Spring Showers Grow Sweet Poppies

The bitter poison digests

I chase after him, barefoot and wearing a dress. I must look crazy, but I didn't mean to upset him, and I want to fix it!
"Wait! Wait!" I call out, trying to get him to stop before he reaches the front door of his house.
"What? What could you possibly want from me now?!"
He whips around, glaring. I pant, trying to form words, "l-listen... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I was just trying to be your friend."
"Friend? Friend? I'm not your friend. Nor will I ever be your friend. Go, and don't talk to me ever again. I don't need you sticking to me like a leech."
"Um, okay..."
"Poppy!"
I turn around to see all three adults running to us, Sophia and mom looking most concerned.
Sophia places a hand on my shoulder, staring at her son, "I am so sorry. He's not usually like
This. It-it's just been hard, y'know?" Her voice cracks, she looks genuinely sorry...
"It's okay, I told you it's okay. I shouldn't have poked in somebody else's business."
She takes a deep breath, "It's nobody's fault. Poppy, apologize to Oliver. And Oliver, apologize to Poppy."
My hands are infront of me, fidgeting with the skirt of my dress. I look down at the ground.
"I'm sorry..."
Oliver looks away, groaning.
"Sorry."
"Now, I think we can all get along with some space."
My mom says, an uncertain smile on her face which is threatening to fall. My father nods in agreement, keeping a seemingly neutral stance.
I hope what she says is true... we only just met, and he already hates me. So much for a new friend. At least, that's if he doesn't lighten up. With an arm around my shoulder, mom leads me back to our house. Behind us, I can hear Sophia scolding Oliver. This, I don't feel so bad for. They're both clearly struggling, even if he shows it more. It must be hard on her, too, I would be so stressed out if I just had a divorce, moved and now my son acted up. It would all be so hard to handle. So that's what I try to keep in mind, although he doesn't deserve to be yelled at like that, his mom is equally in the right.

I sit by the creek nearby our house, watching the water run. Oliver told me to stay away from him, so I went to a place I can't imagine him going to. A creek located near a forest which is nearby our homes doesn't really sound like his habitat to me. Not that I know him. I have to be more open now that she's shown discomfort. I've been collecting shiny rocks and crystals, stuffing them into my satchel to take home and potentially use as garden decor. I don't think that's an Oliver thing, either. I never thought it would be so hard to stay away from someone I barely know, it just hurts that he doesn't want to be my friend. And what he said... was a little harsh.
"What are you doing?"
I hear a stone hard voice behind me, making me go still like a rabbit.
He leans down, which I can see in the corner of my eye. I reach out to grab a shiny rock and plop it in my bag, then another, then another. Acting as if he's not there. Until another hand reaches out. A bigger one. He pulls out a quartz from a piece of rock, rinses it in the creek, then... offers it up to me...?

I stand.
He needs space!
I appreciate that he's being nice now, or at least nicer, but my opinion that he needs space and time still stands.

So I run.

Literally sprint.

Away.

He stares at me, a comfuzzled look on his face.
"Idiot." He mumbles, standing up and walking back the way he came.
"Waste of time."