Magnolia (p.t.v)

Prologue

My mother named me after her favorite flower, and died with it.

Sometimes I wish I died with her, too.

I stared at her photo hanging high in the hallway.

Her smile used to brighten up the neighborhood, her laugh livened up our home. Now all is gone, and drained of this home.

She died when I was fifteen, and I haven't recovered since.

"Mom, you promised you wouldn't leave, why did you go?" I whispered, as the tears blurred my vision.

"Mags?"

I blinked in realization that my best friend, Mike was waiting. Quickly, wiping the tears away, I replied, "Yeah?"

"You got the lighter? Why're you taking so long?"

Crap - I forgot I was supposed to be fetching a lighter from my bedroom. Geez, Maggie why do you forget everything?

"Hold on!" I opened my bedroom door, grabbing my lighter, and ran back through the window, onto the roof, throwing it at Mike. I sat beside him, as he rolled up a joint. He put it in his mouth, lighting it, took a few puffs then passed it to me. My fingers wrapped around it, and I took in a few draws. The smoke was thick and harsh, billowing into my chest as I pulled in as much as I could. I pulled the joint from my lips, and let the smoke flow out, then gave it to Mike.

"So what did you want to tell me?"

Mike held the joint in between his two fingers, and turned. "Remember my brother?"

"Of course I remember your brother, Vic...the one who was sent -,"

"Yeah. Him. He's being discharged tomorrow."

I took in another draw, and my eyes widened. "Vic's coming back?"

"Don't act so surprised, he was supposed to come back someday, y'know."

I nodded, apologizing. "Sorry... it's just that ever since he did - what he did...I wasn't sure when he would've come back."

           Mike had been my best friend since freshman year. I often hung around with him and my other friends, Tony and Jaime. Mike's brother is a year older than us, and popped in here and there. There was always something mysterious about him, I was always curious about him. When he was sent to the psychiatric ward during my sophomore year, was only when Mike truly opened up about him. Mike loved Vic so much, he was torn when Vic attempted suicide, and as I stuck by his side the entire time, I always wondered about him.

"How're you feeling about this?" I questioned Mike who sat, staring at the moon.

"I feel numb, Maggie, numb."

With Vic being discharged, I have no idea what'll be coming or what to expect.