Pollen Count | ✓

s e v e n

Daisy's idea of fun involves trekking out into the countryside, which makes Allegra immediately nervous. She doesn't want to look like a total dork in front of the girl who really, truly might be the most badass kid in their year... but she also desperately needs to admit that she has to pop some anti-histamine tablets ASAP.

Allegra sneezes just as Daisy points out into the distance.

Daisy looks startled for a moment, as if she's the one who sneezed, and then she says "Bless you."

Allie snuffles gently, and shakes her head.

"Thanks, um, listen--"

"That's where we're heading," Daisy says, not quite listening. The fields continue to get steeper ahead of them. They're following a footpath that's worn and unsteady, full of well-embedded rocks. Allegra couldn't be less happy about the news.

"I'm really not having fun yet, Daisy," Allie huffs.

Daisy pulls up one of her knee-high socks which has been threatening to disappear down into her boot for the longest time.

"Yet is the key word, Allie."

"Well, I can't imagine we're going to suddenly have a whale of a time up there." Allegra's sulkiness is beginning to show. She wishes she'd stayed indoors. Things are easier when she's left to her own devices.

"We'll see," Daisy says with a mild shrug. She sets off again. This time, she reaches back as she surges ahead, and she grabs hold of Allegra's hand.

Allie yelps a little, Daisy's strong grip actually forcing her to pick up her pace a little bit.

"Daisy, can we just take it easy?"

Daisy doesn't reply, but Allie hears a faint chuckle.

Allegra sneezes again, then once more. Daisy finally looks back at her.

"Don't tell me you're allergic to adventure," Daisy teases, a glint in her eyes.

"No, it's not adventure I'm allergic to," Allie sniffles. "It's, um. It's pollen."

"Pollen?" Daisy comes to a halt and looks around at the countryside they're deep in, now. Her hand slowly untangles itself from Allegra's. "You're kidding me," Daisy says, staring blankly at Allegra for a long moment.

Allie merely shrugs, and starts rummaging in her purse for her pills. The secret's out now, not that it was a particularly juicy one to start with.

Daisy looks stunned. After she's done processing this new information, it hits her like a ton of bricks, and she starts laughing.

"You came to my flower shop," Daisy cackles. "You-- you stood with me and picked out flowers from my truck-- why would you even--?" She's laughing, still, watching Allegra turn a rosy red.

Allie shoves her medication into her mouth quickly, using it as an excuse to not answer. She's definitely taking it too late, her nose is already feeling stuffy, and her eyes are already a little itchy.

Daisy's laughter settles into something softer, in Allegra's silence. Realization begins to dawn on her.

"You loser," she says, enjoying the blush that's still covering Allie's face. She watches the girl squirm for a good thirty seconds as she tries to swallow her tablet, wildly amused.

Allegra blushes deeper.

Daisy finally speaks up again when she sees her new friend gulp. "Why didn't you say something?"

Allie shifts a shoulder up, half-shrugging. She has no real answer.

At least... there isn't an answer she feels prepared to share aloud.

"Well... we can, like... find a place to grab a drink?" Daisy offers.

Allegra chuckles shortly. "You literally dragged me out to the middle of nowhere. We're half an hour outside of town."

"Mm," Daisy nods, as if she hadn't thought of that. "True."

"Look, I'll be fine, it's not... I'm just a little sniffly. I hate taking pills, and... I'm fine, okay?"

Daisy quirks a crooked grin at her. "Whatever you say," she shrugs. "Just don't sneeze all over me," she teases, pulling a face of disgust, wrinkling her nose up and pulling back her top lip.

Allegra rolls her eyes, trying to pretend she's unamused, her cheeks still pink.

***

They reach their destination within another half an hour. Allegra's been sniffling and blowing her nose the whole way, and she wants to sink into the ground, never to be seen again. She needs to get over how terrible she is at taking her medication.

"This is it," Daisy huffs, slightly out of breath. She gestures out at the cliffs.

"Holy..." Allie trails off, and Daisy looks at her, thrilled at the idea of hearing the girl swear. It doesn't happen, but Daisy keeps looking at her as if she's magical, anyway.

The sea is lapping up against the beach that Allie occasionally tolerates. There are bodies dotted all over it today, the sunny weather having brought tourists and locals out alike to splash around in the waves. The countryside drops off at the cliffs, and if Daisy were to shuffle about ten paces off to her right, she'd find herself in the ocean. It feels a little dangerous, the way there aren't any barriers or signs or anything, and Allie feels free.

And a little itchy, but mostly free.

"Was it worth it?" Daisy asks, grinning annoyingly.

Allegra thinks about it.

"I could've probably just found a photo of the view online," she says, semi-joking.

Daisy knocks into her side. "You're beyond ungrateful," she sasses. "You've been to the shop, I've brought you through the fields. Next time I'm going to take you on a date to--"

"Date?" Allie cuts in, her eyebrows arched up high.

Daisy suddenly falters, her confident, casual smirk dropping almost comically.

"Did I say that?" Daisy asks, her tone a little too high. "I don't think I said that," she frowns.

"You totally said date," Allie says, smirking, almost as good at being irritating as Daisy is.

"That really doesn't sound like me," Daisy insists. "I don't think I'd call this a--"

Allegra kisses her before she can finish the sentence.

Daisy's pink hair whips around them both, the breeze stronger atop the cliffs. Allie feels hands settle on her lower back, and she hears Daisy moan quietly against her lips.

Whether Daisy would call it a date or not, it definitely feels like one, now.