The Garden [G.BLYTHE]

[17] BUTTERCUP

 "Be a man, take the blame." Billy approached, tapping Moody with his stick. "Your stick isn't lousy, you are."

"Well, they're here." Moody turned back to the Indigenous pair standing by the ice. "Now we'll see just how badly you're gonna swallow your words, Billy boy." He added with a smirk. Aurelie watched Moody skate towards them, then trailed behind him.

Moody smiled to the Indigenous man, swapping his stick with the new one, but instead awkwardly dropped his older stick in the snow. "Uh...thank you." Moody nodded aggressively, raising his voice as if they could not understand him. Aurelie looked to him judgmentally.

"What?" He furrowed his eyebrows in her direction. Aurelie shook her head slowly with a chuckle. 

"You're-- You're strange." Moody stammered, skating off. 

Aurelie watched him leave until he was, once again, invested in the hockey game. Aurelie turned to the pair, who stood in front of her.

"Hi, I'm Aurelie." She smiled. 

"Ka'kwet" The young girl stepped forward towards Aurelie, but was stopped by her father's arm. Aurelie's smile slowly fell, causing her to turn to the man.

"I'd like to order a stick, please." She smiled politely. The man nodded slowly.

 "Uh-- I, uh...I brought money." She added, pulling a bag of coins out from her pocket. 

"I've never seen a girl play hockey before." Ka'kwet marveled. Aurelie chuckled. After she handed Ka'kwet's father the money, Gilbert skated up beside her.

"Hello. Good afternoon." He greeted Ka'kwet and her father. "I'd like to order a stick, if I may." He requested. Aurelie watched him with a neutral expression. Her eyes followed his hands that reached into his pocket. He, too, pulled out a few coins for the order. Ka'kwet's father took two out of the five in Gilbert's glove.

"Yes, we make for the both of you. We bring when ready." Assured the man, looking to the two teenagers. 

"No rush." Aurelie and Gilbert spoke at the same time. They both glanced at each other, then looked away awkwardly. Once Gilbert skated away, Aurelie did the same. "Bye, Ka'kwet!" She waved. Ka'kwet did the same.

After the hockey game, Aurelie walked with Moody in direction of his house. 

"You know, it's getting really boring." Moody mumbled. 

"What's getting boring?" Aurelie furrowed her eyebrows, glancing at her friend. 

"You and Gilbert..." He trailed off. She rolled her eyes, scoffing.

"If I understand correctly what you're saying, I'll have you know that Gilbert and I are just friends. I've told you this many times." She sighed, kicking forward a small piece of ice across the snow path.

Moody hummed in response. "I don't believe that." Moody refused. 

"Believe what you want to believe, but what you believe isn't believable." Aurelie replied. Moody took a moment of silence to process her phrase, causing the girl to chuckle.

"Just because you make confusing sentences and repeat the same word over and over, does not mean I won't see through it." He finally argued.