Aurora 2024

Sara Allard

name and start over in the Maldives.” Layla was clearly hesitant about relayin’ this commentary, but I simply tsk it away. “Well, tell Cheryl she should be hoppin’ at the chance of doin’ real seamstress work, not salvagin’ all those ugly prom dresses.” Layla slouches into a chair when I take her uniform out of the box. Out comes a crisp black skirt that’ll dust the floor, along with a puffed sleeve shirt so poofy that they’ll block our blind spots. I can’t help but clap my hands in bliss! “Look at us! We’re now just a few bobby pins away from bein’ true Gibson girls!,” I say while showin’ off our new finery. I had hoped that this idea would brin’ the wonder back into Layla’s eyes, but instead she’s bouncin’ her knee and avoidin’ my gaze. “It’s just—I don’t see how we can actually work in these things, Mrs. A. Both of the east greenhouse fields need watering today, and I was… hopin’ to show the science camp kids some of the seedlings? Did you know that one dandelion seed has more drag than any parachute?” Looks like Miss Finn is goin’ to be a headache earlier than expected. “How many times do I have to remind you, girl? The only thing kids want to do with dandelions is behead them—rip out their petals and kick the seedlings into a useless clump. What’s the two rules of Miss Annalyn’s Nursery?” Layla shuts her eyes in what I hope is wistfulness, not concentration or pain. “Safety, and sophistication,” she drawls out. Satisfied, I take

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