Page 5 of Spotlight on Poppy

“I don’t know. Did he say anything else?” he asked

“That’s it. It’s intriguing though, right? I love a good mystery.”

"Alright Nancy Drew, why don't we run lines then,” he said, getting his script out. "Where is everyone else?" he asked. While it was a small cast, there should still have been more people there for their scheduled rehearsal, plus the music director who was not there either.

"I think it was just us here until later tonight."

"Right, well let's start running lines."

"You're no fun." She frowned at him and turned in her chair, getting out a bottle of water.

Even though he knew she was joking, her words stung a bit. He was plenty of fun. She just didn't know the real him, but sadly not too many people did. Poppy and Josh shared something in common, and it wasn't something anyone would ever hope to have in common. Both Poppy and Josh had lost their mothers the same year, Poppy's to cancer and Josh's to a car accident. And while Poppy had an amazing family to fall back on, that wasn’t something Josh had. Life had been a struggle, but he kept the smile on his face and did what needed to be done. Maybe that was why he was so drawn to Poppy. She was so full of life, so full of joy. Josh needed those things.

They both moved to sit on the floor with their backs resting on the stage and began running lines.

Poppy shifted and pulled her legs up crossed legged on the floor next to him. Her thigh nudged his, and then she just left it there resting against him. Josh felt a zing at the contact and a warm glow at the fact that she didn't move it away.

They were supposed to work on their big song today when they would kiss. Josh wished he wasn't so excited to kiss her. He had been reminding himself all day it was their characters kissing, not them. Of course, he would be respectful and not make it weird. Poppy had never shown any interest in him, but a guy could dream.

"It was a beautiful wedding don't you think?" Poppy asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"What?" He asked, snapping out of his head trying to figure out what she was talking about.

"The wedding this weekend, Hannah and Graham. It was beautiful,” she said with a wistful smile on her face.

"Oh, yeah, it really was."

"They seem really happy, did that bother you? I mean since you used to date Hannah?"

"What?" He wasn't sure where this was coming from. Yes, he dated Hannah, but that was years ago now. It wasn't anything serious, just a summer fling. Later that year he met Abbie, who he had been with for years after that, they had even been engaged. "No, Hannah's great. What we had was nothing serious. I wish nothing but the best for her and Graham."

"Ya know, that summer you and Hannah got together, I was so jealous," Poppy admitted.

Josh felt his heart drop right out of his chest. "Jealous? Jealous of what?"

"Of you and Hannah, but you apparently have a type, you like them serious and blonde."

She was no doubt referring to Abbie who was very serious, at times downright unpleasant.

"I wouldn’t say serious and blonde is my type," he protested.

"It totally is. You picked Hannah, and then Abbie. Serious, check. Blonde, check."

"Okay, let's stop there, Hannah is fun to be around, you know that better than anyone. As for Abbie, we all have lapses in judgment sometimes" Giant lapses in judgment that last for years in the case of him and Abbie. "Plus, I once asked out a fun, beautiful, girl with dark hair and brown eyes, and she turned me down,” he smiled over at her.

“If you are referring to when you asked me to prom, that was a long time ago.”

“I’m just saying, if I ever had a chance with you, things may have been different.” The words were out before he could take them back. They danced in the air between them. He wanted to pretend he hadn’t just said that. Poppy meant too much to him, the thought that a slip of the tongue would make things weird or make her uncomfortable for even a moment spiked his anxiety and his heart fluttered in his chest. Finding the courage, he looked at her.

Her eyes had a sparkle he had never seen before, and his anxiety evaporated. Her tongue ran across her bottom lip and Josh’s heart raced and felt a familiar stir in his pants. Poppy reached out and took his hand. Looking down he saw her painted nails; her thumb was even painted with a daisy. Poppy and her flowers. His thumb grazed over that painted flower.

He looked up and saw her face. The look on her face was not one Josh recognized. There was an earnestness where her effervescence usually was.

"It’s funny how you can know someone your whole life, but never really know them. I did like you that summer,” said Poppy.

And just like that, Josh's world was thrown off its axis. He had been in love with Poppy Smith since fourth grade when they sat next to each other on the bus on their way to a field trip. She was like a magnet. He was always pulled to her, but she never showed any interest. He had managed the courage to ask her to prom. But after she turned him down, he closed the door on the idea of them as a couple, but never on her. He couldn’t imagine a world without Poppy Smith.

Now he knew. He knew that Poppy had liked him at one point. Those words had just come out of her mouth. That was not something he was going to forget. And now she was sitting here on the floor next to him, her leg resting against his and her hand in his. There was something magical in this moment. A spark of anticipation danced between them. It was like nothing he had ever felt.

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