warnings: none

title: herons

there's a wishing fountain next to mr salarino's florist shop in greencliff. i love it. i've been there so many times, sometimes just to sit. mr salarino throws flowers in sometimes, and i watch the petals drift across the surface, pushed against the sides by the jet of water issuing from a golden fish's mouth. a lot of the people who came to the fountain admired the fish and its gleaming warmth. i liked the tiny silver herons on the sides, their long, graceful necks arching as they lifted slender legs.

my favourite pastime is to watch people throw silver and gold coins into the blue-tiled pool and wonder what they're wishing for.

a couple, a pretty redhead and gorgeous brunette laugh as they twist their arms around each other, flicking a twenty cent piece together. It strikes the surface and creates a perfect, round ripple.

they're wishing for a happy marriage, i think. they're planning to get married this summer, and their mothers are ordering white linens as we speak. red- no- pink roses for the bouquets and light champagne dresses, because white is too conservative. trish and alexandra like to branch out.

the women leave and a child stands where they were. he holds a gold coin in his chubby fingers and closes his eyes.

he probably wants that super cool robot that his mum wouldn't get him. all his friends have it and he's sick of asking if he can play with theirs on the weekend. it's unfair that he's the only one missing out on all the fun.

a teenager, probably about my age, comes from behind the boy and smiles. he tosses a round dollar in, taking the smaller boy's hand.

there's a test coming up next week and he needs to pass it, or he'll fail english. he knows his good looks won't get him into a good university, so he must start working hard.

his dark eyes catch mine. the afternoon sun gilds his dark skin, so it has a golden undertone. the herons glitter with splendor and the fish laughs out magnificence. the teenager smiles at me, and i feel self conscious. it's as if he knows what i was thinking. i look back at him.

he leaves.

i pull out my own coin.

the author speaks:
i wrote this when people
watching came out, so that's
really nice :)