Pollen Count | ✓

f o u r t e e n

Allegra lets her father drop her off, despite him continuing to be a major source of embarrassment. He doesn't shut up the entire drive over, so Allie practically scrambles her way out of the car, desperate for some peace. She waves an urgent goodbye to him before she turns and heads up to the door, almost trying to shoo the car away.

The flower shop next door to Daisy's grandparents' place looms large. Daisy's text had invited her over with a promise to make amends, but it had also included an important instruction: that she had to take her allergy medication before coming by. She eyes the big building warily.

She's not sure what to expect from Daisy. She trusts her enough to not be too scared – she's not expecting any kind of prank or set-up – but the nerves are still bubbling up anyway. She likes Daisy. She really likes Daisy. She just wants this to go well.

She knocks twice, and footsteps hurry over.

"Right on time!" Daisy's grandmother is the first thing she sees, her smiling face assuaging some of the nervousness still running through Allie's veins. She fluffs her short hair back off her face and turns to her husband. "Is Daisy ready?" she asks, and Daisy's grandfather nods, grinning.

"I think she put more work into this than her exam revision," he teases.

Allie laughs, immediately more at ease in their presence. She can see where their granddaughter gets her occasional flashes of tremendous warmth from. For a second, she thinks about how it's a shame that Daisy isn't more openly friendly – but then Allegra decides that's part of the fun; part of the attraction.

She steps inside, looking around as if expecting a trap. Instead, they lead her out back, to where their house connects to the flower shop next door.

"Go on through, honey. Daisy made some tea, but just give us a yell if you need anything, okay?"

Allie looks at the two of them, appreciative. She's not sure if they can tell how much she likes Daisy but, from the way they look at her, she can tell that they know Daisy likes her. It gives her the confidence she needs to step through to the back of the shop next door, where she'd spilled her drink so long ago.

***

The lights are too much. That's Daisy's main thought, looking at the display they've created. She's about two minutes away from tearing them down and declaring the whole thing stupid when she hears the voices coming from the house. That's when her stomach flips upside-down, and her heart starts working in overdrive.

Too late to call the whole thing off, then, she thinks.

She's bitten her lower lip raw, she's been so worried about what Allie will think. It's not as if she doesn't think this is a nice gesture – but she doesn't know if it will be right. She fusses with her hair, sweeping all of it over one shoulder, then the other, trying to pick her good side. Then, she makes a quiet ugh sound at herself. Why does Allie make her freak out like this? She's never cared so much about what someone thinks of her before.

The door swings open. Daisy watches Allegra spot her, then take in the sights. While Allie looks astounded – and Daisy's quickened heartbeat finally begins to approach normalcy again, the panic over – Daisy just grins dumbly at the girl she has the biggest, dumbest crush on.

Allegra has on an oversized shirt dress in an unusual bottle green color. It makes her look delicate, precious. The look on her face isn't doing anything to detract from that, either. She laughs, seemingly in disbelief.

Daisy raises her eyebrows, hoping to coax some words out of her. Allie looks to be speechless, but it's not like Daisy's sure what to say, either.

Allegra claps a hand over her mouth, shaking her head.

"This is--"

"Too much?" Daisy fills in, laughing weakly, unsure.

The entire back lot of the flower shop has been taken over. Where before it was a display room for water features, it's now a wonderland of flowers and lights.

The main shop is – temporarily – barren. With the help of her grandparents, Daisy has re-arranged the majority of their potted flowers to sit around the trickling waterfalls and fountains that have all been switched on for the occasion.

Strings of lights from her bedroom and from their Christmas collection are strung up on the walls, giving the place a dim, picturesque glow. It's like another world. The room doesn't look like anything Allie has ever seen before. It's breathtaking. Literally. Allie's eyes are welling up, overcome by it all.

"I told you to take your allergy meds--" Daisy begins to chide her, forgetting that this is supposed to be their reconciliation. It's not her fault – she cares too much.

Allegra bursts out laughing, and she manages to hold the tears back with willpower alone.

"No, you moron," she sniffles, still cracking up. "I took them – this is just... it's all so pretty," she says, looking around at the extent of the display. Daisy has really outdone herself. The whole room is decked out.

"Oh," Daisy says, surprised that this seems to be going so smoothly. She looks around the room too, appraising her family's work. "Well," she shrugs, "it's not as pretty as you."

Allegra snorts, laughing even harder now. "You're so annoying," she says, but she's wandering closer to Daisy, drawn to her almost magnetically. It's just so easy. So much easier than staying mad, so much easier than keeping her distance.

"I try," Daisy teases, shrugging nonchalantly as if she's bragging. "I made us--"

"You didn't," Allie murmurs, looking down at the tray Daisy is gesturing to. "Daisy," she groans. "I didn't bring anything."

"You brought yourself," Daisy chuckles. "So I supplied the rest."

The tray they're looking at is loaded with mugs, a teapot, and a stack of cupcakes. Some of them are better decorated than others – clearly, Daisy got the hang of things over time. They all have delicate icing flowers perched atop of them, and all of them look delicious, regardless of the varying quality of decoration.

Daisy picks one of them up, and holds it out for Allegra.

"God, you're the worst," Allegra huffs, but the big, bright smile on her face says she thinks otherwise.

She reaches out to take the cupcake from Daisy, but Daisy moves in closer. In a quick, smooth step, she has the cupcake – and its frosting – smushed half-in, half-against Allie's mouth.

Allegra screeches, cackling, and Daisy ducks back defensively, grinning wickedly at her cake-encrusted date.

Allie tries to gulp down the mouthful of crumbs and icing, wiping at her face, but the frosting is sticky and thick. It tastes good – Daisy really must be a quick learner – but this isn't the time for cake-tasting.

She rounds on Daisy, who is laughing uncontrollably. She's easy to corner, and she winds up with her back pressed up against the side of a large faux-rock waterfall.

"You said I was the worst! I was just trying to live up to your expectations," she protests, having too much fun.

Allegra's lips are sticky-sweet when she kisses Daisy. All of the frustration and annoyance seems to drift to the back of her mind – it's still there, it might always be there, because Daisy is wildly infuriating, but it doesn't matter. She still has the world's biggest crush on the idiot that just smushed cake all over her face.

She cards her hand through Daisy's pink hair, and lightly twists a handful of it to pull Daisy back, breaking the kiss.

"Y'okay?" Daisy asks, a little breathless, her face flushed a shade or two deeper than her hair.

"Yeah, I was just thinking about how you could make it up to me," she grins, a flicker of mischief in her expression. "See, I have pretty high expectations, now," she laughs, casting a pointed look back at the twinkly, flower-filled room.

"Well," Daisy smirks, "I'd like to try."