A Rose for Sofia

One Shot

I bit my lip and released it, bit and released it four or five times as I stared through the streaked glass encasing selections with dew drops and price tags. Red, white, yellow, pink, long stem, short stem, thorns, no thorns. How the hell do people buy flowers for the people they love? Aren't they afraid they won't get the right ones?

Hell, Sofia has rejected me once, why would a stupid flower change that?

"Sofia," I clear my voice, "will go to out with me?"

I still remember how she laughed. It was pitiful, almost shaming towards me. She isn't a lesbian. Why would I think I ever had a chance?

And, she is my best friend.

Yet, I still ordered when the guy pressed me for my pick up: "I'm actually just reserving it now, I'll get it later tonight." I stumble over my breath, and catch the next phrase rather quietly, "I don't need a bouquet."

"Then why are you here?" He spat, gritting his shimmering teeth, "We're a florist shop, ma'am, not a garden."

I swallow the shaking lump in my throat and tamed the squeal of my voice. "I just need a single rose. Just one. Red."

"You want one rose?" He asked incredulously.

"Yes," I stammer almost silently. I sway with the breeze as the door opens and invites in the chilling spring air. "A single red rose."

"Hey," a soft, broken voice called from behind me, "Thomas said you came in here. I know you're obsessed with flowers, but come on, we've really got to get going. We're going to be late."

"If three minutes is going to make or break your day- take the three minutes." Quote by me. "Uh, yeah, just give me a second," I say as my best friend grabs my bicep gently. I couldn't quite catch her flickering stare.

Sofia scoffed. "What are you doing? We have really got to go."

I gain a confidence in my voice that I learned to summon when facing stressful situations. "You know I'm a romantic. I have to spoil the one I love."

She chuckled to the ground. "Thomas is really lucky to have you."

My hip pushed against her side, nudging her into the display case, holding both her hands in mine. "Who said it was for him?"

"Oh, hush," Sofia said, pushing me in retalliation, "you're too flirty for your own good."

"Believe me, I know." I laugh. She added to my laughter until the man cleared his voice.

I swore he was posessed by the drop in his voice. The man in a suit held out a single rose, clipped to the right size and tied off with a fertilizer packet and a plastic wrap around it. "Free of charge, get out of my store. I don't need people like you in here."

Sofia lowered her eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

It was my turn to grab her arm. I took the flower and began dragging her. "Ignore him."

"What did he mean?"

I roll my eyes. "Who cares?"

As we got in Thomas's car, I tucked myself in the passenger seat. I slid the rose between my legs and I eyed my boyfriend. Maybe I should give him the flower, I mean, he is the one who found me when I got out of my dark past.

But Sofia has been with me through all of the hard times.

Thomas looked to my lap. "It's pretty."

"Oh?" I asked, blushing slightly. I ran my tongue along the caps of my teeth, "I didn't think you'd notice."

"The dress?" Thomas smirked. "Saying I'm blind, Chlo?"