The Dead Plant

I tug my suitcase up the stairwell, of course, today was the day that the elevator broke. I have to take breaks in between the staircases. I take out my water bottle and give myself a break. I continue tugging my suitcase, and I finally make it up to my apartment. After three months of living from a suitcase, it was nice to be home. I unlock the door and pull my suitcase in, and my roommate Janine is standing in the mudroom looking unsure of herself.

"Hey! It's so good to be back here!" I exclaim.

"I've missed you!" she says and gives me a hug. She awkwardly steps back and starts to stroke her arm, the way she does when she has a secret.

"What's wrong?" I ask her.

"Well, it's umm...I tried to umm..." she started and was really stumbling over her words.

"What? Come on! You can tell me," I say to her.

"I killed Larry; it was an accident," she blurted out, nearly crying.

"How did you do that?" I asked.

"I think I watered him too much, so I downloaded an app that I thought could help me, and so I added coffee grounds to him, and it made everything so much worse. Larry is gone," she said solemnly.

Larry was my cactus. I named him because I am a plant mom, a good, responsible plant mom. I gave her strict instructions for her to follow, but she could not keep a cactus alive. What else did she kill? What other plant did she torture with overwatering?

"Did anyone else die?" I asked her.

"No...well, yes. Ricky, your spider plant."

"Oh my gosh! I gave you instructions on how to take care of them. Did you follow any of them?" I found my voice rising.

"I did my best to be honest," she responded, looking at the ground. I felt myself breathe in and out. They are just plants, I tried to remind myself. Plants, which Janine killed...they were thriving until she moved in and ruined them all. I was so looking forward to seeing them again and seeing how much they've grown, only to find out that they were dead. I could maybe revive them; maybe it was not bad. I walked into the living room, and the planter was not even there. Wait...did she toss them? She tossed them! on purpose! This must be what she was waiting for to get rid of them; she never liked them.

"Where are my planters?" I demanded.

"I tossed them out. Where else would I put pots of dirt?" she now scowled at me.

"Plants can be revived!" I screamed. "You did not like them the moment you moved in here. I knew that if I left, you'd kill them and not feel anything," I said.

"Sorry, you know what, not sorry! I am not sorry that our living room no longer smells like dirt, okay? I am not sorry that I killed your fricken plants, you should have stayed and kept them alive! They're your responsibility and not mine. I am not sorry that I left them to die while I was visiting my boyfriend's house for the entirety you were gone," she now screamed, and then she slammed the door shut to her room.

"Fine." I screamed back and shut the door to my room. I started to cry, and I cried into my pillow until it was soaking wet. I just wanted her to water them once in a while. Is that so hard to do or ask of a roommate? I looked up at my window, where my other plants were still alive. Janine was not even sorry. How could she? I guess that's what they mean, sorry, not sorry.