1:
Buzz Lightyear crouched by the small yellow blossom. "I found one!" he called over his shoulder. He watched as his Cowboy pal joined him. Woody was smiling, but upon seeing his friend's discovery, his happy face vanished.
"Buzz, that's a dandelion!"
"So? Dandelions are flowers."
"No, they're weeds!"
Buzz scratched his purple noggin in confusion. "They look like flowers to me."
"Well they're not! C'mon!" Woody gestured. Buzz stood up and followed. "We've got to find some real flowers!"
It was a warm Wednesday in late April. With Andy in school and Molly in daycare, the two toys had taken advantage of the empty house to sneak outside. Now they walked around to the backyard to where the large cherry tree was raining pink and white blossoms onto the grass. They were beautiful but Woody couldn't exactly use the loose petals to make a bouquet.
"Tell me why we're doing this?" Buzz asked.
Woody sighed. "Buzz, I...I...kind of upset Bo last night and now I've got to make it up to her. Do you see any flowers growing by the shed?"
"Just empty ceramic pots and one of Buster's tennis balls. What did you do?"
Woody yanked on his bandana. "I don't wanna talk about it."
"Well you dragged me out here."
Woody sighed. "All right, all right. Remember how Mom rented a movie to watch with her friends from work last weekend?"
"Go on..."
"Well, she hasn't returned it yet..."
"That's not good. The late fees will be killer," said Buzz.
"We watch so many kid movies with Andy...I just thought... you know, it might be nice to see a grownup movie for once." They were by the tree now. The Cowboy began to search around the trunk for flowers. "And it's not like it was a movie I'd never seen before. Of course it was over ten years ago, and on TV, so it was edited..."
Buzz watched his friend stand back up and brush the dirt off his floppy knees. "What movie was it?"
Woody looked embarrassed. "'Fatal Attraction.'"
"'Fatal What?'"
"Anyway, you know Bo hates violence, especially against kids and animals. So, um...err, a certain scene came up, and she, uh...lost it. Suddenly she's all 'That's the most revolting thing I've ever seen, Woody!' and 'How could you show me this movie, Woody?' and 'Don't even think about touching me for a week, Woody!'"
Buzz stared at him blankly. "Well how was I supposed to know she boiled the rabbit?" Woody snapped.
"You're kiddin'," said a new voice. They looked up at the swaying tire swing above their heads. Jessie lay in the center on her stomach, rocking back and forth. "I ain't never even seen 'Fatal Attraction' and I know about the bunny boilin' scene! How could you not know?"
"Like I said before," Woody said, aggravated. "When I watched it on TV, it was edited! They must've cut that part out!"
Jessie suddenly pushed herself out of the swing. She did a mid air flip and landed on the ground in-between her two friends. "Yeah, and I bet that's not all they cut out," she said, elbowing Woody. "Know what I mean know what I mean wink wink nudge nudge..."
"Oh shut up." Woody sighed and looked around the yard. "There are just no flowers here. Nothing but a bunch of pathetic weeds. I was hoping it wouldn't come to this but I guess I'll have to make some paper ones instead..."
Jessie tugged on his arm. "Not so fast. There aren't any flowers in this yard..."
"Yeah..."
"Well, have you tried a different one?"
The three toys stood in the flowerbed, moist black soil under their feet. Before them stood an orderly row of white tulips. Woody looked dismayed. "I dunno, you guys. Wildflowers are there for everybody but Mrs. Juarez actually planted these. If I take them it's like stealing."
"But she's got so many! Do you think she'd notice?"
Woody shrugged, unsure. "I...I just don't know about this."
"You don't want Bo to be mad at you forever, do you?" Buzz said quietly.
Woody ran a hand across his face and breathed a deep sigh. "All right, all right. Just one." And with that he began to pry a tulip from the dirt.
