Lila Mae the Wildflower

Crescent Moon

Lila Mae didn't know why school eluded her.

She didn't know why friendship seemed to avoid her.

She knew she loved horses, she loved her dad and her dog, and she might be actually in love.

Jacy was the first out Two Spirit person she had ever met. With their dark soulful eyes and quiet hands, she was infatuated by the same evening.

That night, she wrote in her journal about the bonfire, about how some of the kids from North High had come over and one whose name meant Moon was really cute. They had an easy, bright smile, their lips and tongue and teeth were stained bright pink from the bubblegum flavored lollipop.

"Hi, I'm Jacy. He/him and they/theirs. What's your name?" They were so friendly but they had a quiet, soothing way about them.

Lila Mae was sitting alone on the swing. She was at Tom's bonfire. He had one every October after the first football game. Most everyone was gathered around the bonfire, a couple people were hiding in the bushes making out. Lila Mae was enjoying herself swinging alone in the darkness.

She heard the leaves crunching underfoot as they came up to her from the side. She didn't look up, she was too nervous.

"Lila Mae. She/her/hers." She hoped that she was declaring her pronouns the right way. She wasn't actually used to having to do it.

"Did you want to use the swing," she asked nervously.

"No! Just wanted to say hi!"

"Oh."

"Unless you wanted to be left alone?"

"No, it's okay."

Silence fell between them, Lila Mae wasn't really swinging anymore. And she was nervously fiddling with the rope though. She glanced up at Jacy, to see how they were handling the awkwardness. They were smiling at the antics going on around the bonfire.

"So, Kelly and Amber seem like they're about to make out like any second here," Jacy giggled, pulling the lollipop out of their mouth.

Lila Mae smiled.

"Who?"

"Kelly? And Amber? They go to your school! You do go to South High right?"

"Yeah. I don't know who they are though." Lila Mae looked down at her nearly invisible knees.

"Oh! Kelly is the one in green and Amber is wearing all brown. Their chemistry is out of control."

Lila Mae squinted at the figures around the fire.

Two young women were playfully grabbing each other's hands and circling each other's waists.

"You're right," Lila Mae said, quietly giggling.

"God, I hope they get together. Will you tell me at the next bonfire? If they do at school?"

"There's a another one?"

"I think so! You're coming right?"

"I don't know."

"Do you not like bonfires?"

"Umm. Not really."

"Really! Can I ask why?"

"Umm. I don't usually like small talk. And I don't really know anybody here." Lila Mae used her toes to push herself off the ground and spin around.

"Does this count as small talk?"

"I don't think so," Lila Mae said looking down, spinning the swing in half circles back and forth.

"Small talk is talking about what the weather's gonna look like for the weekend or comparing salads from different casual dining eateries."

"Those are so specific. Does this come up often."

"Too often."

"What is too often?"

"More than twice."

Jacy laughed and it was like bells tinkling. Lila Mae's head jerked up and she smiled shyly.

"Do you like small talk," she asked timidly.

"I"m not sure I know of anyone who really does."

"But do you?"

Jacy looked at her from the corner of his eye and grinned like they had a secret.

"Yes," they said, like they were bursting to say it.

"What? Really?" Lila Mae smiled with all her teeth.

"Yes! I love it! I love talking to people! They say so much with their little preferences!"

"Huh," Lila Mae said, tucking her chin back.

"Jacy!" Someone from the bonfire was calling.

"Yeah," Jacy yelled back. Lila Mae's shoulders crept up to her ears.

"Come over here!!!"

"Okay!"

Jacy turned back to Lila Mae, smile at full brightness.

"Come on!"

Lila Mae shrank back, her back bowling out and cradling herself inwards.

"Um, no. I'm okay." She looked down and pushed off the ground, swinging back into half circles.

"Okay," Jacy said and settled back into their hips, cocking one leg out in a relaxed position. They shoved their hands into their pockets and settled the lollipop back into their mouth, letting the stick poke out at an angle. They smiled at Lila Mae.

She glanced at them questioningly over her shoulder.

"JACY!!!" They called.

"I'll get back to them in a minute. I still want to talk to you! Unless, like, you're tapped out."

"No. I want to talk to you," Lila Mae said, looking them in the eye. She looked away after finishing her sentence.

"Okay," Jacy exclaimed happily.

"So, do you have Patronus?"

"???"

"A Patronus!"

"Like from Harry Potter?"

"Yeah. But like, do you know of an actual real animal that you would say represents you as a person?"

"Like an animal I've met?"

"Yeah."

"Umm. I might have to think about it. Do you?"

Jacy was thrilled with how she was going along with their weird questions. They just wanted to talk to her more. They were afraid this might be the only time they got to speak to this shy, quiet person. And it was too fun to waste any time trying to playing it cool.

"Um, well, probably Stacy, my dog."

"Jacy's dog Stacy?"

"Yes."

"Why," Lila Mae asked smiling.

"Well. She has a lot of hair," they shook out their very 90's swingy hair, "And she loves everyone she meets. And she hides under the bed during thunderstorms."

Lila Mae laughed with her whole mouth and clapped a hand over it.

"Are you really scared of thunderstorms?"

"Terrified."

"Well, I'm scared of people," she blurted out. Her eyes quickly darted to his face to check their reaction.

"Aren't we all?"

"I guess," she said and looked up at the sky. There was a waxing crescent moon out.

"Do you want to take a walk?" They asked suddenly, a little sheepishly.

"Sure," she said and hopped off the wooden swing.