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Marigolds In Her Hair

Izobell is new in town...

By Becky ArthursPublished 3 years ago 10 min read
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Cass was a simple girl, she liked her country life, her small family and her school and friends. Cass loved her small family farm and her neighbors around her. She loved to wake up to the fresh country air and watch out her window as the homes around her woke up as well.

This particular morning she woke up to warm summer air blowing in her window and moved over to her bench under her large bedroom window and pulled open her drapes. It was a Saturday so she was not up as early and the homes and farms around her were awake and moving. This particular morning however brought an unfamiliar site, it wasn't every day someone new moved in out here. She knew her neighbors across the way, the Samson's were selling their small country home and moving in with their daughter. She had not however heard the chatter about a new family, or persons, moving in. She threw her hair up and headed down to see her mum.

Cass crossed the threshold into their kitchen with a, "Good morning".

Her mum and little brother were in the kitchen, and she passed behind her mom grabbing her favourite coffee mug out of the cupboard. The wooden cupboard closed with a soft click as she turned to her mum who had the pot already in hand and poured her daughter a cup.

"Thanks mum," she said and kissed her on the cheek before settling in next to her brother Wyatt.

"G'mornin," Wyatt mumbled through a mouth full of cereal as Cass took her spot next to him at the table, curling her legs up under her.

"Mum, did you see the moving truck across at 725?," she asked as she added cream and sugar to her cup and took a large sip.

"No, I did not" she said turning around to look at her kids, she wiped her hand on a small towel and then laid it over her shoulder.

"Wyatt and I were out doing chores all morning, must've missed them, we will have to go introduce ourselves to them" she said with a small smile.

It was normal in the country to introduce oneself to ones neighbors, a practice that Cass understood was less common in the city.

"I hadn't heard of any tell, do you know who they are?" she asked her mum hoping she'd have the gossip.

"Yes, from what I have heard its a mother and daughter about your age, maybe a half-dozen younger. You'll have to come over and introduce yourself with me in a bit, I have a pie going for them.

That explained the smell Cass thought. Wyatt never looked up from his book, Cass nudged him.

"Wyatt, there is a family of wizards moving in across the street! That's what mum said did you hear!" Cass exclaimed nudging her brother repeatedly in the side with her elbow,

Her mum laughed, "Don't tease your brother when he is in a different land" she playfully scolded.

"Now get up and dressed and we will take this pie over!" Cass took that as an order, wrapped her hand around her mug and headed to her room.

--

Cass' room was small, mint green and she prided herself on being quite minimalistic. She kicked off her slippers and her pajamas and went into her bathroom. First she reached in and started the shower, pulling her hair out and letting it tumble down her back. She threw a towel over the bar, finished undressing and slipped into the heat.

A few minutes later she wrapped into a towel and fell into her bed. She laid there staring up at the ceiling for just a moment when her mum yelled up the stairs.

"Cass, ten minutes!" Cass groaned and pulled herself up onto the edge of the bed.

She stood, dropped her towel and crossed the room. As she pulled on her favourite jeans and tshirt, she quickly brushed and dried the ends of her hair before pulling on her favourite ball cap to cover the rest and headed downstairs.

"Ready mum, ill be outside when you are!" She called out pulling on her boots and heading out into the crisp autumn air.

She headed left to the stables and pulled the big old doors which let out a heavy moan.

"Pickles!" she called for her horse.

There was three in the stables, her horse Pickles, Wyatt's Dobby and her mum's Cherry. Pickles came to the door and chuffed as Cass stroked her head and went on tip toes to kiss her gently. She loved this horse, he was the only thing in the world that was completely hers. That was going to change of course as she graduated this year and began her adult life, but as long as she could remember Pickles was her biggest responsibility.

"We will go for a ride when I am back" she promised patting him one more time before heading out to where she could hear her mum calling.

--

725 was a small country house on a large property but one of the few non farmed properties on Sully St. Izobell stood staring up at the house from the back of the moving truck where she stood. Her uncle Tyler and his friend Brendan were moving them in and her mother was inside somewhere probably cleansing rooms, she groaned at the thought of that. Ever since her dad died she was stuck dealing with all of her mother's crazy alone, which was a lot for one person, especially when that person was only 17. She heard voices and peered around the edge of the truck to see two women crossing the road. She quickly ran to the side of the truck checking herself in its mirror, she ran her fingers through her hair and wiped her face on her shirt. She knew she looked a mess and first impressions were most important. She thought she looked as good as could be expected and walked around the truck and that is when she spotted the flowers. She plucked one and tucked it behind her ear before heading around.

"Hello Neighbor," the older women called out waving her free hand.

The other seemed to hold some sort of baked good.

Izobell smiled and nodded. The younger girl couldn't have been much passed her age and she lifted a hand in greeting to her as well.

Once they were closer she said with a smile "Hi there, I am Izobell, how are you?"

"Wonderful, thank you, I am Mai and this is my daughter Cass" Mai smiled warmly.

"How do you do" Cass said, a sort of uncomfortable expression on her face.

Izobell felt her heart sink a little, she had hoped when she saw the younger girl they could make friends.

"Your folks around?" Mai asked looking past her towards the house.

"Just me and my mother" Izobell replied slightly curt "I will go grab her".

Izobell had red hair and wore a cropped t-shirt and joggers. Looking much like most girls her age, her mother however was a unique sort of woman. She wore a long flowy dress, so long it trailed on the floor behind her and pooled at her feet, she had braids in her hair and a very earthy feel to her.

"Hi there, I am Mai and this is my daughter Cass. We are just across the way and wanted to come introduce ourselves and bring this apple pie" Mai said sweetly.

"Namaste friends, I am Harmony, it's a pleasure, you've met my daughter?" she put a hand lovingly around Izobell's waist.

"Yes, we have met Izobell, we just wanted to welcome you and let you know we are right across the way if you need anything at all!" Mai said gesturing to their farm across the way.

"Izobell," Harmony said, her voice seeming to float across the space between them. "Your uncle and his friend have us set if you'd like to explore a little with Cass" and with that she turned and returned to her home her dress floating in the breeze behind her.

--

Cass froze, as did Izobell. For Izobell, it was because Cass seemed not interested in being acquaintances at all. That however, was far from the truth.

"Of course, Izobell come back and meet the animals and my son Wyatt!" Mai exclaimed linking arms with the new girl and rushing her off.

Cass followed a little behind while her mum talked the girls ear off. Cass was mesmerized, when Izobell came around the corner of the truck she was awestruck. The girl had gorgeous red hair, the bluest eyes and the marigold in her hair looked like fire and cast a beautiful warm hue to her delicate features. Cass stumbled along and was in her own thoughts when she realized words must have been exchanged because her mom was heading off to the house and her and Izobell were alone.

"Erm, sorry about my mum, you do not have to stay. If you want to though we can go see the animals?" Cass asked with a crooked smile.

"I'd love to!" Izobell repsonded happily.

--

This started a summer like no other, Cass and Izobell quickly became inseparable. They spent the next few weeks exploring every inch of Cass' farm and after three weeks Izobell asked if she could come stay a few nights while her mother was out of town. Mai of course said yes and a few hours later Izobell showed up with her bag ready to sleep over.

After dinner, the girls headed up to Cass' room for a movie. They didn't watch much though as they started talking. Izobell explained how her mother meant well but she was raised a hippie and when Izobell's dad died young she was left mostly on her own. Cass was entranced when she spoke and barely said two words as Izobell tumbled on and on telling story after story.

The movie ended and the girls stayed up talking, they had made a large bed on the floor of pillows and blankets and Izobell had drifted off to sleep. Cass slowly got up, pulled the curtains and turned off her lamp near her door leaving only one small lamp to light the room. The shadows played across Izobell's face and she couldn't help but feel her heart leap at her beauty. Her mouth went dry, she had planned to wake the other girl, but a few more minutes laying with her couldn't hurt.

She laid next to Izobell and Izobell murmured rolling and snuggling into Cass' side. Her warmth spreading through Cass' body, her hair splaying down the side of her face. Cass' hand moved of its own accord before she even knew what it was doing and pushed the hair behind her ear.

Izobell stirred and opened her eyes, to Cass' surprise she didn't move, just looked up at her.

"Hi" she said lazily as she stretched one arm out it lazily resting between her leg and Cass'

Cass felt her face burn red.

"Whatcha doin with my hair?" She asked eyes still heavy.

"Pushing it out of your face, you nee something there to pull it out of your eyes, like the marigold you had the other day" she thought of the beautiful warmth it brought to Izobell's features. Her face growing warmer.

Then it happened in a flurry of movement but also as slow as a lazy breeze. Izobell moved her face just slightly and kissed her.

She tasted like warmth and sleep and salt. Cass kissed her back, deepening it and entwining their fingers. Izobell rolled until she was on top of her and they kissed deeper and deeper, feeling eachother's warmth.

"Zo.." Cass said as they parted.

"Please, only ever call me that" Zo's eyes twinkled mischievously as they sunk back into the covers.

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About the Creator

Becky Arthurs

Fiction, Fantasy, Magic and Myth

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