Flowers in Rain

I remember meeting him that first time.

It was the thick heat of summer the school holidays my dog had just been hit by a car and we had to put him to sleep.

My golden retriever I had him from I was tiny. I was 8 at the time.

I was sat under the trees down by the river.

We had only moved to town at the beginning of June, my family was a military family and Dad had just been stationed here.

My family never stayed put for long, a year at most so Duke was my best friend.

I was sat under the oak tree further down from where all the all the kids were jumping in the shallow water screaming and laughing and having a blast.

We had moved at the end of term ready for me to start the next year of term.

I was faced away from them silent tears streaming down my face.

“Hey what are you doing here on your own?” you ask.

“Nuffin.”

“Well the storm is coming in soon you’re going to get wet.”

“Good”

“Well there is going to be lightning and thunder ain’t you going to be scared?”

“No”

“Oh”

“Well I’m Sawyer by the way”

“And?

“Well you’re new here, I’m just trying to be nice”

I shrug

“You’re pretty grumpy”

“You’d be upset if someone had just ran over your dog!” I bite back

“Oh. I’m sorry”

“Well maybe you should think before you speak”

“What’s your name?”

“It doesn’t matter”

“Thats a funny name”

I turn around and stick my tongue out at him.

“You have a pretty face.” He says

I turn and look at the boy with blonde hair

He was kind of cute.

Just then a massive clap of thunder came from overhead and a flash of lightning struck from overhead

The rain came lashing down.

“We should get going.”

I say

“We won’t get back to our houses before the storm gets here come on”

He grabs my hand pulling me up.

I follow him

“Where are we going?”

“We need to be quick” is all he says.

I follow him as he leads me further away from our houses.

I slip on a wet patch of grass my summer sandals not able to cope with the wet weather.

“Careful it's only going to get more slippery” he reassure me.

We walk faster until we make it to a small brick bridge over the river there is just enough shelter but we are both soaked to the skin.

We are silent for a while.

“You know you still haven’t told me your name”

Another loud bang and a flash of lightning happen together.

“Ah!” I scream I was still a little scared of the storm.

“Hey, it won’t hurt you” he comforts me

he smiles at me.

He steps towards me.

“It’s Willow.”

“What is?” He looked confused.

“My name”

“It suits you.”

He beams at me making his eyes bright blue eyes crinkle.

I give him a small smile back.

“How old are you?” He asks

“8 you?”

I turned 9 3 weeks ago.

“So you go to the school here. what's it like?” I’m curious

“It’s alright, everyone knows everyone”

“Oh” I feel disappointed

I was going to be the outsider coming in again. it was going to be hard to fit in when everyone was already tight knit and best friends.

“Don't worry there is only 15 of us and we all get on”

“But I guess you all grew up together from you was small”

“Pretty much Amber joined a couple of years ago she fitted in quick.”

I nod my head.

I watch the rain come down looking away from him.

“I like when it rains.”

I say absent mindedly

“Why?”

“It makes everything fresh and it smells clean and new.”

“You’re strange.”

I shrug at him.

“So do you have any brothers or sisters?” He asks

“Yeah I have an older brother Ash he is 13 do you?” I tell him

“Yeah my sister Libby she is 13 too.”

“Hey the rain is stopping, we should head back.” He says

We walk back to our houses in silence. Every so often our shoulders would graze against each other.

We would spring apart and say sorry, heat appearing on our cheeks.

We make it to my house

“Well this is me” I say.

“Well I live 4 doors down.” He points in the direction of his house

“Okay well I will see you around, Bye Willow.” He waves

I head up to my room to think about the boy with the blonde hair and blue eyes that crinkled when he smiled.

The storm went on through the night onto the next day and I was bored at home.

I was still feeling sad because of Duke.

My parents were both at work my Mom had got a job in town pretty quick.

I wasn’t sure where Ash was it was boring here.

There was a knock on the door.

I went to answer and Sawyer is stood there with a bunch of flowers in his hand

His hair is stuck to his forehead and his clothes his white t-shirt soaked and see-through

“Sawyer what are you doing here?”

“I picked you flowers to cheer you up because you lost your dog”

There was a meadow full of wildflowers about 10 minutes from here.

“But it's been raining non stop since last night”

I grab his hand and pulled him in the house.

He is dripping all the floor.

“You will get sick, Stay there”

I run up stairs and grab two massive warm towels from our cupboard.

I come back down and hand them to him

He hands me the flowers

“Thank you, they are really pretty.”

I smile at him he dries off.

“Come on let me put the fire on.”

I lead him out to living area and start and fire.

“Your parents let you start a fire?” his eyes go wide

“Yeah my Dad took us camping a couple of years ago and taught us, The flowers are pretty but being out in the rain two days in a row you’re going to get sick.”

“I will be fine Willow, I wanted to ask you, one of the boys in the class is having a party next weekend if you wanted to come?”

I was surprised this boy I hardly knew was asking me to a party.

“What kind of party?”

“Its a pool and barbecue party. You don’t have to swim if you don’t want to, but all the class will be there you can meet everyone before school starts.”

“Thanks Sawyer, I would like that a lot. I have an idea I will be back in a minute.”

I head to the kitchen and make two mugs of hot chocolate.

“Here” I come back with to mugs topped with marshmallows and whipped cream

“Wow thanks Willow.”

He takes a sip

“Mmm this is the best hot chocolate ever”

He smiles at me.

“So how comes you moved to Evercrest?”

“My Dad works at the Army base over at the next town.”

“How comes you moved here and didn’t stay on base”

“They didn’t have any houses suitable”

“Oh Well I’m glad you’re here”

He smiles at me again

I feel my cheeks flush.

I sip my hot chocolate.

We sit in silence for a few minutes.

“What’s it like around here? I mean I move so often, but we will be here for at least 4 years this time.”

“Yeah its alright everyone knows each other there will be a massive fourth of July party next month.

Everyone gets together it’s great fun there is a fair, barbecue and their is fireworks you should come.”

“I’m not sure what we are doing this year I think we are visiting my grandparents.”

“Oh okay”

I see his face drop in disappointment.

“I can ask my parents.”

“No I understand, anyway, I better go my Mom is gonna wonder where I got to.

I will see you around Willow thanks for the towels and hot chocolate”

I see him to the front door

“Thank you for the flowers, they are really pretty.”

“Let me know about the party”

“Sure Sawyer”

He runs off the porch and then turns and waves.

Just then my older brother comes back from wherever he was.

“Hey Willow who’s that?” He arches an eyebrow

“No One”

“Doesn’t look like no one”

He goes into the house and sees the wildflowers that I had put in a vase

“Does Willow have a Boyfriend?” my brother teases

“I Do not Ash cut it out!”

“Then why are there flowers here” he grins

“I met him yesterday I told him about Duke he brought them coz he felt bad”

I feel tears coming to my eyes thinking about my dog.

“I’m sorry Willow that was pretty nice of him I know how much you loved Duke, So what’s his name he isn’t older than you, I’m not going to have to beat him up?”

“Ash!” I groan

“Hey I’m just looking out for my lil sis. So what’s his name?”

“Sawyer, he’s 9 he’s going to be in my class at school, he invited me to a party with everyone in my class.”

“Lo that’s great you should go!”

Lo was his nickname for me no one else called me it.

“I dunno Ash”

“Lo you need to start making friends. We are here for at least 4 years this time. Plus I don’t want you hanging around me all the time”

“Hey”

“I love you brat, but you need friends your own friends too”

He pull me in for a hug rubbing my hair.

I think to the cute boy with bright blue eyes that crinkles when he smiles wondering if we would be friends.