• He loves me…


    Laura plucked a petal off of the daisy she held.

    He loves me not…


    As more petals fell softly to the ground, the daisy’s head drooped. Laura snapped the stem off and angrily threw it at the ground, tears welling up in her eyes. Laura rubbed them away, smearing her eyeliner into a blurred mess.

    He loves me…


    Laura thought back to kindergarten, when she would play this silly game with herself. She had grown out of it, like everyone else, but, now she had no solace, no refuge, no one to run to save for the small patch of daisies in the corner of her yard.

    He loves me not…


    Here she sat, alone, no one to talk to but herself. Occasionally a bug would attack her face, but Laura would just swat it away, not even bothering to think that, maybe, the bug was just as lonely as herself.

    He loves me…


    All the insects reminded her a tad too much of everyone at school. Pests, that’s what they were, but you couldn’t just swat your classmates away.

    He loves me not…


    The stupid people at school. It’s all her peers fault. Laura started to tear the daisy apart faster.

    He loves me…


    It was all their fault he had found out, all their fault, all their fault.

    He loves me not…


    Her untrustworthy friend had blabbed. How stupid I was to believe her lies, Laura scolded herself bitterly. Why would she have ever wanted to be my friend, other than steal away all that was dear to me.

    He loves me…


    Everyone had found out. Everyone, including all the staff and even her own parents knew. Everyone knew, and he was one of them.

    He loves me not…


    Laura felt pathetic, sitting here in this grim, desolate spot, avoiding all their grimaces, hiding from their weird glances, shying away from their disapproving looks.

    He loves me…


    Stupid, stupid, stupid. Laura’s tears started to spill out of her eyes, even though she squeezed them tightly shut.

    He loves me not…


    Laura felt a hand on her shoulder.

    “He loves you.” Gary said softly in Laura’s ear as the last petal floated to the ground.



    End