The Boy Who Made Flowers Sing

30 | Kennedy

VULGAR LANGUAGE WARNING:

The next week, Elena found herself sitting in a circle with random strangers on uncomfortable chairs. It was a youth support group for mental health and Elena was regretting her decision on enthusiastically agreeing to participate.  

Suddenly, Kennedy walked in and sat beside her. Elena was surprised to see her here. 

"Hey," She said to Elena, tossing her a tired glance and taking a seat.

"Hey!" Elena said. "Didn't expect you to be here. How are you?"

"Well, my parents are getting a fucking divorce so, it really is the cherry on top of everything. What about you?"

"I'm so sorry," Elena said. "I'm doing well."

"Like hell you are," Kennedy scoffed and stretched out her legs, yawning boringly.

Kennedy saw the way Elena looked at her and let out a laugh. "I know. I'm a fucking mess. But, so are you."

Elena nervously smiled.

"How was your 'vacation rehab'?" She asked, holding her hands up with quotation marks.

Elena chuckled. "Well, I'm here. So you can probably tell how it went."

Kennedy bitterly laughed. "You're fucking right."

Was there a sentence that Kennedy didn't swear in? The answer was no. She said what was on her mind and didn't care how people reacted. 

Elena looked at her friend and could now see the hollows of her cheeks. Her straight, sandy-coloured hair was thinning.

"So, how long have you been doing this support group?" Elena asked.

"About a month," Kennedy said. "Honestly, it's bullshit. Touchy-feely crap. But, this is better than home. Parents don't even give a damn."

"That's terrible."

She thought back to Kennedy at the party and how flustered she had looked. Life was not treating her well. Kennedy probably didn't even remember what she had said on top of the dining table at Cheryl's party and Elena decided not to bring it up.

"Why don't you swear, Elena? I've never heard you swear," Kennedy frowned.

Elena shrugged. "My dad always said swearing is a weakness."

Kennedy chuckled. "You're so cute, still listening to your parents even when you're a fucked up mess. You don't have to anymore, Elena. Just let out the f-bomb. I swear your father won't turn in his grave. And if he does, you can blame it on me. Man, I miss your dad. Your dad was the fucking best. Better than my parents at any time. Just so you know, I call my parents by their first name now just to trigger them. And man, I love to see them lose it while I stand there, laughing at their angry faces. I don't respect them anymore to call them 'mom' and 'dad.' To me, they're just Tom and Joel. Tom's always fucked up on the couch and Joel comes home timidly every night. I'm the parent in the house. I just want Tom to leave. I think this town makes him fucking crazy. Honestly, it should be him in this chair, not me. But now, he's fucked Joel and me up so bad that we gotta get therapy."

Kennedy let out a deep breath after her long spiel. "Do you wanna go to Tarence's after this? I can't fucking go home right now."

Elena felt terrible for Kennedy. She didn't know it was this bad. When they were younger, Kennedy dreamt of being an astronaut. Her parents were always so kind. Elena never parted Kennedy's home with empty hands, but when Kennedy's dad left in junior high, her life spiraled downwards and she turned toward drugs. 

And then he came back shocking both her and her mom and the rest of the town, but he wasn't the same person. So, Kennedy got messed up in the process. Kennedy would often come over to Elena's to spend the night while her parents figured things out. But, they never did. Elena and Kennedy would hang glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling and dance around the room as fairies. Elena smiled thinking about that nostalgic time. At that time, Elena was oblivious to what was happening to Kennedy's life. Those happy memories turned darker in her mind when she realized what was really going on.

"Sure. And you can come over to my house to stay for the night," Elena said. "My mom said you're always welcome."

"You're the fucking best," Kennedy said.