Flowers and Blood

•• Alayna ••

Before she came in my life.
Before I began to suffer.
Before gardenias started to sicken me.
Life was okay.

•••

Ellie entered  her home after her shift at the grocery store. Once she entered, things felt odd. Her mother didn't immediately smoother her with hugs and questions about her day.

Instead, she could be heard in the living room with a set of unifamiliar voices. She peaked in and saw the owners of the voices. A middle aged man and who she presumed to be his wife was talking to her mom. She then looked on the couch to see, her.

A beautiful girl with tan skin and long, dark hair that looked silky smooth. She seemed like she was tall, but Ellie couldn't full tell yet. Her lips, plump and soft looking- wait. Ellie had to pull herself together. She didn't even know this girl.

Then again, why are any of these people here? Well, it was her time to find out. "Hey mom I'm home." Ellie said, letting herself fully walk in the room.

"Oh Ellie! Perfect timing, I want you to meet our new neighbors," her mother said excitedly. 'New neighbors, huh?' Ellie thought to herself before her mother could continue. "Meet Mrs and Mr. Rivera, they just opened up a small deli near by." Mrs. Miller says, electrified.

"Nice to meet you Ellie, we heard a lot about you!" Mr. Rivera said to Ellie, towering over her by at least a foot. "N-Nice to meet you to sir" Ellie says, slightly petrified by his height. His much shorter wife chimed in. "We're really excited to move here, isn't that right Alayna?" Mrs. Rivera turns back to the girl on the couch. She takes a hint and gets up while responding, "yeah mom, it seems great here." Alayna goes up to Ellie.

"Do you must be Ellie?" Alayna stared her up and down, making Ellie nervous. "You seem nice. If you don't already know, my name's Alayna!" Alayna sticks out her hand. Ellie hesitantly takes it and shakes her hand. Once she lets go she's red as a tomato but Alayna's smiling as if Ellie didn't look like a red balloon.

"H-Hey mom I'm going to be at my room, I'm pretty tired after school and work, y'know?" Ellie wasn't hiding her nervous tone well, but no one but her mother got a hint. "That's fine sweatie, rest well!" She says, patting her on the back.

Right before going up the stairs she turned back and said "Nice to meet you all."

She then went upstairs and into her room as fast as she could then collapsed on her bed. She felt weird, but not necessarily because of the new neighbors. It was because of Alayna. Oh Alayna...

'Ellie, stop. That's weird, you only met her.' Ellie scolded herself. But she couldn't help but think of Alayna some more. Surely, it wouldn't get out of hand.

Not one bit.