Them and Us

3 - Getting to know Poppy

Hi! My name is Poppy Olivia Parker. I love my name cause my initials are
P. O. P
Thats why Kerrie calls me Pop.
Ruby calls me Blondie and Bubbles.
My favourite class is gym because I'm aloud to run around with out getting yelled at!

Mrs Kenny, our maths teacher, yelled at me because I was being fit in class and jogging on the spot! I'm mean do they want me to be fat? I hope not! Because that would be horrible!

'Pop! C'mon we've got English now,' Kerrie says
'See ya Blondie and Redhead,' Ruby waves. Kerrie and I don't have the same classes as Ruby. So when we have English she has History and when she has math we have gym.

'Something is wrong with Ruby,' Kerrie says as we watch Ruby walk into the school building 'Like what?' I say. Suddenly this song comes into my head and I start to hum the tune. 'I don't know Poppy, but we have to find out. She's our best friend,' Kerrie says.

She said my full name which means she's annoyed. 'Ok Ker. Let's spy on her,'
'What?' she kind of shouted it
'Calm down. Let's just spy on her. We'll find out,'
'I'm not missing class,' she says quickly
'Oh Ker. We're not going to. I'm going to, then halfway through you'll ask to go to the toilet then I'll meet you here!'
She gapes at me.

That's a funny word. Gape. It sounds like grape!
Ohhh! I know why! Because gape doesn't have a R like grape. Cool.

Anyway. Kerrie gapes at me then says 'Why can't you be this smart in maths,'
Well that's confusing! I'm very good at maths! I smile 'What are you talking about?'
She shakes her head. 'I'll come out fifteen minutes before bell. Incase we have some important essay or information,'
'Ok! I'll wait up in the tree! See you in... oh look a butterfly! It's so pretty!'
'Get up in the tree Pop. I'll see you soon,'
'Ok!'

I climb up into the tree and close my eyes. This is nice. I could fall asleep up here...

*

I sit upright. I was asleep.
Hmmm this is a very comfy tree.

I look around to see if any birds are in the tree.

No there's none. They must be scared off from that horrible sound.

I look out from the tree and see a girl down there coughing. A tissue over her mouth.

She looks familiar. Maybe I should say hi.

Just as I was about to shout hi, the girl pulls back the tissue and gasps 'Fuck,' she says.

I know that voice! It's Ruby's.

Then I remember my plan to spy on her and quickly get my phone out and start recording.

This is fun. I feel like the girl version of James Bond!

'Shit. It's getting worse. 'Mum hey... yeah... yeah another coughing fit... yeah there was heaps more blood... I don't think I can go to camp... well someone's bound to find out if I do!... no, no one knows!... because I don't want to scare Kerrie or Poppy!... mum. Forget about it... no I'm seeing Kerrie and Poppy tonight... we're packing for school camp... no I haven't packed!... because I do everything with my best friends!... Just get a doctors appointment when I come home on Friday... yeah we go tomorrow... yeah 10 days... I come home next week!... I'll be fine!...
yeah I call you when and if I have another fit... yep. Bye,'
Ruby hangs up and stuffs the tissue in her pocket then walks inside.

I turn off the recorder.
I'm no doctor but I'm pretty sure Ruby has some sickness.

*

My daddy is a doctor so I'm actually pretty smart. But my mummy doesn't have a job because she somehow always managed to stuff something up. Or at least that's what she said.
Which makes me nothing like her.

Anyway Kerrie comes and sits next to me.

I look over to a possible place she could have come from (because I wasn't watching her at the time from where she had come from) and I find that she came from nowhere, one reason because she doesn't like anyone in here but mainly because she doesn't like to talk to anyone else beside me, Ruby, teachers and close family.

So where did she come from?...

I know! She loves those Harry Potter movies maybe she worked out how to use the magic and makes herself appear!

Wow! Kerrie is amazing.

'I hate him so much,' Kerrie mutters
'Who?'
'Ashley!'
'Who's that?'
'You remember Ruby's last boyfriend?'
'No,' I think it was some guy who turned out be gay but I'm not sure.

Kerrie sighs 'Don't worry,'
Mr Dare comes in and the classroom becomes quiet.

'Pop quiz class!'
'Did someone say me name?' I looking around
'Poppy,'
'Yes Mr D,'
People snigger. I wonder why 'Please don't call me that,'
'Sorry Mr... oh look it's raining,'
'POPPY!'
I jump 'Yes sir?'
He sighs 'Just... just go to sleep,'
'Ok,'

I put my head on the table. I like Mr Dare. He's very nice...

*

'Ooo! Look it's Drew!' I say and wave to him. He looks at me funny then walks away. I wonder why.

Maybe I have something on my face!
'Rah?'
'Yes Bubbles,'
'Do I have something on my face?'
Ruby looks up from her thin book and looks me in the eye. 'Bubbles, Drew walked away because he... he's nervous around you! And you have nothing on your face,'

Kerrie snorts 'There is something!' I say sadly. 'Kerrie was laughing at something in her book. You have nothing on your face,' Ruby smiles brightly at me and then looks at her thin book.

'Ok,' I smile and look for Drew.
'Should I go and talk to him? If he's nervous being around me then maybe he needs some help!'

'Pop. Just give him space. You haven't left him alone for weeks. Just let him be,' Kerrie says. Not looking up from her book. She looks a little bored.

'Oh. Ok,' I sigh 'Can I go to sleep then?'

'Yes Bubbles. We'll wake you up after,'
Ruby looks at me and winks. I smile and snuggle up next to Ruby's legs.

'Night Rah. Night Kid,'

'Night, night Bubbles,'

I close my eyes and dream about Drew's tall frame and Ruby coughing into her tissue and Kerrie's flame coloured hair.