Early Bird | ✓

11 | parrot

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Lizzy | JJ

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           LIZZY'S mother and father hadn't uttered a word about Patrick and the work situation since that strange dinner they had a few days ago. Lizzy longed for it to slide under the radar, forgotten and never confronted again like the few decrepit, random items under her bed that she couldn't name. Lizzy, however, discerned that it couldn't be that easy to release such a bizarre and possibly influential event into the wind. Her mother and father figured they could keep everything under the wraps and secretive but Logan and Lizzy were attentive to the frequent whispers and looks their parents shared that were absent before the fateful phone call.

           Lizzy's dull week was reaching to a close. Nothing remotely interesting had occurred; Mateo had continued to sit at Paisley's table, abandoning Lizzy and Teagan who stayed together. He constantly tried to avoid them and they endeavored to do the same. Lizzy could sense a string of yearning binding the three of them together. She saw it when she accidently caught Mateo's gloomy eye staring at her during Economics, when she caught herself waist-deep in a nostalgic mire of memories, and when Teagan continually attempted to distract herself by writing her novel, her eyebrows knit both from concentration and underlying sorrow.

           Lizzy wasn't certain whether the party that she and Teagan would be attending on Friday would harm the trio's friendship or help it. She voiced her concerns to JJ who reassured her with soothing words like a warm bath after a long day. She didn't necessarily believe him but she was grateful that he was trying to console and reassure her. Lizzy and JJ attempted to text one another at least a couple times every day, disclosing their distresses and pleasant memories. Texting JJ had become a routine just like brushing her teeth or heading to school. He was her solace, her confidant, an island of refuge in the raging sea of her life.

           She arrived at home that Friday afternoon after stopping at Once and Floral for discounted seed packets and other gardening necessities. She deposited her backpack within the house, leaving her abundance of agricultural supplies just outside of the garage. Lizzy then headed to the backyard, her arms full of pots and dirt, seed packets and plants. A patch of freshly overturned dirt brought a stark contrast to the otherwise lush green grass.

           Lizzy wasted no time in beginning by selecting a shovel and shifting through the particles of dirt like coffee grounds. Skimming the rough surface of the ground with one hand, she sprinkled seeds on the desolate earth, which was yearning for some flora so that it could be embellished like a model with a necklace. In another corner of the square of soil, full of potential if only Lizzy closed her eyes to imagine it, she planted a row of orange begonias with their wide petals emerging from baby buds.

           Filth speckled her hands, a dark brown mark on her forehead from when she swiped a line of sweat with one of them. Her brown eyes, the same color as the earth before her, were illuminated with elation because she was creating a masterpiece with nature, weaving and bending plants about her in order to form a piece of artwork. Lizzy brushed off the dirt from her hands and stepped back, admiring her handiwork. It wasn't much but at least it was something. She imagined the blank canvas splattered with vivid color. Only a few more strokes were needed before she reached that destination, her ultimate goal.

           Lizzy then journeyed indoors to prepare for Paisley's party. Her nose wrinkled in disgust when she viewed her outfit collection, which was all laid out on the floor for her to examine. Nothing caught her eye like a fish enchanted by a worm dangling from a hook. Lizzy quickly shot both Teagan and JJ a text for advice. Teagan responded almost immediately; she wrote saying that she was currently experiencing the same dilemma. JJ, as always, came to her rescue, her superhero there to save the day.