The Flower Shop

XIII; rooftop

Hayes

Everyone stared at me when I walked into school. This wasn't a new thing, people stare all the time.

This time, it seemed different. They would look and whisper to their friends, or they would stare and it would linger until it burned holes at the back of my head.

They would say things. Either behind my back or to my face. The only ones that dared to are my friends.

It was lunch, and one of them threw something at me.

"Did you hear me, Grier?" Mike said.

"What?"

"Guess you lose one you gain one?" He asked. My jaw locked. The whole table went silent.

"Shut your mouth." I said through gritted teeth.

"What, first McKenna? Now Lotus? You choose them well, man." He smirks.

I jump at him across the table, grab him by the collar, and start to punch him across his smug face over and over again.

"Don't-" punch. "Talk about-" punch. "McKenna-" punch.

"Why?" He said. His blood running down his nose, and his mouth. He spits out blood. "Not like she's here to hear you."

"SHUT UP!" I yell, dragging him up to slam him down on the ground again.

I hear someone saying "break it up" over again, but I can't stop. I keep punching Mike, even when he's already passed out cold.

I feel someone drag me back by my shoulders, I turn and lift my fist to punch them too, but it's Lotus. Her face winces like she's prepared for me to hit her, but I hug her instead.

"I'm sorry." I say, my chin resting on her head.

"It-it's okay." She says. She's shaking in my grasp, she's terrified.

So am I, Lo...so am I.

A teacher takes me away, and I leave her there, scared and alone.

❁ ❁ ❁

Lotus

The fight was yesterday. Hayes was suspended from school, and Mike just got a warning.

I go to Hayes's house to work on the project. We've been working in silence, the fight still stuck on our minds, but we're just distracting ourselves.

There's something left unsaid in the air. We both want to talk about what happened, but we just can't seem to do it.

There are so many questions I have, and he won't answer them. Because as stubborn as he is, he has secrets just like everyone else.

I didn't want to pry. It's not the right thing to do, but I was part of the reason Hayes got in a fight, anyways.

I was scared, not for me, but for him. He wasn't the same guy (emotionally) who took me to that café. He seemed long gone.

The essay was typed, printed, and attached to our presentation. We were finally done.

"We're done." I said, and he nods. He doesn't even open his mouth to try and talk to me.

"I'm gonna go. My parents want me home for dinner." I said, which wasn't a complete lie. They couldn't care less if I ate dinner with them or not.

I get up from my seat, grab my backpack, and walk out the door without saying anything else.

The breeze runs through my hair as I walk back home. It isn't a long walk, but it feels like forever to get there. My thought are all over the place.

I look back, and Hayes's house slowly gets smaller every step I take. The neighborhood is quiet, and the only sound I hear is my walking and my breathing.

I curse at myself. I should've said something else to him. When he fought yesterday, that wasn't him.

He always leaves me questioning myself.

When I get to the flower shop, I go up the fire escape, but I don't go into my room, I go up the ladder, and on to the rooftop.

There's couches here, and a bonfire pit. It seems like the old owners just left it here.

I sit on the couches, looking at the town. I turn my attention to the empty bonfire pit, and decide to start a fire. I found a few logs and a pack of matches.

I grab the logs first, placing them inside. Then I grab the matches, take one out, strike one, and throw it into the pit. The fire starts small and gradually gets bigger.

When I'm satisfied with the heat, I lay on the couches, and look up at the sky.

Maybe I'm here to pass the time, or to think. What if I'm just avoiding Hayes?

Who's McKenna?

"Figured you'd be up here." Someone said, and I turned. It was Hayes. His face red, eyes glassy, and breathing heavy.

"Are you okay?" I asked. Instead of answering he came and sat next to me.

"What's the matter?" I asked, but he said nothing. He kept staring into my eyes as I looked into his stormy blue ones. He was debating on something. He's always unsure.

His hands hold my arms, he leans in slowly, and I start leaning in too.

He looks down at my lips, and I look down at his. Everything seems to be happening in slow motion. My heart was pounding out of my chest. This couldn't be happening.

I notice a scar on his top lip, wondering how it got there. I want to figure him out, to solve the mysteries in his head.

I want to feel his lips against mine.

Then, after what seemed like forever, he crashes his lips on mine. It was longing, but fragile. His soft lips moves against mine and the fire isn't warming me up but he is. His hands move to cup my face and I never want him to pull away but he does.

We look at each other, it's silent but we don't have to say anything. Everything we needed to say was said when he kissed me. Until he opens his mouth, and sighs.

"This was a mistake." He said.

~.~
A/N: so after I wrote this I literally went "wow, they're all going to hate me, huh?"

HOPE YOU ALL LIKED THIS ONE -J

*whispers* i love u