The Forgotten Turnabout

Chapter Two: Blood-Drenched Flowers

Phoenix could scarcely believe where he was. Talking to his roommates, they all thought he was crazy. Going on a date with a girl, who claimed he was the love of her life? What type of girl actually said that, besides the ones in romantic movies?

Yet, for some reason, he desperately wished it could be so. He had already been through so much pain in his life... Maybe something was finally going right? He silently hoped so, for it seemed like no one else on the planet seemed to understand him.

If Phoenix could have one wish, it would be that there would be a friend that truly understood what it was like to be... Phoenix Wright, Ace Screw-up. Releasing a breath through his nose, Phoenix shook his head. He couldn't allow himself to be like this, especially in front of Dollie. This was their first official date, after all. He couldn't be his usual self, not now.

Straightening himself up, Phoenix knocked on the front door. He nervously looked down at his cufflinks. Why had he dressed himself up so... fancy? Perhaps he had overdressed, yet his friend, Larry, consoled him. "Girls like it when you dress like that." Larry had his feet up on the desk in their room.

"As if you know much about what girls like," Phoenix snorted. "All the girls you date are sleazebags... no offense."

"None taken," Larry said. "You're right. As usual." Larry paused, thinking some more. "Maybe you should take flowers, too! Girls go weak in the knees for flowers."

Phoenix rolled his eyes. "I feel like I'd be playing too much into it..."

Larry shrugged. "What have you got to lose?"

Yeah... what do I have to lose? Phoenix gripped the bouquet of sunflowers, hoping that she liked them. His favorite flowers were sunflowers. He admired them in all different art pieces alike, but that wasn't the only thing that drew him towards them. He liked how they stood proud, almost majestic, in the heat of a summer day. Nothing seemed to push them down, no matter where they stood. Phoenix yearned for that emotion to be in his life.

The front door swung open, jerking Phoenix out of his thoughts. Dahlia stood in front of him, wearing a white, summertime dress. She blinked her wide eyes, looking like a deer in the headlights. Phoenix felt as if his Adam's apple got lodged in his throat. "Uh... Dahlia. You look beautiful!" His voice cracked at the word beautiful, and immediately, Phoenix felt himself flush a deep crimson.

Dahlia flushed almost immediately, and Phoenix felt his heart thump painfully in his chest. It was then, at that moment, he felt as if he did have everything to lose if he lost her.

"As do you, Feenie," Dahlia said in a quiet voice.

"I... I'm beautiful?" Phoenix couldn't help but chuckle.

"No! You're handsome! I meant you're handsome..." Dahlia flushed a darker shade of red, hiding her face behind the door.

"Also, what's with the name?" Phoenix asked.

"D-do you like it?" Dahlia said, inching away from the door. "I thought that since you called me 'Dollie' the other day, I would call you 'Feenie.' Unless you don't like it..."

"I think it's adorable, my Doll." He didn't quite understand where the words were coming from. He just decided to go along with it, especially after he saw her smile.

Dahlia's eyes shifted to the sunflowers Phoenix held in a death grip. "Are those for me?"

Phoenix whipped them behind his back. "Uh... yeah! Unless you don't like them..."

"How did you know that sunflowers were my favorite type of flowers?" Dahlia's eyes took on a warm glow to them. She reached out a hand. "Let me go put them in a vase of water, and then we can be on our way."