Longing Hearts

Flashback 1

I wake up to the sun hitting my face. I don't want to wake up yet so I just turn over, pulling my comforter over my head. I try to go to sleep, it works until I hear some stones hitting my window. I groan and roll out of bed.

I look down out at the yard and see Leo smiling like an idiot back up at me. His blond hair is messy like he just woke up. His green eyes were shining with excitement. He is wearing brown pants and a white button-up shirt. He was holding a handful of almost dead dandelions.

"Leo what are you doing?!" I yelled down at him laughing. He is an idiot. My idiot but an idiot all the same.

"Come on! We're going on a picnic!" he shouts. Not exactly answering my question but then again, in all the time that I knew him he never did.

"Give me one second to get ready!" I shout back, excitement building up inside me. I love going on picnics and hanging out with Leo.

I go into my closet and pull out a long light blue dress. I brush out my long dark hair. I watch in the mirror as my chocolate brown eyes shimmer with excitement, there are no bags under my eyes no stress lines, I look like I am a totally different person. I smile happily.

I am a well-fed kid, I get enough sleep. I am living quite well compared to other children in this day and age. I am not poor, I have enough money, I have good friends, and a good house.

As I walk down the stairs I go into the kitchen and grab a handful of coins from the coin jar. I put them in my pockets that I sewed into my dress. My parents work late at night so they are sleeping right now. I write them a note telling them that I am out with Leo. They trust him to not let me be murdered.

I run out the door and give Leo a big hug. He hands me the dandelions. My heart swells up at his gesture.

"Oh, Leo!! These are lovely!" I exclaimed.

"Not as lovely as you" he mutters to himself.

I just giggle. I really don't know what to say. I mean we are best friends. I know he didn't mean for me to hear it. He looks over at me in confusion. I just shake my head and smile.

"What are we waiting around for? Let's go to the picnic!!'' I shouted excitedly. I really want food. He woke me up for this he better deliver.

"Right!" he says excitedly "follow me!!"

With that, he just runs off. I take off following him. Yeah, it sounds weird that I am just following him with no idea where I am going but like I have known him since I was born, and I trust him.

We keep running. The warm sun shines on my face. The light summer breeze blew through my hair. The sweet smell of the blooming flowers fills my senses. The green leaves of the trees reach out in a healthy glow. Everything about the summer is wonderful.

Soon enough we reach a flower field with a big willow tree. Leo stops under the willow tree. I look at the ground and see a beautiful picnic all set up.

"This is amazing!" I exclaim giving Leo a big hug.

"Yeah" he shrugs "it's nothing"

It was not in fact nothing. There was a red and white checkered blanket on the ground with a picnic blanket full of my favorite foods. There were gardenias, my favorite flower, all around us.

I was always interested in the meaning of flowers. My dad has a big library in our house and sometimes I will sneak in there and find books for me to read. In my family, neither I nor my sister were allowed to read or go to school. My father and mother still liked the ways that things used to be.

I picked a gardenia. "Purity, sweetness, joy, and secret love. Gardenia are flowers that are edible and can be eaten in many different ways." I love sharing my knowledge with Leo.

Leo just looks at me with an admiring look. Other kids never learn that in school. They learn things like math and writing.

We both sat down to eat. There are sandwiches and juice. We laugh and talk. Once we finish our food I pick another flower and place it in my hair.

We smile and talk and hang out the rest of the day. Dancing in the flower field. Climbing the tree. Talking and just enjoying each other's company.

All too soon the sky starts to get dark and I have to get back home. We pack up our picnic and run back home. This time I am beating him in our race. Once we make it home it's sunset. The sky is beautiful. I see Leo look over at me, I look at him. My heart flutters. He looks down at my lips. I know what's about to happen. We both lean forward.

Fireworks go off as he kisses me. Everything changed in my life. Everything seems brighter. But it feels wrong. Like it was not the right person like I am betraying someone.