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THE SECRET GARDEN

The place was called Granny's Garden, and it was literally a garden cafe managed by a granny, she looked hundreds of years old when they first knew her, and after all those years she still looked like that.

That was their safe-haven,truly a hidden gem in a pumping  city, like the one they lived.

It was already incredible that they were able to find each other among millions of people, even though they had completely different live style, background, and they lived in different parts of city, they didn't go to the same school, and the difference on their social status was so wide that it would reach both the tip and the bottom of the social piramide.

But they found each other, and that place was their hangout, and the best part was that they seemed to be the only people that actually knew about it, for them it became their place, a place more exclusive that central perk was to friends.

And no matter where life took them they would always end up finding each other there again.

Most of the moments that they deemed defining or remarkable in their youth had that place as stage.

Major decisions, at least they thought they were importante back there, a lot of mischief and naughtiness were planned there, not to mention, all the petty squabbling and muddleheadedness and the dramatic makeups.

When life shattered and torn them apart, it was there that gradually, step-by-step they reencounter one another.

 

THE MAGIC BOOK

 

The six young women were stiffly sitting at the farthest table, on the empty cafe, looking at the big book placed between them as if it was weapon of mass destruction  such ominous tingling it was giving them at the moment.

Dahlia was sitting between Jasmin and Iris in one side of the table, in front of them in the other side were Vyola, Daisy and Lily.

She was a beautiful young lady, but she looked gloomy and tired, ever since they had sat she kept her gaze low, but she couldn't hide the sadness on her expressive eyes.

- WTH, why did you carry this eyesore all the way here- Lily couldn't tell if she was feeling annoyed or sorry, but it was so aggravating to know that after all those years that little bunny, also known as Iris didn't change that bad habit of trying to please everybody, she always told her friend that it didn't make her a good person, it only made her everybody's little bit**.

They had met at an old friend bachelorette party and from the get go they were outcasted and treated as if they were aliens, because, it seemed that if you are 25 years old and not on  a romantic relationship you failled your mission as a woman, bunch of idiots.

It became the talk of that nonsensical , to the point  that they came with the last resort, bul, yes, five of the six weren't in a romantic relationship, they never were, at least not officially, but Daisy was engaged.

The so called, last resort, was that monstrosity called magic book, and it was thrown to Iris, and that dim-witted, didn't have the discernment to open and tell them they could throw that in a trash bin, where it belonged.

- Do you believe?- Jasmin asked between inquisitiveness and scepticism, to no one in particular.

- No- Daisy said- I'm with Lil on this, I think they just wanted to get rid of this monstrosity.

The others agree, none of them wanted that think, not even Iris that loved books expressed any interest on it.

- Fuc* it, I can believe that with all we lived till now, is an ugly book that is going to scare the shi* out of us- Vyola said frustrated

- Talk for yourself, did I said I was afraid it?- Lily snapped back

- Good, you can have it then- Vyola said with a victorious smirk, folding her arms after shoving the book to Lily's side of the table.

-Why would I, you know that I don't even read romance books

- And you call yourself a jornalist?!

- I work as as photojournalist, you should know by now what it actual means, two different things fyi- Lily said annoyed- why don't you take this to your collection Mimi

- It may not scare you, but it scares me, and fyi, I. only.like. romance book, harlequin style to be more precise- Jasmin said- this book may not be magical but it still gives me the shivers, urrr- she said trembling- evil

- Rock,paper,scissors- Vyola suggested with a wicked smile and all eyes turned to Dahlia  who'd just been sitting there silent throughout the altercation.

- Umnh, what?- when she realized that everybody was looking at her hands ready, she let out a resigned sigh,it was her fault to be distracted when an argument was happening around her.

Rock paper scissors, they were a bunch of women behaving like teenagers, and rock paper scissor was just a cover, they could pretty much go and give the book to her, because she never won when it comes to RPS, that was the sad reality, she was someone that brings luck to others, but when it comes to herself, she didn't have any.

As expected, she lost, the least of her problems, to be honest, but what would she do with that big and ugly book, just throw it away in a dark corner and forget about it.

That moment on her life she could even breath properly, much less have time to play around with a supposed magic book.

She only forced herself to go to that damn party becasue Lily begged her, and after 3 years apart she couldn't say no to her friend.

- You're not going to just throw it away in a corner- Daisy seemed to read her mind

" As long it's not you" Dahlia thought, now that the others didn't have the burden they seemed to be curious about all the buzz about that monstrosity, Dahlia kept quiet, she wasn't going to promise anything.

- Go on Liah, you have to promise, and you have to prove it to us that you did it.

" As if I don't have anything better to do"

- Liah?!- this time it was Lily adding to the pressure

She knew better than to make a big deal of things and having all the gang all over her, being in a argument with Lily was already a losing battle, if she gave a chance for Vyola to join, it would be a crushing defeat, when she was a teen she would try to argue with them, particular emphasis on "try", but as it goes life is the best teacher, and as for her, she didn't have the same fire or tenacity on her, so she just grabbed the book and agree with whatever.

- Promise- she said

 

DAHLIA

It was past midnight when Dahlia got home, HOME, was an estranged word to her at that moment, that place wasn't actually a home, it never was, the only HOME she ever had ceased to exist on that fateful night, that attic over her flower shop was just a place she uses to sleep when her body was too tired to keep moving around.

The house was in darkness, but the vague, tenuous luminosity, coming in through the windows was enough for her to move around, to start the place wasn't big and she knew that place as the back of her hands, she could cover it with her eyes closed.

She was 25 that year, no one that knew her on her teen years would think that the person that she was bqck then would be living in a small attic over her family flower shop.

She never was the shiniest flower among her friends, but she had dreams, places she wanted to go, people she wanted to meet, basically, she wanted to do more that what she ended up doing, but she couldn't complain, if she did it means that she regreted and if she regreted she would feel guilty, she choose that life, and she did it not for herself, but for the people she owed, and for them she wouldn't dare to feel any regret.

The last years her life entered an endless circle, she literally lived at work, one could say it was because it was more practical, that any work related with breeding, whether animals or plants required constant attention, that she didn't need much, after all she went to bed early and woke up early, so she just needed a place to sleep, since she spend all the time she had between greenhouse and flower shop, and part was true, but full truth be told, she just didn't want to create any connection or attached herself to anything, because when you least expect everything will be pulled under from your feet and you'll be just an empty vase with nothing to hold too.

At that point on her life she didn't really have any ambition or drive, she just wanted to live her family dreams, and their dream was that shop, keeping it was not a glamorous job, and it was farther of being fulfilling or rewarding, she would never do it if she was looking for anything out of it.

She wasn't planning on modernize it, or make it more competive with the current market standards, she just wanted to keep that little garden as it always was, the dream her family worked hard, putting all the effort and care on each flower they picked from it.

It was a family and familiar place, the few people that still coming back were the one that used to go before, and sometimes she thinks that they only come back out of loyalty, but she was glad, it showed her that she had a reason to keep doing it.

Right, she was past the regret point, it was the life she choose, and there's no point on it, she had invested everything she had, all her time, her youth, her strenght and will were all poured there, the little time she could afford to have she'd tried to share it with the girls, other than that she didn't have anything worthwhile on her live.

And now not even that was certain, because after put her heart into it, in the prime of her life she was about to lose everything, not because she did a poor job, or didn't give everything she could possibly give, she was going to lose it, all her hard work, blood, sweat and tears, because of an irresponsible someone that never care to give not even a second of his life...

Dahlia shook her head to get rid of the adverse thoughts, not that she could actually ignore the reality, one look at the dinner table could remember her what was going to happen.

The wake up call, was a pile of notice letters, bank, lawyers, even some debt collectors kept arriving in daily basis, how couldn't she think about it, how could she ignore that she didn't even had money to buy new clothes for herself, it was barely enough to keep the flower shop going, how would she get money to anything else.

With a sigh, she looked at the book, she had thrown on the floor as soon as she got throught the door, she was so tired, so tired it hurt, but she couldn't even cry to get rid of the stress, it was just another thing to add, and she'd be the one to clean the tears by herself, and that would be a waste of her precious time.

She was so tired, she just wanted to go back to that fatefull night, when her only trouble was to have enough time to watch the soccer match, the dramas, and the shows with her idols, and still make time to spend with her friends, the time when if she didn't look for something to eat a hand will come and stuff something forcefully into , a time when the only headache for her was figure it out who'd start a fight, Vy or Lil.

When she was nineteen her life was so simple, her life revolved around her family and her friends, and although she wasn't sure of a lot of things, being a spoilled kid she didn't worried about much either, but she was sure of two things.

First of all, no matter what comes ahead she would always have a shelter on her family and friends.

Her friend would always be there for her, there would never be a secret between them.

Her family would always be there to pamper, spoil but most importantly, to protect her.

Secondly, the person that loved her the most, that would always take care and protect her would be JIN, she knew from the moment they met, Jin would always be there for her.

As she sat down, by herself on the dark room holding that weird book, she realised, not for the first time that she was really naive, the only two things she was certain of, faced the test of time, and both failed.

The last couple years, on the scarce time they spend together, her friends looked like a group of stranges forced to be on the same place to fullfil a life promise that all knew to well had already expired it's due date.

Like that night, she sat there while the others pretended they had the same chemistry and connection they had before, when truth be told, they didn't know in realitty what was really going on with the other life.

It was the first time the 6 of them were on the same place at the same time in 3 years, and the only thing on her mind was " who are these people?"

As for JIN, "nop" she didn't want to think about him, so like usual she pushed the thought of him aside and tried to focus on something else. 

She looked at the book again, with a sigh she held it close to her chest and made her way to the bedroom.

" One last time"- she thought, one last time to try to hold to the life she had given up.

The more she read the more she realized how stupid that whole thing was.

Stupid "mother nature", who in a perfect and sound mind would make a campfire on her bedroom, because, that wasn't something to do outside either, and risk someone watching you doing it would be worse than burning your house.

"Traits?! like in qualities or outside look in general" she asked to herself confused

" ummh, maybe, large enough shoulders to cover me" " god this is ridiculous"- she wasn't looking for anything else, if "mother nature" was going to give her someone, she wouldn't mind, if at least it could be someone that could protect her, she didn't want or need anything else.

With each ingredient she add to the bucket, the silliest she felt, but she bite her tongue and followed every step, while filming the prove her most embarrasing moment

" ok maybe not the most embarrasing..." she couldn't avoid the nostalgic smile when she remebered that moment, meanwhile the flames turned into to ashes.

Magic, she didn't believe in magic, but if there was really magic in the world, she wished time would turn back and stop on that night, better, it would stop on the day before that night.