothily and pulls me into a hug.

"Joshua if you ever pull something like that again I will kill you." I chuckle.

We spend the next forty minutes loading all of our camping gear and trash into my powder blue chevy truck and by the time we're done the sun is up in the sky.

"You know I hiked the perilous trail all the way up here to see you baby." Joshua whines wrapping his arms around Poppys waist.

"Oh baby aren't you such a saint for walking twenty minutes along a main road just to see little old me." She says rolling her eyes at him.

"I'll have you know Miss that I encountered a grizzly and a mountain lion but I still braved through it just to see my honey." He croons in between kissing her neck. God Iwas third wheeling so hard right now.

"Come on you disgusting teens let's go get breakfast I'm starving." I moan before hopping into my car. Joshua hops in beside me and Poppy sits up on his lap. They are pretty damn cute together.

We drive a couple of miles back to town and stop at Marlas diner. I swear if I had to eat one meal for the rest of my life it would be her southern fried chicken and chocolate waffles.

The diner is small with a classic 50s aesthetic. There's a jukebox in the corner near the entrance to the bathroom but it's been broken for nearly two months so it just plays "Hotel California" on repeat. The walls are adorned with photos of 50's stars and there's even a signed photo of Elvis Presley's second cousin once removed. The walls used to be an obnoxiously bright pink but have faded over the years.

Everyone in town goes here and it's hard to find a space after 11 am. We walk in and are met with the smell of fresh sizzling bacon and hot coffee. The tiled floors are immaculate and
I can practically see my reflection in them.

The diners pretty much empty except for an old trucker called Sam and a guy in the corner booth with his head bent down over his coffee.

A small old black woman comes bustling out from the kitchen when she hears the door open.

"Oh my lord if it isn't the most beautiful birthday girl I ever did see." Marla cries putting her arms up and pulling me into a bone crushing hug.

Marla's like my surrogate Granny with the way she treats me. Cooks me food, brags about me to her bridge friends and every so often tells me a story about a forgotten time.

"Hello to you too Marla, think we can get booth 2?" I smile as she breaks away from the hug and grins at all three of us.

"Well anything for my favorite girl." She says grabbing us some menus and leading us to my all time favorite booth. It's right at the window and you can get an amazing view of the mountains and the town, but that's not why it's my favorite.

I remember that this was the first place that my mother, Flo and I came to when we moved to town. We all sat down at number 2.

We sit down together and order 3 coffees, chicken and waffles for me, strawberry pancakes for Poppy and a full breakfast for Joshua.

The peace of the morning resounds throughout the town. I can tell that today is gonna be a nice day, not a cloud in the sky and the sun already splitting the rocks.

Poppy and Joshua are already joking at one another and I can't help but feel a pang of jealousy. Ever since we were little they were perfect for each other. The first day they met they clicked and ever since then it's always been Poppy and Joshua, rarely one without the other. Every time they were together their love was so clear and evident, it was like a shining beacon of hope for all the lonely. I had that type of love once.

"Hey earth to Vi." Joshua laughs throwing a straw wrapper at me. I must have dazed off.

"Sorry man, it's just tiring being 18."

"All good hun, so basically here's the issue. It's your 18th birthday and all you want to do is go home. Now that ain't happening." He smirks looking at Poppy. She bites her lip and turns to me. Oh shit, they're doing something.

Poppy cuts in on him.

"So ... Vi my one true love-"

"Hey!"

"-Apart from you of course Joshy, we've planned you a birthday party. Tonight. And it's gonna be huge."

I groan. I hate parties, I could never hold my alcohol past 12. I was like the alcoholic version of Cinderella. Turns into a train wreck after midnight.

"Okay but on one condition.No shots."