The Butterfly Keeper

25

I met her look and raise my eyebrows. "You spoke to me first,"

"Oh, that's because I couldn't wait. I was excited to meet you." She leans in and gives me a half smile, her tone spirited.

I'm unsure of what to say again. I know Mia means no harm, but I'm scared she might get the wrong idea and truly believe being on this island is the best thing that has happened to the both of us.

Without responding, I continue pinning the rest of the clothing on the line and attempt to keep a tiny, fake smile ghosted on my lips so I can mask my feeling from Mia. I can see her looking at the ground and then at me, back and forth, from the side of my eye before mimicking me actions and plastering a real smile.

I lick my lips and rub the side of my nose before veering my head over to Mia. "What...what did Sebastian tell you about me?" She dents her eyebrows forward. "Like before I got here?" I clarify.

Mia's mouth stretches open and she quickly pins the last of her clothing. Her eye contact is steady and her arms swing loosely. "He told us you're from America." She starts off and pauses, as if trying to remember what Sebastian had said word by word. "And he described you a bit to us. He said you're brilliant and artistic, that you're curious and headstrong, kind and soft, and sometimes funny." Mia faintly chuckles and her eyes glaze into a daydream.

"What else?" My tops of my ears feel warm at the rush of thought raging through my head, or maybe it's the flush of emotions I'm getting by the vision of Sebastian describing me like that to a group of strangers, but, I want to know what they know about me.

"He also said that you're the most beautiful girl that he had ever met," Mia hums at the me memory and her eyes return to reality. "But that you weren't happy with your life back home and that it made you insecure and doubtful. He said someone like you didn't deserve to ever feel that way."

"Oh." I squeak, my voice rocky and pitched.

Mia's smile wanes and she drops her head so that she's looking at her hands. She runs her palms over her thighs before taking a peek at me through the strands of hair framing the side of her face. "Were you unhappy?"

My throat feels like cotton and it takes me awhile to answer, but Mia waits for me.

"I don't know."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ask such-" She rushes her sentence out, but I cut her off from finishing.

"No, you're okay, really." I reassure her and offer a frail smile. "I...I just never saw it that way."

Mia returns the smile and she moves closer to me with an arm sprawled out. She places a hand on my shoulder and slowly pulls me into a hug. Her arms hug my upper body tightly while my arms flimsy wrap around her torso in a fiddly position. It feels weird to be hugged, and I soon realize this is what I need so I give in and move my arms to securely warp them around her.

I had people that I use to consider great friends back home, hell, I called Avery my best friend, but not once did I ever hug any of them or showed any compassion really. It's odd to imagine myself hugging Avery, or anyone really from home. With Mia, it feels safe and comforting.

I pull back, sudden, and slack my jaw with my face eased. "Thanks."

"For what? Giving you a hug?" Mia giggles at the thought and rolls her head onto a shoulder.

I pick at my bottom lip with my teeth and shrug. "Yeah, I needed it."

She gives me an unreadable look and takes a hand to my forearm, running her fingers softly down the length of it. "You don't have to thank me. It's what friends are for, right?"