Chapter Text
Sunflowers are a special type of flower, hyperaccumulators. They absorb toxic metals and purified them, sending fresh air into the system.
"Our little sunflower." Haley's parents always said.
Usually her dad, because he’d always been a plant nerd, always gardening, and he would tuck a sunflower behind Haley's ear and kiss her forehead. "My sunflower." She would roll her eyes, call him cheesy, but a faint pink would taint her cheeks, refusing to dissipate no matter how much she told it to. Emily either laugh at her being so flustered about something as simple as a compliment, or she’d huff and pout in the corner.
Haley brightened up the room like; "a ray of sunshine" at least according to her mom. Whenever they were sad, like when grandma died, she would smile and say something, and everyone would laugh and thank her for lifting the mood. Either that or she'd get yelled at for "being insensitive." But she focused on the times she got a pat on the head for being sweet. Sometimes it was hard for her to know when to say something snarky or stay silent. As she grew up, she decided that people were just conflicted about her. In high school, half of the school hated her for her looks or personality, and the other half admired her for just that. It was simple, one half was wrong and the other half was right.
But now her parents were gone, and it was hard to differentiate which side was which.
Like anyone would, Haley got tired of her face in the mirror. People think someone as conceited as her would enjoy it, but it did get boring. It was everything everyone talked about when she was mentioned, meaning that was her. If people thought of her looks when they thought of her, she’d make it her identity. Yesterday, she had been so happy with the eye makeup she had managed to pull off, but today it didn’t look the same, therefore everything was horrible.
Not just that, but Emily was off on some “trip”, which was the biggest piece of shit Haley had ever heard. The whole town knew that when Emily disappeared she was off visiting her girlfriend.
Without her older sister, the house was dirty, and Haley hated dirty things.
These were the type of things Haley needed to vent to Alex about.
The ice cream cone grew warm under her grip as she talked with Alex. “—and now the sink is clogged!” Her hands flapped through the air. “This is a mess—life isn’t worth living!” So she was exaggerating, but it got the point across.
Alex chuckled before reaching across the stand to stop her hands. “You’re going to knock something over, this is how I make money.”
“A minuscule problem compared to mine.” Haley shoved him off.
Another chuckle, and another scoop.
When the days grew in length, Alex opened up the stand, and Haley would always be there to help set up things. They had been out of school for almost a year now, so it was harder to meet up when they didn’t have periods together everyday. The ice cream stand served as a meetup spot better than it served ice cream.
She looked forward to them, times where she could giggle with her boyfriend, but fun always needed sacrifice. Before their ice cream escapades, she’d fast for a day, making sure she withheld from the exact amount of calories she knew she’d eat in ice cream with Alex.
The brunet was quiet for a moment. Haley didn’t notice the brief musing expression that crossed his face.
“I still can't get it through my head it's summer."
"Well, you always did have a thick skull." She mused and took a lick of the ice cream, propping herself up on his stand.
Alex looked at her from the corner of his eyes. "Be nice."
"Pft, what's the occasion?" Haley shot back. She had meant it as a tease, but Alex had that torturing look in his eyes.
"New farmer." He said, smug satisfaction on his face.
Nothing ever happened other than one of Morris's stupid stunts every once in a while. Same faces, same stone and dirt paths. A new farmer was definitely unexpected. And unbelievable.
Another lick of the ice cream as Alex got another ready for her. "You're joking." Haley put the empty cone in the reusable bag he hung off the end, fresh from a purchase at footlocker.
“I’m not. Moved here a few days ago, actually. Rumor is she hasn't left the farm yet, and every time Lewis checks on her she's hacking away at weeds.” Alex didn’t seem to find it amusing, more inspiring. “What motivation she must have. You think she's even slept?"
"I could care less." Haley reached for her ice cream.
"Couldn't."
Haley looked up to see a woman her age leaned against the bridge, smiling slightly. One hand held her up against the stone and the other held a barrel of blueberries to her hip like a fanny pack.
“Pardon?"
"You said you could care less. That's not the phrase. Saying you could care less means you cared in the first place, and considering we haven't met yet, I'm assuming you don't." The farmer held their hand out for Haley to shake.
What a pretentious little bitch.
Haley didn't move, her face twisted in a grimace. "I don't shake people who don't wash their hands."
"I don't either, but I was willing to make an exception." The farmer muttered, putting her hands in her overall pockets.
"Pardon?" Haley repeated.
Without another word, the farmer turned away from Haley and set a few coins down on the table. "Ice cream, please. Just a vanilla."
Alex’s practically bulged at the clatter of the metal and eagerly handed her the one that he was going to give to Haley. Now Haley was fuming.
“Have you been eavesdropping on all of conversation?” Haley demanded snappishly.
The farmer shrugged. “Not all of it. I hope your sister comes back soon, laundry is so hard to do on your own.”
Was she mocking her? Haley’s mood could not be any worse, and neither could her day. “I know how to do laundry. It’s just that these clothes are designer and my sister handles cleaning better than me.” The cart tilted down towards Alex when Haley lessened her weight on it, standing straight in front of the cart. “Am I in the wrong for taking pride in my clothing?”
The farmer shrugged, but not in the way someone would surrender when they lost an argument. It was more; this isn’t worth my time. “I gotta be heading back to the farm.”
“Good.”
Haley expected the farmer to turn back around, continue the argument, but nothing Haley said had provoked her enough, apparently.
And as soon as she arrived, the farmer left.
Before she was even out of earshot, Alex giggled like a child. “So—first impressions?”
She's rude." Haley huffed, and under her breath she added; "Stole my ice cream."
Haley’s mood had been properly spoiled by the farmer girl. She didn’t want the farmer girl to catch wind of the fact that Haley had gone storming home after their meeting, but gossiping with Alex didn’t feel like what she needed after that. Alex, sweet as he was, noticed. “Babe, I’ll walk you home.”
She inhaled, straightening her frown into a tightly pressed smile. “No need. Maybe with the money you make today you can buy me a new dress. That’ll cheer me up for sure.” She joked.
“Whatever you say.” Alex breathed out a chuckle. “Goodbye kiss?”
“Goodbye kiss.” She affirmed, standing on the tips of her toes to peck his lips.
Home was still messy, even more so, empty. Every time Emily left, it sealed the outcome of how every long she was gone. Without her parents, the house was too quiet, and without Emily it felt like a tomb.
It was like the bells of heaven chimed, when really it was Haley’s phone alerting her that Emily was on her way home.
Finally.
When Emily came home from seeing Sandy they always met at that old bus stop. That wasn’t what Emily came home in, considering it hadn’t worked for years. Instead, Emily took a taxi from that desert to the closest city to Pelican Town and walked the rest of the way home. Haley did wish that there were proper roads in town so that Emily didn’t have to walk all that length. She didn’t seem to mind, but if Haley was forced to she’d just settle for never leaving.
Emily waited in front of where the bus used to be, holding a bag. It was no doubt crystals she had been given a discount on.
With how much Haley hated running, Emily must have been very touched when the blonde sprinted towards her. “I had such a horrible week without you!” Haley crashed into her sister, burying her face in the blue locks.
“I missed you too.” Emily rubbed her sisters back. “How’s the house looking?”
Haley gulped. “About that—“