Sharing Lavender was something that never crossed my mind while i was with her.
After discovering his offering, River was always there to end a helping hand.
I knew he was only making himself known so that we could be comfortable with having him around. He was slowly easing himself into our lives through increased amounts of exposure.
It was a smart idea, i had to give him that.
I distracted my confused mind by getting started on the ambitious plans Mum and Dad had for outside thier front yard and leading towards the house. They wanted a lot, but i was grateful for that; it kept me busy and gave my mind time to focus on something else other than River lurking around.
Having him around was fine. I really liked his company and the humour that came with it. It was the way he talked to and watched Lavender that had me on edge. If anything, it felt like Braidon was back to steal her from me all over again.
I shouldn't have been worried about those things anymore. We were no longer together so she could pursue anyone she wanted.
But it felt like i was taking a back seat in a relationship that i wasn't willing to dive back into just yet.
I just didn't want to get hurt again so soon.
Mum and Dad were impressed with my steady progress of thier vision they helped me with. River and Darcy lended helping hands when they could, although Darcy often had to sit out because he couldn't move his.
When they weren't helping, Mum and Dad were teaching me how to drive.
With thier appeal into the station, they were able to take me out of my five kilometer radius solely for learning. I was granted three hours a day maximum for driving while being tracked. I could go anywhere, as long as I didn't breach the time.
It was easier to drive in Mum and Dad's little automatic since it was impossible to stall. The freedom that came with it was exhilerating and made me want to push it further than the snails pace my nerves kept me at.
Just having the wheel under my fingers gave me power i didn't know i was missing. I could reach places no bike ever could at this speed, and see beauty in landscapes that were once unreachable.
Mums favourite place to take me by was the sunflower fields. The plants themselves reminded her of fond memories and we often got to go past them, even though they were an hour from our home.
Gazing apon the fields of yellow petals swimming amongst green foliage always made Mum smile. The black heads contrasted against the vibrant colours that dwarfed the landscape around it.
The way both fields sat on either side of the road that was bordered with flowering trees branching thier canopy above us in an archway was just breathtaking. It really made the long trip worth it for that unforgettable moment.
Soon, the sunflowers became my favourite flower too. The memories of driving with Mum while surrounded by them and the contagious beat of the radio was engrained as one of my fondest memories.
Whenever Dad was my instructor, he liked to take me to a small town only half an hour away from home.
It was still set in its ways of the past with cobblestone pathways and dated storefronts offering rare and unique items from thier times.
Dad's favourite place was the lolly shop hidden between stone alleyways where more shops hid off the main pathway. The sweet scent of all the old favourites was his fond memory he shared with me. Boiled lollies were his weak spot, always packaged in little paper bags as he remembered.
We found that by smashing the bag against a wall that we could break the round lollies into much smaller pieces I could flick through the metal teeth at the front of my muzzle.
After indulging on sweets, we would go to the wharf and just sit there talking and feeding the greedy ducks paddling about that tried to nip our dangling feet.
When my public appology with Braidon was rushed through and over in the matter of moments; possibly so nothing sparked between us as the mutations bulged along me, Dad took me to the town for wood-fired stone-cooked pizza. It was the first one I enjoyed as it was cut into strips and jammed between the metal teeth again.
Lavender had her own memories with her parents as she was being taught around my lessons. She had already set her dreams to owning a yellow Beetle that she could take out to the beaches she drove alongside on her lessons. To her, yellow was a colour of happiness and filled her with joy. She wanted one with a sunroof too so she could feel the breeze in her hair or gaze up at the stars in comfort.
Money was not an issue for Mum or Dad who said they were going to fund her dream. It seemed like it never had been, but i did not know thier struggles they endured to live as comfortably as they were now.
I wanted to make sure i made a name for myself like them. I didn't want to drag down the family financially when i was perfectly capable of contributing to it.
The vision of beauty was coming together nicely as the weeks flew by. I even took time off school to focus on this task instead.
The concrete we mixed in buckets and poured into moulds formed the cobblestone path from the road up to the picket fence around the house. There were smaller paths branching from the main one that traveled around Lavender's section and mine before heading further up the property. That alone took three weeks of mixing and pouring to complete with Darcy's help.
Arches went over the pathway to box it in. Wiring those and erecting them took another week to complete.
The white picket fences were fixed and painted around the house to give it new life. Even the house itself was painted a beautiful yellow with white trimmings to match the growing landscape. It was a task everyone easily competed in a week of hard work from all six sets of hands.
Everyone chipped in for the planting of flowers around the outsides of the arches. More were twined around the metal arches that were looking quite bare compared to everything else. Ivy geraniums climbed the arches while sunflowers were planted along the outside to eventually stretch upwards along the arches too.
A large circle of pickets and sunflowers was planted at the top of the property where the pathway snaked up to. When it would be fully grown, the flowers themselves would form a flowery igloo for anyone to relax inside. It was the centerpiece for that portion of the property. A halo of blue Damperia surrounded the area to resemble a radient river.
Down at the front where my blank section sat were more of the blue damperia spilling out from the archway entrance. The pathway continued down to another circular ending where a frame was built around a hanging egg-shaped wicker chair. The circular frame was enclosed at the top since everyone knew how popular Lavender's was as the new gathering area.
A novelty bird feeder in the shape of a picture frame hung from a pole curving elegantly outwards to lure in new art subjects.
The blue flowers flowed from a wooden wishing well a few meters from the chair frame. They poured downwards like water from the bucket dangling there.
There was not a lot going on here but that's the way I liked it. It was peaceful and a place to relax under the lights of the spirits.
"Now this is a hideout!" i heard River gasp in awe before seeing him duck underneath the archway, swatting the flowers from his head when his horn got snagged.
He held my art book and pencils that he promptly tossed to me before he flopped into the egg chair with a satisfied groan.
"I thought you were helping with the flowers inside?"
He stared blankly at me as he laid on his back in the chair and held up his hands that had chunks of petals pierced in the claws.
"Do these hands look like they can touch flowers without tearing them?" he shook them to try and dislodge the petals "you are going to draw me so that it looks like I am doing something."
I just laughed at him posing elaborately and flipped open the book. It wasn't until I started to outline his head that I saw that his ears had become longer and were notched along the edge near the tips.
"Hey, River?"
He looked at me.
"What happens if we mutate too far?" I glanced up at him quickly "you keep changing every time I see you."
"Yeah, well, that's not going to stop anytime soon" he huffed and slumped against the side of the chair. He frowned then peered at me with concern.
"Are you worried I'm going to become something you won't like?"
I dismissed his fear immediently and focused on his hanging tail now.
"The world has a funny way of saying 'fuck you' to us" he smiled as his face scrunched up bitterly "we drop down here to live a life that depends on how generous the humans are feeling, then we are expected to just stay here forever for thier next generation to do the same shit all over again."
"Forever?"
"Once you get your spots" he jabbed a finger against his shoulder "honestly, don't you listen in class? We stop aging once we get them. It's meant to be a sign that we are needed as we are."
My stomach dropped immediently and I lowered the artbook as sickness washed over me.
What would happen if I stopped growing old while my family continued to? Would I just be left behind? Mum and Dad were much too old for more children, and Lavender was destined to be childless because of our Bonding.
I had doomed myself to a life of loneliness.
"That can happen any time?"
"Sure" he frowned at my watering eyes now "but we only stay here until our Bonded light fades in the human."
"THAT'S NOT FOREVER!"
"It's about eighty to a hundred years!" River snapped back at my anger "seems like forever to be stuck like this."
He gestured to himself and flopped one arm down while the other clutched his face.
"If you keep mutating, you turn into a monster" he muttered "and once that happens, there's no coming back from it. You just become one of the animals. Look at me; I'm the one who suffers because I'm trying to keep Darcy safe."
I saw tears roll down River's cheek that he swiped away. His body trembled as he tried to control his sobs that tore from him.
I wanted to comfort him, but it looked like something that could benifit from some time alone just to get his emotions out.
"I want to m-make sure he i-is happy before I g-g-go" River snivelled "there's s-so much I s-still want to d-do"
I couldn't ignore him any longer. I dropped everything to rush over and wrap my arms around River who sobbed into my shoulder. I climbed into the chair with him so he could curl up against me and cling desperately like a frightened little child.
I soothed him as I ran my fingers over his hair like Mum did when she was trying to calm me. I didn't say anything while he tried to muffle himself against me; he just needed to let it out without opinions interrupting him.
Slowly, River calmed himself. I could still feel his body jolting against me occasionally as sadness still shook within him. He was quiet other than his shaky breaths.
I checked on him to see he was gazing up at me now with his tearful eyes. When he saw me smile at him, he tucked his head down and held me closer.
I heard footsteps and rustling of leaves from the entrance of my garden. River heard it too and let out a small groan of defeat.
It was just nice to lay here together. There was something calming about being hugged closely by such enveloping hands.
"Am I disturbing something?" I heard Dad's voice and looked up to see him peering over the top of the chair "you two look comfy."
"We are" River grinned back at him and nuzzled into my chest.
"Your mother said that that sunflower field you two drive by is open now" Dad spoke with obvious confusion "she found out online that you can walk through them with photo ops and that they'll have food trucks there too."
"Sounds lame" River commented.
"Darcy was quite keen for it" Dad replied with a sly smile to me.
"I guess it'd be good to see what the fuss is about some dumb flowers" River grumbled back as he pulled himself from me and out of the egg chair much to Dad's happiness.
I collected my things and followed behind. Darcy was already excitedly babbling to an unamused River while Mum was packing the car with Lavender.
"There's not enough room for us all" I realised.
Dad smiled and rested a hand on my head.
"I'll hold down the fort while you guys are gone. Don't forget to get your mother some sunflowers too."
He sneakily slipped me a fifty doller note that I excitedly stashed away.
"I don't want to see any change" he winked as Mum called out to us. I rushed forward to hug Dad tightly before sprinting over to where everyone was climbing in and shouting out thier goodbyes.
The trip was short with anticipation and excitement fuelling us. Everyone was already out and rushing to the field like the flowers would suddenly wither and die before we got there.
The sea of green and yellow sparked joy in Mum as it always did when she laid eyes on them. Darcy and Lavender raced ahead with River wandering behind.
"This takes me back" Mum sighed with a smile when we were granted entry "your father and I met at a florist, you know."
"Really?" I chuckled back as I tried to picture them crammed together in a tiny store swarming with blooms.
"He was so shy and cheeky. He was with his friends at the time and I was with mine. His friend, Darrius, was the one who kept pestering him to ask me out. And you know what he did when I saw him coming over?"
I shook my head.
"He picked up a huge bucket of sunflowers from the display to hide himself behind!" she laughed loudly "but you could still see his legs around it!"
We both laughed together now and she wiped her eyes.
"Sunflowers remind me of that adorable boy I fell in love with" she smiled warmly "and all those wonderful memories."
It's funny how one simple gesture could create such an important event that Mum still thought fondly of so many years later and created a lasting memory between them.
That's what I wanted to do. I wanted to create memories that lasted a lifetime like that. Ones that made me smile when I thought back on them years down the track.
"I think I want to open a florist" I piped up "one with a huge bucket of sunflowers out the front!"
Mum chuckled but saw that I was serious.
"You do whatever you dream of, darling" she hugged me with one arm "I'll support you no matter what you choose."
Her approval had me grinning ear to ear that perked up happily. It was only the beginnings of a dream, but it was something fostering a financial future.
Perhaps, I could rekindle my love for Lavender through something as simple as a bucket of sunflowers too?
I was still buzzing with excitement when we all split up to check out what interested us most.
The field was swarming with people wandering amongst the sea of foliage. There was an archway of sunflowers off to one side and a swing twined with more sunflowers at another. People were poking thier heads through a board painted with petals around the holes to make it look like they were wearing the flowers that were also for sale at a flowery stand. There was even a horseshoe of food trucks billowing delicious scents into the air through spiraling fumes.
The area was a snapshot haven. Eveything was set up for the most picturesque photo opportunity in thier own areas. It only made the cheerful atmosphere soar higher.
"Stay right there!"
I turned from the archway others were leaving to see Lavender holding up her camera.
"Get under it" she encouraged "go on!"
I shuffled over and stood there with a smile before she frowned.
"It's missing something" she said "but what?"
I reached over to snag one of the sunflowers from the arch and break it free. I stood there with the massive, mutilated stem that I held in my teeth as I posed like a flamenco dancer.
Lavender laughed and quickly snapped the shot. I glanced around nervously before rushing over to offer the mauled flower to her before anyone else could speak up against my destruction. She posed with it under the arch while I took the photo for her and watched it slide out the bottom.
"The swing is next" she breathed excitedly beside me as she shook the blank photo "once the models get off it."
I stared with her at the couple standing on the swing for an intimate shot. Thier heads were dipped down as if they were going to kiss while thier friend held the swing back to wait for the momentum of the swing to create the best shot for the other friend snapping them.
I snorted at them when they swung forward and demanded another shot.
"We should try that" I nudged Lavender with a cheeky smile.
She was hopeful but then looked away with a sad smile when she saw I wasn't serious.
"Hey" I murmered and quickly kissed her on the cheek "cheer up."
Her small smile returned to make my stomach flop.
We were just friends now. Don't get too carried away, Teddy.
"Look at the lovebirds!" River called out from the field beside us and sprung from his hideout with Darcy to tap his cheek "where's mine, Teddy?"
I grabbed Darcy to push him to River instead. He reached up on his tiptoes to kiss River's chin. River responded by whipping around and flinging out an arm to the field beside him to grip a sunflower.
Darcy whimpered from the fast movement and shielded his face with his hands as he cowered. River tore up the flower but handed it to Lavender to hold instead.
"Don't you ever be afraid around me" River growled at at Darcy as he grabbed his hands and lowered them "I'm not going to hurt you, OK?"
Darcy nodded but still had a trembling lip that didn't fade when River gifted the flower to him.
"How am I supposed to keep this?" he looked down at it "the people here will know you ripped it up."
"Well, it you don't want it, then fine" River huffed back and snatched the flower to shove it into his mouth and spit the petals at Darcy. His sharp teeth tore through the fleshy head and seeds that fell from his mouth when he chewed noisily.
"Now no-one will know" he tore off another chunk that made Darcy smile.
"How on earth are you eating that?" Lavender cringed.
"With my mouth" River jeered back, spraying Lavender as he purposely over-pronounced the end of his sentence.
"Hasn't anyone told you not to speak with your mouth full?"
The new voice caught us all by surprise and freeze in our tracks. River even stopped eating the head of the sunflower that dangled from its stem before falling to the ground with a thud.
An old lady stood there, surveying the damaged sunflower before all of us with her warm green eyes. Her skin was darkened and weathered from the sun that made her wrinkles more prominent.
Despite her old age and slightly hunched frame, she still looked mobile. Her light blue dress was simple and flowing in the gentle breeze, and her wide brimmed straw hat was decorated with fake sunflowers.
"I took a long time to grow these. I do appreciate it if you don't eat my precious flowers" the woman spoke with amusement on her voice.
River's ears dropped immmediently when he realised the owner of the field was right before him. He looked absolutely terrified as he immediently dropped the stem onto the ground.
"Now, now" the woman tutted as she shuffled forward to bent over and retrieve the mutilated sunflower head and dust it off "you can't let such a beautiful thing go to waste."
"Lady, I'm really sorry" River spoke, tearing another chunk out of the flower "really."
"Enjoy it, dear boy" she chuckled with her warm smile "you all actually caught my eye for a different reason."
"We did?" I spoke now.
She nodded and turned her head when Mum came rushing into view with a cardboard plate of Dutch pancakes.
"River!"
"She wants me to do it!" he scowled back at Mum who rushed over to the woman to barrage her with apologies.
"No-one is in trouble" the woman patted the top of Mum's hand that wasn't balancing the pancakes "I actually wanted to offer these young boys of yours a job."
"You did?" I blurted in shock.
She nodded with a wide smile that forced her eyes closed.
"Demons are strong creatures" she marvelled "and I need help harvesting all these sunflowers for delivery. I only have one other demon so it takes a toll on her poor body. With his long arms, and this one unable to eat my crops, both of them could harvest them quickly. And I do like to help out the the young people when I can with some extra cash in hand. What do you say?"
"Yes, please!" I exclaimed.
"Both of them are still in school" Mum worried.
"Education is very important" the woman nodded "we can make it weekend work for now and increase it if they ever want to. I pay fifty cents per sunflower harvested. These boys could easily pick twenty of them for ten dollers. I'll give you my card and we can sort out paperwork on thier first day."
The woman pulled out a card from a pocket I didn't realise she had and passed it to Mum. She then left us with a small wave and shuffled off to enjoy her creations.
"Did we just get work?" River breathed.
"I think we did!" I smiled back before he linked his arm in mine and danced in circles cheerfully.
Lavender and Darcy giggled at us until they were swooped into our circle that moved to trap Mum in the middle who was very amused with the whole situation.
I was finally going to be able to earn my own money! I could actually help out around the home and indulge in things I otherwise couldn't.
This was amazing! For once, being a demon wasn't a bad thing at all. An old sunflower farmer had more sense than what most higher political figures did.
Everything was finally looking up.
I got Mum her sunflowers and indulged in some Dutch pancakes of my own with everyone else. Even with sunburn peeling our skin and the lurking storm in the distance threatening to chase the sun away, I was happy.
It was just another reason to sit and marvel at the beauty of the sunflowers and the joy they created.
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