Poppies have long been used as a symbol of sleep,
~~~
~ in a public park
"Did you miss me?" he says, jumping on the swing next to me. I smile at him briefly, but then I look down at the ground again and my dismal mood returns. The park is once again empty, save for a woman and her old yorkshire terrier, sniffing at the bushes at the end of the football field. The lights in the scouts building are off, it's late in the evening and the only light comes from the slowly setting sun and the lamps on the road leading from the estate.
"Hey, are you okay?" he asks when I don't reply. He twists the swing seat and draws closer to me until our knees are touching. "I saw you leave science early. Hannah was throwing a right strop."
"She was? What for?"
"Said you overreacted to something she said. I don't know, you know what Hannah is like."
I don't. I hardly know her. "Oh, right," I say.
"Anyway, then everyone started having a riot because Mr Parsons set double homework. That's the second time he's gone and done that! I mean, it's not like I care because I won't do it anyway, it just means I'll get a double detention." Andy continues to babble on and I nod politely, not really listening. I'm watching the old woman and her dog. Then I begin to think about my counseling session and how much I wish I hadn't said anything to Abbey.
"Are you listening? Hey, if there's something wrong, just tell me and we can talk about it if you want."
"There's nothing wrong."
"Right."
I look at him and he looks away and that right there is the connection, broken and lost. I kick off of the ground.
"Who can go the highest?" He suggests.
"You're such a kid," I say, and he laughs. I push myself until I can see over the tops of the council houses, and I wonder which is Andy's.
Andy kicks off as well, and almost as though he can read my thoughts he points to one of the houses beyond the fence of the football pitch. "That's mine. 14, De Wint Avenue."
"That's where I live. I live near there, anyway. Webster Close, that's me. Do you walk to school?"
"No, that would take me like an hour," he laughs, stretching his legs out in front of as he swings higher. I turn away, looking back to the houses.
"Why, do you?" He asks. I don't say anything. "Your parents must really suck if they make you walk, no offence," he says.
I shrug, kicking at the ground again. "I don't really care."
"You don't mind walking to school from Doddington? How early do you get up?"
"At six."
"Jeesh. Wow," he says, eyes wide. "No wonder you're so skinny, with all that walking."
Again I don't reply. He starts to whistle as he's swinging and I watch him enviously. How can a person be so happy all of the time?
He jumps off of his final swing, landing on both feet. "I'm heading back now. Want to come?"
"Sure," I say, and I join him on the grass. I look for the woman with the dog but she is gone.
"I think I'm starting to like you, Taylor-Jade," says Andy, linking arms with me.
"Oh God, anything but that."
"What, Taylor-Jade?" He grins.
"It's Taylor. It always has been Taylor. It always will be Taylor."
He doesn't reply but smirks at me anyway, and as we approach his house he pulls me into a hug. I return it awkwardly, having never hugged a guy before.
"Seeya around," he says.
~~~
