Pollen Count | ✓

t w o

Daisy is so late the next day that Allegra starts to think she meant eleven at night.

When she turns up, it's much closer to twelve than eleven.

"Allie!"

Daisy seems brighter than the streaming midday sun that comes crashing in through the doorway and into her eyes. 

Allegra is so stunned that Daisy has finally arrived, that she doesn't bother to correct her nickname usage again. She just scowls quietly and pointedly looks at her watch, too timid to actually pipe up.

To make matters worse, not only does Daisy seem to be covered in dirt, but she's sweaty and Allegra is pretty sure she can see a tiny money spider that has taken up residence in her scruffy tangle of pink hair. This is not a great start, Allegra thinks.

Allie had mentioned to her parents that Daisy would be dropping by. They had initially been insufferably hopeful – immediately, obliviously in love with the idea that she could be their baby girl's first real girlfriend – only to quickly have their dreams shattered.

As far as the entire Gates family was concerned – Allegra included – Daisy was just the asshole kid who'd knocked over their trash and ruined their flowerbeds.

Allegra told Daisy they knew now, and she rolled her eyes to the heavens, groaning quietly. "Why did you tell them? I told you it wasn't my fault," she muttered, sulking.

"And yet you were feeling guilty enough to come back to... wait, I still don't know what you're doing here," Allegra said, glancing nervously at the pickup Daisy must have driven over to the house.

"Guilty? Allie. Please," Daisy's grin is suddenly switched back on, and it's pitying. She turns on her heel and heads for the car.

Allegra frowns, trailing her uncertainly. She's not sure if she's supposed to follow or not.

"You said you felt bad," she points out, remembering the girl's words from the day before.

"Doesn't sound like me," Daisy says, opening up the back of the pickup and quickly changing the subject before Allie can jump on it again. "Here," she proudly gestures to the contents. "What d'you want?"

The bed of the truck is full to the brim with a variety of potted plants, ready to be rehoused.

Allegra stumbles back a step, surprised and skeptical.

"Did you steal these?"

Her eyes keep poring over the flowers. She feels as if they're already making her nose itchy.

Daisy scowls.

"Suck a dick, dude," she says, managing to be both incredulous and malicious.

Allie's eyebrows shoot up.

"Wait-- wait, no, I didn't mean that--" her words all tumble out in a rush.

"My rep really precedes me, huh? Like I couldn't do something honest and kind even if I tried. Way to shit on a nice gesture, Allie," Daisy scoffs, spitting out the nickname mockingly.

Allegra's wide eyes look thoroughly scared. She knows she's said the wrong thing, but she doesn't know how to fix it.

She stammers out a few nervous syllables before she can speak properly. She's not sure she's ever dealt with anyone like Daisy before.

"I-- I, um, I just don't know why you're doing this for me, um, you know, seeing as you're not... feeling guilty...?"

Daisy folds her arms over her chest and drags her gaze over Allegra.

Allie feels a chill run down her spine.

"I don't feel guilty," Daisy says, stone cold, after a calculated pause. "I felt bad," she emphasizes, "because I killed a bunch of your plants. Okay?"

Allie almost gulps, and nods quickly.

"Good," Daisy says, and something about her softens again as she drops her arms and looks back at the plants. "Take what you want, I don't give a shit, but then I have to get the rest of the plants back to the shop. So, if you could make it quick, that'd be dope."

"The shop?" Allie asks, as her eyes roam over the plethora of choices.

"Mm," Daisy confirms, not forthcoming.

Allegra feels her nerves flare up again, but she wets her lips and asks the question anyway: "But... you really didn't steal these, right?"

Daisy shoots her a poisonous look, and it's all Allegra can do not to yelp aloud. She's too timid for this – her heart can't take it.

"It's my grandmother's shop," Daisy finally clarifies. The words come out forced, as if she's saying them against her own free will. She says no more, and just stares at Allegra, waiting for her to make her decision.

Allie blinks twice at the revelation, once at Daisy and then again at the flowers. 

Her grandmother's shop? Allegra wonders how it's possible that she didn't know that until now. While it's true that her and Daisy had never even had a real conversation before now, it's weird that the rumor mill hadn't spilled the tea that badass Daisy Kane's family worked in floristry and gardening.

"Are you gonna pick or what?" Daisy says, grouchy.

Allegra almost wants to laugh. This is so surreal.

"Sure, I-- I was just thinking about, um-- your grandmother has a flower shop?"

Daisy stares holes into Allie, and Allie responds by reaching into the bed of the truck for some of the potted plants, busying herself, pointedly not making any more eye contact than is strictly necessary.

She's heard the stories: she knows Daisy could kick her ass. Daisy is slim, but she's also tall with good reach, and she's a scrappy, vicious fighter. Last year's end of year ball had nearly been wrecked when Daisy gave Arielle Davidson two black eyes and a bloodied lip for talking shit about her family and then-boyfriend, Tristan Kim.

When Daisy then speaks, however, there's an air of uncertainty.

"Yeah. I... work there sometimes. On weekends. Sometimes."

Allegra turns to look at her as she pulls out a tray of pansies, the repetition jarring in her brain. Daisy has a weird look on her face.

"Why am I telling you this? Will you just pick already--" Daisy grunts and pushes herself up to sit on the edge of the truck, then she turns and stands up, nudging more of the trays closer to Allie with the toe of her boot. "I got these sick lavender plants, too..." Daisy murmurs, bending to pick them up and present them to Allegra.

"This is too much," Allie says. "I mean... all of this is too much." She spots some petunias, and that doesn't feel like too much. "Can I just take these petunias to replace the ones you wrecked?"

"Stop saying it like I did it on purpose," Daisy grumbles. She sighs and looks down at all of the flowers she has on offer. "Look, you can take whatever you want. I don't care. Take the petunias. Are you happy, now?"

Allie quirks her head, sliding the petunias closer to herself and trying not to rub her eyes.

"Why wouldn't I be? I didn't mean what I said before – the stealing thing. This is really nice of you--"

"Cool," Daisy cuts her off, still towering above her on the truck bed. "We good here? You don't want anything else?"

Allie looks down at the pretty petunias in her arms and shakes her head, pleasantly satisfied. Her parents will be pleased.

"Amazing," Daisy mutters, wandering to the end of the truck and dropping back down to the ground, bending her knees to take the fall. "You know how to plant 'em, right? Awesome, well, you're welcome," she says, all in one breath almost, and Allegra gets the distinct impression that Daisy is – for some mysterious reason – mad at her.