words sounded sincere. She was also good at that, at switching gears on me, or she used to be. I nodded to her as she hesitated and then decided to not hug me again. She turned and slid her hands into the pockets of her ripped up jean shorts as both Cody and I watched her walk out of the wrought iron gates. I sighed and looked at Cody, who obviously had something to say.
“She is something else.”
I paused and then spoke, my voice even and calm. “Yeah, tell me about it.”
Cody pointed in her direction. “So you and her?” he paused like I may not appreciate the question, but I figured why not. The cat was out of the bag now.
“Yeah. From freshman year to my junior year in high school.”
Cody rubbed his neck and then grinned. “So did you guys...you know?”
I laughed and started to walk away from the plaque as he followed me. I glanced over at him as he stared at me. “No, we did not have sex. We just made out and groped each other.”
“Mmm.”
I stopped walking and turned to him. “What?”
He looked behind him and then back to me. “Nothing,” A sinister grin curled the corner of his lip.
I tilted my head. “Seriously? What? Are you turned on or something?”
He raised his hands and laughed. “I mean, come on, who wouldn’t be? Two hot girls…doing stuff.”
I smacked at him and he backed away from me as he continued to laugh. “So you think she is hot then?”
“She is cute, but you…you are the hot one.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Right.” I continued to walk along the path that lead into a maze of flowers and high shrubbery. I always loved this garden when I was little. It reminded me of a fairy tale and I would pretend that I was lost and needing to be rescued. I stopped as he stepped up next to me and stared at all of the flowers.
“You will find poppies, roses, violets, daisies and, of course, jasmine here. In fact, it is everywhere,” I said as my eyes wandered across the landscaping.
Cody looked at me as the sunlight lit up my face. I looked at him and he turned his face back towards the pathway.
“My mom played here when she was little and chose all of her children's names and wrote them down in her 'Garden of Children' book.”
I started to walk again as Cody reached out and took my hand. I looked down at our hands intertwined and allowed it to happen. “Well, she certainly knows how to plan,” he said calmly.
I smiled. “Yes, she does. It is almost annoying how good she is at it. I mean, it is creepy. She wrote our names down and then willed us here. If anyone could, it would be her.”
He laughed, “Well, any woman who can have five girls and survive it should get a medal.”
I stopped and laughed at him. “Seriously?” he shrugged his shoulders. “You know it had to be a nightmare with five teenage girls in one house…be honest.” I bit my lip and then laughed too. “It was a huge nightmare.”
“How did you survive it?” he asked me.
I sighed and then walked along, my free hand gently touching the rows of violets flanking my right side. The petals felt soft to the touch and I honestly did not realize how much I missed this place until right this moment.
“My dad. I mean, I was enough to handle, I am sure, but I was not girly like the rest of them. They were drama, morning, noon and night. I preferred to just hang out in the treehouse and plot survival for the coming apocalypse.”
He smiled and watched my hand gently gliding along the tops of the flowers, “Well, brothers can suck too.”
I stopped and stared at the violets and then bit my lip. Cody narrowed his eyes. “Did I say something weird?” I turned to him and looked him over.
“I had a brother, a baby brother. He didn’t live past two.”
He opened his mouth and then shut it, but quickly recovered. “I am sorry Jazz, I didn’t know.”
I raised a hand to him. “Don’t be sorry, you had no idea. I just figured I would say something now so you don’t mention your brother
“She is something else.”
I paused and then spoke, my voice even and calm. “Yeah, tell me about it.”
Cody pointed in her direction. “So you and her?” he paused like I may not appreciate the question, but I figured why not. The cat was out of the bag now.
“Yeah. From freshman year to my junior year in high school.”
Cody rubbed his neck and then grinned. “So did you guys...you know?”
I laughed and started to walk away from the plaque as he followed me. I glanced over at him as he stared at me. “No, we did not have sex. We just made out and groped each other.”
“Mmm.”
I stopped walking and turned to him. “What?”
He looked behind him and then back to me. “Nothing,” A sinister grin curled the corner of his lip.
I tilted my head. “Seriously? What? Are you turned on or something?”
He raised his hands and laughed. “I mean, come on, who wouldn’t be? Two hot girls…doing stuff.”
I smacked at him and he backed away from me as he continued to laugh. “So you think she is hot then?”
“She is cute, but you…you are the hot one.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Right.” I continued to walk along the path that lead into a maze of flowers and high shrubbery. I always loved this garden when I was little. It reminded me of a fairy tale and I would pretend that I was lost and needing to be rescued. I stopped as he stepped up next to me and stared at all of the flowers.
“You will find poppies, roses, violets, daisies and, of course, jasmine here. In fact, it is everywhere,” I said as my eyes wandered across the landscaping.
Cody looked at me as the sunlight lit up my face. I looked at him and he turned his face back towards the pathway.
“My mom played here when she was little and chose all of her children's names and wrote them down in her 'Garden of Children' book.”
I started to walk again as Cody reached out and took my hand. I looked down at our hands intertwined and allowed it to happen. “Well, she certainly knows how to plan,” he said calmly.
I smiled. “Yes, she does. It is almost annoying how good she is at it. I mean, it is creepy. She wrote our names down and then willed us here. If anyone could, it would be her.”
He laughed, “Well, any woman who can have five girls and survive it should get a medal.”
I stopped and laughed at him. “Seriously?” he shrugged his shoulders. “You know it had to be a nightmare with five teenage girls in one house…be honest.” I bit my lip and then laughed too. “It was a huge nightmare.”
“How did you survive it?” he asked me.
I sighed and then walked along, my free hand gently touching the rows of violets flanking my right side. The petals felt soft to the touch and I honestly did not realize how much I missed this place until right this moment.
“My dad. I mean, I was enough to handle, I am sure, but I was not girly like the rest of them. They were drama, morning, noon and night. I preferred to just hang out in the treehouse and plot survival for the coming apocalypse.”
He smiled and watched my hand gently gliding along the tops of the flowers, “Well, brothers can suck too.”
I stopped and stared at the violets and then bit my lip. Cody narrowed his eyes. “Did I say something weird?” I turned to him and looked him over.
“I had a brother, a baby brother. He didn’t live past two.”
He opened his mouth and then shut it, but quickly recovered. “I am sorry Jazz, I didn’t know.”
I raised a hand to him. “Don’t be sorry, you had no idea. I just figured I would say something now so you don’t mention your brother
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