An Unexpected Love Story

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"So where did you want to go?" Drew asked as we pulled out of the Carmike parking lot.

"I guess going to your house is too far away, huh?"

Drew visibly struggled to answer the question, "Yeah, too far. Exactly. That's why we can't go there."

I raised an eyebrow. Maybe this would be easier than I thought. "Are you okay?" I asked him.

Drew shook his head, "Things are weird at home. I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to be living there."

I looked shocked, "What? Why?"

"It's kind of a long story. Let's go to the Arboretum and relax and I'll tell you."

Internally, I was dancing and shouting 'Yes!' over and over again. However, somehow I maintained my composure and agreed to the plan Drew had made. When we pulled into a parking spot at the arboretum, Drew opened the trunk and withdrew a blanket. "I have the perfect place for us to sit, follow me," he said with a grin.

I followed behind, but couldn't help taking in my surroundings. I'd never been here before. This was an amazing place to be and I would have never guessed Drew would like it. After walking for a little while, Drew stopped and placed the blanket in front of some hedges. I raised an eyebrow wondering what could be so wonderful about this spot, but I kept looking around. There was a large tree directly in front of the spot he had chosen and a little bridge over a small creek. The bridge was very intricately designed and upon closer inspection had iron butterflies adorning the rails. I took in a breath, this was magical. I walked back towards the hedges and noticed a little sign that said "Butterfly Gardens". I looked around, "But there are no butterflies."

Drew looked perplexed, "What?"

I shook my head and continued to wander around the butterfly garden. After walking the length of the area and examining the hedges, I made a realization. The hedges were cut and manipulated into the shape of a butterfly. That's why this place was called the Butterfly Gardens. I plopped myself on the blanket that Drew had placed on the ground.

"Satisfied?"

"Very, thank you. I've never been here before. I had to inspect."

"Ahhh. And what did you find?"

"You're a constant surprise," I said with a smile. "And the reason that this is called the "Butterfly Gardens is the hedges are shaped into a butterfly."

Drew raised an eyebrow, "Really?"

"You honestly didn't know?"

Drew laughed, "Nope."

I laughed and lay back on the blanket to inspect the sky. The sun wasn't completely set yet and it was a beautiful sight to behold. One part of the sky was a dark midnight blue and it gradually got lighter. Transitioning from the deep blue into a dark purple and then lightening further. Closer to the horizon, the sky turned a bright orange with a central point of yellow. This had to be the best time of day. "Ok," I said after a moment, "Spill."

Drew looked confused and then realization hit him. "Oh. Right, home problems."

I continued inspecting the sky, trying not to seem too eager to hear the story. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," I told him. "I just thought it might be easier for you to talk to someone."

Drew heaved a sigh and nodded, "You're right. It's a pretty long story, are you ready?"

I nodded and smiled.

"Well, you know that Matt and I have been friends for a while. We have gotten into some major trouble together, but always maintained our friendship. At this point, though, I'm wondering if we can ever be friends again."