Far And Away.

Flora walked around her neighborhood, kicking up gravel with her converse clad feet. When she got home from school she went to her mothers art studio to write, but she just couldn’t focus. So she decided to take a walk instead. As she walked by an old ranch style home she heard music playing from inside and singing- good singing. She wasn’t in the mood to investigate so she just pulled her iPod out of her back pocket, and popped her earbuds in.

She had been mean and she knew that, but everything Flora said was true. She wanted to get into a great college. She couldn’t go around skipping classes, and doing whatever she felt like. Senior year counts, and pretty soon Flora was going to have to start applying for schools. Of course, her dream was Ohio State, but she had a few back up plans as well. Not many kids her age knew exactly what they wanted to do, but Flora did. No one was going to get in the way of that, especially not Andy fucking Biersack.

Flora walked around the neighborhood for another hour, just listening to music and thinking. She knew she didn’t have any homework since she got it done in the free period Andy tried to get her to skip. Well look whose laughing now...

After pondering thoughts for a while, she started to feel her stomach grumble so she walked back to her apartment building. Her feet slammed against the steps as she hastily ran up them. But of course-as fate would have it- Andy was sitting right outside of his door, his knees drawn to his chest and his eyes red.

He looked up at her and scoffed, before standing up and going inside of his apartment. Flora wondered what had happened but didn’t think to much of it. They did hate each other, right?

“Mom?” She called out as she walked inside of her apartment. There was no reply, but she could hear the sound of someone in the art studio, “Mother!” She yelled again, in a silly voice.

“In my studio!” She heard a faint voice yell. Flora ran back there to see her mother working diligently on a new painting.

“Hey.” Flora plopped down in a chair beside her.

“Hi, where have you been?” Donna asked.

“Walking around.” Flora shrugged.

“Oh,” Donna mused, “I thought you may have been with Andy.”

“Why would I have been with Andy?” Flora exclaimed.

“His parents knocked on the door a little while ago. They said he hadn’t come home yet, and they’d gotten a call saying he skipped. When you weren’t home I assumed you were with him.” Donna chuckled.

“Would you have been mad?” Her daughter asked, looking at her with big blue doe eyes.

“No, Flora you need to live a little!” She exclaimed.

“I’ll live a little after college.” Flora shook her head, barely believing she was having this conversation.

“Honey, as much as I want to be a good mom, and tell you to do that,” Donna sighed, “I can’t. Because I didn’t do that and my life was great.”

“Are you telling me to skip class?” Flora smirked.

“No!” Donna chuckled, “I’m just saying maybe you should stop pushing people away.” Flora drew her knees to her chest, similar to that of Andy in the hallway. Its hard to let people in when your very own father pushed you away. Who leaves a daughter and wife for a skimpy, twenty four year old? Flora couldn’t push those thoughts from her mind, even if it meant losing someone she could be friends with.

Suddenly, Flora did something she hadn’t done in years: she cried.

“Why do I always seem to say the wrong things, mom?” She asked, tears falling down her face unevenly. Donna folded her daughter into her arms.

“You don’t, Flor, but at some point you have to let someone other than me in.” She shook her head. She didn’t know exactly what went on today, but she had an inkling it had something to do with the troublemaker next door.

“I know.” Flora whispered into her mothers chest. “Are you going to make dinner?”

Donna laughed, there was Flora for you. Thinking about food in the worst of times, “I was thinking we’d order pizza or something. Have a girls night.” She ruffled her daughters hair.

“I’m down.” Flora sniffled, and smiled softly.

“I’ll go call Rocco’s, you pick out some movies!” Donna jumped up and Flora followed after. She went through the big movie stand by their TV. She grabbed Blues Brothers, The Sweetest Thing, and Batman Begins for good measure.

An hour later the girls were curled up with some blankets watching The Sweetest Thing under careful consideration. Flora was halfway through her third slice of pizza and Donna was on her second.

“How are you so skinny if you eat so much?” Donna asked, her mouth full.

Flora shrugged, “High metabolism?”

“Obviously.” Donna raised her eyebrows. Flora took a sip of her Sierra Mist and pet her kitty who was sitting next to her. “So should we invite the Biersacks to our little evening soiree?”

“Your not funny.” Flora rolled her eyes.

“Wasn’t trying to be.” Donna said, but couldn’t contain her laughter. “What happened anyway, thought you guys started to..bond.”

Flora chuckled, “I don’t know, mom. We just don’t see eye to eye.”

“You don’t always have too.” Donna smirked.

“You should on things like college, and skipping class.” Flora sighed, “Plus he’s kind of a dick.”

“I didn’t get the dick vibe!” Donna exclaimed.

“Mom, he’s a total dick!” Flora said, grabbing another slice of pizza.

“He likes your music, and Batman!”

“That doesn’t make him any less dicky.” Flora folded her arms. Her mother threw her hands up.

“Alright, whatever you say.” She settled back into the couch, and the girls continued on with the movie. Flora couldn’t shake what her mother said. Why did they hate each other? They are a lot alike.

Notes