Dandelions

The slightly damp dirt soiled my jeans as I knelt in the flowerbed. It was weeding time. I grabbed low on the stem of a dandelion and tugged in out of the ground. Then I shoved it into the plastic Winco bag. I repeated this many times.

I despise dandelions. Always have. The very sight of their white fluff fills me with violent rage. Where others (Naethan) may see the beauty of a wish not yet wished for, I only see a nuisance. A weed. And I hate weeds.

Perhaps I’m being too dramatic.

I’ve been told that before.

That I get carried away.

Like those nasty dandelion seeds on the wind.

You may wonder why I hate dandelions so much. They don’t suck magic from the soil like Wyrmm Thistle or strangle the flowers like the vines of Spear-Leafed Ivy. The truth is…they just suck.

“Hey Lydia!”

Naethan.

My day became infinitely better.

I stood, turning to face him as I brushed the soil from my jeans, “Hi Naethan. How are you?”

A smile lit up his face, showing the dimple in his right cheek. His eyes might not have had gold flecks, but they certainly sparkled when he smiled. They reminded me of pine cones, the way the shades of brown in his irises spread out from the center in small spikes. In all my life, I’d never seen anything quite like them. I'd never seen anything quite like him either.

“I’m doing good, you?”

I paused for a moment, taking in the sunlight and the cool spring breeze. And the boy standing in front of me.

“I’m good too.”

“Whatcha doing?”

“Weeding, I’m trying to grow Dryad’s Breath this year.”

“Ah. That’s the yellow stuff, right?”

I nodded, “It is, and it’s really finicky.”

Naethan didn’t know flowers, but he knew me. And when I spoke, he listened. I think that’s why people always liked him so much. He was a listener. It was certainly why I liked him.

“Nothing you can’t handle.”

I wish.

“I’m not sure about that. I’m really not the best gardener.”

“Lydia, that’s stupid.”

I gawked at him, “What?”

“You’re fantastic. Deal with it.”

I might have laughed at the abruptness of that statement had I not been looking at his face. There was something there that told me he was entirely serious.

My cheeks flushed, “Thanks.”

Naethan said nothing, he only smiled. Once again showing that dimple.

“Do you want some help weeding?”

A grin spread across my face, “That would be awesome, if it’s not too much trouble.”

“Never.”

We got to weeding.

Much Weeding Later

We took a break around noon, and I grabbed us each a glass of water.

“Hey Lydia?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

I took drink from my glass. The cool water softened my somewhat scratchy throat.

He cleared his throat, then spoke in a dramatic voice, “Will you marry me?”

I proceeded to choke on my water.

“I’m kidding. I’m kidding, I promise.”

I shoved him, “Never do that again”

Or wait a couple years.

He made a mock offended face, “Wow, Wow, way to let a guy down easy.”

I rolled my eyes, “If you wanted to be let down easily, you should have jumped off a cliff.”

He looked confused, “That makes no sense.”

“Yes it does.”

“No, it doesn’t, it hurts to fall off cliffs. A lot…I assume.”

“No, it’s the landing that hurts, not the falling. You’d get down there easy enough, you’d just, like, die.”

Naethan raised an eyebrow, “So you want me to die?”

“Maybe.”

“That’s not what you’re supposed to say!”

“Well then, what am I supposed to say?”

“You’re supposed to say,” he cleared his throat, and his voice turned offensively high, “I would never want you to die, Naethan, you’re my best and only friend and I couldn’t live without you.”

I scoffed, “Okay first, I don’t sound like that.”

“Yes, you do.”

I cleared my throat, “Second, you are not my only friend. I have Piper.”

“Your dog. Your only other friend is your dog.”

“Remember that question you asked me, the answer is yes now.”

“You’ll marry me?” He mimed tucking a strand of hair behind his ear, “Well I’m flattered but currently I’m not looking for that sort of relationship. Although I guess we cou–”

“Shut up. You know what I meant.”

Naethan’s laugh came long and loud, as it often did. It was wild and free, rising up to the sky. When he laughed, I couldn’t be mad at him. It was infuriating.

He spoke again as his laughter died down, “Okay, but I have a real question to ask you.”

“You do? Spill.”

“Okay, so, I think one of the Eternal Ladies is living on Little Island.”

My jaw dropped, “No. Way.”

“We like, need to check it out.”

“Heck yeah we do!”

We set down our glasses and started down the old dirt path that led from my house to the pond.

Although we moved quickly, our steps came in tandem. That is, until I stopped.

A young woman blocked the path. She had crimson hair that fell just past her waist. Her dress was a deep indigo hue, the color of twilight. Using one finger she beckoned me towards her. Naethan didn’t seem to notice. I tried to run past her. She was probably just a ghost.

“Foolish girl, listen to me.”

The woman grabbed my forearm. Her hands were so cold they hurt.

Not a ghost then.

“You must beware the pond.”

Her voice had a strange ring to it. I tore my arm away from the woman’s cold grasp, trying to rush past her. Naethan still hadn’t noticed.

“Listen to me, Nighean Erain.”

Daughter of Eran.

“How do you know my father?”

The woman didn’t answer my question.

“You will become what you hate.”

“What do you mean?”

The woman turned to smoke as her cloak fell to the ground. A chill went up my spine.

A hand shook my shoulder and I flinched.

“Lydia, you okay?”

I blinked, looking up to see Naethan, worry present in his pinecone eyes.

“I’m fine.”

“You sure?”

“I’m sure. Let’s just go.”

From the furrow in his brow, I could tell he didn’t believe me. I wasn’t sure I believed myself.

17 Minutes and One Very Tiring Walk Later

A thick fog covered the island, softening the light of the afternoon sun. The air was cold and damp. Goosebumps prickled along my bare arms. I knew I should have worn a sweater.

A long, wild cackle erupted from the smoke.

I shrunk until I was four inches tall. My legs and torso stretched long as my arms melded into my sides. My toes grew into the ground, rooting me in place. Every hair on my head turned white and soft as it grew up towards the bright blue sky.

I had become the very flower that I had always hated.

At least Naethan liked dandelions.