𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 ━ transformers

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞

Sunday passes with me holed up in my room with Alfonzo, Mom at work, and Dad knocking on my door every five seconds to see if I'll talk to him yet.

(The answer is no every time.)

When Monday comes, I go to school in a haze, awake but not quite present to the world. I take a test in Anatomy, try to write an essay in English and conjugate words in Spanish. A pretty dull day, if I'm honest.

The pain in my legs and back have not subsided yet, but I'm a little wary to tell Mom about it since it's likely that she'll strap me into her Tahoe and speed all the way to the hospital. For now, I'm just taking some ibuprofen and hoping that the pain will cease on its own.

I arrive home earlier than expected and there's no one there. Only my Corolla sits in the drive, Alfonzo barking at the gate as I trudge up the hill.

"Hey, buddy," I coo at him upon arrival.

He yaps excitedly. I pat his head as he jumps on my leg, clawing at me like he hasn't seen me in years. His big, Chihuahua eyes are watery and he's whimpering. I send him a smile. He follows me to the house.

Once inside, I let my backpack fall the the floor with a thump, slipping off my worn out Converse and placing them beside the olive green sack. I enter the kitchen and pour myself a cup of water, gulping it down in seconds. I feel weary, exhausted for some reason--even though I managed to sleep through the night. My eyes are heavy and my limbs feel like lead. I frown.

Gotta push through it, I tell myself determinedly.

I walk back to the door and slip on my Converse again, feeling like an idiot for taking them off so soon. Alfonzo yelps happily when I reach for his leash and I coo at him again.

"Ready to go for a walk?" I ask him.

He barks. I attach the leash to his black collar and together, we make our way out of the and down the drive.

✦

The florist, Oliver, gives me a familiar smile when the bell rings to the flower shop. I try to muster the same enthusiasm, but I can tell it falls short on my lips. He doesn't seem deterred in the slightest. Alfonzo barks at him, happy to see a familiar face. Oliver sends him a cheerful grin.

"How's my favorite dog?" He comes out from behind the cash register with a treat, crouching down in front of Alfie and feeding it to him. "You just keep getting bigger, don't you?" He rubs at Alfonzo's head. Looks at me. "How are you, El?"

"I'm okay." I shrug and walk further into the shop. The overbearing smells of floral encase my senses and I'm left dizzy for a moment. "Just dig up a fresh batch of flowers?" I ask, trying not to grimace too much.

"Sure did." He looks excited about it, takes in a deep breath. "Pulled up some fresh carnations for you, in fact."

"Thank you," I say earnestly. Alfonzo chases a stray bug beside me.

I walk further into the shop, my fingers grazing all the different kinds of flowers. There's roses, snapdragons, tulips, sunflowers, peonies, lilies, etc. An assortment of color taints my vision and for a moment, I feel as though I had just walked through a rainbow.

Oliver brings me the carnations a few moments later. I stare at the bouquet, feeling oddly sentimental. They gleam back in a soft fuchsia, almost identical to a beautiful sunset. I'm in awe.

"They're beautiful," I whisper, feel as though any tone louder would ruin the moment.

"I know," he tells me, but it doesn't sound cocky--it sounds like he, too, is enjoying the beauty of nature.