CountryCore Series: Sweet Lavender (WLW)

What's With This Weather?

Aster carried her instrument onto the back patio and set it down on a nearby lawn chair. Her plan was to do a bit of writing by the scent of the lavender, but the rain outside had other plans. It pelted down with such ferocity she hadn't the chance to pull out her violin and placed her hands on her hips as she looked up at the sky. It was cloudy as far as the eye could see and filled with thunderous lightning that mirrored the sensations running throughout her form. Ever since Fred showed up, she'd been waiting for him to randomly pop up again and hadn't left the estate. She just couldn't bring herself to venture into town if it meant she might run into him.

Slowly, he was taking away all of her safe havens and in the last two days, she felt herself falling deeper into the abyss within herself. Aster arched her brow as she let loose the air in her lungs and closed her eyes. Usually if she breathed in the scents around her, she could calm, but her nerves were still on edge when she opened her eyes once more. The professor's presence wasn't the only thing putting a kink in her get-up. Aster peeked back over her shoulder toward the kitchen and spotted Cricket behind the counter. She was fixing their lunch and their conversation over whether or not she was hungry was the most they'd talked over the last two days.

It was evident Cricket didn't know how to react around her after the vulnerability she'd shown and Aster couldn't blame her. She hadn't ever been so open with her. Not even when they were younger. Aster rubbed her face as she turned forward once more and groaned into her palms. What's wrong with you, you idiot...? Now she was terrified she'd scared Cricket off and the day of her parents' departure was nearing by the hour. The day after tomorrow they would have dinner with them, then the following day her parents would leave. Once that happened, the plan was for Aster to go stay on their property, but there were still so many unresolved issues here. More than that, she wasn't even sure if she was ready to leave.

Aster lifted her head as she heard something crashing nearby and watched as the wind swept one of the beach chairs away from the pool. It slammed into one of the walls surrounding the pool and teetered there as the harsh breeze hit it with its swift barrage. After setting her violin just inside of the sliding glass door, she made her way over there and decided to leave her thoughts behind. For now, at least she had something to do to keep herself busy.

* * *

"I know, but they're requesting double the amount this time. Do you think we can finish it on time?" Lyle asked through the phone call he and Cricket shared via speaker.

She finished laying some lettuce down on the sandwiches she prepared for herself and Aster and her mind drifted toward her again. Upon lifting her head, Cricket spotted her moving toward the back door. She left through it with her violin case in one of her hands, though she saw her making no moves to take out the instrument. Aster stood there on the back porch with her small, delicate hands on her hips as she peered up into the sky. They hadn't talked much since her professor reared his annoying head and Cricket was really beginning to worry about her. Deciding to wait for her to come to her, she'd given her some distance, but now she was starting to regret it.

It felt like something more might have happened between the professor and Aster, though Cricket was fearful of finding out. Still, she had to know one way or the other if there was more to the story and she chewed on her bottom lip as she racked her brain for any indication of their rather worrisome interactions back in New York. Her worst fears were all that filled her mind and she gulped as something began breaking past her pondering.

"...et, are you listening to me? Cricket?" Lyle called through the phone and she startled as she yanked her fixation from Aster.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm still listening."