Psychedelic Ballerina

Petunia Evans is a nine-year-old girl who loves to get dirty, but not intentionally, of course. She loves to spend her days out in the backyard of Number Two Thousand Victoria Lane gardening with her mother, Heather Evans. Gardening has always been an activity for a mother and her oldest daughter, making it Petunia's time to spend alone with her mother- with no interference from her little sister.

While pulling on a particularly tough, pesky weed, Petunia remembers the day when she was introduced to the flowers for the first time.

~*~

"Petunia!" a heavily pregnant Heather calls from the kitchen of their home.

Heather hears the pitter-patter of tiny feet on the hardwood floor. A little girl enters carrying one of her Barbies.

"Yes, Mummy?" three year- old Petunia answers, a little breathless.

"Petty, sweetie." Heather grasps her daughter into a tight hug.

Petunia sighs in content as her mother's scent tickles her nose. It is a mix of laundry detergent and fresh roses.

"Are you okay, Mummy?" Petunia asks when Heather releases her from the hug. "Is little baby sister hurting Mummy?"

Heather laughs and fondly musses Petunia's hair.

"I'm fine, my dear," Heather says, then adds: "And so is your little sister."

"Okay, Mummy!" Petunia smiles a full smile that shows off her sparkling white baby teeth. "Why did you call me, Mummy?"

"Petty, Mummy has an important job for you," Heather answers, taking Petunia's hand and leading her out the sliding glass doors to the backyard.

"Are we going to play, Mummy?" Petunia questions, eyeing the mud pile that is near the oak tree in distaste.

"We're going to..." Heather takes a breath of air and exhales. "Garden, Petty. We're going to garden!"

"What's garden?" Petunia's eyes are wide with curiosity.

A couple of blue jays pass by, their chirps echoing in the wind. Petunia giggles as a pretty purple butterfly lands on her arm.

"Gardening is helping little flower buds bloom into a strong but beautiful plant," Heather says more to herself then to Petunia.

At Petunia's confused look, Heather adds, "It's like taking care of Mr. Snood; he needs water, food, love, and a litter box to stay healthy."

"Oh," Petunia nods, looking older then her three years. "So, baby flowers need love, food, water, and litter box?"

"Something like that," Heather replies laughing.

~*~

"PET-TY!" The shrill voice of her sister brings Petunia back to reality.

Lily Evans twirls, twirls, and twirls some more. Rising on the tips of her toes, she bends her knees in a way only a ballerina can. Lily hums to the music that she can only hear. Smiling, she playfully bumps shoulders with Petunia.

"LILY!" Petunia yells back, clearly annoyed. "Can't you see I'm gardening?"

"Oh, Petty," Lily laughs, spinning. "It's a beautiful day, big sister. Stop being such a spoil-sport!"

Petunia raises an eyebrow. Using her shovel, she starts digging a hole.

"Whatcha doing?" Lily stops spinning for only a moment.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Petunia snaps, wiping sweat from her brow.

Lily shrugs and continues spinning.

"I'm telling Mum if you throw up!"

"Tattle-tale!" Lily smiles, annoying her sister further.

Petunia ignores her sister and continues planting.

Later, the flowers are planted and the gardening tools are put away, and Petunia enters her bedroom clean and sunburned.

Flopping onto her bed, Petunia reaches under her pillow and pulls out a diary. She then begins to write.

Dear Diary,

Lily is so infuriating! I can't stand her interrupting me when I'm planting my flowers. Mummy says it is just a phase; I wish she would grow out of it soon. I love Lily a lot but I wish she wasn't so annoying! She should be playing with her dolls or something.

Cousin Anna who is a year older than me is having a sleepover this Friday. Because we are cousins, Mummy says I have to go and be a good cousin. I don't want to go. I'd rather stay home and have a tea party with Elizabeth Bennett from next door. Oh well, maybe I can convince Daddy to let me stay home...

Have to go.

XOXOXO,

Petunia R. Evans

Wednesday, May 11^th, 1966

Petunia closes her diary and stuffs it back under her pillow. She stands and moves to her dresser where her record player sits. Grabbing a record, she sets it to play. Petunia soon looses herself into the music.

"I want to hold your hand!" she sings to the Beatles, tapping her feet onto the fuzzy pink shag carpet.

Petunia and the rest of the family eat dinner at six and spend the rest of the night watching the news on the telly. The meteorologist announces that there's a chance of thunderstorms through the night. Lily cringes and Petunia suppresses a laugh. Who knew that her smart-mouthed sister was afraid of little thunderstorms?

At eight-thirty, Heather ushers them upstairs into their beds. Petunia falls asleep listening to the hum of the wind.

~*~

Petunia awakes with the sun just a little over the horizon. The smell of dew is in the air but all Petunia wants to do is sleep. She flips over into a more comfortable position only to find her little sister clinging to her like a bee to its flower.

She takes a moment to observe her sister: her red hair - crazy with sleep - and short black lashes. The moment is over and Petunia's bladder calls for attention.

Careful not to disturb her sister, Petunia gets out of bed and slips on her slippers. Before leaving for the loo, Petunia tucks her sister back in.

At breakfast, Petunia goes out of her way to poke fun at her sister.

"I heard there might be another thunderstorm tonight," Petunia says slyly and Lily tenses. "Pity, I'll be at Anna's sleepover."

"Shut up, Petunia!" snarls Lily, dropping her fork with a loud cling.

"Petunia and Lily," Heather scolds, "Cut it out, now!"

Petunia takes a large gulp of orange juice and smiles.

"How is that bed-wetting problem, Lils?" she smirks.

Red-faced from both embarrassment and anger, Lily turns to her mother.

"Petunia, go up to your room!" snaps Heather. "Not a word till your father brings you to the sleepover."

~*~

Petunia waves goodbye to her father and turns to her Aunt.

"Sweetheart, Anna and the rest of the girls are expecting you." Aunt Rose smiles, pointing to the two-story house.

Petunia nods and walks up the driveway. It's not a long walk but Petunia wishes it was; anything to delay the meeting between cousins.

Petunia enters the house and finds her cousin Anna sitting on the stairs.

Cousin Anna hasn't changed much from the last time Petunia saw her. She still has long curly brown hair and green eyes. The only thing Petunia notices different is her pierced ears.

"Anna," Petunia forces a smile onto her face.

"Tunnie," Anna greets the same way.

"Nice earrings," Petunia comments and this time Anna's smile isn't forced.

"Aren't they gorgeous?" Anna gushes. "Mummy says that if I'm good that my next pair will be nameplate earrings!"

"That's... nice," Petunia replies, bored.

"Speaking of gorgeous things, you must see my room," Anna says, starting up the stairs.

Petunia follows her cousin to the first room on the right.

"Mummy had it redecorated for my birthday," Anna adds, before they enter.

The door opens and Petunia is met with white walls and six laughing girls.

~*~

Petunia's day consists of board games and dancing contests, and her night is filled with makeovers and Truth or Dare. Petunia feels awkward at first, but lightens up soon after.

"Truth or dare, Petunia?" Anna asks, as Susie adds another curler to her hair.

"Truth," Petunia replies, as she finishes applying the color to Ellen's nails.

"Who do you have a crush on at school?"

"Jimmy Deluca," Petunia answers, her face red.

"Ooooh, Jimmy!" the girls giggle.

Petunia glares and the girls laugh some more.

"Truth or dare, Ellen?"

"Dare!"

Petunia smirks. "I dare you to drink water out of the dog bowl!"

~*~

It's late at night and only Petunia and Anna are awake. Petunia's eyes are heavy with sleep but she will not sleep until Anna falls asleep first.

"In that closet" (Anna points to her small walk-in closet) "I have a couple of outfits that you might like. They're from my Hippie days, of course. Take whatever you want."

"Really?"

"Sure."

Petunia steps over one of the sleeping girls and opens the closet door.

Flipping the light switch on, Petunia is amazed by all the clothes in the closet. There are: jeans, shoes, skirts, shorts, blouses, tops, even a bathing suit or two.

What catches her eye though, is the outfit in the far corner. It's a tie-dyed leotard with a matching tutu. Petunia grabs the outfit and a pair of yellow flip-flops for herself.

She leaves the closet and turns off the light switch.

"Anna, I'm back," Petunia whispers, but Anna is fast asleep.

Petunia stuffs the outfit into her bag. She soon falls asleep, too.

~*~

In the morning, Petunia is the first to rise and the first to leave. Her Dad picks her up at exactly nine in the morning and Petunia asks her Dad for a gift bag.

"What for?" Harry Evans asks.

"I have a present for someone," Petunia replies.

Harry doesn't ask anything else, and for that Petunia is grateful. On the way home, they stop at a store and Petunia purchases an emerald green gift bag.

Petunia wraps the gift on the way home. The car soon pulls up in the Evans driveway; Heather and Lily are outside waiting to greet her.

As soon as she steps out of the car, Petunia is welcomed home with hugs and smiles.

"How was the sleepover?" Lily asks.

"Boring," Petunia replies.

"How does it feel to be home?" Heather smiles, hugging her daughter again.

"I'm happy to be home," Petunia mumbles, relaxing into her mother's touch.

~*~

Later, after everything is put away, Petunia flops onto her bed and pulls out her diary again.

Dear Diary,

Cousin Anna's party was pretty fun. I had an okay time. Cousin Anna let me pick a few things from her closet. I got myself something and a present for Lily. I don't know when I'll give it to her - maybe tonight. Daddy bought me a green gift bag. I wrapped it in the car on the way home.

It's lunchtime now. Maybe, I'll give Lily the present after lunch.

XOXOXO,

Petunia R. Evans

Saturday, May 14^th, 1966

Petunia closes her diary and goes downstairs for lunch.

~*~

Lunch is a meal filled with boring conversations. Heather and Harry talk about everything from the weather to stocks, while Petunia and Lily sit bored out of their minds.

Both girls are soon allowed to leave the table. Petunia invites Lily upstairs to her room.

"You never invite me into your room, Petty," Lily remarks, as they climb the stairs.

"Whatever, Lily. Are you coming or not?"

Lily laughs and races up the stairs.

They get to Petunia's room. Her door is already open, and her room is looking very inviting. The sisters cross the threshold and Lily immediately runs to Petunia's bed. She starts jumping and the mattress creaks with every bounce.

"Get down from there, will you!" Petunia snaps and Lily laughs again.

"Spoil sport," she replies, getting down.

Petunia rolls her eyes, making her way over to her oak dresser.

"I want you to have something," she says, grasping the gift bag and holding it out to her sister

"For me?" Lily looks honestly shocked.

"No, it's for the person behind you," Petunia replies.

This time, Lily is the one to roll her eyes.

Opening the bag, she pulls out a tie-dyed purple leotard with the purple tutu. She runs her hand over the material. She looks like she doesn't believe it's real.

"I've always wanted a tie-dyed leotard!" Lily smiles. "Thank you, Petty."

Lily hugs her sister.

After the pull away, Petunia remarks, "Don't get used to it, little sister. I just figured a ballerina like you would need a hippie outfit. You are, after all, a tree hugger."

"Tree hugger? So says the one who gardens all the time, dear sister?" Lily replies, playfully.

~*~

Petunia is a nine-year old girl who loves to sing, dance, and write in her diary. Her real passion though, is gardening. Petunia's dream is to become a housewife and garden all day. Her sister, Lily, dreams to become a hippie ballerina.

They are sisters. Sisters can make great friends and great enemies. Through all of the fights, they know that they can rely on each other.

Some say blood is thicker than water. Petunia scoffs at this; water can be much thicker if you add a bit of cornstarch.

~*~