Chase

The girl in the booth near us began to cough a bit. I could tell her tongue was swelling quite a bit. But I wasn’t sure what to do. Ivy was just laughing, enjoying every minute of this, as she usually did. I paused.

The epi-pen. Could that work? I mean, for her too? I wasn’t sure in the least, but I had one chance, and that was all. “Ivy, the epi-pen, will that work?” I asked. Ivy searched the area with her eyes and then looked at me.

“We’ll see.” She grabbed the pen from me and headed over towards the girl in the other booth. By now, a small crowd had grown. I stood in the back of the crowd, watching Ivy take credit for my idea.

Within seconds, the girl who with the swelling lips and tongue was doing better. She was sitting in her booth, breathing in and out, trying to be as calm as possible. What was the big deal anyway? I mean with girls. They get embarrassed just the same as guys, they fall a lot, they squeak and they shriek. Girls aren’t anything special. They’re all the same. Like Ivy. They’re pretty, annoying, rude and too worried about appearance. Well, I’ll tell you one thing. There is no way I’m ever going to start dating if all girls end up the same. Damsels in distress.
I could only ever like someone who is independent. And who doesn’t need product to survive, and someone who is human. Just like me. A little imperfect. And a little different.

Just the way a human should be.

Ivy slid into the booth next to the girl with the swelling lips and started to make conversation. She was laughing, and within moment, the freaken little social girl had the girl who had swelling lips laughing too. There was another girl at the table, one who was sitting the the middle, clearly bored out of her skull, and also a small girl. One who looked no more than six years old or so.

I walked over to Ivy to sit down, seeing as she had moved tables on me without asking. But she only pushed me back. “Hold down our seats over there, Chaster, I don’t want to lose my window spot over there.” Ivy smiled faux-sweetly as she watched me begin to walk over so I could sit alone.

No, I thought. No, I wouldn’t do it. I was better than this. I wouldn’t take it this time.

“No, Ivy. I’m going. Text me when you care, sis. Until then, shut up.” I walked out of the ice-cream parlor with a proud grin on my face until I realized, I had no where to go, and was in the middle of no where.

Great, I thought. Now I’m lost.

I looked to my right and spotted a large area of trees and shrubbery. Forest. Perfect. Ivy wanted to find me? Let’s see her sweet talk mom out of this one. ‘Oh sorry I lost your son mom. Would you like some ice-cream?’ I don’t THINK so. She loses me, she’s in for it. And me? Well, I’m flying high.

Suddenly, and without warning, clean air filled my lungs. City air was nasty. Forest air was inspirational. I breathed in and out deeply for a few minutes. Just standing there, breathing. But when my back pack dropped to the ground, I looked down to make sure it hadn’t landed in anything. However, when I looked down, I discovered something slightly more...complicated?

My entire body was engulfed in pink, yellow and white flowers.

How in the hell did I accomplish this?