Love Like Cyanide
The Dog Who Loved The Flowers
The stairs led straight into the kitchen area. I sat down at the table and noticed Derrik was already eating. I smelled the food before I saw it. It looked as good as it smelled. In the center of the table was a healthy meal. When I say healthy I don't mean all fruits and veggies, but I mean a decent meal that doesn't include fast food take-out.
I breathed in a deep whiff of chicken, mashed potatoes, and cheesy broccoli. It smelled delicious! I noticed that there was already a plate with food set up for me. Derrik pushed the plate towards me.
"Thanks," I said quietly.
"You're welcome," he said around a bite of food.
I stared down at the food and inhaled deeply. Then I picked up my fork and dug in. Mmmm! It even tasted like it smelled and looked.
"Wow," I said, covering my mouth 'cause I was still chewing, "it's amazing." I glanced up to see Derrik smile to his plate and meet my eyes with friendly ones of his own.
"Glad you like it." His smile faded when he abruptly turned away from the table and let out a violent cough. I could see the skin on his face turn red when another wet cough erupted from his throat. Jeez, he sounded like he was dying.
When he turned back to the table he had his hand to his throat and breathing steadily.
"You know, you wouldn't have that nasty cough if you didn't smoke," I told him.
He looked startled. "Excuse me?" He raised his eyebrow. "I don't smoke...or do any drugs for that matter. I've just got a bit of a cough."
Great. Now I felt stupid and like a jerk. "Oh." I flushed and looked down. "I just thought...never mind."
It was silent for the rest of dinner. After I finished eating I didn't go back to my room, but decided to look around the house some more (though only in the rooms Derrik said I could go in). The first room I got a better look at was the large living room. I got to see what pictures were framed and hung on the walls. I was shocked when Derrik told me that they were his own creations. I never knew (or dreamed) that he had an artistic side. He said that he didn't draw people ever, and preferred still life of nature.
My favorite work of his was the biggest one that hung above the fireplace. It was used with pastels has was extremely bright and colorful. In the picture was a gray and white hairy dog with his tongue sticking happily out of his mouth. The dog was playing in a field of beautiful flowers of all kinds and was practically buried in them.
"It's so adorable!" I said in a high pitched voice that sounded like the kind of tone adults used when they talked to a cooing baby. "Does it have a name? Or do you not name your work?"
"No, I name my work. I call it The Dog Who Loved The Flowers." He shrugged almost apologetically. "I'm not very good at coming up with titles for anything so they're all pretty self explanatory."
"Well I like it," I said quietly.
I didn't feel like looking at any other parts of the house. I was too busy being memorized by the living room. I sat down on the soft love seat. Derrik sat down in a chair closer to the fireplace.
"So," he started, "you got any homework?" I knew he was just forcing himself to make conversation.
"Uh...no." I raised my eyebrows at him. "It's summer. School's out."
"Oh. Right." He fiddled with his fingers a bit then said, "How old are you?"
"Sixteen. I'm a junior."
"You don't seem like you're a junior. You look more twenty than sixteen."
I laughed.
"What?" he asked.
"Please. I look like I'm just a kid," I told him.
There was a pause. Suddenly in a sad sounding tone he said, "You look like my sister when she was sixteen."
"Oh. Who's your sister?" I asked curiously. Kathryn never mentioned any siblings he had. Though...the only time she did mention him she was telling me all the negatives things about him and what he did
Instead of answering he said, "Time to go to bed. It's late." He heaved himself off the chair and walked out of the room. Confused, I just listened to his footsteps as he went up the stairs until I decided to follow and get some sleep.
It was hard getting sleep in this different place. I stayed up for an hour or two just lying in bed until the wind's breeze rustling the leaves of the trees outside lulled me to sleep.
I breathed in a deep whiff of chicken, mashed potatoes, and cheesy broccoli. It smelled delicious! I noticed that there was already a plate with food set up for me. Derrik pushed the plate towards me.
"Thanks," I said quietly.
"You're welcome," he said around a bite of food.
I stared down at the food and inhaled deeply. Then I picked up my fork and dug in. Mmmm! It even tasted like it smelled and looked.
"Wow," I said, covering my mouth 'cause I was still chewing, "it's amazing." I glanced up to see Derrik smile to his plate and meet my eyes with friendly ones of his own.
"Glad you like it." His smile faded when he abruptly turned away from the table and let out a violent cough. I could see the skin on his face turn red when another wet cough erupted from his throat. Jeez, he sounded like he was dying.
When he turned back to the table he had his hand to his throat and breathing steadily.
"You know, you wouldn't have that nasty cough if you didn't smoke," I told him.
He looked startled. "Excuse me?" He raised his eyebrow. "I don't smoke...or do any drugs for that matter. I've just got a bit of a cough."
Great. Now I felt stupid and like a jerk. "Oh." I flushed and looked down. "I just thought...never mind."
It was silent for the rest of dinner. After I finished eating I didn't go back to my room, but decided to look around the house some more (though only in the rooms Derrik said I could go in). The first room I got a better look at was the large living room. I got to see what pictures were framed and hung on the walls. I was shocked when Derrik told me that they were his own creations. I never knew (or dreamed) that he had an artistic side. He said that he didn't draw people ever, and preferred still life of nature.
My favorite work of his was the biggest one that hung above the fireplace. It was used with pastels has was extremely bright and colorful. In the picture was a gray and white hairy dog with his tongue sticking happily out of his mouth. The dog was playing in a field of beautiful flowers of all kinds and was practically buried in them.
"It's so adorable!" I said in a high pitched voice that sounded like the kind of tone adults used when they talked to a cooing baby. "Does it have a name? Or do you not name your work?"
"No, I name my work. I call it The Dog Who Loved The Flowers." He shrugged almost apologetically. "I'm not very good at coming up with titles for anything so they're all pretty self explanatory."
"Well I like it," I said quietly.
I didn't feel like looking at any other parts of the house. I was too busy being memorized by the living room. I sat down on the soft love seat. Derrik sat down in a chair closer to the fireplace.
"So," he started, "you got any homework?" I knew he was just forcing himself to make conversation.
"Uh...no." I raised my eyebrows at him. "It's summer. School's out."
"Oh. Right." He fiddled with his fingers a bit then said, "How old are you?"
"Sixteen. I'm a junior."
"You don't seem like you're a junior. You look more twenty than sixteen."
I laughed.
"What?" he asked.
"Please. I look like I'm just a kid," I told him.
There was a pause. Suddenly in a sad sounding tone he said, "You look like my sister when she was sixteen."
"Oh. Who's your sister?" I asked curiously. Kathryn never mentioned any siblings he had. Though...the only time she did mention him she was telling me all the negatives things about him and what he did
Instead of answering he said, "Time to go to bed. It's late." He heaved himself off the chair and walked out of the room. Confused, I just listened to his footsteps as he went up the stairs until I decided to follow and get some sleep.
It was hard getting sleep in this different place. I stayed up for an hour or two just lying in bed until the wind's breeze rustling the leaves of the trees outside lulled me to sleep.
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