𝐁𝐋𝐔𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍

002 • ━━ 𝒄 𝒉 𝒂 𝒕 𝒑 𝒆 𝒓 𝒕 𝒘 𝒐

MARIGOLD RODE HER BIKE ON THE STREET where her house belonged to. Marigold parked her bike in the driveway of her house. Marigold' s house was painted white with black painted shutters and a blue door. It was surrounded by large cherry blossom trees that looked vibrant in the springtime. Walking up the front steps, Marigold held up the newspaper that read, "STILL NOT FOUND! LOCAL OFFICERS INVESTIGATE STUDENTS OF THE VICTIMS..." with a picture of Crestview Prep on the cover. Sighing, Marigold shoved the newspaper into her purple crossover body bag that she used as a backpack.
Purple and Yellow were Marigol's colors. In almost every one of her paintings the colors were in it.
That was her thing too, painting.
Marigold walked around the back of the house to the back door and walked inside. As usual, several dishes were piled up in the sink, a thick layer of dust on the bookshelves in the hallway, there's a film of grease around the stove, and the sound of the tv playing could be heard. And Marigold's mother was nowhere to be seen.
"Mom?" Marigold called, placing her bag on the bench next to the door. Marigold checked the living room. No answer, an unsettling feeling washes over Marigold as she walks further into the house. "Mom!?" Marigold out again, this time getting a response.
"Down here." A voice replied, coming from at the end of the hallway. Entering her mother's bedroom, Marigold found Claire, her mother, sitting in bed, the blankets covering her legs, wrapped up in her mint green robe, her shoulder length dark brown hair flowing on her shoulders.
"What are you doing?" asked Marigold, noticing her mother's somber facial expression as she flicked through the TV channels of their brand new TV while eating chocolate ice cream.
"I can't decide whether to watch Family Ties or Three's Company." Claire replied.
"You're eating my ice cream." Marigold pointed out. "Dad bought me that on Saturday.
"Yeah well you can ask your dad for more. Wherever the hell he is right now." Claire replied. Claire and Marigold's father, Wilson, are going through a divorce after Wilson was caught cheating six months ago. "He's at a motel on Forest Street." Marigold answered. The room was quiet for a moment until Marigold spoke up again.
"Mom, I need money." Marigold said, getting straight to the point. "Why do you need money?" Claire asked, looking at her daughter. "For the cheerleading competition in San Diego in December." Marigold explained. "It's 250 dollars all together."
"Mari, we don't have that kind of money." Sighing, Marigold took that answer as a no as she made her way down the stairs to the basement to her bedroom. The basement was fairly nice looking and warm down there so Mari had no trouble sleeping down there.
Turning on her bedroom light, the color illuminating a soft yellow hue to it. Paintings littered everywhere as Marigold had yet to find space for them, her double sized bed is covered by a white and yellow striped comforter with a multi-colored striped blanket laid across the bottom. Her walls had nice tan wallpaper that contained pictures of her life.
Several pictures of her and her friends hung in her room, her and Lillian in third grade, her and Charlie at the Midnight diner- something about that picture made Marigold favor it more, maybe it was the first picture taken of the pair after Lillian had left, and a picture of Harvey on his 13th birthday, right before his mother had gotten sick. Looking at those pictures sometimes made Marigold sad, if only things were different she often said to herself. But things were definitely different. But for the worst...

PART NINE - LILLIAN