Dried Flowers

Ginny

I sat under the elm tree, twirling my fiery hair around my fingers. I was pushing my skateboard back and forth with one foot, chewing my lip and staring into thin air. I tapped my fingernails against my leg quickly and anxiously; tap, tap, tap. I tried to focus on the other people gliding up and down the ramps and the tapping sounds of the plastic wheels, but I couldn't kid myself. 

I couldn't concentrate, couldn't think, it felt like my mind was spiralling in an endless loop of panic. My vision blurred, though whether it was panic or tears, I couldn't tell you, and I felt my chest tightening and my fists clenching and unclenching, chewed nails biting into the calloused skin. "Are you alright? Do you need help? I can get someone if you-" 

I jumped as a hand touched my shoulder, and the soft voice quickly said, "Oh no, I'm terribly sorry. Do you not want me to touch you?" I swallowed thickly and shook my head, clearing my vision enough to see who was talking. A girl with pale hair and skin was kneeling in front of me, her silvery eyes wide and a comforting smile on her pink lips. 

"My name is Luna. Can you tell me yours?" Her voice was musical and soft, like the flower print on her blue shorts. "G-g-ginny," I stammered, and Luna nodded. "That's a very pretty name. Would you like some chewing gum?" I blinked slightly, having expected her to ask about my minor anxiety attack. 

She reached into a little blue purse and pulled out a cube of bubblegum, which she handed me. "It tends to help me ground myself." I gratefully accepted the gum and put it in my mouth, focusing on the strong, sweet taste of artificial sugar that swept across my tongue. Luna sat beside me, looking not at all uncomfortable with the situation and merely humming a quiet tune to herself. 

I looked self-consciously and the orange plastic skateboard under my feet and the battered sneakers on my feet, trying to acknowledge Luna's presence, but still wary of her. After all, she was a total stranger. Granted, a total stranger who had helped me sort out a panic attack.

"Well, I must be going now, my father likes to have dinner on time. It was lovely meeting you Ginny," She said, getting to her feet and stepping onto the blue skateboard resting beside her. "Thank you," I said, running a hand through my hair. "For the gum, I mean." 

"You can keep the packet," She replied, tossing the pack to me. "I don't care for it much. See you around Ginny!" She turned around and pushed away, weaving through the autumn trees. I decided not to comment on the purplish bruise blossoming against the pale skin on her cheekbone.

♡

"Ginny darling, could you take over the soup?" 

I sighed and put down the laundry basket, heading down the stairs towards my mother's shouts. The stairs were twisting and old, creaking with every step, and I had to double check so that I didn't trip anything discarded on the stairs. The baby seemed to be eating ink, and I ran over to take it away form them. "No, no, no, Cat, you can't eat that!" I handed her a teddy bear I had nearly tripped over and took away the broken pen that she had been licking, tossing it into a wastepaper bin. 

Cat started shrieking loudly, so I picked her up and rocked her on my hip, my eyes scanning the room for a pacifier. "Damn!" I swore to myself as my search yielded no results, and had no other option than to call my brother. "RON! COME HELP THE BABY!" 

Predictably, he didn't answer me and I had to let Cat suck on my finger while I wen tot find one of my other brothers. "Fred, take the baby, I have to go and help Mom." I quickly deposited the screaming Cat in Fred's arms as Mom yelled, "Ginny! I need you to help me!" 

I ran into the kitchen and winced as my hip scraped against the sharp side of the table. It stung like hell, but I reached out to take the wooden spoon from Mom and started stirring the soup. It was thin and watery with just a few vegetables swimming around in it, like it always was on a bad week. "Did they cut Dad's pay again?" I asked, rubbing my hand over the place on my hip where the skin had scraped off. 

Mom huffed just at the mention of Dad and bustled out of the kitchen, tightening her apron. I had taken over several shifts at a cafe downtown, but it didn't cover much except for some occasional cheap tacos and Christmas presents. I had told my parents not to bother with giving me presents, because I knew they were pressed enough for money without it, and I bought most of my things myself anyway. 

My favourites were oversized hoodies and jeans with colourful patches from the thrift store, along with the cheap paperbacks that I filled my room with. My skateboard had been there too, and I had bought it two years ago with my wages. From then on, the skate park became my haven from the noise of our tiny box house and my parents always at each other's throats. 

I sighed and sat the pot of soup down on the table, along with eight bowls, as the thin broth was easy enough for Cat to eat, and eight spoons. "DINNER!" I yelled, as loudly as I could, and the twins ran in, ready to eat. "RON, PERCY, MOM!" 

They came in, one by one, and sat down without even acknowledging me. I took a ladle of the soup and swirled it around my bowl, not really wanting to eat. I heard a click of the lock in the door, and Dad came into the room, looking exhausted. "Hello, love," He said wearily, looking at me. "Hi, Dad." 

The others ignored him, and he sat down beside me and took some soup. I knew that Mom was waiting to yell at him, so I quickly intervened. "I got a B+ on my biology test," I blurted. "Oh, well done honey! Why didn't you say anything sooner?" Mom asked, sitting up straight. "Well, I wanted to wait until Dad was here too..." I trailed off at the stony look in her eyes. "I see. Well, maybe your father would od better to come home on time if he wants to be a part of the family news." 

"Molly, you know my pay has been cut and I have to work more hours now." Dad said wearily, but once Mom had started there was no way to stop her. "Well, maybe you should find a proper job instead of that minimum-wage one, honestly Arthur, I don't know why you bother."

"Molly-"

"You know your daughter even offered to start helping with the bills so we could eat something other than soup?" I cringed internally, that was not at all what I had said. "Said she doesn't want Christmas presents either!"

"Well, maybe if you got a job as well, we could be a proper family again!" Dad yelled, and everyone went silent. We all knew that since Mom had broken her back, she couldn't do much heavy lifting or long hour shifts. "I'm going up to my room," I said, but I didn't think anyone heard me. I put my bowl in the sink and went up the twisting stairs, quickly sliding inside my tiny bedroom. I lay down on my bed and took out my cracked phone, which almost permanently had my shitty headphones plugged in. I picked the only playlist I ever used and turned the music up as loud as possible, plugging my ears from the sound of yelling downstairs as the boiling tears gathered in my eyes.