Wildflowers
Mia was laying down under the tree, stretching and yawning. The leaves of the tree were slowly turning yellow with the changing of seasons. There were less flowers now, but still quiet a few. Dandelions, daisies, goldenrods. She remembered mornings filled with sunshine when the whole world seemed like something precious, gleaming as if dipped in gold. When she and Mabel gripped their father's hand with tiny fingers as he told them the names of trees and flowers. It was a distant memory, and was only getting further away.
The sun was hiding behind clouds, causing Mia to shudder with the cold. Sitting up with her back to the trunk of the tree, she saw a familiar blonde head bobbing through the tall grass and flowers.
Jude.
She stood, trying to catch his eye. She managed to catch his attention, standing on the tips of her toes on the protruding roots of the apple tree and waving. She gave him a sweet smile, and she had to hold on to the smile with every bit of strength she had even after noticing a girl walking with Jude, hand in hand. He waved back at her with a bunch of wildflowers in his free hand.
She felt a pang of guilt and loneliness, but waited as they approached her, trampling the grass.
"Hello!" Jude said, as cheerful as the first time she had seen him. "Mia, this is Jane."
"Hi," The girl said shyly, clinging on to Jude's arm. She was a pretty little thing, with dark, shiny hair and sun-kissed skin.
"Nice to meet you," Mia said absently.
"We were jus' heading to the lake," Jude spoke, with his accent musical. "There's some fair or something there, and Jane wanted to see it."
Mia knew of the fair. There was one that took place every year, before autumn truly began. There were games, prizes, and half the town there. She had gone once as a child and never again - she had no desire to see the girls from school there. Especially now that Mabel wasn't there to protect her.
"Would you like to come with us?" Jude asked, and Jane looked up at her with doleful eyes when Mia shook her head.
"No, it's okay. I have something else to do today." Mia lied.
Jude tilted his head a little, and looked deep into her eyes. "Alright then."
And they set off, and Mia was alone once again. The wind rustled the leaves of the apple tree and gently pulled at strands of her hair, as if urging her to go as well. She felt tears well up in her eyes as she buried her hands in her face. She had already gone against Mabel's wishes. She was alone again.