Page 52 of Poetry of Flowers

“I won’t get addicted.”

“You don’t know that, most addictions arrive silently until it’s too late, like with Tillie’s father.”

She sighed and rubbed her fingers over her eyes. “You’re right, I don’t want to become like my uncle because he hurts people with his addiction, I don’t like hurting people.”

With a nod, I put my arm around her shoulders and guided her down the train to where our friends were waiting.

“Yeah, I know.”

When all of this was over, I was going to make sure she was just babbling while high. I did believe that people could recover from addiction, but they’d always have to live with the consequences, and then there was the worry about relapse. It was a terrifying mistake to start with this stuff, and I didn’t want Autumn to fall into that pattern.

“We have to get out here,” I told Tillie and Theo when the train stopped. When Tillie looked up at me, her eyes made my heart skip a beat. I could have looked at her forever.

But we broke our gaze a second later when I grabbed our bags and Tillie jumped up to hug her cousin.

“Oh, Autumn, did you cry?” she asked. I had to stifle a laugh.

“Oh no, I smoked weed. Relaxing experience.” She held up her thumb and grabbed her bag. She was a bit wobbly on her legs, but could just about manage to walk.

Tillie could only stare after Autumn, who jumped out as soon as the doors opened. Theo mumbled something behind her.

“Is she okay? Did she tell you something?” Tillie asked, but I shook my head.

“She’s just a bit more happy than usual, now come, or the train will leave, and these two idiots will be here all alone.”

“Uhh, definitely not, they would kill each other before we returned here” she said, and I chuckled.

Tillie held my arm, and together we stepped out onto the dimly lit platform.

Love - September 3, 2022

My love for you makes the butterflies flutter,

But outside the window to my soul, there’s a shutter.

So much hurt I felt before,

Inside my head, my thoughts were at war.

I love you is a simple phrase for us,

That’s not the love we should discuss.

We both feel the spark,

I know our childhood left its mark.

You’re my reason to keep existing,

Yet before I can speak, my tongue and mind keep twisting.

I know our love is forever,

Can I keep this secret further?

I think I don’t love you as a best friend,

Soulmates and lovers till the end?

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