Out in the Garden

Parties Aren't Really My Thing

About a month had passed since Alex had begun attending Hopewell High. For the most part, Caroline continued on as if things were normal. At first, she would switch off between spending her lunches in the cafeteria and in the library with Remington; after a while she had begun to feel a growing sense of not belonging and returned to her normal routine. She walked home with Rem and sometimes Alex would pick her up in his Jeep on the days he went straight home from school, and almost every time he would ask her to go to the lake or the orchard, and for the most part she refused. For the most part, it just felt like things were starting to go back to normal. 

She wasn't doing it on purpose, at least that's what she told herself. She had just been so comfortable with her life the way it was before Alex came back, and part of her wanted it to stay that way. Alex couldn't just come back and take the spot of her closest friend - Remington had that covered. And Alex was just so loud. So loud and so friendly, she wasn't sure if there was enough space for her when he was around. 

The weather continued to get warmer. Buds had turned to leaves sporting dots of color where flowers would be. Soon, schools would be preparing their students for final exams, and students would be getting ready to spend their days in the sun or in front of a TV screen. Caroline was just looking forward to peach season. 

On a Friday, she opened up the brown paper bag she'd brought from home and went straight for the small, store-bought peach and inwardly daydreamed about the ones that were growing out back that would be ready in a month's time. There would be blueberries and raspberries, and blackberries too, that she could put in her yogurt or just eat alone as a snack. 

Remington crunched into an apple right beside her. They were sitting at one of the desks in the school's library that had been pushed right against a window looking out to the soccer field, where many students chose to spend their lunch breaks walking around in the nicer weather. 

"How's the garden?" Remington asked between bites of an apple. 

"Good," answered Caroline. "Buds are growing, it's nice. I'm planting annuals this weekend I think and getting the vegetable garden ready. I'm thinking peppers this year." 

"Are you gonna grow cilantro again?" Remington asked. "It went so well when we made tacos last year." 

Caroline laughed. "Yeah, definitely. Cilantro is so easy. Thyme too. Any other requests?" 

"Aloe, for when we inevitably get sunburns this Summer," said Remington. 

"I already have two giant aloe plants in my room," exclaimed Caroline. "Maybe I should just get one started for you to keep around. They're easy enough!" 

Remington chuckled a little, taking another bite of his apple and turning his attention back to the book he was reading. Caroline started thinking that his own aloe plant might actually be a decent birthday present for Rem this year. 

The bell rang a moment later, signaling to the students that it was time for them to return to class. Remington and Caroline both groaned in unison, but quickly packed their things and tucked their half-eaten pieces of fruit by their sides so that the librarian working the front desk couldn't see that they had snuck food in. 

"See you after school," said Caroline as she started walking down the hall to her English class. Remington nodded and waved, heading to the algebra class that Caroline knew he couldn't stand. Remington hated math; Caroline hardly tolerated it herself and couldn't wait for her senior year when she could replace a year of math with an extra course in science. 

Walking through the hallways of her high school, she usually walked with her head down. When she wasn't with Remington, she would plug her iPod in and walk with music in her ears to drown out the noise. The walk was short enough however, that she didn't mind it. And it was English class, which was one of her favorites since she was so good in it. She walked passed the locker she almost never used, preferring to just keep all of her books with her at this point. Only in the winter when she didn't feel like carrying around a heavier winter coat would she use it at the beginning and end of each day.