Chapter 1
I stand knee deep in the freezing water of the pond. My toes went numb quite a while ago and it feels like someone is stabbing my legs with a pitchfork. The cuff of my rolled up jeans skims the surface of the clear water. I lightly drag my fingertips through the it, letting them feel the icy cold. A grey cloud covers the warmth of the sun making it much colder than preferred, a slight shiver tremors through my body. I try and wiggle my toes, which makes them feel even weirder.
I hear someone behind me and look over my shoulder. My brother, Josh, sits at the edge of the pond watching me. His strawberry blonde hair is tussled by the little breeze. He rips up a piece of dry grass and slowly begins to tear it to shreads. Once the blade can only be considered dust, he looks up at me. I turn away from him and watch the water ripple. "Shopping?" I ask.
"Yep." Josh replies with a sigh.
"Oh joy." I breath. I walk back to the shore and grab my shoes.
Josh stands and dusts off the grass that sticks to his clothes. "See anything new today?"
"Nope."
We walk back to the house, following the creek that flows into the pond. I walk across the driveway, which seems to always be muddy no matter how dry it is out. I climb into Josh's junky old truck, while he runs into our house for the keys. I sink down into the cracked leather seats, throwing my feet onto the dusty dashboard. I lean the seat back so I can lay vertically and stare at the the stained ceiling of the truck, who knows how the stains got up there. I start counting the many different shaped and colored stains. At the number seventeen the drivers side door swings open and Josh hops in. He cranks the truck up and backs out of the driveway like he's being chased.
Once we're pulled out he says to me, "Mom's in one of her moods again, I didn't think I'd ever make it out of there." He looks sideways at me. "And get your feet off my dashboard. Your dirtieng the thing up."
I raise my eyebrows. "Josh, there's already enough dust up there you could call it the Sahara dessert. Minus the heat of course. " I say reaching to the knob to turn on the heat.
Josh swats my hand away. "It's your own fault for being cold. If you hadn't been standing in cold water you'd be fine." I lean back down shoving my cold hands into my thin coat's pockets.
We ride down the long road into town, the truck jumps as it rides over the rough terrain. Trees pass by, their colorful leaves falling from their perch. A small round splotch hits the passenger's window, and, like a tear, slips down the glass. Another drop hits the windshield and quickly streams up and over the top of the truck. More begins to fall, harder and thicker. Josh flips the windshield wipers on, which scatters the streams. The grey outside lights up for just a second, a little while later a rumble, sounding like a giant ready for a large dinner, shakes the ground.
Josh drives to an Ingles that's definitely seen better days. He stops right at the front sliding doors.
"So, I'm doing all the shopping again, by myself?" I say annoyed.
"Sounds like a plan to me." He reaches into his pants pocket. "Here, you'll need this." He thrusts mom's credit card at me. I snatch it from him and stick it into the back pocket of my jeans. "Oh, and Honey. You might want to put your shoes on." I look down at my bare, calloused feet. They're not a pretty sight. I shove on my socks and boots and leap out of the truck. I scurry through the doors and pull out one of the smaller carts. When I go through the second sliding doors I spot Ms. Bellin in the line for Starbucks.
Mrs. Bellin is the closest thing to a neighbor we have, considering we live out in the middle of nowhere. My family and I only have an acquaintance with her though because of her nosy nature.
She sees me and waves crazily trying to get my attention, as well as the rest of Ingles. I walk to her grudgingly, with as big of a fake smile I can muster, which was barely one at all.
"Hi darlin'." She drawls.
"Hello, Ms. Bellin." I say through a small bit of grinding teeth.
"Where's your mother? She didn't send you here all alone did she?"
Before I can answer she says, "I could never send my Anna May here all alone. Oh, you'll never believe what Anna May did! She played her piano on stage in the orchestra last Saturday! I was so proud of her I thought my heart would break free. She's going to try out for ballet this week, and I know she'll make it. She's a very good dancer. When she was just four years old we went to see a ballet and afterwards she had us watch her dance the whole thing all by herself." Ms. Bellin keeps on ranting about her daughter, while I try to keep as much annoyance as I can from showing. I end up zoning out knowing that even if Ms. Bellin asked a question she'd just keep on talking.
I look over past her shoulder and see a blonde haired boy sitting at a table by himself watching the people walk by him. I've never seen him before and there are rarely ever any out-of-towners visiting or vacationing around here. I zone back in on Ms. Bellin who's saying how "Her Anna May will get the best college education since she's so brilliant."
"I'm sorry Ms. Bellin, but I've really got to finish shopping." I cut in quickly between her rants.
"Oh." She sounds offended. "Well I won't keep you from that." I walk off before she starts talking again.
I go down the isles grabbing what we need as well as the candy isle, since I need a reward for doing all the shopping. Lastly, I go to the produce isle for the carrots and apples. As I set the carrots into the cart I see the blonde haired boy again. He stares transfixed at a carambola, twisting the fruit to see all of the many different sides. I watch him as I head to the apples, almost hitting the bananas. He looks up from the carambola and straight at me. I quickly look down to the apples. I grab a bag of fujis and turn to see the boy standing on the other side of the isle I'm on, next to the avocados. He smiles at me and says, "Hi, I'm Ben." The boy then thrusts out his hand for me to shake.I look at it as if it's what comes out the end of a dog, but I still reach out and shake it, just rather stiffly.
"I'm Honey." I reply.
"Cool name. Never met a 'Honey' before."
"I'd say a lot of people haven't before." I say dryly.
"Yes, I guess that would be true." He agrees, taking no note on how much I don't want to talk to him. "So what grade are you in exactly?"
"Tenth, but I'm failing at it."
"Me too. I mean 'me too I'm in tenth grade, ' not that I'm failing."
"Good for you." I say as I walk past him.
"Wait!" He called. "Where do you live?"
I turn to him and give him a look. "Dude, I've just met you! I ain't telling you where I live. I'm not that big of an idiot."
"Oh, " He says bending his head and squinting his eyebrows together in thought.
"Well, goodbye Ben." I say. He nods his head at me still with his head bent.
****************************************************************************
"Howed it go?" Asks Josh as I jump into the truck.
"Oh, it was the most exciting and exhilarating thing of all time." I reply with an eye roll. We head home, the rain has become a light drizzle and beams of sunlight penatrate through the clouds. Pastures of cows, and sometimes goats, fly by the window. Their coats wet and shimmery from the rain.
I lean up against the door, my breath fogging up the window.
"Hey, we got a few extra minutes. Wanna run by the coffee shop? "
"So you can talk to Mandy? Yeah sure, I love being the third wheel and watching you be an idiot."
"Oh Come on Honey! I'll buy you a drink."
"I'd prefer a cake pop."
"Fine, just stay out of the way."
"Deal."
Mandy, the typical ditzy blonde girl. How I despise her. Ever since the summer when Mandy complimented his tennis shoes Josh has been sure they're destined to be "man and wife." In truth, Josh isn't the brightest of the bunch. Absolute no skills with women whatsoever.
****************************************************************************
"I'll take a cappuccino and a cookie dough cake pop, Mandy" I stand next to Josh at the counter hoping I can get my cake pop and run off before he gives me second hand embarrassment.
"Wow, Mandy is that a new apron? It looks new." Mandy looks at her apron and smiles, "Yeah, actually it is. I got it just yesterday. " I truthfully have no idea how he knew it was new. All of the employees wear the same black apron. Props to Josh for noticing something.
After Josh attempts to flirt with Mandy for about twenty minute I give up on my cake pop and leave the now monstrous line that had built up because of Josh.
I head outside where it's still lightly sprinkling. I unlock the truck with the keys I'd pickpocketed from Josh's pocket before exiting the coffee shop. I hop up into the drivers side and slide the seat as far back as I could then moved all the mirrors. I crank up the truck and turn the heat on as high as I can, knowing Josh is the one who has to pay for the gas.
About thirty minutes later Josh is kicked out by an angry bald man, I guess is the manager. Josh stomps over to the truck hands in pockets and a pretty angry look on his face. He pulls open the door and sees me in his seat.
"Scat, turd face." He says to me. I hop out and get into the passenger's seat.
"How'd it go?" I ask not actually caring.
"Great until her jerk of a manager decided to kick me out!"
"Dang, that stinks." I say with just a trace of sarcasm. "Did you get me my cake pop?"
"No, so deal with it." He says as he aggressively pulls his seat back into place, but doesn't even bother with the mirrors.
I always love driving with angry people, brings you closer to the Lord; especially riding with an angry Josh. On the ride home I was sure we were going to die at least seven times.
Once we pulled into the driveway the two of us carried the grocery bags into the house. I started putting things up where they belong while Josh ran off to his room to pout about getting kicked out of the coffee shop. I didn't mind having no help with the food, Josh didn't know where half of the stuff went anyway.
After putting everything away I head upstairs to my room. I open my door and find a package sittibg on my bed.mi guess mom must have put it up here. When I look at the box I see that there's no return address, but I know who its from. Slowly, I open the package to reveal a broken pot with a dead plant inside. Shoved in the corner of the box is a letter. I pick it up and rip open the envelope that had been closed by tape. It read:
Dear Honeysuckle,
How have you been? Hopefully you answer that question positively. I'm doing well if you wondered. I've found a job working for a gardener. Mostly he just has me lifting bags of fertilizer (which smells amazing by the way) because of my lacking of a green thumb. The pot and plant I have sent you was one that I got from him. And no, the reason it is broken is not because of the poor packaging, but my clumsiness. Hope you can revive the plant.
Love,
Sean
I sigh. I have the dumbest brothers on the face of the earth.
