Wallflower morosely pulled another weed.
Rose came up beside her. “Hey, you doing ok? You’re looking down… -er than usual.”
Wallflower gave her a sideways look, only to see Muffins nodding in agreement. She frowned. “Do I usually look…?”
Rose and Muffins shared a look, like they didn’t want to answer that question.
Wallflower let that sentence die. “Fine,” she admitted, slumping to the ground. “It’s been a couple weeks, almost everyone else is back from their camps, and I haven’t heard much of anything from Sunset.”
“Oh,” Rose said. “What have you texted her?”
Wallflower hesitated. Shoot. “Uh…”
Rose sat down next to her. “It sounds like you’re being too passive about all this,” she said gently. “She can’t know anything you don’t tell her. Any relationship is a two-way street. Go on. Text her first.”
Muffins nodded encouragingly.
Buoyed by their support, Wallflower pulled out her phone. She tapped Sunset’s name…
And frowned.
What should she say?
Five minutes later, she still hadn’t figured out how to word it. She reread the message. “‘Hey Sunset, want to hang out today?’ Or does that not sound right?”
Too needy, she’ll drop you for sure
Rose massaged her temples with the tips of her fingers. “If she likes you, it won’t matter what you say; but you know what? You have to say something. It’s like having a seed and never planting it. It could grow into the most beautiful rose, but you’ll never know if you don’t plant it.” She pointed at her phone. “Plant it!”
“I just… don’t want to say something wrong,” Wallflower defended herself lamely. “What if she thinks I’m stupid?”
Rose snatched Wallflower’s phone out of her hands, hit the ‘send’ icon, then gave it back.
Wallflower choked. She looked over at Muffins, as if for backup, but she just gave her a flat look and crossed her arms. Wallflower slumped. Outnumbered. This better work out.
“Stop looking like a zinc deficient corn stalk,” Rose said. “You’ve got to give Sunset a chance to give you a chance. Tell her, Muffins.”
Muffins took her by the shoulder, turned Wallflower to face her, and gave her a determined nod.
“You said it, girl,” Rose agreed.
Wallflower squinted. Said wh-?
Her phone vibrated, instantly drawing her attention. In her shock, she nearly flung it out of her hands, and made a mad scramble to catch it. It bounced off each hand, then Rose’s hand as she attempted to help, then Muffins’ chest before finally landing on Wallflower’s face.
>>Definitely! I’ve got a visit with Cozy Glow today, be happy to have you along.
Wallflower winced.
“What?”
Oh, yeah, tell them you don’t like a little girl. That’ll go over well “I mean… I would rather spend time with just her.”
“This is still a win,” Rose insisted. “Go. Have a great time.”
Muffins nodded and smiled encouragingly.
“You’re right,” Wallflower said, standing up and feeling confidence rush through her (having friends was kinda cool!). “I’m going to go, and I’m going to have a great time.”
Wallflower was not having a great time.
She felt ridiculous! Today’s ‘visit’ was apparently a tea party, so here she was, in Cozy’s room, wearing a large hat, crammed under a tiny table.
The only saving grace was Sunset was here, too. She somehow managed to make her enormous hat look good.
Cozy held up a teapot, her pinkie extended. “Miss Shimmer, would you care for more tea?”
“Why, certainly, Miss Glow,” Sunset said, holding up her cup.
“And you, Miss Blush?” Cozy offered next.
“Me? Uh, sure,” Wallflower said.
“‘Sure’... what?” Cozy prompted coolly, her eyes narrowing.
Wallflower winced. “Sure, Miss Glow?” she tried.
And Cozy was all smiles again as she poured Wallflower more.
Wallflower took a small sip and reflected on her life. Full of unrequited love and being pushed around by a little girl.
The sound of a timer going off made her jump.
“Ope, my cookies!” Cozy set the teapot down and flounced off to go get them.
Wallflower wished she wasn’t sitting so she could grab her phone easier. But maybe this was a good thing. She could talk to Sunset. She could say something clever.
“So, you do this a lot?” she asked.
She could say something.
“Every so often,” Sunset said with an easy shrug. “I mean, I’m not a huge fan of the dress code,” she conceded, “but Cozy likes it. Besides, her cookies? Totally worth it.”
“If you say so,” Wallflower said, adjusting her hat.
Sunset’s brow furrowed with concern, and she reached over and gently brushed her hand against Wallflower’s arm. “Are you doing ok?”
Something about Sunset just made her feel safe enough to share. “I don’t know,” Wallflower admitted. “Something about Cozy just seems a little…” Freaky “-off, I guess.”
Maybe not that safe.
Sunset chuckled good-naturedly. “Honestly, everyone’s a little bit weird,” she said, holding her fingers close together. She paused, then separated her fingers further.
Wallflower cracked a smile, thinking of Pinkie or Trixie.
Cozy burst back in, holding a tray of cookies. “Ready!” she sang.
“Excellent,” Sunset said, her fingers wiggling excitedly. As soon as she set the tray down, she selected one, rolling it around her fingers so it could cool.
Wallflower wanted to try, but she got the feeling she would only drop it in her lap, and as she had no desire to drop a hot cookie in her lap, she just watched.
Before long, it cooled enough that Sunset could take a bite. Wallflower watched, her eyes somehow drawn to the crumbs on her lips and the way her tongue moved around the cookie.
You wish you were that cookie
That thought was weird enough that she quickly tried to find a distraction, and chose picking up a cookie. She took a bite. Her eyes widened.
“Told you, Miss Blush,” Sunset said with a smile.
Wallflower took another bite. Maybe this wasn’t so bad.
Wallflower glanced up at the clock. “I should probably get going,” she said, starting to push herself up. She’d definitely hit her socializing limit, regardless of the delicious cookies.
“Oh, I can take you home,” Sunset said. “I always carry a spare helmet now.”
Wallflower quickly sat back down. That would be worth it.
Before long, they were wrapping up. Sunset was currently in the bathroom, which left Wallflower Blush alone with Cozy Glow.
She hadn’t felt this awkward since the first time Sunset brought her to sit with her friends at lunch. But something told her Cozy wasn’t going to break the awkward silence by sticking two straws in her mouth and pretending to be a walrus.
Apparently, Cozy picked up on her discomfort. “What’s the matter, Wally?”
“Nothing,” Wallflower said a bit too quickly.
But far from being offended, Cozy seemed to smile. She scooted closer. “Did you have a good time?” she prompted.
“Yes?”
She slid a bit closer. “And how were the cookies?”
“Also good?” Wallflower tried.
And then Cozy was right next to her. “And the tea?”
You could probably take her in a fight
“Good, too?”
Cozy rested her head on Wallflower’s shoulder. “Oh, good,” she said. “I added lemon because I didn’t have bergamot. I think Sunset noticed, but she didn’t say anything.”
“Yeah,” Wallflower said, grateful for the diversion. “She’s pretty cool. She’s been spending a lot of time with you.” It wasn’t quite an accusation, but it almost came out that way.
Luckily, Cozy didn’t seem to notice. “Well, I am pretty cute and adorable,” she said cheerfully.
And humble, too, on top of all that. Wallflower shook her head.
“Why?” Cozy asked curiously. She set her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her curled wrists. “Thinking of joining this program?”
Wallflower couldn’t suppress a quick grimace. That would not be fun. She could just see herself sitting in a room, boring some poor kid out of their skull. “I kinda do plants better than people.”
Recognition shone in Cozy’s eyes. “Oh, you’re a dendrophiliac?”
Wallflower didn’t recognize that word, but it didn’t sound flattering. “Say what?”
“Oh, you’re just not feeling that?”
Wallflower’s brow furrowed. That hadn’t-
But at that moment, Sunset returned. “Ready to go?”
“Yep,” Wallflower said, shooting to her feet.
Soon, she was outside, buckling her helmet on. She waited for Sunset to get on, then swung her leg over the motorcycle. She stayed back, not wanting to get too close, just in case.
“You’ll have to get closer,” Sunset said.
“What?”
“Closer,” Sunset repeated. “If you’re too far back, you’ll unbalance me and we’ll both be eating gravel sandwiches.”
Her heart pounding, Wallflower scooted closer, and gently wrapped her arms around Sunset’s waist.
Shame she’s wearing clothes
Wallflower shook her head, bonking her helmet against Sunset’s.
“You ok?”
“Yep,” Wallflower lied.
Even though they were speeding through the city on a motorcycle, Wallflower felt herself relax. This felt right.
“Enjoying the ride?” Sunset asked.
“Yes,” Wallflower answered honestly. This is everything I thought it would be. I wish I lived further away so this could last longer.
“I get it.”
Wallflower’s heart stopped. She-?
“Something about being on a motorcycle just feels freeing, you know?” Sunset continued.
Oh. Right. “Sure does,” she said.
“It’d be hard to move plants with one, though.”
“Mm-hm,” Wallflower agreed. She had the thought of herself riding a motorcycle and carrying a plant on her lap. It didn’t end well for her, or the plant.
Or the motorcycle.
“Fluttershy has this old van her brother was going to fix up, and he never got around to it—shocker—so she borrows it when she needs to move animals. He calls it his Man Van. More like the Lazy Bum Van. I’m surprised it still runs, honestly.”
Wallflower found this conversation much easier to follow. She settled down and enjoyed the ride.