Lo

1

Lonnie, was helping her mom get various trinkets and dried flowers strung across her room. She had just moved into the beautiful pale blue house and she wanted her room to feel like home. She was worried about not fitting in with the other girls. She had always been a bit different from the girls who walked the grounds of her other School. Although she managed to make friends, that didn't stop people from picking fun of her. Especially when she wore flowers laced between strands of her ginger hair. She'd start a new life tomorrow at a different school with different people. Hopefully moving to a smaller more rural place would ensure there be more open minded people.

" Mom can I explore the neighborhood a bit" She questioned.

"Sure my sweet one just make sure to come back before sundown and eat something before you go" Her mother softly scolded like mothers do.

" Ok" She said while scrunching up her freckled nose.

She ran and grabbed her bag nimble feet hitting the dark hard wood floors leaving her footsteps echo to linger through the empty halls. She stuffed it with sketch books, writing utensils and a camera not before taking a picture of the glistening sunlight pooling at the corner of her room. Despite the cold weather the sun still peaked from in between the clouds illuminating everything in a soft warm glow. She put on her favorite worn shoes and a knit beige sweater before heading to the refrigerator and fulfilling her mom's orders, she grabbed a container of raspberries sticking one on the tip of each finger before promptly eating them off  and then like that she was off to explore. She stepped out the door a fresh breeze of cold air enveloped her as she stepped out into the cool autumn air. Leaves crunched below her and she hummed in sync to the song the leaves made below her feet. She paced this way and that peeking through rusted fences and running through long grass fields. She wondered what the field would look like in full bloom and plopped herself down in the grass. Her mind went straight to paper through the swift movements of her hands. The grass seemed to sway with every pencil stroke. She decided to make her way further into the field where a Forest lay silently. She stepped into the crowd of trees watching her silently as if they had just greeted her into their lush green home with spongy dirt flooring. A small stream lay across the trees breaking the silence the trees offered. Suddenly the sound of laughter rang through the air and Lonnie snapped her head in the direction it was coming from. She followed the laughter curious of who could be on the other end of it until 3 teenagers about her age come into view. "Hello?" She said her voice breaking through the stiff air.

The kids eyes met her green ones. They smiled in her direction lonnie stepped closer to where the kids were seated.
"What's your name" A girl asked puzzled by the stranger.

Lonnie smiled before answering
"My names Lonnie but most people call me Lo"

"Hi Lo, this is Cole and that's Rylan" she gestures at the two boys sitting next to her. They both wave and smile. "Oh and my names Willow" she followed up with.

"Cool names" Lo said her glowing eyes scanning each one curiously.

"Would you like to join us?" Cole asked gesturing for her to come sit on the blanket that lay over the forest floor.

"Sure" Lo smiled hopeful that these kids would be her friends.

They chit chatted all throughout the evening. Laughs could be heard throughout the forest. And forest critters had perched in trees curiosity taking over their eyes. They talked about Life and Love and why the sky was blue and why trees where green. Anything that could spark an interesting conversation and Lo loved it she felt as if Cole, Willow, and Rylan had been her friends for years. "Guys look up" Cole laughed.

"Wow the sky is beautiful" Willow replied taken a back by the colors that strewn in between the trees.

Lo looked up getting a glimpse of the different shades of purples scattering the sky. "Let's go out to the field the view would be perfect" She said.

"Yah! let's go" Rylan responded jumping up from where he sat and gesturing for them to get up.

"Calm down, your acting like a child" Willow laughed while all three of them got up. Cole placed the blanket in the hollow of a tree and they all ran through the once quiet forest out onto the field where it seemed they where surrounded by the sky. Rylan fell into the grass laying there and they all plopped down fancying the sky. " Wow the sun set hasn't been this beautiful in forever" Cole stated.

"Maybe it's a sign" Willow responded.

"Of what" Rylan questioned.

Willow smiled and looked over at Lo who seemed distracted by the sky.
"Of Lo" She smiled.

Lo snapped her head in the direction of Willow with wide eyes. "Of me? how so" Lo questioned

"I don't know" Willow shrugged and played with the grass. They sat in silence for a while but none of them minded it was a comfortable silence because the sky held all the words on the tips of there tongues and mesmerized them in a sweet trance. Lo noticed the sky begin to deepen in color and remembered her mother's words to be home by sundown. She looked around to see Rylan fast asleep and Cole resting his head on Rylans stomach while Willow stared in awe of them. Lo took out her camera and snapped a picture of them before saying her goodbyes. "I have to go know my mom said to be home by sun down" Lo explained a tinge of sadness in her tone.

"But when will we see each other again?" Willow asked with puppy dog eyes.

"You go to cedar high right?" Lo asked knowing that the school was the only one in miles.

"What are you a mind reader?" Willow laughed.

"Something like that" Lo responded laughing along "I'll see you at school tomorrow then?" Lo questioned.

"Yup Ill see you tomorrow Lo" Willow exclaimed excitedly.

Lo smiled eyes sparkling pleased at herself for making new friends before turning around and running back home full of joy. She ran until she noticed a man sitting in a rocking chair with a cigarette between his lips. He was clad in a white button up shirt with 2 buttons undone so you could get a glimpse of his bear chest. And black slacks. Lo stopped to rest her eyes on his but his already seemed to be examining her from top to bottom. "You know smoking is bad for you" Lo explained.

He sat silently wide eyed puzzled by Lo before clearing his throat "Yes" He answered.

"Than why do you choose to breathe in death?" She responded.

"Because it tastes good" He says.

Lo frowned and put her hands on her hips. "Sir, I'm going to sit here until you throw that away," she scolded.

And so Lo sat forgetting about the fact she had to come home by sundown.

Out of the sheer kindness the man raised his cigarette to attract Lo's attention and smashed it into the ground knowing that he'd be back for another bite of death. Meaning she'd be back for another stare down. But he didnt seem to mind that.