How I Fell in Love (#3 How I Fell in Love Trilogy)

Band funds and pink peonies

"You just have to let the music guide you." Linh explained, playing a few notes on her tuba, as if it were that simple. She'd been talking for at least one minute purely on the joys of picking out new music. Lucky for Sophie, no one was waiting in line behind Linh.

"So... are you going to order?" Sophie called. 

"Oh yes. I'll have a single scoop of cotton candy in a waffle cone." Linh replied. Sophie got to work making her cone. Why Linh would bring her tuba into an ice cream shop (on a Saturday) was really a mystery. Well, bringing a tuba into an ice cream shop on any day would be a mystery. 

"Here you go." Sophie lifted the waffle cone over the counter. Linh reached out with her free hand to grab it. 

"Thanks." Linh moved her tuba onto her hip in order to reach her wallet. Sophie felt that this was the perfect time to confront the elephant in the room. 

"Why did you bring your tuba with you anyway?" 

Linh finished counting out her pennies and lifted her face, beaming. "I was hoping you'd ask me! I brought it because today the band kids and I are going to be playing in the park! We're trying to fund raise money to play at a music festival in San Diego this spring!"  

"Sounds exciting." Sophie drawled, mindlessly sorting the money into the cash register. 

"I was wondering if you'd like to come. We could use some people to act as an audience, at least when we first start. It's so depressing when no one stops." 

"Well, I..." Sophie really had no good excuse not to go. She looked at the clock, which she already knew read 2:24 p.m. "I think I can go. My shift ends at 2:30." 

"Oh! Thanks Sophie!" Linh almost tried to hug her over the counter, until the counter and the tuba got in her way. She shrugged. "I'll see you at the park!" 

"I'll see ya..." Sophie muttered, watching Linh as she ran out of the shop... 

                                                                                *  *  * 

"Isn't this great?" 

Sophie craned her head to the side to see who was speaking. 

"Biana! I didn't know you'd be here!" Sophie cried. 

Biana rolled her eyes. "Me neither, until I got this anonymous text that there'd be a big makeup event at the park." 

"And you fell for that?" 

"People know my weakness!" Biana retorted. Sophie weakly raised an eyebrow. 

"And who might have lured you out here? A certain strawberry blond?" 

"No. It was Tam." 

Sophie blinked a couple of times. "You don't say." 

Biana colored a delicate pink. "Well, once I figured out there wasn't a makeup event at the park, I saw the Foxfire band playing. It doesn't take a genius to figure out who would have the motive to get me out here." 

"It could have been Linh or Wylie. Even one of the other band kids." Sophie reasoned. 

"Nah. I got a text after I got here from the same number. It was a vampire emoji." 

"Oh, never mind that's Tam." 

"Yeah." 

"Sooo..." 

"No. I know what you're thinking Sophie Elizabeth Foster, and it is not happening." 

"But you were totally bluushingggg!" Sophie giggled, enjoying waaay too much her new role as tormentor. 

"I was not." Biana replied, looking into the distance. 

"Look! Tam's bringing you flowers!" Sophie exclaimed.

Biana's lips pressed into a flat line. "You can't fool me with that line. I was the one who made it up." 

Sophie hid her grin. 

"Excuse me." Tam tapped on Biana's shoulder. Biana leaped in shock. 

"Wha-! Yes?" Biana transitioned her last word into a smooth honey. 

What a queen.  

Tam handed her a bouquet of cheery daffodils. "Could you throw give these to people so they can throw them at the band? I want to make sure they feel appreciated." 

"Oh, yes of course." Biana subtly tossed her rich brown hair over one shoulder. Sophie could tell Biana was disappointed. 

Tam nodded his thanks. 

"Looks like someone wanted those flowers to be for her." Sophie jabbed Biana lightly. 

Biana shrugged. " I have no idea what you're saying." 

"Oh, I almost forgot." Tam spun around. He produced with flourish a single pink peony. "For you." 

Biana stared at the flower. 

Tam glanced sidelong at Sophie, who couldn't help but imagine Tam as a poor helpless fish, swimming off the precipice of a rather large water fall, about to leap to his- 

Biana shook herself out of her statue-like state. "Thank you Tam." She breathed, flustered. Tam seemed to be just as flustered, because he flew away as if the wind itself were chasing him. 

"What a nice pink peony!" 

"ALVAR?" Sophie gasped. He looked like a homeless man, dressed in an old blanket and a...fedora? 

"He's decided to try out living by himself for three days without any money." Biana explained, still distracted. "It's the 'Experiment of a Lifetime.'" 

"Isn't learning fun?" Alvar cheered. Sophie wrinkled her nose. 

"You sound like deranged Cat in the Hat." 

"Isn't he already deranged?" 

"Good point." 

"So," Alvar gestured to the flower. "Is that from someone special I should know about?" 

"No," Biana replied distractedly, and left. 

"But it's a pink peony!" Alvar insisted. 

"What difference does that make?" Sophie mused. 

"Well, back Harvard, I studied flower symbolism. A pink peony represent romantic love and prosperity." 

"I'm not sure what's more terrifying: that you made it into Harvard, or you know the symbolism of a pink peony." Sophie deadpanned. 

Alvar feigned hurt. "Well, I'll have you know I've also been nominated the best Dungeon Master of my school's dormitory. I even have a plaque." 

Sophie shook her head. "And now I'm going to leave." 

She meandered through the park away from Alvar, marveling at the surprisingly pleasant music the band was creating." 

I wonder how Dex will feel about this new development...

I feel like I would accidentally send someone a flower with a bad meaning. Maybe I'll bring a bouquet of lilies to a wedding, and everyone would be offended because lilies are used for funerals. Maybe I'll just stick to gift cards.  

Question of the Week: What's an awkward Truth of Dare you've been asked (or made someone ask)? Least favorite?

I got asked who the most attractive person in the world was. 

I think the whole "who's your crush?" question is always a nasty question everyone loathes and loves at the same time.