watching the world from the sidelines
chris was 7 when he first saw you down by the lakes. he had been running in the wisteria filled fields with his brothers careless, their laughter making the atmosphere more whimsical and light. chris was having a good time before he tripped on a weed and went tumbling down a small hill, destroying little dandelions in his way.
chris got up with a small whine, his knees scraped and slightly bloody. you watched the boy tumble down, a small giggle leaving your lips. the boy was a bit taller than you, “are you okay?” you asked. chris’ face flushed red at the embarrassment of having someone watch his tumble. but he took in a deep breath and puffed out his chest, his arms crossed against it to make him seem tougher than he was. “i’m perfectly okay.” he said, his lips in a thin line. you had two braids, tied with an orange ribbon, orange like the sunset. and your dress had the same flowers as the field did.
you only nodded but your smile never left your lips, “hold old are you?” you asked him, “i’m six.” you held up six fingers. “i’m seven.” chris said, dropping his arms. “what’re you doing here alone?”
you frowned slightly before shrugging, “i like it here. it's calming. it’s away from the noise.”
now it was chris’ turn to frown, the noise? you were six, what noise could bug you that much you were at the lakes to get away? he almost opened up his mouth to ask you what you meant but turned his head towards the sound of his brothers voice calling out for him, “i have to go. my brother is calling me.” he turned back to you, “bye.” he waved before running back up the hill. he didn't look behind him but you didn't leave his thoughts. you were strange, he needed to know you more.
“guys!” chris called to his brothers, catching up to them, on his right was his older brother (by 2 minutes!) matt. on his left was his oldest brother (by 4 minutes!) nick.
he brought you up, saying how he didn't know anyone else lived in the town besides their summer house. his brothers didn't seem to care much, only shrugging before matt showed him a bunny he had found.
you watched as they left the fields, walking down the gravely path to the house at the end before returning to your own home.
as you walked into your home you felt the cold chill the greyed house always made you feel. you missed the warm tangerine rays of the sun. you slowly made your way up to your room, sitting on your made bed, the princess sheets clean and delicate, cinderella printed all over it. your mother always made sure your room was clean, but your toys where you’d play left untouched.
you closed your eyes and began to drift asleep, the boy in the field a faint memory in your dreams, bringing you warmth.
a few years had gone by, you and chris had become friends slowly, it took awhile for the boy to open up to you but once he did he was like the sun, always keeping you warmer than the summer sun.
you had grown tired of hearing your dad yell at your mom, the noise only got louder and louder in your years that were always too delicate. you tried to intervene but your father could never hear you no matter what you did. your hands covering your ears couldn't do much to drown out your mothers sobs. you grabbed your sweater and headed to the lakes. the ones that brought you the peace you always needed since you were so young.
you missed the summer boy, the autumn air only brought more cold than you needed. you sighed sitting down on the wooden bench, the wisteria was dying out- the cold killing them only to make a space for the snowflakes to make a home.
your home was beautiful in the fall, the many different colored leaves against the purple flowers giving you inspiration for your drawings. you never took them home though. you grabbed your sketchbook from the basket next to you that you always kept here, and you began to draw.
“nice drawing.” you froze in place, the voice sounding too familiar. when the boy came into view you realized why, it was your summer sun. but it wasn't summer? “it's not summer.” you stated.
chris laughed, “no. we just came to visit for a week. my moms got a job opportunity in the school! we might move here permanently.”
it should've made you excited but it didn't but still, you forced a smile on your lips, “really?” you asked. chris took a seat on the bench next to you, suddenly it was a lot warmer. “yes! which means we wouldn't just be summer friends! i’d be here all year round!”
summer sun, all year round. now you were happy, your smile only widening, “i hope she gets it.”
you fell into a comfortable silence, content with just listening to chris talk to you as you drew the landscape in front of you.
the fighting had stopped at home, when you would get back from sitting by the lakes you would see your father with bags under his eyes, you had gotten a little brother in those 3 years.
chris’ mom got the job. your summer sun was year round, until he stopped hanging out with you cause his brothers called you his 'imaginary girlfriend.’ he changed over the years, his golden hair that reminded you of the sun turning brown like the wisteria did in the winter. you still remember the talk, the one that left you broken hearted at thirteen. now your summer sun was just a distant memory.
your little brother was crying and you were trying to soothe him, but it wouldn't work. you heard the footsteps of your mother rushing into the room, you moved to the side and watched as she soothed your brother, his cries dying down as her warmth enveloped him and the room. but you still felt cold.
when she put him back down you didn't leave until you deemed him asleep enough.
you let your feet carry you, down to the lakes.
the wisteria was starting to bloom again and the spring moon lit them up perfectly. you looked at the sketchbook beside your feet- you hadn't drawn in months. but something about tonight- it made you want to start.
you looked out at the lakes, the one that no matter how much the years changed the people around you, never changed.
you drew and you drew, for hours.
“daisy?” you felt someone shift you, you opened your eyes, only to be met with eyes as blue as the sky. you slightly moved back as you looked around- oh. you fell asleep on the bench.
you looked back at chris, his brows furrowed, “are you okay?” he asked.
you didn't answer, putting your sketchbook back in it's place in the basket. “i should go. my moms gonna freak.” was all you said to him, you watched as he frowned and you could've sworn the morning sun dimmed with it. but you only got off the bench and walked away.
you and chris found each other again last summer. you thought it was some sick joke, but for your 14th birthday chris showed up with a basket of flowers and colored pencils. he went through your sketches and found the one of him you did the very first night you met him.
you sighed and let him back into your life.
that's how you ended up here now, breathless and under the moonlight after a long night of swimming in the lake. you were both looking up at the stars, his arms around you like he was shielding you from the cold- and he might as well have. you felt insanely warm, just like that first summer.
while his eyes were on the stars yours moved to him, you always liked the day better anyway. your cheeks flushed when he caught you staring. “sorry.” you whispered. he responded with shaking his head, his hands moving a hair that strayed from your braid, “you can look all y’want daisy.” he said, his smooth voice only making the butterflies in your stomach worse.
you didn't know what possessed you, if anything did. but you leaned closer until chris finally broke that little distance. his lips moving against ours like a dance he always knew the moves to. chris kissed you like he wanted to steal your breath away. in a way he did.
your breaths wheezy as you pulled away, and he only wore that boyish smirk on his lips. smug bastard. “not bad for a first kiss huh?” you rolled your eyes, your cheeks red as you pushed him away from you, down the same hill he went tumbling down when he first met you, but you went tumbling with him this time, your laughs and giggles mixed with his echoing.
chris didn't want anything serious. he sure made that clear when you saw him with another girl in the spot reserved for the both of you. you could only watch from a distance. there wasn't much you could do.
you wiped your eyes as you made your way up to your room. it hasn't changed, the cinderella sheets stay on your bed, your dolls now put away.
you could only watch as your little brother, now able to walk clumsily and babble out some coherent words exploring your room with a new found curiosity. you rolled over in your bed to look at him. your father trailing after him, “no cedar! don't touch that!” you winced slightly at your fathers tone, watching as he carefully moved your brother away from your dollhouse, and your fathers shaky hands placing the doll back in the same exact spot. “that's your sisters.” your father picked up your brother, and he peeked over at you over his shoulder, you waved to him, earning yourself a giggle and wave back.
you smiled, at least that's one boy that would never let you down. but you couldn't really blame chris, the girl he was with seemed so much more interesting than you. she didn't look like she spent her nights sitting by a lake and drawing whatever.
you closed your eyes, and hoped.
it had been two years of no summer sun. your mom was busy for christmas eve, wrapping gifts for the family and cooking. but she had fallen asleep and you took it upon yourself to finish up what you could for her. setting cookies out for santa and eating it, the milk and ‘snow.’
you looked at the gifts for cedar under the tree and you smiled. he was gonna be so happy.
chris had tried to speak to you a few times, but you ignored him, leaving the bench and shutting out the sun.
you grabbed your sketchbook that you had started to bring into the house now, drawing the cozy image of your family sleeping.
after you finished drawing you made your way down to the frozen lake, placing the sketchbook down in your lap as the snow hit your cheeks. but it never changed how cold you felt.
“daisy,” you heard a broken voice call out to you. you turned to face it. there stood chris, out on christmas eve, 4 in the morning and tears streaming down his cheeks.
he didn't look like the summer sun anymore, his features were harsh, the tears staining his pale skin making him look like a thunderstorm. you felt bad, bad enough that you wrapped your arms around the boy, chris couldn't say anything more as he just broke down into tears on your shoulder.
you didn't know what was going on with him, but you couldn't leave him out here in the cold, so you snuck him into your house, into your room. “you don't have to talk about it.” you said, handing him hot chocolate.
you looked at chris, 19 looked good on him, he was growing. chris looked up at you, and you saw it all, the guilt and heartbreak. you sighed, looking down at your own cup. you’d take a sip, but it was 4:30 am. and you didn't want a stomachache.
“i just need a few minutes with you, please.” his voice sounded small and desperate, and you nodded, sitting next to him on your bed.
“i’m not crying over a girl.” he said, “my parents- they want to split. i heard them talking.” he wiped a tear from his eyes, “i don't know what to do- if to tell my brothers-” you put a hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him. “that's not up to you. that’s your parents responsibility. but for now, focus on dealing with the news yourself. okay?”
chris nodded, looking back at you, “thank you.” he said. “i’ll always be here.” you said.
it wasn't an uncomfortable silence that fell over you both.
chris left shortly after, not before watching as you shut off all the lights in your house except for the christmas lights. he watched as you walked around your room from outside, a small smile on his lips.
19. wow. you felt big. you looked around at the summer fields, it never changed, not like you.
chris moved to LA with his brothers after his parents split. chasing some dream with them and you always saw him in the summer. you were excited, finally able to see your friend.
your brother had gotten even bigger, he started school next year and he was growing up the way you never got to, in a quiet warm house.
the summer sun was already heating up your home, but your room stayed cold. you looked at the childhood toys that never went untouched, the dolls that were starting to collect a thicker layer of dust.
you watched as your mom walked into your room, shutting the door behind her, how you wish you could hug her in this moment as you saw her eyes well up with tears.
but you couldn't do much, but you still hugged her, her deep breath as she felt the air shift making her tears stop slightly. when you pulled away she walked out of the room, the light staying off, and the door closed.
you found yourself at the lakes again, “daisy!” you turned around, and you were almost breathless. chris looked.. stunning. a backward navy blue hat on him.
you waved at him, and he came running down the hill to you, his arms wrapping around you like you were the only thing he ever needed, and in a way you were.
“i have to tell you about it all!” he exclaimed, and you sat on the bench and like always, listened to him. his head in your lap, as you toyed with his hair.
you never wanted it to happen this way, you wanted to tell him on your own terms. not by him figuring it out.
you were by the lakes, chris standing right across from him, his eyes filled with tears as he cried. “you were never going to tell me daisy, were you?” he rasped, you shook your head.
your own tears falling from your eyes, but you had no right to cry, “no, i’m sorry.” you breathed. chris couldn't help it, turning away from you and walking up the hill, you let out a shaky breath, sitting against the tree as you tried to keep yourself grounded. the secret was out now. you were able to catch the way his brothers embraced him, not really knowing why their youngest triplet was crying so much.
“i know you're here daisy. you can't leave. stop ignoring me!” chris’ voice carried over the field. “i just want to talk to you.”
you only sighed, making your presence known by sitting on the bench, “sunshine.” you said, “been right here.” you snorted. chris looked a bit startled but sat next to you, “i’m sorry, i shouldn't have blown up on you like that-”
“it's okay. not many people have a positive reaction to find out they’ve been seeing a ghost.” chris’ eyes narrowed into a glare, “stop making jokes. please.” you cleared your throat, “sorry.” you said.
chris paused, a silent beat passing over you both. “when did you-?”
“i died when i was five. drowned in the lakes.” you answered his unspoken question. his breath hitching.
“why can i only see you?” he asked to which you shrugged, “i have no idea.”
chris looked up at you, “can't believe i have a ghost girlfriend.” he snorted. you rolled your eyes, “only you, sunshine. only you.”
chris was getting married, and you were helping him. sitting in your spot by the lakes, by the bench. helping him remember all his vows.
“it would've been you daisy, if i could've.” he finally said.
“i know chris. i know.” you smiled sadly at him before turning him around, pushing him towards the church.
when chris looked back, he saw it. the way the daisies flew in the wind as you were no longer there, just your lingering memory and the lakes you loved so much. he fixed the cuffs of his shirt, the daisy tattoo on his wrist burning his skin even though the ink had healed.
a/n: here's a little thing i thought of randomly