Princess and Trouble (girlxgirl)

Chapter Three - The Cemetery

Dakota's Point of View

A week had passed since the day I saw the girl at the park, and I hadn't seen her since. I went across to the park every day after school in the hope of catching her. I'd tell Yvonne and Janet that I was going home so they wouldn't follow me there. But I didn't go straight home. Instead, I'd sit in my car for an hour hoping she'd show up. She never did.

So, a week later, I didn't expect to see her again at all.

I didn't go to the park that afternoon. I couldn't, not with what day it was. There was something much more important that I had to do. Yvonne and Janet gave me sad, sympathetic looks all day and kindly asked if I wanted them to go with me. But I refused. It was best to do this alone.

So, I bid them goodbye and slowly drove there. I knew the other drivers were getting annoyed, I was going well below the speed limit, but I wanted to put off getting there as long as I could. It wasn't that I didn't want to go, no one was forcing me to. It was something I felt I had to do.

I stopped at a florist on the way and bought fourteen purple roses before continuing there. When I pulled up at the gates of the cemetery, I sat there for a while, not wanting to get out of the car. With a deep breath, I shut off the engine, grabbed the roses and climbed out. I knew the way there by heart, I could walk it with my eyes clothes, so it was no surprise that my feet carried me there without me having to think about it. Before I knew it, I was standing there, looking into the eyes of the angel on the headstone.

The grave was a mess, it didn't get cared for very often. I knelt down, place the flowers to the side and started pulling out the weeds, not caring if my uniform got dirty. When I was done, in front of me stood a sad, empty grave. Nothing remained of the flowers I had left there the previous year, and all other flowers had decomposed long ago. With tears running down my eyes, I picked up the roses and separated out the bunch so I could arrange them across the grave. I snapped the stem of each one to shorten it, and dug it into the ground to hold it in place. When I was done, the grave looked less bare, with the flowers decorating its surface.

It was then that I smelt it, the strong smell of cigarette. I turned around, looking for its source, and saw her standing there. She was leaning against a nearby tree, cigarette pressed to her lips and wearing what appeared to be the same tatty uniform she had on the week before.

I wiped my eyes, not wanting her to see that I'd been crying even though the attempt was futile and I didn't know why I cared.

"No one comes down this way." She said, gesturing to the row of graves we were in.

I looked around, only then noticing that all the graves were as unkept, if not more so, than the one I'd just tidied had been.

"I do." I said.

"Well, you don't very often." She dropped the cigarette to the ground and stomped it out.

"And how would you know that?" Even though it was true, I didn't like that she assumed that I rarely came.

"Let's just say, I walk through here quite often." I frowned, her answer didn't make very much sense at all. The path came to a dead end at the end of the row, not leading anywhere. And if she came to a grave in this row, then they wouldn't all be over grown.

"Well, I best be off." I said and stood up, walking back down the row to leave.

"Alex." She said as I past her and I stopped to give her a questioning look. "My name's Alex."

"Dakota." I said.

"Who were you visiting today, Dakota?" She asked.

Despite not seeing how it was any of her business, I found myself answering her.

"My sister."

!

Alex's Point of View

I'd been watching her for a while, but it was only after I'd lit my cigarette that she noticed I was there. I was shocked at first. It was true, I hadn't seen anyone else in this part of the cemetery since I worked up the courage to start going there a year before hand.

I watched with curious eyes as she weeded the grave then carefully arranged her flowers in it. And when she turned around, there was a hint of recognition in her eyes. Perhaps she remembered me. It had been a week. As much as I wanted to go back to the park, I didn't. It had been a once off visit and I didn't want to go back there on the off chance she would be there too. And so, I went back to going where I normally did, the cemetery. Even though it made me sad just to walk past, being inside, the sadness was accompanied with a feeling of familiarity.

I wanted her to know who I was, so as she walked past I gave her my name. A part of me was thrilled that she gave me hers in return. Dakota. I pretty name for a pretty girl.

And then curiosity got the better of me.

"Who were you visiting today, Dakota?" I asked.

"My sister."

I watched as she left, waiting until she was well out of sight, before making my way up to the grave she had been at. I leant in and read the writing on the head stone.

'In loving memory of our dear daughter, sister and friend.

Our guardian angel, taken from us much too soon.

We love you now and forever.

Caroline June Springson

21 March 1997 – 6 April 2003'

"Shit." I cursed. "You've got to be fucking kidding me."