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The first person I saw when I woke up was Arlo laying on his blown up mattress in my living room, gazing at a tiny potted cactus in his large palm.
"You know how I'm an animal whisperer right?" Arlo spoke up when he saw me, green eyes still concentrated on the little plant in his grasp as I combed my fingers through my wet hair, about to leave for work.
"Sure." I said, not really knowing actually but letting him continue as his brows furrowed when he looked at me with an enlightened expression.
"I think I'm like, a plant whisperer too..." He sluggishly trailed off with squinted eyes, nodding his head slowly as I gradually nodded along with him, not knowing what he was saying as I grabbed my bag.
We locked gazes for a moment across the room as I let his words settle in.
"I'm gonna go now..." I pointed at the door, the keys in my hand jingling in the silent room.
"Alright, make sure you do it before you leave." Arlo reminded me with a dimpled, carefree grin as my shoulders slumped.
"I really have to go-"
"Here I'll help." Arlo insisted with an enthusiastic smile, rising from his mattress before approaching me, placing his little cactus down and facing me.
I raised my arms with a tired face, standing completely still as he circled his own arms around me, creating a circle where my body fit through as he hovered his arms up and down over me like a scanner before lifting them off and sway from my frame.
"I am now holding all your positive energy." Arlo calmly stated, cradling the air as if there was some invisible force in his arms, which to him there probably was before I lowered my limbs and grabbed the doorknob to my front door.
"Okay, have fun with it." I turned the knob.
"You sure you don't want to take some with you for the road?" Arlo asked with a tilt of his head, a few curls of brown hair escaping his fedora.
"I like to keep all the negative out, positive in." I quickly made an excuse as he simply nodded.
"Cool cool. Just letting you know I have your positivity when you need it after seeing what's outside." He casually let me know, completely oblivious to how ominous his statement just sounded as I furrowed my brows, watching him walk away grabbing his little cactus but still looking like he was cradling my "energy" around before I glanced back at my front door.
When I exited out of my flat I almost stepped flip flop first into a clutter of exotic mini potted cacti right at my door, bright pink flowers sprouting at the top of a few as I blinked down at them, surprised only to look around to find the entire hallway filled with a bunch of cacti, small and big and succulent plants while a crew of delivery men brought up even more.
