Page 3 of Poetry of Flowers

I loved him, but it was different with Kayden.

Kayden was my best friend. I don’t know why, but I’ve never seen him as a brother. There was a line my mind just couldn’t cross.

Siblings fought, but it felt forced to love each other sometimes, even if you are thankful in the end that they were there. I always loved Kayden, and I never felt forced to

Walking through the crowd, I could see everyone but my best friend. Even Grace was here, and none of us liked her.

Where was he?

“Kayayayden?” I sang while I walked upstairs. Maybe he was in his room, but that would be weird because he loved parties.

Faith passed me with her stuffed dinosaur in her arms and wearing a big grin and a dinosaur costume.

♠ K A Y D E N ♠

I glanced up at the letters on his door. It was closed, but all of his siblings’ doors were open.

I knocked twice, then let my fingernails tap against the door once before I knocked again.

That’s our secret code.

“Come in!” I heard him call from inside; he didn’t sound happy. I wanted him to be happy tonight; it was Halloween, one of our favorite days of the year, right after Christmas, of course.

I opened the door and stepped inside, closing it again behind me.

Kayden’s room was big; his entire house was big because his daddy was a fashion designer or something like that. They made lots of money.

His walls were blue, his favorite color.

It reminded him of the sky the birds could see every day, free to fly everywhere they wanted.

He told me that a lot.

Kayden was sitting on his big bed, his knees pulled to his chest and his face buried in them, like he was crying.

I hopped on his bed and sat down beside him, hugging him from the side.

“Why are you sad? Today is Halloween! A happy day,” I asked him as I laid my head on his shoulder.

Kayden lifted his head to face me.

His olive-green eyes were bloodshot, and his thick black eyelashes were wet and stuck together from the tears still gleaming on his skin.

I didn’t like seeing him cry; he didn’t deserve any sadness.

His black hair hung wild on his forehead, and his costume looked completely wrinkled.

“Today is not a happy day, Tillie,” he replied in a rude tone. He never talked to me like that. It hurt.

Acting like he didn’t just say this, I hugged him tighter, closing my arms around him like I would never let him go again.

“Why are you sad?” I asked again.

Kayden let out a quiet sob. My heart hurts at the same time.

“My dad wasn’t nice to me.”

“Patrick? But he’s always nice.” I let go of him so that I could look into the eyes of my best friend, who shook his head.

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