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❁You the fall leaves crunched beneath my bare feet as i stepped underneath the white arch laden with orchids which marked the entrance to the rose garden that i visited every time i had the chance. this place was like my own home; in fact, it might have been better. the garden didn't have screaming and yelling and holes in the walls fueled with anger. a few times i sat here and listened to the bird's chirp with the curly haired boy named stan who lives down the street, he could tell exactly which bird it was with a single peep, but he stopped coming as often as his bar mitzvah neared. then once a dark-skinned boy who i recognized as the one who delivered lamb meat to the derry butcher. we sat and talked and gave dirty looks to the boy with thick-rimmed glasses smoking a cigarette. but more often than not, i was alone.
today was an 'alone' day, but i didn't mind. i had been so stressed out between school, work, and my home life, i needed time to relax and soak in the bright aroma of the fragrant flower. i sighed and sat on the marble bench.
i was interrupted by nasal laughter and the stench of cigarette smoke. glasses boy was back; and worse than ever. just then, there was a rustling noise that that came from the entrance and i whipped my head around to see what caused it. it was the dark-skinned boy again. i never caught his name. maybe i'd get it this time.
he walked over to the seat in his white t-shirt and blue jeans, which he wore the last time i saw him. he hasn't changed at all except for the fact that he looks a bit sweatier.
"long day at the farm?" i inquired as he perched himself adjacent to me.
"no," he started, "today was actually pretty easy going."
i shot a look at the boy in glasses and asked, "then why are you so sweaty?"
"i wanted to make sure you would still be here when i got here."
"oh," why would he want me to be here? "why would you want me to be here?" i said voicing my thoughts.
"well you know, i don't have a lot of friends and i know you come here often and i had some free time so i thought, 'why not go hang out with the girl from the garden?'"
"the girl from the garden, huh? my name's [y/n]."
"that's a pretty name. i'm just mike."
"mike. like short for micycle?" i joke.
he laughed, "i wish, but sadly it's only michael."
i smile. only michael.
the boy smoking took a long drag and looked at us and yelled, "hey mike! tell your girlfriend to stop giving me the death stare!"
"shut up richie! no one likes you!" mike replied.
"your best friend is dating me!"
"leave eddie out of this!"
richie flicked him off and walked away mumbling something while i started giggling. what was that whole fiasco about? i thought.
"he sounds cool," i say.
"you should meet the rest of them. they're insane."
"the rest of who?" i ask.
"my 'friends'" he answers, putting air quotes around the word friends.
"ah, who are they?"
"well there's richie and eddie, obviously, bill, stan-"
"stan!" i exclaim, "i know him! sometimes he comes here and we talk about birds, he's really fun."
"awesome, there's also ben and bev, and i think that's it."
"well when can i meet them?" i ask excitedly.
"who said you could meet them?"
my face dropped.
"i'm just kidding!" he laughs. i laugh too, but only because i'm embarrassed. "we were thinking about going to the quarry later if you wanna come?"
"oh, for sure!" what time were you you thinking?"
he looked at a watch that wasn't there and said, "maybe around noon."
