Here Comes the Sun

15 | jupiter

          THE MONTH OF MARCH HAD slipped away into a moment in time, it feels like. Spring break had only lasted a week but it felt like an eternity to me and I wish that it could stay that way forever. April appeared like a thief in the night, so the air is warm on most days and cool on the other. After the break, every day remained the same: waking up, getting dressed, and going to school but adding Eleanore's plans into the mix.

          I sit at one of the tables in the quad, trying to drown out the annoying sound of the lawn mower. I don't miss the faint smell of grass. I look up from my notebook, spotting Eleanore Hart from across the campus and a smile creeps up on my face. And I felt a weight being lifted off of my shoulders. From a great distance, her head turns in my direction and her eyes manage to find mine.

          She's wearing a sleeveless bright red dress that seems to be buttoned up from the collar down towards the skirt. A warm light illuminates around her as the sun shines. She's wearing her favorite hot pink Chuck's like always.

           But something seems off about her.

           She isn't smiling like she usually does and I suddenly close up my notebook and stand up as she walks towards me.

           "Hey," she greets me but her voice is a lot softer than it normally is.

           "Hey, are you okay?" The first question that came to mind. My eyes trace her face, studying every detail in hopes of connecting the dots.

           Her eyes that were once filled with light have disappeared. They are now watery and tears stained her face. Eleanore's not wearing any exaggerated makeup. It's bare.

           She tries to smile while folding her arms. "Y-yeah, I'm fine."

           What a lie. A lie that I kept telling myself for so long since it happened until I was thoroughly convinced that I am okay.

           "Eleanore," I put my hand on her shoulder and she looks at me, "You're not fine."

            Aside from the ongoing liveliness on the campus around us, there's also silence that is so thick that you cut right through it with a butterknife.

            "Here, let's sit down," I usher her to the table and she plops right down next to me, dropping her bag on the ground.

            Eleanore lets out a shaky sigh, her shoulder begins to slump over. "It's just one of those bad days, you know. Normally, I'd tough it out and try to think positive but-today just seems like the worst apparently."

            "And you have every right to feel what you feel. Do you want to talk about it?" I frown.

            "It's nothing much, really. Just the typical family problems."

            "Parents, I assume?"

             She shakes her head. "My mom. It was her birthday the other day and I called her. We haven't spoken to each other in years."

             "Oh," is my only response at the moment.

             "Mhm," she hums, her lips pursed in.

             The silence is deafening. I'm not sure what to do in this situation considering the fact that I've always been dealing with my bad days way differently than Eleanore does. A few seconds later, an idea pops into my head.

              I shove my notebook into my book bag and stand up abruptly, stretching out my hand in front of her. "Come with me, please."

              "Huh? Why?" Eleanore looks up at me with confusion.

               "Because I want to show you something and I think it might cheer you up a little," I say, grabbing her hand and we both race across the quad to the science building.

⋆˙⟡☾𖤓☽ ⟡˙⋆

                She doesn't let go of my hand until we step into the greenhouse. Eleanore places her hand over her chest, her jaw drops as we walk through the aisles of the plants and flowers. A hushed gasp drips from her lips when her eyes wander over the potted leaves and the lighting in the greenhouse hits them just right.

                "Moggy, this is just-wow." She presses down on her chest.

                "You like it? I don't come here much but it's one of my favorite places whenever I have a bad day. Maybe it can be yours too," I tell her.

                "You think so?"

                 "I know so."

                 Eleanore gently brushes her finger on the soft white petal of a daisy flower and she looks down on it like she's already grown fond of it.

                  I wish I could tell her that I know what it feels like to have when you're down. Depression is one hell of a battle that it seems like no one can win. It seems like all hope is lost until you find something or someone worth living for. I wonder what went down with her and her mother and what led up to them not talking. I want to ask her but not if it means her bringing up any trauma from their relationship.

                  I like how she is now. Happy and smiling-I like her being herself.

                  Without warning, she wraps her arms around me in one swift motion, warmly embracing me and I flinch. Other than Laurie, I've never been hugged like this. To have someone who I've sort grown quite attached to this past week being this close to me. She smells like honeysuckle, the aroma alone clings to the both of us.

                  I'm not sure what to do at this moment other than I bring my hands to her back.

                  "Thank you... for being here with me, Imogene," she then pulls away from me, pressing her hands on my shoulders.

                  "Hey, that's what friends do, right? They are there for each other," I reply.

                  Although, somewhere in the back of my mind, I wish that we were more than friends and just cut the bullshit. But I know that it's not the right time. She then goes to stand beside me, relishing the moment and she lays her head on my shoulder. I don't bother to brush her off of me either. If bringing her here means that I get to see her smile like this, then maybe there could be a chance. Maybe, she is not as bad as I thought she would be.

                  And maybe, things will be okay after all.