Awks. ✓

Chapter 38: Roses And Dandelions.

"I can't believe that she's actually gone." Dylan sighed. "I never thought I'd ever miss her voice."

I shrugged as we stood in front of the little memorial Mr Ramirez had made on one of the walls in the café. Her apron was hung on the wall with a small, framed picture of her on top of it. In loving memory of Bethany Andrews.

It was so weird coming back to work, knowing that even though everything in the place looked pretty much the same, it was far from it. It was as if the air in the café had thickened and I was constantly fighting back the urge to break down sobbing.

"But why did she do it?" Alexander asked, standing in line with us, looking at her picture. "I mean, you don't just off yourself for no reason."

Do I tell them about the letter? I mean, she did have a few last words for each one of them but, do I tell them WHY she did it? Or is that not my news to share?

"Tìo said we're closing up early. So that we can.."

"Go to the cemetery." I whispered, finishing off his sentence. My eyes not tearing away from the smile I'd never get to see in real life again.

"Yeah." Alexander sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Claire and I are going to the flower shop in a bit, she told me to ask what you guys wanted to get."

"I don't even know what kind of flowers she liked." Dylan said rather frustratedly. "Sunflowers? No, no, they're too vibrant. What about daffodils? Or tulips?"

He looked at me for a helping hand but we were both on that sinking ship together. "Tulips are nice." I commented.

"Tulips." Alexander repeated as he jotted it down on a piece of paper. "What about you Marianne?"

"I don't know." I mumbled, as the names of a thousand different types of flowers ran through my brain like they were in a bloody marathon.

"Roses." I subconsciously chose.

I watched as he wrote it down and turned to make his way back to Claire who was already waiting by the door. "And dandelions!" I yelled. He stopped and looked back at me with a look on his face. I shrugged, pulling down on the sleeves of my cardigan. Before they left the café, I saw Alexander pull out the pen he had put back into his pocket and added it to the list.

"Dandelions?" Dylan asked.

"Roses and dandelions actually look pretty together." I explained, smiling to myself.

***

After visiting the cemetery and paying our respects, I told the gang that since we were all free for the rest of the day that I wanted to head back to the café. They all looked at me as if I was crazy but I reassured them that I wasn't and that I had something to talk to them about. And that's how we found ourselves sitting in a circle on the wooden floorboards in a dim lighted Maroon.

"So?" Alexander asked, crossing his legs and leaning back on his hands. "What did you want to tell us?"

"Right." I sighed. "I have something to tell you and we came here because I told you that I had something to tell you when we came here and now we're here." Dylan and Alexander both looked puzzled at my little statement but Claire nodded understandingly, taking a sip of her Maroon Lagoon. I slapped both of my cheeks in an attempt to reset my focus on why I brought them.

JUST DO IT!!! MAKE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE!!

"Bethany's dad came to the café last night when I was closing up." That reeled them in as they all sat up straighter or leaned forward, giving me their utmost attention. "He's the one that broke the news to me before Mr Ramirez did."