"What are you doing?" My youngest sister Karen raised her eyebrows as I carefully wrote "You're Beautiful" on a card for Mandy. I clipped it back on the stick in the bouqet of daisies. "Are those of Ashley?" My mom said putting a hand on my shoulder. Karen smirked. Suddenly Sammy's words in the hospital room echoed. "Karen is such a gneius she is afraid of what is real" And i knew she was right. "No, their for Sam's grave" i lied and then i felt guilty because daisies were Sammy's favorite flowers. Mom smiled and kissed my cheek, "I know how much you miss her, and to think she's going to turn eighteen in a few weeks" (I am). I smiled at mom and then went into the bathroom and turned the hot water on. I showered and then carefully shaved and gelled my hair. "Darling where on earth are you going?" Mom asked when i grabbed the bouqet. "Uh...Sammy's grave" I said. "And then where?" Simon scoffed. I hated him for a moment, "Out" i said and then left.
I drove up to Mandy's house and smiled at it. It was very homey, the front door was painted baby blue, while the trimming was yellow and the body of the house was a pale pale pink. The sidewalk was cobblestone and their were flowers blooming in so many places. I walked up to the door and rung to bell. I waited for a moment then Mandy swung it open. "HI!" she smiled brightly. "These are for you," I handed her the flowers. "Oh, they're lovely," she did a twirl around with them like she was dancing and thanplanted a light kiss on my cheek. I raised my eyebrows and then smiled. I wasn't used to this type of girl. "Come on in" she giggled. I followed her into the kitched and watched her put the flowers in a vase. "Are you ready?" she smiled taking my hand. I squeezed it lightly. "yeah, I made reservations at a nice Italian place" I said. "MMM sounds good" she said with another smile. this girl smiled a lot and it suited her. Her brown hair was down today, and soft curls fell and framed her face making her features seem fragile and screamed that she needed to be handled with care. She was wearing a white sundress with a black bow that seemed to tie it together, her legs were perfectly sun kissed and her feets matched her white flip flops, she was the perfect image of summer. "You look great" I said with a sigh. "Oh, well, thanks, but no i don't" she smiled modestly but her eyes were twinkling because she knew she looked great. she gabbed on and on and we talked about everything from horses to what i'm going to college for, she asked me about my brothers and sisters and was silent when i explained Sammy and then she was very sympathetic, her heart went out to me in a million ways and despite myself i took it and held on.
Dinner was perfect we shared a Canaloni platter and then we shared a piece of cheesecake, which was good because we were totally stuffed at the end. "WEll Jason, where are we going now?" she smiled. "Anywhere you want" I said smiling at her and holding her hand delicately. She was a daisy, you could just tell, her celery eyes were stems into her sould and her dispostion was happy, "Like Daises Jase, Daises are always happy" Sammy whispered once. i smiled. "Can i meet your horse?" She said at last. I dropped my jaw, "Noel? You want to meet Noel?" "Well of course, a girl who has always wants a pony, finally meets the cowboy who has got one...Of course i want to meet her" she laughed taking her arms and wrapping them around me. I put my own around her and smiled. What if Ashley saw, what would she think? I didn't want to know. "Okay" I said in spite of saying no.
Evergreen however, was deserted when we got there. "Ohhh How romantic Jason, you know this place?" I looked at her. "yeah" I said. "Oh you have to show me everything" she giggled. "okay" I said taking her hand. But it was no good, Mandy was like a child who saw a horse and ran for it. I hadn't told her about Noel's deformities, I was too afraid, afraid she might think i was a horrible person, I had two choices, to lie to her, or to tell her the truth. we stopped at Jojo's stall. "this was sammy's horse" I said. "He is beautiful" she murmered. i watched Jojo lick her outstrectched hand. His eyes were softer these days and sometimes i wondered if Sammy came and rode him while nobody watched, but i knew she didn't. I knew it was because of noel, he loved her. "Oh Jason look at this poor foal!" I heard her cry. I closed my eyes, she'd found Noel. "That's Noel" I said. "Oh Jason what's happened to her" I pursed my lips. "She was hit by a car," I said at last. "What a miracle." Mandy breathed and clung to me. I rubbed my hand up and down her spine. Noel nickered and nosed me. "Hey precious girl" I said. I kissed Noels nose and followed Mandy.
AFter the date was over and i had carefully explained Noel to Mandy, i took her home, She was sad to go, and stayed in my car and talked, laughed and giggled for a few hours. I smiled. "Mandy, you better go inside," "Okay, will you please take me to your sisters grave someday?" she asked. I was touched. Nobody had ever wanted to go with me, it hurt them too much. "Of course" I said in an almost whisper. She smiled and touched my cheek with her hand. I felt her lips softly touch mine and the leave. "goodnight Jason... Dream of me" she smiled and skipped, literally skipped into her house and turned the lights off, telling me so was in alright.
When i got home nobody was awake, except my dad. "Have a nice date?" he said. "How'd you figure?" "You never dress up to go to the cemetary and you always come home after 12 AM if you've gone out" he said. I smiled, "Does Ashley know?" i said uncertain. Dad shook his head. "Son, you better break things off...officially if you start dating again. Now come here and tell me about this girl you took flowers too." he patted the seat next to him and i went over and told him about Mandy. "She is like....a daisy" Dad laughed, "A happy flower?" I nodded. "Sammy, would like her son" "Dad?" "Yes son?" "When Sam was dying, i mean really dying. WAs she mad i wasn't there?" "No, she was glad son, because she was holding on for you until she couldn't anymore" i felt my heart shatter at the pit of my stomach and my eyes misted. "I feel like it's my fault, all her life i had protected her, from boy, from bullies, from getting hurt and i couldn't protect her from this" I said lightly, my throat ached from trying to hold baack my tears. "Night son" dad hugged me tight. "It's not your fault, nobody could protect her" he whispered and went upstairs. Later I followed
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