Wildflowers

Chapter One

Juniper Wilde was tired, beyond tired. It felt as if every bone in her body was pulling her weight towards the ground. Every time she blinked her eyelids became heavier and heavier.

Adam Foster noticed this, in fact he always noticed Junipers actions. Their friendship, which occurred in what felt like another lifetime, had left Adam still with lingering thoughts about Juniper, or June as he used to call her.

Adam watched as her head sank towards the desk as Mr.Hatchman spoke aloud to the class. He, along with everyone was well aware that Mr. Hatchman has zero tolerance for students who fall asleep in his class. Everyone knows that when she is noticed by him she will be ridiculed in front of the class, this made Adam want to lean over and tap her with a pencil, waking her up but he knew he couldn't.

Their friendship was short, yet it seemed everlasting. After the summer going into sophomore year they drifted apart, he became more in tune with the way Watercress High worked and took advantage of the fact that popularity was practically handed over to him. June, however, stayed in the background, he started to shine and she just felt little in his shadow. Adam never knew this for a fact, but he did have his assumptions.

He did believe he tried hard to keep their friendship strong, but with the awful tragedy of the death of Mrs. Wilde, only causing June to distance herself even more, it seemed as though fate was not on their side.

Poor June lost what seemed to be her only friend along with her own mother at the same time, and it was obvious it put a tole on her. She became saddened, so she always wore the same dark clothes and never ate her lunch in the cafeteria. She seemed to have experienced some restless nights as well because she always looked exhausted and in moments like these the exhaustion took over.

"Juniper Wilde! Are you sleeping in my classroom!" Mr Hatchman exclaimed, interrupting Adams train of thought.

June jumped from her chair and quickly started to apologize.

"Please sir, I'm so sorry, I really didn't mean to I just..."

"No excuses Ms. Wilde! You know my policy, detention after school till six." Mr. Hatchman seethed.

Adam winced. That was one long detention and it seemed as though he was being extra harsh to her.

"Sir I have work and I really can't miss a day, is there any way we can make it before school tomorrow?" June said, her voice now becoming quieter.

Adam felt even more sympathy for her now. Ever since they drifted. June became the practical laughing stock of the school. Maybe it was due to her repetitive outfits, or her hiding somewhere during lunch, or even her quiet personality but she quickly became a large target of the more popular kids, Adam's friends.

He felt awful about it but why should he sacrifice his happiness for hers?

They would pick on her and tease her, sometimes even going into her workplace attempting to get her fired. They have succeeded many times, June has practically gotten fired from every shop or restaurant in Watercress yet somehow she still keeps finding jobs available. Adam's friends haven't figured out where she works now yet, but he knows as soon as they do she will be fired from yet another place. He never figured out why June was so adamant on working, back in the eighth grade she swore she would never work until after college, but now she won't stop working, even after all the bullying.

Adam came to the conclusion a while ago that it must be because she needed a distraction from her life and what's a better distraction than one that makes you money.