Blossom

My Salvia,

My Salvia,

Staring up at the blank ceiling, I wait. Waiting for that familiar voice that seeks my companionship. That voice, so nurturing yet playful, resonates within me as you voice my name. Pushing up from my bed, I got ready for school. Another routine, one that I seek comfort from almost every day. Running down the stairs to meet you exhilarates me. Just the thought of seeing you every day makes my routine feel so much more special than it is. Pushing open the doors, I am met with the radiant smile that I have grown so fond of. Your smile... my childhood friend's smile.

Our first meeting was at the hospital, where perhaps, I would like to think that we were fated to meet. Our parents shared an impeccable bond when they met, instantly becoming friends. We met. My mother would often remind me of our first meeting. She reminisced about it, saying that our first meeting was a battle of cries, competing to be the loudest. However, at the end of the day, she remembered coming back to a cradle piled with two babies, sleeping peacefully.

We held many precious memories. I loved knowing that we were each other's special someone. I loved knowing that I had someone to talk to and seek comfort from. However, you were like a bird and I was like a nest. Like a bird, seeking to explore the world, with your jubilant smile and your bubbly personality, I had no doubt that you would leave the comforts of our friendship to seek and forge bonds with others. I bear no resentment towards you, after all, I am just like a nest, waiting patiently and silently for you to come to me should you seek comfort and peace. I hope you know that I am always here for you regardless of how far and wide you soar.

I would like to think that we were meant to be. Fate is what many would call it. But as we grew up, the future began to differ. I watched as you drifted and changed. Morphing into a girl I admire, however, grew unfamiliar with.

Showing up to school with your brand new Mercedes your father gave you with your brand new friends, I stayed away from you. Me, the average Joe, and you, the very gift the heavens bestowed upon us. Wearing that dress, I almost didn't recognize you. You looked so beautiful. I noticed the quick glances you gave me that I could not reciprocate. That air around you, the way you carry yourself felt so foreign to me that I could not return those same glances to you. We always had the same lunch break. However, this time felt different. You were with your new friends. The Center of Attention. Turning every head as you passed. You were headed towards me with your tray when someone tugged at your shirt. You stared at me, beckoning for me to approach you but I held back. Looking down, I proceeded to eat. I have no place there.

This became our new routine until I gave up on the idea of going to the cafeteria altogether. You deserved to be with your new friends without me intruding. Spending my lunch break in class wasn't all that bad either. I got to make a new friend, Gracie. She was much like you in the past, down to the little habits such as tapping your ear whenever you get nervous. Almost everything she did reminded me of you, sending me a wave of nostalgia and almost discomfort with how similar she was to you. She served as a constant reminder of the you that I no longer could look at. I guess the saying about how distance makes the heart grow fonder is true. As the days passed, I yearned for your presence, something no one can replace.

Yours faithfully,

Oleander