Lauren Sanders is struggling to rebuild her life with her aunt and cousin after her family's tragic death. But what no one knows is the truth about two things: how her parents really died and her battle with schizophrenia.
One day, Lauren stumbles...
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I sat opposite of her inside the diner we haven't been to in a long while. The waitress approaches us with her mouth open in shock at seeing me again.
"Welcome back," she says, "You're back here with him, huh?"
She says something that caused my brows to furrow. I look across at Lauren, who seems to be grinning and nodding.
The waitress turns to face me and says, "You know, I assumed you two had broken up since she came here by herself twice a week without you."
I was about to say something when I turn to face Lauren, who is rolling her eyes at the waitress. "We're not dating," she replies quickly.
Even though I knew it would be absurd because it was true, there was a part of me that felt sad at the thought of it being rejected.
She appears to be shocked as she looks at Lauren and me, "Why not? You look great—"
"How about a tall glass of vanilla milkshake with a side of fries?" Lauren immediately cuts her off, making her chuckle as she writes her order down.
The waitress looks at me, "I'll have what she's having," I said as I watch her write it down, as well, "And a cheeseburger."
"I'll be back with your orders," she says, winking at me before walking off to the counter.
Lauren ran up to me earlier at the school parking lot, bumping into me as she asked if I was up for a trip somewhere with her to retrieve the note, which almost caught me off guard.
Even if our atmosphere seemed to indicate otherwise while we sat here, she made it apparent that she still hasn't forgiven me even though she accepted my offer to accompany her.
"I was thinking maybe the next note might be somewhere in a garden," She says as she pulls out the note, placed it on the table, and slide it toward me.
I glance up at her as I finish reading the note and mumble the words "evergreen" and "fields." As the term "field" rang in my ears, I added, "Or it might be at someplace that attracts a lot of visitors."
She gives me an expressionless stare as she questions my theory in a doubtful voice, "A field?" she asked, glancing around the diner's interiors as if looking for answers, "Like a flower field of some sort?"
I nodded my head. Bingo.
I pointed at her, smiling, "Exactly," I said, "Carlsbad Flower Fields."
She finds herself smirking, "I didn't realize you'll be able to solve it that quickly," she crosses her arms to her chest.
We both paused for a short period of time as I caught myself gazing at her. While we wait for our food, she was browsing through her phone. I look at the note on the table, wondering if the search for these notes would soon come to a close.
"So, how's your mom doing?" Lauren asks as she tucks her phone away. She casts a sincere grin my way as her eyes soften and she turns to face me.
I've been so nearly restless lately. Going to school in the morning, returning to the hospital after school to visit them, staying there for some time to be with them and take care of their needs, such as my mother's food cravings, and then returning home to finish some homework and other requirements for the subjects I have missed, with only a few hours of sleep, only to repeat it the following day has made me very exhausted.
