Love's Butterfly

Popcorn & Cola

The sun was blinding me as I walked down the road to the mailboxes. I looked at my shoes. Flip flops and my slightly tanned skin showing below my satin shorts. The air carried the scents of summer on its gentle breeze. The chorus of birdsong filled the air.

The gentle rays of the rising sun bathed the landscape in a warm and tender light. I took a newspaper from the mailbox and started to walk back to the summer house.

I was eating cereal outside when I saw our trampoline by the fence. I felt so much guilt that I had to go. I don't jump on it often, especially when it's hot weather. I opened the net and shook my shoes off. I jumped and slowly got into it. I started to smile. I went around in a circle around it. I decided to do a chart wheel. And then to the other way. Every year I feel my body getting more rusty on a trampoline. Each bounce lifted my mood more and more.

"Love!", Mila yelled confusedly from the front door. I stopped jumping and yelled back, "What?". She squealed from excitement as she ran over to the trampoline. "I'm coming in", she said excitedly. I sat down and leaned on my hands.

Mila made a few bounces but then she laid down next to me. "Too hot to jump", she spoke, out of breath. I laughed and looked at the clouds above us.

I decided to bike to the other side of Havenwood since I wanted to buy popcorn. My bike had a flat tire but I was sure it would last well. We don't have a microwave at home so at summer house I eat microwave food all the time. I locked my bike outside the store and walked inside. I grabbed a basket and went to the vegetable section. I took a bag of apples because Edith wanted me to. The store was surprisingly calm.

I walked past the meat section. I automatically stopped though I should've kept going. I gulped and I didn't get any words out. Two pairs of wide eyes were looking at me in shock. "Hey," Nicco said quietly. "Hey," I said back awkwardly. I looked at Elias and I started to feel physically sick.

"How's Sage?" I asked and crossed my arms over my chest. Damn, I had almost forgotten what he actually looked like. I looked at Nicco as he answered "She's doing well I guess...a lot of partying". I got a little worried since she parties when she wants to escape reality and shitty things.

I nodded and told, "Nice to hear". Nicco nodded and awkwardly put his hand in his pockets. "We gotta go...we're having a barbecue night," Nicco said and tossed some meat package in his other hand. I nodded and said with a light smile "Have fun". Nicco and Elias started to walk past me as they yelled "Thanks. You too!".

I fell to the ground. I just felt so weak. I got a huge fomo about the barbecue night. That's the kind of teenage life shit I always wanted to do. I felt really bad and tears started to form in my eyes.

These people just left my life so quietly...sometimes I miss that big friend group. Maybe it's for the best that we don't hang out together. Even though I love Sage...she was stuck. Stuck in life. She didn't want to grow up. And after 8th grade, she didn't grow up mentally. I always felt like that held me back and took my energy too much.

We had this friend group of three girls from 7th grade to 9th grade. Then we all went to different schools. Sage lost contact with the third one, Lina. I don't see Lina as often anymore because her hobby is triathlon and she wants to do it professionally so she has a lot of practice and competitions. But the reason why she and Sage ended their friendship was because Sage didn't grow up. She couldn't understand that Lina found her passion and wanted to work for it. She couldn't understand why she never could sleep over and why Lina went to bed at 10. As Edith once said: "You need someone to be your actual best friend, not someone who drinks and acts like a child".

I got off the floor in the meat section. Thank god no one saw me. I wiped under my eyes in case there was mascara. I walked to the cashier. I paid with the popcorn and apples there and took a bag. As I looked up I saw a familiar boy. We were in the same school from 7th grade to 9th grade.

"Hey, Ali," I told and smiled at him. "Hey Love, how are you doing?" he asked as he tapped the products in. "Good good I think, What about you?" I asked. "That'll be 5,60 euros. I'm good too, tired tho" he told me and yawned. "Yeah, I can imagine" I shrugged as I packed my bag. "Good luck! It was nice seeing you" I greeted and left. "Thank you! It was nice to see you too".

The hot air went to my throat, making me feel like it was burning me. The speakers were on full as Lana Del Rey's songs were playing in the background. I looked through the steamy window to see the ocean making little waves. The sun was still shining on the reflection.

"Got sweet taste for men who are older...It's always been so, it's no surprise" I sang gently as I laughed inside when I thought about how well that fitted for me and Dominic. That phrase was my favorite part of this song.

After the sauna, I went to sit on the pier with just a towel around my body. I sat down and watched a boat slowly pass by me. I couldn't help but think of Dominic. I wished that he would be here next to me. It would be fun...

I immediately got a message on my phone:

from Dominic: Hey. How are you??

to Dominic: heyy I'm good thanks, what about you?

to Dominic: I saw Elias today tho...

from Dominic: Oh.

from Dominic: How was it?

to Dominic: I wanted to throw up when I saw him. I didn't talk to him, only to his friend

from Dominic: Hmmm, okay. I'm good too, thank you.

to Dominic: glad to hear, will u be at work tomorrow?

from Dominic: I will now. How long is your shift?

to Dominic: 11-16

from Dominic: I'll pick you up at 10.30.

to Dominic: What???? Nooo I can take the bus

from Dominic: No. I'll pick you up then.

to Dominic: thank youu

from Dominic: No problem. Now goodnight love.

to Dominic: Goodnight Dom

I put my phone away as I bit down on my lip to hide my smile. I looked at the sunset and got up. I got excited that he will be there tomorrow so I decided to go to sleep immediately. The more I sleep the more beautiful I look.

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Words: 1181