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Where Wallflowers Bloom

By Wowflower
Created: 2026-01-21 20:47:20
Updated: 2026-04-21 01:21:02
Expiry: Never
anonsaferoseluckeqgwallflower blush

  1. 1.
    >Rainy days are your favourite, you don’t know why, maybe it’s thanks to how empty the streets get when it happens
  2. 2.
    >Skipping class is something you only do when you really need to clear your head
  3. 3.
    >Like today, or yesterday, and maybe the last couple days before that
  4. 4.
    >You’re not a good student
  5. 5.
    >Nor do you care to be, however much that frustrates your parents
  6. 6.
    >That coupled with your tendency to avoid people, branded you as an outcast as soon as highschool started
  7. 7.
    >You want to say you don’t mind but it gets pretty lonely sometimes
  8. 8.
    >Yet you don’t do anything to fix that, to go out of your way to make friends
  9. 9.
    >What a dilemma you’ve put yourself in
  10. 10.
    >In this school, no one seems to be quite like you
  11. 11.
    >Everyone’s in their own cliques, happily going through their day
  12. 12.
    >Even if those days include random magical antics happening every couple of months
  13. 13.
    >You can’t find a single person you feel like you could connect to
  14. 14.
    >Well, there is one
  15. 15.
    >But to be honest, you rarely ever see her
  16. 16.
    >Maybe she’s as much of an outcast as you are, she never seems to talk to anyone when you do see her
  17. 17.
    >In fact, you’ve never spoken to her before
  18. 18.
    >Not that you remember, anyways
  19. 19.
     
  20. 20.
    >Groaning, you walk back towards the school grounds
  21. 21.
    >Nice as these rainy days are, you’d rather not get suspended for skipping multiple periods again
  22. 22.
    >Sneaking behind school, you hope you’ll find the same back door you use to have these escapades
  23. 23.
    >That’s when you see her tending to the somewhat hidden garden behind school
  24. 24.
    >With her back turned to you, you can’t see her face but you know it’s her
  25. 25.
    >Her sea green hair catches your attention whenever you see her in the hallway, as is no different now
  26. 26.
    >Just like you, she seems to not mind the rain, letting it soak her hair as well as her sweater
  27. 27.
    >When she stands up to gather up her tools, you realise just how long you’ve been staring at her
  28. 28.
    >You didn’t even hear the school bell ring
  29. 29.
    >She turns to you, and you don’t bother trying to avert your gaze
  30. 30.
    >Her eyes lock with yours, clouded by the rain you can’t see them very well but you can feel her staring you
  31. 31.
    >It feels as if everything stopped just for a moment
  32. 32.
    >You can’t find words to speak
  33. 33.
    >You can’t even move from where you’re standing
  34. 34.
    >You feel your heart beating in your throat
  35. 35.
    >And that’s when she starts awkwardly walking towards you
  36. 36.
    >Like a feral cat judging your character, she cautiously keeps eye contact as she approaches you
  37. 37.
    >Just as you think she’s about to ask something
  38. 38.
    >She passes by you and picks up her pace, hurrying inside and leaving you in the rain
  39. 39.
    >You were a total creep, weren’t you?
  40. 40.
     
  41. 41.
    >Heading back inside, you go to your locker and grab your PE clothes to change to
  42. 42.
    >You hurry to dry up and go to your next period
  43. 43.
    >Which is now halfway over, so of course you get an earful from Ms Harshwhinny over it
  44. 44.
    >Sitting down you tune her out immediately as you mull over what happened with that girl
  45. 45.
    >You froze in place the moment you saw her
  46. 46.
    >Furthermore when she noticed you staring you did your best impression of a gargoyle and kept silent while staring at her
  47. 47.
    >Laying your head on your desk, you let out a mental sigh
  48. 48.
    >You have to find her again, apologise for being a creep and hopefully strike up conversation
  49. 49.
    >The class ends shortly, you didn’t even bother trying to catch up to what Harshwhinny was going over
  50. 50.
    >Lunch period
  51. 51.
    >Since the tables are always occupied by cliques, you begrudgingly decided to skip lunch altogether and just hang around school waiting for the bell
  52. 52.
    >It’s still raining, and you don’t want to get another set of clothes wet before you get to go home
  53. 53.
    >Passing by a hallway you don’t frequent, you notice the lack of classrooms and students here
  54. 54.
    >Actually this part of the school feels almost abandoned, decals and stickers on the lockers here show inside jokes of years past
  55. 55.
    >Why would people avoid this part of the school?
  56. 56.
    >Walking around a corner, you see the lights of a classroom on
  57. 57.
    >Curiosity gets the best of you as you make your way to the door
  58. 58.
    >Reaching for the handle, you look inside to find…
  59. 59.
    >A bunch of gardening equipment and what seems to be a greenhouse?
  60. 60.
    >This school doesn’t have a gardening club
  61. 61.
    >Stepping inside, you look at the variety of flowers blooming
  62. 62.
    >Marigolds, Orchids, Sunflowers
  63. 63.
    >They’re all so beautiful, so well taken care of
  64. 64.
    >Your mind immediately goes to the only person you’ve ever seen handling plants on this school
  65. 65.
    >No not that farm girl, the green one
  66. 66.
    >Which just so happens to have been in the corner of the room the entire time you were admiring the flowers
  67. 67.
    >With an expression that can only be read as “Mom just walked into my room while I was jerking off”
  68. 68.
    >Your eyes feel as if they’re about to bulge out of your skull
  69. 69.
    >You clear your throat and do your best to seem normal, and say the first thing that comes to your mind
  70. 70.
    “Are these flowers yours?”
  71. 71.
    >Her eyes remain locked onto you as she awkwardly stammers out
  72. 72.
    > “Um, Yes?”
  73. 73.
    “They’re beautiful”
  74. 74.
    >With that, the same silence from before slowly sets back in, though this time it doesn’t feel nearly as awkward as before
  75. 75.
    >In fact, she seems taken aback by the compliment
  76. 76.
    > “You.. really think so?”
  77. 77.
    >She brushes her hair back slightly and averts her gaze for a moment
  78. 78.
    >You can’t help but smile a little at her
  79. 79.
    >You can see her well now
  80. 80.
    >Her pale green skin, the small freckles on her face, her greyish brown eyes
  81. 81.
    >Her still-wet hair, and some of her locks gently laid against her face
  82. 82.
    >Her drenched sweater, practically glued to her figure and letting your mind wander for a moment
  83. 83.
    >Before you mentally slap yourself and return your gaze to her eyes
  84. 84.
    >She’s so cute
  85. 85.
    >In a very fragile way that speaks “Please don’t touch me”
  86. 86.
    >The way she’s crouched in the corner of the room only accentuates how invisible she is
  87. 87.
    >You’re staring again
  88. 88.
     
  89. 89.
    “I do, I always wondered who took care of the plants around school. I didn’t thought we had a groundskeeper”
  90. 90.
    > “We don’t anymore, he retired a year or so ago. I’ve been taking care of the flowers ever since”
  91. 91.
    “All by yourself?”
  92. 92.
    >She nods with a hint of sadness in her face
  93. 93.
    > “I have to. I won’t let them wither and die”
  94. 94.
    >She stands up and now you can see just how drenched she is
  95. 95.
    >From head to toe this girl’s clothes are still dripping from the rain
  96. 96.
    >Did she even bother drying out?
  97. 97.
    > “No, I don’t mind it.. It’s not like anyone would notice anyways”
  98. 98.
    >You said that part out loud without realising
  99. 99.
    “Aren’t you gonna catch a cold? I can go fetch you a towel if you want”
  100. 100.
    >Her eyes light up at your words
  101. 101.
    >When she turns to look at you, she just stares at you as if you had two heads
  102. 102.
    >Was that inappropriate? No, this is something else
  103. 103.
    >This is someone who’s been overlooked for years
  104. 104.
    >Finally being seen
  105. 105.
    >Someone is worried about her
  106. 106.
    >Someone is holding a conversation with her
  107. 107.
    >Someone is willing to do something for her
  108. 108.
    >A light blush creeps up on the girl’s face, as realization hits her
  109. 109.
    >She struggles to find her words, closing and opening her mouth a couple of times before she lets out a simple
  110. 110.
    > “Yes please”
  111. 111.
     
  112. 112.
    >As you turn around and grab the handle, you look behind you one more time to take a look at the star struck girl
  113. 113.
    >She’s recomposed herself slightly, and is now trying to avoid your gaze
  114. 114.
    >Your lips turn to a smile and stay that way while you fetch a towel from the showers and come back
  115. 115.
    >When you return, the girl is tending to a pot of daisies
  116. 116.
    >Shivering slightly, it seems like she’s gonna need more than just a towel with how drenched she is
  117. 117.
    >You approach her, holding the towel out for her to grab it
  118. 118.
    > “T-Thank you” She stutters while grabbing it and wrapping herself in it
  119. 119.
    >You look around the room while she dries her hair and what she can of her clothes
  120. 120.
    >Every flower here seems to be given the same care as the rest
  121. 121.
    >You don’t know much about plants, but you can’t find a single withering stem, so you just assume she’s really good at this
  122. 122.
    >A dozen questions rush through your mind
  123. 123.
    >Why is such a gorgeous room hidden from the rest of the school?
  124. 124.
    >Why does this girl care so much about the flowers?
  125. 125.
    >Why is she the only one doing this?
  126. 126.
    >Shouldn’t the school just hire a new groundskeeper?
  127. 127.
    >But all that comes to a halt when your eyes settle on a framed picture on the wall
  128. 128.
    >Its the girl, a couple of years younger, tending to a small bed of roses
  129. 129.
    >Next to her, an older man wearing a pair of overalls and rubber gloves, smiling down at the girl
  130. 130.
    >You can barely make it out, but you swear the man has the same eyes as the girl
  131. 131.
    > “it’s my dad, he and I started the gardening club a few years ago”
  132. 132.
    >Turning your attention back to the girl, she looks to you to make sure you’re listening before continuing
  133. 133.
    > “It wasn’t very popular, Principal Celestia must’ve agreed to it because of the free labor.”
  134. 134.
    > “Still, dad and I helped grow almost all flowers in school today.”
  135. 135.
    >So that’s why she does this
  136. 136.
    >Even at the expense of her health
  137. 137.
    >She looks at the picture with such melancholy
  138. 138.
    “Was he the groundskeeper?”
  139. 139.
    >She doesn’t answer for the longest time
  140. 140.
    >Letting out a sigh, she seems to come back to reality as she nods
  141. 141.
    >You’re not a smart kid, but you can tell that something happened
  142. 142.
     
  143. 143.
    >You take a seat on the stool next to her and cautiously lay a hand on her shoulder in solidarity
  144. 144.
    >Your contact snaps her out of her trance for good as she jumps at your touch
  145. 145.
    >It was only for a moment but holy shit this girl is freezing
  146. 146.
    “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you like that. Are you okay?”
  147. 147.
    >She lets out an awkward chuckle and clears her throat
  148. 148.
    > “Yeah, sorry you had to see that. I don’t really know why I shared that with you.”
  149. 149.
    >You feel the silence settling back in
  150. 150.
    >But you refuse to leave this girl freezing to death
  151. 151.
    “Hey, you’re still cold. Don’t you have a change of clothes?”
  152. 152.
    >Shaking her head, she answers “I usually stay like this until I get home, don’t worry, I’ll be okay”
  153. 153.
    >She forces the tiniest smile you’ve ever seen
  154. 154.
    >You feel terrible for her
  155. 155.
    >You look down at your PE clothes and mull over your thoughts for a second
  156. 156.
    >Standing up, you head to the door and turn to her
  157. 157.
    “Then let’s take you home, not like anyone here’s gonna miss us, right?”
  158. 158.
    >A small blush sets in the girl’s face as she seems to smile genuinely this time
  159. 159.
    > “I.. I guess yeah” she mumbles as she stands up
  160. 160.
    >The two of you exit the school using the back entrance
  161. 161.
    >It’s absolutely pouring, your PE clothes are gonna need to be dried as well
  162. 162.
    >As you make your way past the outside garden the girl was tending, you notice something that matches up with the photo from earlier
  163. 163.
    >A pedestal in the middle of the garden has an odd looking stone looking over the yard
  164. 164.
     
  165. 165.
    >You hurry with the gardener girl through the streets of Canterlot as you realize you haven’t even asked her name
  166. 166.
    >But now doesn’t seem like the best time to ask
  167. 167.
    >You make a mental note to learn her name before the day is over
  168. 168.
    >Even though you’re rushing through the rain trying to get this poor girl home
  169. 169.
    >You realize this is the closest you’ve ever been to hanging out with a girl before
  170. 170.
    >Hanging out with anyone really
  171. 171.
    >You contain a chuckle and instead hear one coming from behind you
  172. 172.
    >Turning back, you see she’s giggling as the two of you hurry through the streets
  173. 173.
    >But when she notices you can hear her, she quiets down and mutters a “Sorry”
  174. 174.
    >You can’t help but let your laughter out as you pick up the pace
  175. 175.
    >She follows behind you, and even ends up taking the lead as she lets out a few quiet giggles
  176. 176.
    >Her gorgeous emerald green hair fully down thanks to the rain
  177. 177.
    >Her sweater which never really dried up is now even more drenched than you noticed back in the classroom
  178. 178.
    >Your PE clothes aren’t in any better condition, you doubt you’ll be using these again soon, or at least tomorrow
  179. 179.
    >Oh well, you never really liked attending PE
  180. 180.
     
  181. 181.
    >At the pace you two were running, you make it to her house in just a couple of minutes
  182. 182.
    >Exhausted, you laugh while taking refuge under the front porch of her house
  183. 183.
    > “Woo! You’re way too slow, Anon!~” she pumps her fist up in the air as she proclaims her victory in your little race
  184. 184.
    >You struggle to catch your breath as it hits you
  185. 185.
    >She knows your name
  186. 186.
    >But how? You don’t share any classes
  187. 187.
    >And you’ve never spoken to her
  188. 188.
    >Maybe with how she blends into the room, she overheard it somewhere?
  189. 189.
    “Hold up, you know my name?”
  190. 190.
    >Her eyes shoot open and her laughter stops
  191. 191.
    >It was as if all the joy you two shared dissipated as she stared at nothingness for a second before replying
  192. 192.
    > “Y-Yeah? You uh, told me when you uh.. brought me back the towel?”
  193. 193.
    >You did no such thing
  194. 194.
    >But why would she lie to you?
  195. 195.
    >You don’t really want to be an ass about it right now
  196. 196.
    >Instead, you decide to ask what you’ve wanted to know for a while
  197. 197.
    “I.. see, well, I don’t remember catching your name?”
  198. 198.
    >Clearing her throat, she fidgets with her pocket and fetches her keys
  199. 199.
    > “I’m Wallflower, um.. Nice to meet you?” She awkwardly adds as she unlocks the door and steps inside
  200. 200.
    “Nice to meet you, Wallflower. And sorry I didn’t ask your name earlier”
  201. 201.
    > “It’s fine, people tend to forget it”
  202. 202.
    >The sound of the pouring rain against the roofing above you fills the awkward silence
  203. 203.
    >The both of you waiting for the other to say something
  204. 204.
    >Noticing just how drenched you are, Wallflower eventually stammers out “Hey Anon, you um..”
  205. 205.
    > “Would you like to come inside and dry up?”
  206. 206.
    >Relief washes across your face as you gladly accept and step inside
  207. 207.
    >Wallflower heads upstairs and fetches you a couple of towels
  208. 208.
    >As you dry up, she yells down the stairs to let you know she’ll take a shower
  209. 209.
    “Don’t worry! I promise I won’t snoop around!”
  210. 210.
    >The sound of a door clicking close is your only response
  211. 211.
     
  212. 212.
    >You desperately wrap the towels around you and try to warm up
  213. 213.
    >But the clothes do their best to stay wet and it seems like only a shower will fix this
  214. 214.
    >Your mind runs wild and begins wondering if Wallflower would let you in with her
  215. 215.
    >But before you can consider any further, you find yourself looking at the pictures scattered throughout Wallflower’s house
  216. 216.
    >Her, her dad and who you assume to be her mom doing various activities together
  217. 217.
    >You can see she takes after her mom more than her dad
  218. 218.
    >There’s several pictures depicting Wallflower tending to flowers, bushes and plants
  219. 219.
    >There are also a couple of her sitting in what seems to be
  220. 220.
    >An airplane pilot’s cabin?
  221. 221.
    >Indeed, her mom is dressed up in uniform for some of these
  222. 222.
    >Though she looks like her mom, she really takes up on her dad’s hobbies
  223. 223.
    >As you continue admiring photos of a younger Wallflower being adorable
  224. 224.
    >You notice one where she’s surrounded not by her parents but fellow Canterlot High students
  225. 225.
    >Roseluck and Daisy seem to be chatting with Wallflower while Lily is seen bringing some supplies to them in the background
  226. 226.
    >And that’s not the only photo with these girls
  227. 227.
    >Theres one with all the girls lined up, smiling at the camera in the same room full of flowers you were just in
  228. 228.
    >And one more with Wallflower and the girls tending to the backyard school garden
  229. 229.
    >Wait
  230. 230.
    >In the middle of the garden
  231. 231.
    >It’s that pedestal with the weird stone again
  232. 232.
    >It’s such a minor detail but
  233. 233.
    > “Anon?”
  234. 234.
     
  235. 235.
    >You turn around to find a warm and clean (and dressed) Wallflower looking at you from the stairs
  236. 236.
    > “You’re still drenched, don’t you want to shower?”
  237. 237.
    >You notice the smallest hint of a blush on her face as she says this
  238. 238.
    >Nodding, you step away from the pictures and follow her upstairs
  239. 239.
    > “Just put your clothes in the basket, I’ll set them to dry once you’re showering”
  240. 240.
    >Entering the shower, you undress and place your clothes in the basket Wallflower mentioned
  241. 241.
    >God you needed this badly
  242. 242.
    >The hot water running over your body helped you relax and think
  243. 243.
    >Wallflower had friends
  244. 244.
    >The gardening club was a proper club
  245. 245.
    >And there’s the fact she knows your name
  246. 246.
    >Maybe she knew you through one of the flower girls?
  247. 247.
    >Roseluck was always the gossipy bitch
  248. 248.
    >Maybe Wallflower caught your name from her?
  249. 249.
    >But what about her friendship with those girls
  250. 250.
    >Did something go wrong?
  251. 251.
    >Does her attitude towards her father have anything to do with this?
  252. 252.
    >Maybe she lost her dad and distanced herself from her friends
  253. 253.
    >But that doesn’t explain how it feels like
  254. 254.
    >Everything about her just seems to not exist for anyone else
  255. 255.
    >Not the gardening club, not the fact the school had a groundskeeper, not even her mere presence in school
  256. 256.
    >There’s something really wrong going on here
  257. 257.
    >You can’t tell what it is, but you have to look further into this
  258. 258.
    >You ought to talk to the flower girls, maybe they can tell you more about Wallflower
  259. 259.
    >If they don’t pretend like she doesn’t exist, that is
  260. 260.
    >Wallflower mentioned Principal Celestia approving the gardening club too
  261. 261.
    >Whatever mean-spirited rumor spread to make people ignore Wallflower, Celestia wouldn’t condone that
  262. 262.
     
  263. 263.
    >Finishing your shower, you dry up and are about to step out of the bathroom
  264. 264.
    >Only to remember that your clothes are being dried
  265. 265.
    >As if on queue, Wallflower steps up the stairs carrying the basket full of your now-dry clothes
  266. 266.
    >As she sets eyes on your naked chest however, she drops the basket on the floor and freezes in place
  267. 267.
    >The tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife
  268. 268.
    >At least, that’s what she feels right now
  269. 269.
    >You on the other hand begin closing the bathroom door to cut her line of sight of your body
  270. 270.
    “Sorry Wallflower! Just leave it by the door, I’ll-“
  271. 271.
    >Without saying anything, you hear the basket being thrown and landing against the door
  272. 272.
    >And the footsteps of a very embarrassed gardener rushing downstairs
  273. 273.
    >You really hope this doesn’t ruin whatever friendship progress you’ve made today with her
  274. 274.
     
  275. 275.
    >Showering and dressing up makes you completely forget about the rainy weather outside
  276. 276.
    >Remembering you forgot an umbrella however, means you’ll have to brave the outside soon
  277. 277.
    >You really don’t mind this, but you want to make sure Wallflower will talk to you next time you see her in school
  278. 278.
    >She’s been holed up in her bedroom since she saw you half naked just around an hour ago
  279. 279.
    >You’ve been pacing around her living room waiting for her to come out to talk but she hasn’t yet
  280. 280.
    >Biting your lip you decide to go upstairs and check in on her
  281. 281.
    >Stopping at the door to her bedroom, you gather up courage and knock on the door
  282. 282.
    >Seemingly shocked you’re still here, Wallflower answers from the other side of the door “Anon? Why haven’t you gone home yet?”
  283. 283.
    >You note a hint of hope mixed along the confusion in her voice
  284. 284.
    “I just wanted to make sure we were on speaking terms, you know? Maybe we can chat more tomorrow at school”
  285. 285.
     
  286. 286.
    >There’s a loud shifting around and the sound of footsteps from the other sound of the other door
  287. 287.
    >Wallflower unlocks the door and you’re treated to the messiest you’ve seen her yet
  288. 288.
    >Her disheveled hair, messy pajamas and slightly red eyes make you wonder if she was crying
  289. 289.
    >But instead of tears, you find a smile adorning her face
  290. 290.
    > “You… want to talk to me again? Really?”
  291. 291.
    “Of course I do! You’ve been nothing but nice to me, and I have a couple of questions I’d like to ask”
  292. 292.
    >You see her fidgeting with the door handle before she fully steps out from her bedroom
  293. 293.
    >If she looked fragile before, now it’s as if she had shattered
  294. 294.
    >Her messy look is that of someone who didn’t expect to see another soul for a while
  295. 295.
    >You probably shouldn’t have given her so much time alone
  296. 296.
    >She probably thought you left without saying goodbye
  297. 297.
    >You’re staring again, again
  298. 298.
    >You blink a few times before you start pitying the girl just based on her looks and clear your throat
  299. 299.
    “So, we cool to hangout tomorrow? Maybe you could show me around the gardening club?”
  300. 300.
    >She thinks this over, her eyes darting from the ground to you
  301. 301.
    >You hear her gulp a little before responding
  302. 302.
    > “S-Sure, feel free to drop by in the morning”
  303. 303.
    > “Most of my favourites are in full bloom by then” She adds while a smile creeps upon her face
  304. 304.
    “Alright well, see you tomorrow, Wallflower” You say as you make your way down the stairs
  305. 305.
    >Reaching for the handle of the front door, you stop to look behind you
  306. 306.
    >You see Wallflower’s face of doubt looking down from the top of the stairs
  307. 307.
    >Seemingly surprised at your every action, she awkwardly waves goodbye to you
  308. 308.
    >You can’t help but smile as you return the wave and exit
  309. 309.
    >Back into the pouring rain, you begin hastily making your way home
  310. 310.
    >Your heartbeat quickened, and not because of the pace you were running at
  311. 311.
     
  312. 312.
    >Roughly 50 minutes ago
  313. 313.
    >Be Wallflower
  314. 314.
    >Laying face down in your bed
  315. 315.
    >You saw a boy naked
  316. 316.
    >Well, half-naked
  317. 317.
    >You totally looked like a creep
  318. 318.
    >Where’s that stupid stone?
  319. 319.
    >Right, you don’t carry it around anymore
  320. 320.
    >Why did he not just wait for you to give him his clothes???
  321. 321.
    >Why did you invite him to come in?
  322. 322.
    >Why did you thought he’d remember?
  323. 323.
    >Why do you feel the tears rolling down your face?
  324. 324.
    >You were over this
  325. 325.
    >Right?
  326. 326.
    >Fuck, you’re not over this
  327. 327.
    >How long has it been? It has to have been months now
  328. 328.
    >But the fall formal was just a few weeks ago
  329. 329.
    >A year?
  330. 330.
    >Why are you thinking about this?
  331. 331.
    >He’s probably dressed up and gone already
  332. 332.
    >It couldn’t have been just a random thing
  333. 333.
    >You walk up to your mirror
  334. 334.
    >Out of every heartbreaking picture
  335. 335.
    >You couldn’t get rid of this one
  336. 336.
    >Anon and you, sitting together on a picnic blanket
  337. 337.
    >Adorning your better kept hair was a sunflower hairpin he had just gifted you
  338. 338.
    >That smile of his, you missed seeing it so much
  339. 339.
    >You hold your hand up to his face in the picture
  340. 340.
    >Was there anything you could’ve done differently?
  341. 341.
    >That fucking stone
  342. 342.
    >It seemed like a good idea at first
  343. 343.
    >But now
  344. 344.
    >You wished things would just go back to normal
  345. 345.
     
  346. 346.
    >A sob escaped your lips
  347. 347.
    >You couldn’t hide how much it hurt no matter how much you tried
  348. 348.
    >And for some reason, the stone just wouldn’t work on you
  349. 349.
    >And now you’re the only one who remembers anything about it
  350. 350.
    >About the two of you
  351. 351.
    >About your friends
  352. 352.
    >About your years in Canterlot High
  353. 353.
    >Your dad
  354. 354.
    >Dad
  355. 355.
    >You curl up in a ball next to your bed
  356. 356.
    >And just stay there sobbing
  357. 357.
    >It was all gone
  358. 358.
    >Why did you do it again?
  359. 359.
    >You fought over something
  360. 360.
    >You were spending so much time tending to the garden
  361. 361.
    >You missed a date or two with him
  362. 362.
    >But that wasn’t it
  363. 363.
    >You pushed him away
  364. 364.
    >You couldn’t spend time away from school
  365. 365.
    >Dad was getting worse
  366. 366.
    >You promised him you wouldn’t let anything happen to your garden
  367. 367.
    >And so you dedicated every hour you had to it
  368. 368.
    >Roseluck, Lily and Daisy chimed in when they could but
  369. 369.
    >You pushed them away too
  370. 370.
    >No one could understand just how important this was to you
  371. 371.
    >If you kept this garden alive until fall, Dad would make it
  372. 372.
    >He’d get out of the hospital and watch the sunflowers bloom with you
  373. 373.
    >Mom would be there too
  374. 374.
    >Everyone would be there with you
  375. 375.
     
  376. 376.
    >But no one was there
  377. 377.
    >Anon tried to comfort you after dad left
  378. 378.
    >The girls all tried their best to be there for you
  379. 379.
    >Rose in particular never left your side
  380. 380.
    >But they couldn’t get it
  381. 381.
    >You never tried to tell them either
  382. 382.
    >It was just so much easier to be alone
  383. 383.
    >And when they came to check in on you
  384. 384.
    >You lashed out
  385. 385.
    >You broke up with Anon on the spot
  386. 386.
    >You told them you never wanted to see them again
  387. 387.
    >You went back to school
  388. 388.
    >It hurt so much just thinking about the garden
  389. 389.
    >About the memories you had of this place
  390. 390.
    >You didn’t want them anymore
  391. 391.
    >You didn’t want to see these flowers bloom if it wasn’t with your dad
  392. 392.
    >You ripped off as many as you could
  393. 393.
    >Your tears clouded your vision but you could see the petals scattering all over the ground
  394. 394.
    >You rushed to the center of the garden
  395. 395.
    >And were about to break the pedestal
  396. 396.
    >But as your fist connected with the stone
  397. 397.
    >It glowed
  398. 398.
    >And you felt it
  399. 399.
    >That rush of power
  400. 400.
    >The boiling rage bottled within you
  401. 401.
    >You thought about how much you missed your dad
  402. 402.
    >You thought about how much you wanted to hang out with your friends after school
  403. 403.
    >You thought about how Anon would hate you after today
  404. 404.
    >And then, a bright green glow overwhelmed you
  405. 405.
    >And you passed out
  406. 406.
     
  407. 407.
    >You remember waking up in the messy petal-scattered garden
  408. 408.
    >And you remember their confusion
  409. 409.
    >At first, you thought it was a way to give you the cold shoulder
  410. 410.
    >The girls didn’t come to gardening club that day
  411. 411.
    >Anon didn’t even approach you
  412. 412.
    >And you got home to find out your mom hadn’t arrived from work
  413. 413.
    >She had left just before dad died
  414. 414.
    >She was supposed to return last night
  415. 415.
    >She never did
  416. 416.
    >After a week, you had enough of the silent treatment
  417. 417.
    >You walked up to Anon and asked him if the two of you could talk
  418. 418.
    >He seemed surprised you were talking to him at all
  419. 419.
    >At first you thought it was because you broke up with him but
  420. 420.
    >You brought up how much you wanted to go home and hug him
  421. 421.
    >How sorry you were for lashing out
  422. 422.
    >How you didn’t want to break up, and now just really wanted to be with him
  423. 423.
    >He looked at you so weirdly
  424. 424.
    >And then he laughed
  425. 425.
    >He thought it was a prank
  426. 426.
    >And when you got angry and told him you meant what you said
  427. 427.
    >He just said he didn’t know you
  428. 428.
     
  429. 429.
    >The girls were the same
  430. 430.
    >They just dismissed you as if you were crazy
  431. 431.
    >Rose called you a stalker when you asked to go with them to your hangout spot in the mall
  432. 432.
    >As if she hadn’t been the one to ask you to go mere days before
  433. 433.
    >You went to see Principal Celestia about the damage to the flowers, and how you’d help repair them
  434. 434.
    >She couldn’t even remember if you were a student
  435. 435.
    >You rushed to the garden and stopped right before the stone
  436. 436.
    >And as you touched it
  437. 437.
    >Once again, it lit up
  438. 438.
    >You felt something reaching out for you
  439. 439.
    >For your memories
  440. 440.
    >What happened earlier still fresh in your mind
  441. 441.
    >Anon, Rose and the girls, Celestia
  442. 442.
    >And again, a green flash of light
  443. 443.
    >When you woke up, you did everything again
  444. 444.
    >Anon didn’t remember you
  445. 445.
    >You showed him the pictures of you together
  446. 446.
    >You showed him the hairpin
  447. 447.
    >But he didn’t remember anything
  448. 448.
    >No one did
  449. 449.
    >But the worst thing was
  450. 450.
    >No one remembered your dad either
  451. 451.
    >Whatever you did, whatever that rock did
  452. 452.
    >It erased everything involving you
  453. 453.
    >Including the memory of dad
  454. 454.
     
  455. 455.
    >People only interacted with you if you talked to them first
  456. 456.
    >But otherwise it was as if you didn’t even exist
  457. 457.
    >The bacon-haired bully didn’t even bother harassing you for lunch money anymore
  458. 458.
    >You hate to admit it but you stalked Anon for a while after that
  459. 459.
    >You knew everything about him already so
  460. 460.
    >What was the harm in going to the same places he was heading to anyways
  461. 461.
    >You tried to approach him a few times
  462. 462.
    >But it usually ended up weirding him out
  463. 463.
    >You started carrying the stone around
  464. 464.
    >Erasing any awkward conversations
  465. 465.
    >Or failed attempts at reconnecting
  466. 466.
    >But no matter what you did
  467. 467.
    >Nothing could bring back how much you lost
  468. 468.
    >And it just hurt remembering what you had
  469. 469.
    >What you threw away
  470. 470.
    >And now you’re here
  471. 471.
    >Bawling your eyes out because you were reminded of it
  472. 472.
    >Fuck, you’re gonna have to use that stone again if you want to face to him ever-
  473. 473.
    >There’s a knock at the door
  474. 474.
    >But
  475. 475.
    >He’s still.. here?
  476. 476.
    >Your throat is hoarse from crying so much
  477. 477.
    “Anon? Why haven’t you gone home yet?”
  478. 478.
    >You say a bit too aggressively
  479. 479.
    > “I just wanted to make sure we were on speaking terms, you know? Maybe we can chat more tomorrow at school”
  480. 480.
    >Your heart stops beating
  481. 481.
    >You rush to get up, not minding the fact that you look like a broken mess
  482. 482.
    >You leap to grab the door handle
  483. 483.
    >As if whatever was on the other side would just go away if you waited another second
  484. 484.
    >You open it to find him looking at you with worry in his face
  485. 485.
    >That only seems to worsen when he takes a good look at you
  486. 486.
    >But you can’t help but let a smile fall on your lips
  487. 487.
    “You… want to talk to me again? Really?”
  488. 488.
     
  489. 489.
    >Back to the present
  490. 490.
    >Seeing him walk out that door
  491. 491.
    >It made you realize just how much you’ve missed him being in your life
  492. 492.
    >You weren’t gonna ruin it this time
  493. 493.
    >You promise to yourself that no matter what
  494. 494.
    >You won’t give this chance up to the stone
  495. 495.
    >Even if he ends up hating you
  496. 496.
    >You wipe your eyes clean and let out a sigh
  497. 497.
    >Your life for the last year has been nothing but attempt after attempt to get back what you lost
  498. 498.
    >How will it be different this time?
  499. 499.
    >Well, maybe because
  500. 500.
    >It’s not just you who will be trying this time
  501. 501.
     
  502. 502.
    >Be Anon
  503. 503.
    >Be running back home after such a rocky visit
  504. 504.
    >Wallflower
  505. 505.
    >There’s something about her that always made you want to talk to her
  506. 506.
    >But now that you have, you realize just how careful you’ll have to be
  507. 507.
    >She seemed genuinely happy you wanted to hang out with her
  508. 508.
    >You’ll have to do your best to not make her hate you
  509. 509.
    >You get home and greet your parents
  510. 510.
    >Your mom asked why you’re in your PE clothes
  511. 511.
    >You don’t have an answer for her so you just say you’ll wash them later
  512. 512.
    >You head to your room and change out of the once again damp clothes
  513. 513.
    >It’s just 3pm, you have plenty of time to kill
  514. 514.
    >Booting up your PC, you sit down to play when you notice it in the corner of your screen
  515. 515.
    >A text file that you don’t recall making
  516. 516.
    >Clicking on it is a list of places
  517. 517.
    >the local movie theatre, the nearest park, the beach
  518. 518.
    >And next to them, activities you could do with… someone?
  519. 519.
    >They don’t say who, just “her”
  520. 520.
    >Huh
  521. 521.
    >You click to see the last time this text file was edited
  522. 522.
    >13 months ago
  523. 523.
    >You don’t really remember anything from that time
  524. 524.
    >You remember last year’s Fall Formal
  525. 525.
    >That schoolwide bully getting her ass handed to her
  526. 526.
    >Something to do with a trio of girls causing trouble in school
  527. 527.
    >And the Friendship games a couple of months after
  528. 528.
    >But before all of that?
  529. 529.
    >it’s like your mind is blank
  530. 530.
    >In fact, there’s periods of time between those events that
  531. 531.
    >You also seem to have no recollection of
  532. 532.
    >It hurts trying to remember
  533. 533.
    >Returning your attention to the file
  534. 534.
    >You don’t even remember writing this, or even letting it sit this long in your desktop
  535. 535.
    >A flash of light and a sting of pain rocks your head for a second
  536. 536.
    >You’ve felt this before
  537. 537.
    >Why?
  538. 538.
    >You’re exhausted
  539. 539.
    >It’s so early but
  540. 540.
    >You just want to get in bed and sleep it off
  541. 541.
    >It was quite an eventful day
  542. 542.
    >You lay down in your bed and think back to that girl
  543. 543.
    >Wallflower
  544. 544.
    >You feel your chest tighten as you think about how cute she is
  545. 545.
    >You fall asleep thinking about her
  546. 546.
     
  547. 547.
    >You wake up in the middle of the night
  548. 548.
    >Well, more like 5am
  549. 549.
    >Which is pretty much the same thing to you
  550. 550.
    >Your head throbs a little, still hurting from whatever yesterday was
  551. 551.
    >Sitting up on the edge of your bed, you take a look at your computer, still powered on
  552. 552.
    >Just looking at that text file makes your head spin a little
  553. 553.
    >Still, it feels weird that you wouldn’t notice it for so long
  554. 554.
    >Your mind immediately goes to the image of that disheveled, messy girl from yesterday
  555. 555.
    >Wallflower told you to meet her behind the school early
  556. 556.
    >Standing up, you head to the mirror to make sure you look presentable
  557. 557.
    >And that’s when you notice another oddity to add to the growing pile
  558. 558.
    >A photo on the corner of your mirror
  559. 559.
    >Of none other than Wallflower, You and… Roseluck?
  560. 560.
    >The three of you are gathered around a bed of flowers, smiling at the camera
  561. 561.
    >Wallflower looks like a completely different person in this one
  562. 562.
    >For one, she’s happy
  563. 563.
    >And she doesn’t look like she struggled to get up from bed
  564. 564.
    >You don’t remember any of this
  565. 565.
    >In fact you don’t remember hanging this picture in your room at all
  566. 566.
    >You check your window to make sure it’s locked, and sure enough it is
  567. 567.
    >Your eyes return to the picture and you study it for any signs that it’s fake
  568. 568.
    >But you can’t find any
  569. 569.
    >Above all, you can’t imagine being friends with Roseluck
  570. 570.
    >She’s the complete opposite from you, she and those other flower girls aren’t hurting for friends
  571. 571.
    >A good student, well regarded and has no trouble speaking to people
  572. 572.
    >So yeah you pretty much hate her guts
  573. 573.
    >You could see yourself befriending Wallflower, the two of you being outcasts
  574. 574.
    >But Roseluck?
  575. 575.
    >You can’t even imagine her recognising either of you
  576. 576.
     
  577. 577.
    >You’ve been too hung up on this Roseluck business
  578. 578.
    >And not the fact that this picture just appeared in your room all of a sudden
  579. 579.
    >But if the file truly was there all along
  580. 580.
    >Could these two have been here for much longer than you realised?
  581. 581.
    >You grab the photograph and tuck it in your pocket
  582. 582.
    >You’ll ask Wallflower about it when you see her
  583. 583.
    >You head down the stairs and make your way to school
  584. 584.
    >You feel awfully drowsy despite having a 10 hour sleep
  585. 585.
    >How did you even manage to sleep that long?
  586. 586.
    >Was it really just trying to remember things from before your Junior year?
  587. 587.
    >Maybe you’re just dissociating again
  588. 588.
    >Your train of thought comes to a halt as you near the school grounds
  589. 589.
    >A couple of students are gathered around the entrance
  590. 590.
    >Mostly the nerds and athletes who got up early
  591. 591.
    >You don’t pay attention to them
  592. 592.
    >Instead, your gaze falls on the flower bushes that you never noticed sprinkled around the school grounds
  593. 593.
    >They’re absolutely gorgeous
  594. 594.
    >Well cared for, maintained and freshly watered it seems
  595. 595.
    >Wallflower must do a lot to keep all of them looking this good
  596. 596.
    > “Pretty, aren’t they?”
  597. 597.
    >You hear coming from your side, and turn to see a certain redhead looking at the shrub in front of you
  598. 598.
    >Her recognisable single pink streak running along the side of her hair would be all you need to spot this girl
  599. 599.
    “Hey Rose, and yeah, I guess so”
  600. 600.
    >Her light green eyes lock onto yours as she scoffs under her breath
  601. 601.
    > “You guess? Come on, these are the mark of someone who’s done this for years!” She says, almost indignant at your answer
  602. 602.
    > “Someone works tirelessly to upkeep not just this bush, but ALL bushes at school! And no one but me seems to even notice!”
  603. 603.
    >You can’t remember the last time you spoke a word to Roseluck
  604. 604.
    >No one must give these flowers any attention if it makes her talk to you
  605. 605.
    “Yeah, I’d have thought at least someone tells Wallflower what a good job she’s doing, but it seems like not even Principal Celestia even acknowledges them”
  606. 606.
    >Out of the corner of your eye, you see Roseluck’s entire composure change
  607. 607.
    >She stops moving altogether for a second, as if you had just said the world will end tomorrow
  608. 608.
    > “Wall…flower?” She utters at such a low level you only realise she’s even spoken after a moment
  609. 609.
    “Yeah, that girl from the gardening club? Hey, did you know we have a gardening club? Pretty crazy huh”
  610. 610.
    >You turn to look at Roseluck properly as you say that
  611. 611.
    >She looks deep in thought, her eyes laser focused on the bush in front of her
  612. 612.
    >You can almost hear the cogs in her head turning
  613. 613.
    >She reaches in her book bag and pulls out her phone, and starts fidgeting with it
  614. 614.
    >She stops soon enough, and you see her eyes grow wider with each passing second as she looks at something on her phone
  615. 615.
    >Looking up at you, Roseluck’s shaky yet determined voice snaps you out of your awkward staring
  616. 616.
    > “Where is the gardening club room?”
  617. 617.
     
  618. 618.
    >The two of you head inside CHS
  619. 619.
    >Some teachers call your name out, probably the ones that are close to flunking you from skipping class
  620. 620.
    >But you don’t care about that right now
  621. 621.
    >Someone else besides you is having a sudden recollection of this mysterious girl
  622. 622.
    >Roseluck didn’t explain anything to you, but you could see it in her eyes
  623. 623.
    >Well that and you remembered the pictures that Wallflower had in her house
  624. 624.
    >Could the two of them have had a falling out?
  625. 625.
    >You raise the question to Roseluck as you two head to the abandoned section of the school
  626. 626.
    > “What? No!” You hear Rose answer from behind you
  627. 627.
    > “I mean, I don’t know? I don’t remember”
  628. 628.
    > “But I need to do this, I need to see who’s been tending to the flowers”
  629. 629.
    >You felt something similar yesterday when you saw Wallflower tending to her garden
  630. 630.
    >You don’t know why, but you feel a sense of kinship with Roseluck at the moment
  631. 631.
    >Maybe the two of you have something in common after all, if it means the two of you are drawn to Wallflower
  632. 632.
    >Reaching for the handle, you open the door to the gardening club to find Wallflower sitting on a desk, waiting for you
  633. 633.
    >She looks much better than yesterday, although still not as healthy-looking as she was in the photograph
  634. 634.
    >You realise now that she’s actually gotten much paler and skinnier than she was when the photograph was taken
  635. 635.
    >You see the traces of a small smile as she speaks up to welcome you
  636. 636.
    > “Anon, I’m glad you-“
  637. 637.
    >Which is cut short as Roseluck steps in front of you and Wallflower locks eyes with her
  638. 638.
    >Neither of you move for a moment
  639. 639.
    >Until Roseluck takes another step towards Wallflower
  640. 640.
    >The gardener girl leans back in her chair, unsure of what the redhead is doing
  641. 641.
    >Roseluck stops in front of the desk, and takes out her phone
  642. 642.
    >Shoving it in Wallflower’s face, Rose speaks up “Do you know who I am?”
  643. 643.
    >Wallflower stares at the phone for a second before nodding, “I-I do”
  644. 644.
    >Roseluck lays the phone on the table, still keeping eye contact with Wallflower
  645. 645.
    >Rose’s pale yellow hands rest on the desk, which support her as she sighs and slumps over
  646. 646.
    > “Then why don’t I remember you?” A defeated Roseluck whispers as she hangs her head low
  647. 647.
    >Wallflower sits awkwardly in front of the redhead currently having a crisis
  648. 648.
    >As you begin walking towards the two of them, Wallflower stands up and reaches for Roseluck, laying a hand on her shoulder before clumsily pulling her into a hug
  649. 649.
    >One that the redhead immediately returns, squishing Wallflower in her arms
  650. 650.
    >You hear the faintest sob come from Roseluck as you take a look at the phone on the table
  651. 651.
    >Roseluck’s home wallpaper
  652. 652.
    >A picture of her and Wallflower smiling at the camera
  653. 653.
     
  654. 654.
    >The two girls eventually let go of each other, though Wallflower is reluctant at first
  655. 655.
    >Making sure Roseluck isn’t crying, you feel like it’s the appropriate time to bring your own photo up
  656. 656.
    >You take the picture of the three of you out of your pocket and lay it next to Roseluck’s phone
  657. 657.
    “I feel like there’s something we ought to know, or something we used to know?”
  658. 658.
    >Wallflower’s eyes water up as she lets out a sigh
  659. 659.
    > “There’s plenty, but I don’t know if you’ll believe me. I just ask that you listen to the entire thing before you decide to walk away”
  660. 660.
    >Roseluck and you share a look of curiosity and worry, the two of you looking back to Wallflower and nodding with a hint of uncertainty
  661. 661.
    >Wallflower walks to a nearby open closet and pulls out a small box
  662. 662.
    >She sets it on the nearest table, and opens it up
  663. 663.
    >There are dozens of pictures piled on top of each other
  664. 664.
    >All of which include Wallflower, Roseluck, and you
  665. 665.
    >With her dad, Principal Celestia, Lily, and Daisy sometimes showing up
  666. 666.
    >As Roseluck and you grab and look at each and every photo, Wallflower speaks up
  667. 667.
    > “We knew each other, you two were my closest friends” She says while reaching for something at the bottom of the box
  668. 668.
    >She pulls out an engraved necklace out with the initials RL + WB BFFs “Rose, we went to the Fall Formal in our freshmen year together, along with Daisy and Lily”
  669. 669.
    >Roseluck reaches for the rose-adorned necklace, holding it with utmost care, as if it were to shatter in her hands
  670. 670.
    > “Anon, we met that night at the Fall Formal. We um.. You helped me a lot with the club” Wallflower pulls out a sunflower hairpin, her fingers tracing it momentarily before she offers it to you
  671. 671.
    >You take the hairpin and try to remember giving it to her, but your mind comes up blank
  672. 672.
    >The headache returns just for a second, making you wince and reminding you that you ought to not think too hard about it
  673. 673.
    > “Yes that’s.. happened before, don’t worry. I doubt you’ll remember after all this time” She says as her shoulders slump
  674. 674.
    “Wait, before? Have you tried to do this before? Why can’t I remember anything before last year’s Fall Formal?”
  675. 675.
    >You don’t mean to interrogate Wallflower, but the urgency in your voice betrays your intentions
  676. 676.
    >Wallflower keeps her composure, although her eyes shift from photo to photo, wanting desperately to avoid making eye contact
  677. 677.
    > “We were friends, we did everything together. But something happened, and I kinda pushed you guys away” She continues
  678. 678.
    > “I didn’t know what I was doing, and by the time it was over, you guys forgot everything about me. About us”
  679. 679.
    >Out of the corner of your eye, you see Roseluck’s eyes watering as she tries to make sense of all of this
  680. 680.
    >Wallflower isn’t fairing any better, she’s shaking, you can tell this is hurting her
  681. 681.
    >And you… You don’t know how to feel
  682. 682.
    >It hits you just how little of Highschool you remember
  683. 683.
    >A month of freshman year… then it’s all gone until junior year
  684. 684.
    >You weren’t an outcast
  685. 685.
    >You had friends
  686. 686.
    >And they were taken from you
  687. 687.
    > “What did you do to us?” Roseluck finally speaks up, it sounds like she’s about to break into tears
  688. 688.
    >Wallflower sighs and turns to look in the direction of the garden
  689. 689.
    > “It was a relic from my grandfather, I didn’t know what it would do. But I wanted you guys to forget about me”
  690. 690.
    > “I wanted to be alone” Wallflower finishes, and you can see the tears rolling down her cheeks
  691. 691.
    >You feel compelled to give her a hug
  692. 692.
    >To tell her it’s alright, and she doesn’t have to worry about it
  693. 693.
    >You’ll be friends again
  694. 694.
    >But you can’t move
  695. 695.
    >You can’t help but resent her, even if just a little
  696. 696.
    >You let out a sigh of frustration and take a seat on one of the nearby stools
  697. 697.
    >The three of you remain in silence for what feels like an eternity
  698. 698.
     
  699. 699.
    >Wallflower turns to look at the two of you again, a couple of fresh tears rolling down her cheeks
  700. 700.
    > “I tried to make you guys remember, several times already” She begins, reaching into the box for a copy of the same picture you had hanged in the corner of your mirror
  701. 701.
    > “But it never worked, you guys would always get a headache or I’d weird you out, and every time I’d erase your memory of it”
  702. 702.
    >Wallflower’s tears fall on the photo, and looking at the ones near you, you can tell she’s cried over these pictures before
  703. 703.
    > “I’ve been trying for all of last year. I hoped the Fall Formal would’ve helped but, it didn’t, I just accepted it wouldn’t work and let you guys enjoy it”
  704. 704.
    >You remember this year’s Fall Formal just well, actually
  705. 705.
    >Bulk Biceps and Derpy being crowned homecoming king and queen
  706. 706.
    >Flash making a fool of himself in front of that Sunset girl
  707. 707.
    >And
  708. 708.
    >You remember seeing Wallflower
  709. 709.
    >Just looking at you from the sidelines, and then leaving through the back door
  710. 710.
    >You wanted so badly to go after her and ask her to dance
  711. 711.
    > “Does that mean- are you going to erase our memory this time, too?” Roseluck’s voice snaps you out of your flashback
  712. 712.
    >She’s still holding onto that necklace
  713. 713.
    >Guarding it against her chest, as if Wallflower would snatch it from her
  714. 714.
    >Wallflower shakes her head, her voice carrying a hint of defeat “No, I’m done doing that. I don’t want to take any more away from you guys”
  715. 715.
    > “If this is the last time we talk, that’s okay. I just wanted to clear things up now that both of you are aware of me”
  716. 716.
    >Your heart feels heavy
  717. 717.
    >You don’t know just how much you really lost
  718. 718.
    >Did you really lost anything, if you don’t remember it?
  719. 719.
    >Even if you had friends, does it matter now?
  720. 720.
    >You’re still holding onto that sunflower hairpin
  721. 721.
    >You offer it to Wallflower
  722. 722.
    >And besides you, you see Roseluck struggling to part with the necklace
  723. 723.
    >The two of you lock eyes for a moment
  724. 724.
    >An odd hint of resolve in your eyes, in contrast to the doubt in her's
  725. 725.
    “This isn’t the last time we’ll talk”
  726. 726.
    >Your words echo in the quiet classroom as you turn to Wallflower
  727. 727.
    “You might have given up, but I just met you”
  728. 728.
    “And I’ve wanted-“
  729. 729.
    > “I’ve wanted to know who you were, for the longest time” Roseluck interrupts you, a hint of desperation in her voice
  730. 730.
    > “And now I do, and I want to know who you were, who we were”
  731. 731.
    >Wallflower is stunned for a moment, her eyes growing wide as she looks at the both of you
  732. 732.
    >Roseluck steels herself and offers the necklace to her
  733. 733.
    >Joining you in your show of blind trust
  734. 734.
    >Wallflower however, can't bring herself to take either of the keepsakes
  735. 735.
    >Her eyes are full of fear, her hand shaking with indecision
  736. 736.
    >You take a step forward to make it easier for her
  737. 737.
    >As does Roseluck
  738. 738.
    >Wallflower leans back in her chair, away from your offerings “But I hurt you, what if it just happens again? If you two are better off without me?”
  739. 739.
    >You look at the photos scattered on the table
  740. 740.
    “Wallflower, all this time I thought I was a loser. An outcast without friends”
  741. 741.
    >You look down to the sunflower hairpin, and notice it’s collected a couple of tears
  742. 742.
    >Your own tears
  743. 743.
    “And I wasn’t, and that was thanks to you. So, let’s try again, if it's alright with you?”
  744. 744.
    >Wallflower’s doubt is painted all over her face
  745. 745.
    >You can see her internal struggle, her heart torn between wanting to accept it, yet hating the idea of hurting
  746. 746.
    >Hurting either of you, and hurting herself
  747. 747.
    >But she’s not afforded any more time to decide
  748. 748.
    >It might’ve never been her choice to make, truthfully
  749. 749.
    >Roseluck wrapped her arms around her so quickly, the two of them almost fell over
  750. 750.
    >Wallflower merely stays still, her facial expression stuck in the shock
  751. 751.
    >You walk over, and slowly wrap your arms around the two girls
  752. 752.
    >Roseluck and you sandwiching the broken-hearted gardener
  753. 753.
    >You feel your shirt begin to dampen
  754. 754.
    >And the sobs just confirm what you were thinking
  755. 755.
    >Wallflower’s words struggle to come out, her bottled up emotions making it impossible for her to form a sentence
  756. 756.
    >But she finally does utter two words in between sobs
  757. 757.
    > “Thank you”
  758. 758.
    >You don’t know who they’re directed to
  759. 759.
    >If they’re meant for you, or Roseluck
  760. 760.
    >Or she’s just relieved that she’s been given a second chance
  761. 761.
    >But you don’t care
  762. 762.
    >This is the closest you’ve felt to someone
  763. 763.
    >You can’t help but let your own tears flow
  764. 764.
    >And the gentle weeping coming from the redhead next to you reassures you
  765. 765.
    >The three of you are together in this
  766. 766.
     
  767. 767.
    >The following 13 minutes were a blur
  768. 768.
    >You don’t remember if you were this sappy when you knew Wallflower
  769. 769.
    >But you’re not afraid to say you joined the girls in the intense emotions being shared
  770. 770.
    >The three of you slowly broke off the bundle of relief and sorrow that had become your hug
  771. 771.
    >Wallflower still seemed overwhelmed with what to feel, her face a mix of emotions
  772. 772.
    >Save for the smile that settled on her face for good once she looked at you
  773. 773.
    > “I thought I’d never give you a hug again, sorry” she says as she wipes the last few tears from her eyes
  774. 774.
    >Before you can reassure her that it’s okay, she stands up and clears her throat
  775. 775.
    > “You- The both of you, have given me a chance to make this right. So let me start off on the right foot..”
  776. 776.
    >Roseluck to your right, shares a look of curiosity with you as Wallflower tries her best to chin up and sound confident
  777. 777.
    >You watch as she adjusts her posture to try and look stronger, which would work were it not for her puffy red eyes from crying
  778. 778.
    > “My name is Wallflower Blush, nice to meet you. I hope we can be friends”
  779. 779.
    > “again” she adds, her voice quiet as a mouse, betraying the aura of confidence she tried so hard to establish
  780. 780.
    >You feel the need to match the seriousness she’s trying to set, and extend an arm to Wallflower as you speak
  781. 781.
    “Nice to meet you, Wallflower. Properly- I mean” you stumble upon your words
  782. 782.
    >Your voice is a bit coarse, but neither of them seem to mind it
  783. 783.
    >Wallflower takes your hand and shakes it awkwardly
  784. 784.
    >Giving you a smile, before turning to look at Roseluck
  785. 785.
    >Who has finished wiping the last bit of her tears and matching the vibe in the room
  786. 786.
    > “And I’m Roseluck, I’m glad I finally figured out just who the mysterious flower caretaker was!” Rose chimes in, extending an arm to Wallflower as well
  787. 787.
    >To your surprise, Roseluck turns to address you once Wallflower and her are done shaking hands
  788. 788.
    >Any other day, you would’ve walked away from her, thinking that she was faking being nice to you
  789. 789.
    >But those photographs proved that you two used to be close
  790. 790.
    >Neither of you might be the same people you were then
  791. 791.
    “I’m Anonymous, nice to meet you Roseluck” you say, shaking her hand
  792. 792.
    >But if you were friends before, it had to be for a reason
  793. 793.
    > “Anon, you know my friends call me Rose! Please?” Roseluck says, a playful giggle escaping her lips
  794. 794.
    “Yeah yeah I know, Rose. I’m just trying to be nice and proper for once” you mentally roll your eyes at the girl
  795. 795.
    >To be quite honest, you don’t really remember why you are this way towards her
  796. 796.
    >So you’re more than relieved there’s no awkward air around the two of you
  797. 797.
    >Not any more than crying together would bring
  798. 798.
     
  799. 799.
    >Rose was more than happy to keep the playful energy, her smile as sincere as that of Wallflower’s
  800. 800.
    >Who seems to be elated that the two of you are talking
  801. 801.
    >Returning your gaze to her, some worry returns to your mind as you remember how she looked in the pictures
  802. 802.
    >Yeah the three of you were just messily crying
  803. 803.
    >But Wallflower still seems shaken up, her disheveled look; one that made you wonder if she had forgotten how to take care of herself
  804. 804.
    >Your look of pity is painfully clear, Wallflower coughs a little as she tries to avoid your gaze
  805. 805.
    > “Sorry, I wasn’t really sure if I was gonna see you again.. let alone see both you and Rose!” Wallflower speaks up while fixing a strand of hair behind her ear
  806. 806.
    >You mentally kick yourself for making her feel self conscious about this
  807. 807.
    >Roseluck moves to her side and places a hand on her shoulder, a warm smile on her face as she speaks up
  808. 808.
    > “You’ve had it rough, though I do envy you for not having to brush and look proper every day.. I’d love to go under the radar for a day or two!”
  809. 809.
    >Wallflower chuckles at her comment, “Yeah well, I did skipped a lot of classes at some point.” She adds while trying to return the smile
  810. 810.
    “I don't have to be invisible to do that” You chime in, earning a giggle from Roseluck, and a worried look from Wallflower
  811. 811.
    >The bell rings just as the mood in the gardening club was lifting, reminding you of your early arrival to school
  812. 812.
    >The three of you share a look full of mixed emotions
  813. 813.
    >None of you want to leave
  814. 814.
    >But you’re pretty sure you’ll be expelled if you skip any more classes
  815. 815.
    >Roseluck has her near-perfect scores to keep up
  816. 816.
    >And Wallflower.. seems the saddest that she doesn’t really need to be anywhere
  817. 817.
    “Why don’t you join us for some periods?” You say before you can even think twice about it
  818. 818.
    >Wallflower gives it some thought and ends up agreeing to it, “Alright, as long as I’m not bothering either of you!”
  819. 819.
    >Picking up your stuff, Roseluck and you talk about your schedules
  820. 820.
    >Since you don’t have any matching periods besides lunch, you’ll take turns hanging out with Wallflower
  821. 821.
    >And given you spend yesterday with her, it’s only fair Roseluck gets the first half of the day with her
  822. 822.
    >Waving them goodbye at a fork in the hallway, you watch the happy-go-lucky Rose hold Wallflower’s hand and slip into the sea of students
  823. 823.
    >As you head to class, the photos you saw in the gardening club spring to mind
  824. 824.
    >You don’t know Wallflower, and you for sure don’t know Roseluck
  825. 825.
    >But you can feel your heart flutter just thinking you were friends
  826. 826.
    >You'll do your best to make this work out
  827. 827.
     
  828. 828.
    >Be Roseluck
  829. 829.
    >And be rushing to class
  830. 830.
    >Dragging behind you a girl whom you’ve seen dozens of times before but you never truly noticed
  831. 831.
    >Maybe she didn’t want to be noticed? Surely she wasn’t expecting it
  832. 832.
    >But your sudden confrontation alongside Anon left the girl with no place to run
  833. 833.
    >And you finally cleared up a question that’s been bugging you for the longest of times
  834. 834.
    >Longest as in, last Spring Break
  835. 835.
    >When you were made aware of the rose bushes behind school
  836. 836.
    >And you couldn’t believe how well-cared for they were
  837. 837.
    >How absolutely gorgeous they were
  838. 838.
    >In fact, there were dozens of flower bushes like them all over the school grounds
  839. 839.
    >And neither you nor Daisy or even Lily had noticed!
  840. 840.
    >You call yourselves the flower girls for goodness’ sake!
  841. 841.
    >You just had to find out who was taking care of these
  842. 842.
    >You spend the rest of the year asking around, but no one could answer your question
  843. 843.
    >And then
  844. 844.
    >Then
  845. 845.
    >You don’t really remember
  846. 846.
    >Although, with what you know now, you can suspect the girl behind you has something to do with it
  847. 847.
    >Nevertheless, you finally found who’s taking care of the flowers
  848. 848.
    >You aren't fully sure why this was so important to you
  849. 849.
    >And you were beyond shocked at just how much you had learnt in the last half hour
  850. 850.
    >If you didn’t had that picture on your phone, you doubt you’d have truly believed what Wallflower was talking about
  851. 851.
    >You've seen it hundreds of times, but somehow you never paid attention to her in it
  852. 852.
    >Something to do with your bygone memories perhaps?
  853. 853.
    >Truthfully, you’d have loved to be her friend even without the revelation that you were once close
  854. 854.
    >But now there were more questions sprouting to your mind than those that were answered
  855. 855.
    >Who were you two before all of this?
  856. 856.
    >Was Anon really amicable towards you?
  857. 857.
    >Was she really your friend?
  858. 858.
    >And what did you do that could've pushed her away?
  859. 859.
    >No matter, one step at a time, Rose
  860. 860.
     
  861. 861.
    >Taking your seat in Mr Cranky’s classroom, you smile at Wallflower as she sits beside you
  862. 862.
    >Lily spots you from the door and gives you an odd look as you two usually sit together for this class
  863. 863.
    >You give her a confident smile and a thumbs up, hoping she gets the message
  864. 864.
    >Wallflower notices this and you can see her posture stiffen for a second
  865. 865.
    > “You sure I won’t be a bother? I know you’re popular so I wouldn’t want to-“
  866. 866.
    “It’s okay! I’ll tell them during lunch, and besides I’m not really thaaat popular to have a new friend every period”
  867. 867.
    >Wallflower can’t help but let out a laugh that she quickly tries to quiet to not be so loud
  868. 868.
    > “Rose you’ve been nominated homecoming queen three years running, don’t be so modest!”
  869. 869.
    >A red not unlike that of your hair sets on your cheeks
  870. 870.
    >You almost won this year’s! You only lost because no one could beat Derpy and Bulk Biceps in the cute couple factor
  871. 871.
    “Hey that’s not fair! I don’t really remember one of those years..” You pout, looking away from Wallflower, baiting her into conversation about some of your lost memories
  872. 872.
    >Taking the bait, Wallflower speaks softly “That was the year we all went together.. you looked so pretty in that velvet dress with the rose accents”
  873. 873.
    >You hear her voice trail off, and turn to look at her staring at nothing in particular
  874. 874.
    > “You argued endlessly with me about what I should wear, I still have that yellow dress in my closet”
  875. 875.
    > “Anon surprised us with some cheap rental that we rode to homecoming, he looked so proud of himself”
  876. 876.
    >Wallflower’s volume is loud enough for some people to overhear her monologue
  877. 877.
    >But there’s not anyone particularly paying attention that you can tell
  878. 878.
    >She’s still invisible, even if she’s with you
  879. 879.
    > “And when we found out you were nominated for homecoming queen?” She scoffs under her breath and turns to look at you
  880. 880.
    >Your eyes meet, and for some reason, you feel your heart skip a beat
  881. 881.
    >The way she looks at you is filled with such melancholy, you can’t help but get lost in her eyes as she speaks
  882. 882.
    > “You said you wouldn’t even consider it unless we were up there with you” She finishes with a warm smile
  883. 883.
    >A single tear forms in her eye that she quickly wipes away, and turns to look away
  884. 884.
    > “Sorry, it’s still a lot to remember. It was a beautiful night”
  885. 885.
    >You can’t even respond, your mouth hanging slightly ajar and your mind processing what you just heard
  886. 886.
    >Unfortunately for you, you’re not invisible like Wallflower
  887. 887.
    > “Is something amiss, Miss Roseluck?” You hear the unmistakable cranky voice of your teacher call out for you
  888. 888.
    >And you turn around with your cheeks flushed, out of embarrassment and something else you can’t begin to comprehend
  889. 889.
    “Wh- No! Um, no sir. Nothing at all” You blurt out, recomposing yourself as you sit up right
  890. 890.
    >You hear Wallflower stifling a laugh next to you
  891. 891.
    >And you try your hardest to suppress the smile that desperately wants to form on your face
  892. 892.
    >Mr Cranky returns to his lecture right as the bell rings, marking the end of the period
  893. 893.
    >Wallflower stands up and offers you her hand as the rest of the students make their way out
  894. 894.
    >You grab her hand and look up at her
  895. 895.
    >She seems much more different than the fragile girl you met earlier today
  896. 896.
    >You stand up and exit the classroom together
  897. 897.
    >And she’s the one dragging you through the sea of students to your next class
  898. 898.
    >Where did that broken girl from the gardening club go, you wonder
  899. 899.
    >No, she’s still there
  900. 900.
    >This is just the remnants of what she was before shattering
  901. 901.
    >What made her like this? What caused her to chase after isolation?
  902. 902.
    >You wonder if it’d be too much to ask her so soon
  903. 903.
    >And if what she said was true, no one would be able to tell you
  904. 904.
    >You’ll have to talk to Anon at lunch
  905. 905.
    >Maybe you’re being nosy, but you need to know
  906. 906.
    >Your train of thought stops suddenly as Wallflower turns to smile at you
  907. 907.
    >And you can’t help but return the smile as you enter the classroom
  908. 908.
    >You’ve got a feeling your grades might tank for a couple of weeks
  909. 909.
    >You simply won't be able to focus on your studies with her around
  910. 910.
    >But it’s worth it to see her smile
  911. 911.
     
  912. 912.
    >Be Anon
  913. 913.
    >Be doing your best to keep up with class after skipping however many you have
  914. 914.
    >So much so, your teachers skipped the lecture they usually give you and just went with class normally
  915. 915.
    >The semester isn’t close to ending but if you don’t start fixing your grades, you’re sure you’ll flunk out
  916. 916.
    >Which sucks because now there’s a reason you’d want to stick around
  917. 917.
    >You wonder what Rose and Wallflower are talking about
  918. 918.
    >Looking at the clock, you’ll meet them next period for lunch
  919. 919.
    >It’ll be weird having to interact with Lily and Daisy again, since you’ll have to sit with Rose and those two never leave her side
  920. 920.
    >Finishing your assignment, you spend the rest of class idly scrawling on your notebook
  921. 921.
    >You don’t really know why but you always end up sketching up plants and flowers when you do this
  922. 922.
    >Sunflowers being the most prominent
  923. 923.
    >Maybe you picked this up the years you spent with Wallflower, although it’s no use trying to remember
  924. 924.
    >As the bell rings, you pick up your stuff and begin heading out
  925. 925.
    >And are stopped by Ms Harshwhinny calling your name out
  926. 926.
    > “Mr Anonymous, a moment of your time?”
  927. 927.
    >You turn around to face her and walk to her desk
  928. 928.
    >Her gaze doesn’t deign to look at you, stuck instead at the papers in front of her
  929. 929.
    > “Since I know reaching out to your parents would be useless, I’ll instead deliver the news to you”
  930. 930.
    >She finally turns to look at you as she hands you the papers, “If you’re unable to improve your grades by the end of the month, you’ll be expelled”
  931. 931.
    >Grabbing the papers, the gravity of the situation finally hits you
  932. 932.
    >You were sure it was just a few classes you had skipped before, but looking at your report card
  933. 933.
    >Nearly every single class has you at a D, or worse
  934. 934.
    > “Principal Celestia wanted to tell you herself, but I wanted you to hear it from your.. ‘favorite’ teacher.” The venom in her words plain, she stands up and looks at you proper
  935. 935.
    > “Anonymous, I’m aware you’re troubled. By what, I simply don’t care. But if you require assistance, know I’ve students willing to help”
  936. 936.
    >Unlike before, there’s no sarcasm, no disdain and no condescending tone
  937. 937.
    >This might be the nicest Harshwhinny has ever been to you
  938. 938.
    >You speak up for the first time in the conversation, “Thank you Ms Harshwhinny, I’ll.. I’ll try”
  939. 939.
    >You turn around to avoid looking at her, a weird sense of embarrassment taking over you
  940. 940.
    > “That is all, go make the most out of your month here. If you can”
  941. 941.
     
  942. 942.
    >Stepping out of the classroom, you sigh as you make your way to the school’s cafeteria
  943. 943.
    >Only a month, there’s no way you can improve that much
  944. 944.
    >Maybe you wouldn’t be in this situation if you just bothered keeping up with class
  945. 945.
    >Stressing about talking to the flower girls seems silly now
  946. 946.
    >You try your best to shove your conversation with Harshwhinny to the back of your mind as you open the doors to the cafeteria
  947. 947.
    >In the mix of colors, you spend some time trying to find the sea green of Wallflower’s hair
  948. 948.
    >And find it next to the vibrant red next to hers
  949. 949.
    >Walking past a few cliques, you can’t help but take a passing glance at the table with the most popular girls in school
  950. 950.
    >And that former bully sitting with them
  951. 951.
    >If someone like her was able to make friends after everything, maybe you’ll be alright
  952. 952.
    >Reaching the table, Lily and Daisy are the first to look at you, a puzzled expression on their faces that unbeknownst to you had been their default expression since classes had begun earlier today
  953. 953.
    > “Anon! About time, I was explaining to the girls here what happened earlier today” Rose turns around to greet you
  954. 954.
     
  955. 955.
    >Sitting down to the right of Wallflower, you exchange a similarly confused look with the two flower girls sitting in front of you
  956. 956.
    “As in.. everything?” Even the tears? You think to yourself
  957. 957.
    > “Well, I omitted some details but the good news is they haven’t called me crazy yet!” Rose digs into her lunch as she reassures you
  958. 958.
    >Wallflower has the gentlest smile on her face as she turns to look at you, “How were your classes? I remember Harshwhinny giving you trouble even months ago, is she still onto you?”
  959. 959.
    >No, she isn’t
  960. 960.
    >And you don’t have to worry about potentially losing contact with your newfound friends in only a month
  961. 961.
    >Or your future for that matter
  962. 962.
    >What exactly are you supposed to do if you can’t fix your grades
  963. 963.
    >Work in fast food for the rest of your life?
  964. 964.
    >Don’t you need a high school degree for most jobs
  965. 965.
    > “I’m gonna take that as a yes” Wallflower’s voice snaps you out of your downward spiral
  966. 966.
    “Sorry, uh, yeah she’s been giving me flack for skipping school for…” You trail off, not wanting to face the fact you’ve been slacking off that much
  967. 967.
    > “A couple of months?” Daisy chimes in with a bit of a smirk on her face
  968. 968.
    >Roseluck quietly whispers to her, trying to cut her off “Daisy please”
  969. 969.
    > “But it’s true! He hasn’t even bothered with being there for the tests” Daisy refuses to back off, having experience in dealing with your bullshit
  970. 970.
    >You’re reminded of the couple of times you ended up blowing her off on group projects
  971. 971.
    >And costing the both of you the grading
  972. 972.
    >You should apologize, but before you can
  973. 973.
    >Lily next to her adds in “And like, Rose, you yourself have told us we shouldn’t bother with him!”
  974. 974.
    >You turn to your left to look at Rose, who has this terrified expression on her face you’ve never seen her with
  975. 975.
    >And a very anxious-looking Wallflower sandwiched between the two of you, hunched over and playing with her food
  976. 976.
    > “Yeah! That he’d just end up as a fry cook and to just avoid him until he eventually flunks out” Daisy turns to Lily as they both continue their mean-spirited back and forth
  977. 977.
    > “Yeah like, Rose did you hit your head or something? I thought-“ Lily is cut off by Rose yelling at the two of them
  978. 978.
    > “Lily! Daisy! Please not- not now!”
  979. 979.
    >Which gets a couple people in nearby tables turning their heads to the commotion
  980. 980.
    > “That was before and I, I’ve” Rose struggles to find the right words
  981. 981.
    >Her eyes meet yours, her pupils turned to pinpricks
  982. 982.
    >You can’t read her mind, but her face remains stuck in this look of desperation, regret and annoyance
  983. 983.
    > “I’m sorry, Anon” Rose’s quiet voice seems to expect some kind of lash out from you
  984. 984.
    >Maybe to yell at her or walk away from the table and tell her off
  985. 985.
    >But you’ve no energy for that
  986. 986.
    >You know they’re right
  987. 987.
    >Though it still hurts
  988. 988.
    >Your gaze falls to the empty space in the table in front of you
  989. 989.
    >Where your lunch tray should be, had you bothered to get some
  990. 990.
    >A painfully awkward silence falls on the group
  991. 991.
    >You feel Wallflower’s hand on your left shoulder, and you turn to look at her
  992. 992.
    >That gentle smile has returned to her face, though there’s a hint of pleading that strikes at some chords in your heart
  993. 993.
    >Looking past her, you see Rose with a mortified look on her face looking at you
  994. 994.
    >Letting out a sigh you didn’t know you were holding, you finally speak up
  995. 995.
    “It’s fine, you won’t have to worry about that in a month”
  996. 996.
    >The confusion in their faces is plain, while in the corner of your eye you see Daisy and Lily exchanging worried looks
  997. 997.
    >But before you can explain further, the bell ringing signifies the end of lunch
  998. 998.
    >The two flower girls sitting across from you take their stuff, readying to leave
  999. 999.
    >Roseluck however, just gives them a glance and stays seated in the table
  1000. 1000.
    >Alongside Wallflower, who worriedly takes your hand in hers “Anon? Why a month?”
  1001. 1001.
    >You can’t bring yourself to say it
  1002. 1002.
    >Not yet at least, it’s too embarrassing
  1003. 1003.
    > “You’re being expelled, aren’t you?” Your heart sinks a little as you hear Wallflower answer for you
  1004. 1004.
    “I didn’t thought I skipped that many classes” is all you can say to excuse your behavior
  1005. 1005.
    >Behind Wallflower, you can see Rose’s horrified look as it hits her that she’s been making light of your situation
  1006. 1006.
    >Roseluck stands up and in a hurry, picks up her backpack and joins the rest of the students in leaving the cafeteria
  1007. 1007.
    >Daisy and Lily hurry after her, both giving you a single apologetic look as they disappear into the crowd
  1008. 1008.
    >Leaving you and Wallflower as the only students who are still sitting as if lunch was still going on
  1009. 1009.
    > “Well, you can’t afford to skip anymore in that case. Right?” Wallflower forces a sympathetic smile on her face
  1010. 1010.
    >Despite it not being genuine, you can’t tell her no when she’s trying to cheer you up
  1011. 1011.
    >You make your way out of the cafeteria, Wallflower practically dragging you to your next class
  1012. 1012.
     
  1013. 1013.
    >You tried making light conversation with her, but Wallflower wouldn’t have it
  1014. 1014.
    > “I’m not letting it happen, there’s got to be something you can do. I don’t buy that Principal Celestia would just kick you out, so you better pay attention and try to learn something these periods” She told you as soon as you got to your next class
  1015. 1015.
    >Truthfully, you’ve already given up and accepted your fate
  1016. 1016.
    >It’s true you could try mending your grade, pay attention in class and actually do the assignments
  1017. 1017.
    >For one class at a time, maybe
  1018. 1018.
    >Every single one would need the same degree of attention, even PE for fucks’ sake
  1019. 1019.
    >But Wallflower didn’t give you a chance to screw up
  1020. 1020.
    >Given that she was overlooked in just about every room you two were in
  1021. 1021.
    >She took notes alongside you, and if she ever caught you daydreaming or staring off into the distance
  1022. 1022.
    >She would pinch your arm and point at your notebook to make you snap back to reality
  1023. 1023.
    >You only found it mildly annoying when she did it the first few times
  1024. 1024.
    >But by the end of your last class, you were glad she was there
  1025. 1025.
    >Cheering you on, keeping you from going back into a downward spiral
  1026. 1026.
    >You wonder if she did this back then too
  1027. 1027.
    >If maybe you were always a bit of a screw up, and she’s helped you get out of a mess before
  1028. 1028.
    >It wasn’t until the bell rang and class ended that she properly turned to talk
  1029. 1029.
    > "So, who was it that brought this up? I know Principal Celestia stays for a while, we- you could go talk to her if it'll help"
  1030. 1030.
    >Packing your stuff in your backpack, you shake your head and lean back in your chair
  1031. 1031.
    "It was Harshwhinny, she did offer some tutoring but I wouldn't know who to ask" You feel your shame pitting in your stomach as you confess
  1032. 1032.
    >The sounds of students making their way out of the classroom fills up an awkward silence between you two
  1033. 1033.
    >Your words struggle to come out, but a quick glance at her gives you the strength to spit it out
  1034. 1034.
    "And I dunno about asking her"
  1035. 1035.
    >Wallflower sighs and turns to avoid looking at you, a similar expression of shame in her face
  1036. 1036.
    > "I'm sorry, Anon. I feel like this is my fault"
  1037. 1037.
    >You wonder if maybe she's right
  1038. 1038.
    >You don't have a lot of memories related to your classes
  1039. 1039.
    >And what you do remember is filled with you lazing out
  1040. 1040.
    > "I already took your past" Her voice is shaky and quiet, but that changes when you turn to look at her
  1041. 1041.
    >Locking eyes with her, you see her doubt leaving her as she's reminded of what she's done
  1042. 1042.
    >Wallflower stands up and offers you her hand, "I'm not gonna take your future too"
  1043. 1043.
    >Her tone is more commanding now
  1044. 1044.
    >You can't help but feel a bit shocked
  1045. 1045.
    >This girl looks like she has gone months without properly taking care of herself
  1046. 1046.
    >And yet, you've never seen anyone as sure of their words as she is right now
  1047. 1047.
    >You take her hand, stand up, and pull her into a gentle hug
  1048. 1048.
    >You can't see her face, but you can just feel her smile as she returns it
  1049. 1049.
    "Thanks for not giving up, Wallflower" You say as you step back from the hug and pick up your backpack
  1050. 1050.
    >"Thanks for giving me a second chance" She says while you two make your way out of the classroom
  1051. 1051.
     
  1052. 1052.
    >It might've been all the troubled ideas jumbling in your head
  1053. 1053.
    >Or just your usual dissociation from being among the sea of students
  1054. 1054.
    >But you only notice that Wallflower has been holding onto your hand when you feel her take back her hand to wipe the sweat off it
  1055. 1055.
    >And hold it out for you to grab again
  1056. 1056.
    >Giving you a tiny sheepish smile when you lock your fingers between hers
  1057. 1057.
    >It doesn't last long, and you retrieve your hand when you arrive at Ms Harshwhinny's classroom
  1058. 1058.
    >Knocking on the door, you step in and see the tired eyes of your teacher light up in amusement when they see you
  1059. 1059.
    > "Well well, to what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you after school, Mr Anonymous?" The shine quickly fades as she crosses her arms and turns to you
  1060. 1060.
    >You hesitate to speak up, but when you feel the gentle touch of Wallflower's hand on your shoulder, all your doubts are swept away
  1061. 1061.
    "What else, you said you had tutors in mind for me?" You try desperately to put up an air of 'who gives a shit'
  1062. 1062.
    >To shield yourself from the possibility that it's already too late
  1063. 1063.
    >Harshwhinny doesn't buy it, shaking her head and chuckling to herself
  1064. 1064.
    > "With that attitude, I doubt even Sparkle herself would be able to get through to you" The disdain in her voice is clear
  1065. 1065.
    >Her eyes look daggers at you for a moment
  1066. 1066.
    >You let out a sigh, and steel yourself to drop your mask
  1067. 1067.
    >But Harshwhinny beats you to it, her furrowed brow softening along with her posture
  1068. 1068.
    > "But, if you're here it must mean something has indeed changed. And amusing as this is, someone has already asked to tutor you"
  1069. 1069.
    >That immediately dissipates any hateful air around you
  1070. 1070.
    >Out of the corner of your eye, you see Wallflower poking her head over your shoulder in curiosity
  1071. 1071.
    "Really? But, who?" Is all you can ask in your stupefied state
  1072. 1072.
    >Poking your shoulder opposite of Wallflower, Roseluck awkwardly waves at you
  1073. 1073.
    >With a hint of a flush on her cheeks, likely because of how your last conversation went
  1074. 1074.
    > "Hi Anon, I uh, I hope it's okay with you" She says, entering the classroom to greet Harshwhinny
  1075. 1075.
    >Your teacher stands up from her chair to emphasize her words "It better be. Anonymous, I don't need to remind you of what's at stake."
  1076. 1076.
    > "Ms Roseluck will help you raise your grades, but you must be the one to put the effort in." It sounds like there's no arguing with her
  1077. 1077.
    "Well I-" You aren't allowed to finish your sentence
  1078. 1078.
    > "Now off you three go, I've enough work to do before I'm allowed to leave. Good day to you all."
  1079. 1079.
    >Harshwhinny cuts you off, whether it is in case you intended to be snarky or simply to make you accept it and get it over with, she shoos the three of you out of the classroom
  1080. 1080.
    >Wait
  1081. 1081.
    >Did she say three?
  1082. 1082.
    >Wallflower stands in stunned silence, her eyes wide in surprise
  1083. 1083.
    >Likely wondering if she heard correctly
  1084. 1084.
    >Roseluck clears her throat in an attempt to get your attention
  1085. 1085.
    >You see her stand straight and repeatedly open and close her mouth, trying to find the right words
  1086. 1086.
    >There's some hesitation in her voice when she does speak up "I wanted to say I'm sorry. Daisy and Lily they, they didn't mean it. And I"
  1087. 1087.
    >You shake your head, "It's fine, I mean it isn't but, you're really gonna help me with my grades?"
  1088. 1088.
    >She nods her head quickly, finding it hard to come up with the words to truly apologize
  1089. 1089.
    "Then, thanks. Apology accepted" The words escape you before you can think twice
  1090. 1090.
    >You'd be lying if you said what the flower girls said during lunch didn't hurt
  1091. 1091.
    >You never thought people spoke behind your back, or that people talked about you at all
  1092. 1092.
    >Maybe this is where your slight towards Roseluck comes from
  1093. 1093.
    >And as you try to remember more about it, you feel it again
  1094. 1094.
    >The sharp headache that signals a gap in your memory
  1095. 1095.
    >Your eyes snap shut, the pain having increased in comparison to before
  1096. 1096.
    >That feeling knocks you out of your train of thought, and sends you leaning tiredly against the wall
  1097. 1097.
    >As you open your eyes to a worried Roseluck asking if you're okay
  1098. 1098.
    >You look to her side and lock eyes with the only reason you've ever felt this kind of pain
  1099. 1099.
    >Wallflower's eyes tell you everything, in them you see that same regret that she's shared with you before
  1100. 1100.
    >Just how much did she erase
  1101. 1101.
     
  1102. 1102.
    >You recompose yourself and assure them you're alright, even forcing a smile to ease their mind
  1103. 1103.
    >Though your question remains
  1104. 1104.
    >Your unconvincingly fake smile doesn't fool Wallflower
  1105. 1105.
    >She looks even more pained after that if anything
  1106. 1106.
    >Roseluck takes the hint that you're trying to move on from this and speaks up
  1107. 1107.
    > "Hey, if it's alright with you. Would you like us to help with gardening club today, Wallflower?"
  1108. 1108.
    >At the mention of her name, Wallflower snaps to attention and takes a moment processing the words
  1109. 1109.
    > "Uh, yeah! If you guys don't mind getting a bit dirty, I've a few chores to do before we go."
  1110. 1110.
    >Rose chimes in as the three of you begin walking towards the abandoned side of the school "Just keep in mind you'll have to teach us how to do things again!"
  1111. 1111.
    >Wallflower gives you one more look full of pity before answering Rose
  1112. 1112.
    >As the two of them talk, you can't help but wonder back to your memory gaps
  1113. 1113.
    >It was two years of your life, and a good chunk of last year as well
  1114. 1114.
    >And no matter how much of those gaps Wallflower fills in with stories of your time together
  1115. 1115.
    >You doubt you'll ever know who you were back then
  1116. 1116.
    >Who even are you now
  1117. 1117.
    > "Anon?"
  1118. 1118.
    >Roseluck's voice grounds you from your downward spiral
  1119. 1119.
    >Her pale green eyes meet yours as you turn to look her way
  1120. 1120.
    >You see the gardening club's door opened and hear Wallflower shuffling around inside
  1121. 1121.
    >You've been standing outside lost in your train of thought for a bit
  1122. 1122.
    "Sorry, I'm just thinking how I'm supposed to fix up all my grades. It's a bit overwhelming" You lie through your teeth
  1123. 1123.
    >Rose seems less keen in detecting your lies than Wallflower
  1124. 1124.
    >She offers a sympathetic smile "I get it, looking at the bigger picture is a lot. We'll start small after we finish with the club"
  1125. 1125.
    > "You have my word, you'll make it through the rest of the school year with straight A's!" She adds and begins turning around to head inside
  1126. 1126.
    >You bite your lip, something gnawing at the back of your mind
  1127. 1127.
    >You let out a sigh, muttering to yourself, afraid that she'd hear
  1128. 1128.
    "How are you handling this so well?"
  1129. 1129.
    >Rose freezes before the door frame, you can't see her face
  1130. 1130.
    >But you hear the doubt in her voice
  1131. 1131.
    > "I'm not. Not really" She turns to look at you
  1132. 1132.
    >Her volume matches yours, and you realize it's not Rose who you're afraid will listen in
  1133. 1133.
    >She forces a smile and stretches out her hand to you
  1134. 1134.
    >Silently asking you to come in with her
  1135. 1135.
    >You see yourself in her eyes
  1136. 1136.
    >She's just as lost as you are in this
  1137. 1137.
    >You can't bring yourself to hold her hand
  1138. 1138.
    >But you still step into the classroom by her side
  1139. 1139.
     
  1140. 1140.
    >An awkward air settles between the two of you
  1141. 1141.
    >Your eyes meet hers for a second, before you try your best to avoid looking at her
  1142. 1142.
    >Out of the corner of your eye however, you see Roseluck doing the same thing
  1143. 1143.
    >Wallflower enters the classroom through a back door wheeling in a cart filled with soil
  1144. 1144.
    >And immediately catches on to the weird mixture of emotions between you and Rose
  1145. 1145.
    >Her expression twists, you can't tell if it's worry or amusement
  1146. 1146.
    >Until she lets out a small chuckle, "Sorry, sorry I shouldn't laugh"
  1147. 1147.
    > "It's just that, for a second there I remembered the first time you joined the club, Anon" She adds while walking to some of the potted plants along the tables
  1148. 1148.
    >Your curiosity piqued, you sit on a nearby stool and ask her
  1149. 1149.
    "Yeah? And why is that, was I painfully awkward at first as well?"
  1150. 1150.
    >Rose can't help but grin, her posture relaxing and clearly thankful for the shift in the tone
  1151. 1151.
    > "As a matter of fact, yes." Wallflower says as she transfers a couple of plants from the shelves and onto the cart
  1152. 1152.
    >You feel yourself slump on your seat
  1153. 1153.
    >And next to you, Rose's poorly contained giggle
  1154. 1154.
    >When she catches you looking, she offers you a sympathetic smile
  1155. 1155.
    > "It was shortly after our freshmen year Fall Formal, we met out on the garden that night, and you said you wanted to join" Wallflower continues
  1156. 1156.
    >You swear you saw her cheeks flushing for a second there "You showed up a couple of days later at the club door, you had this notebook full of flower sketches and offered one if you'd be let in"
  1157. 1157.
    > "Only thing is, Rose was the one who opened the door" Wallflower stops to laugh a little, and looks at the confused redhead
  1158. 1158.
    > "She closed the door on you, she thought you were flirting with her"
  1159. 1159.
    >You share a look with Rose, and feel the air get thicker with shame
  1160. 1160.
    >Neither of you is laughing
  1161. 1161.
    >You don't feel judgement from her, if anything it feels like she's in the same boat as you
  1162. 1162.
    >'what am I supposed to feel'
  1163. 1163.
    >Does Wallflower have a sadistic side to her
  1164. 1164.
    > "I think you only started drawing again after I asked you to, I still have some of your drawings" Her words bring your attention back to her
  1165. 1165.
    >She has that same melancholic expression, gazing into empty space once again
  1166. 1166.
    >You set down your backpack and find your notebook, flipping through the pages adorned with sketches of plants
  1167. 1167.
    "I still do, I didn't really thought much of it, plants just seemed easy to draw" Your eyes scan over the pages
  1168. 1168.
    >There's a bunch of different flowers, but each page has at least one sunflower and one rose somewhere
  1169. 1169.
    >You've had this notebook since the start of the school year
  1170. 1170.
    >Meaning all of these were recent, they couldn't be from before Wallflower erased your memories
  1171. 1171.
    >Your subconscious somehow remembered something about her
  1172. 1172.
    > "Those are pretty good, Anon! You should get yourself a sketch book" Rose's cheery voice over your shoulder makes you jump in your seat
  1173. 1173.
    >You were pretty deep in thought, you hadn't noticed the girls gathering around to look at your scribbles
  1174. 1174.
    "You really think so?" You look at Rose, searching for any sign that she may be faking it
  1175. 1175.
    >It may be mean-spirited of you to do so, but you can't help it after earlier today
  1176. 1176.
    > "I do! I'd take you up on that drawing, I mean, if you want to." Despite your best efforts, you can't find any malice in her demeanor
  1177. 1177.
    >'You must be the one to put the effort in' Harshwhinny's voice echoes in your head
  1178. 1178.
    "Alright, I could try something, just don't expect much" You smile up at Rose, willing to give her a chance
  1179. 1179.
    >Rose returns the smile, her eyes softening and silently thanking you
  1180. 1180.
    >Starting small sounds like the best course of action for the two of you
  1181. 1181.
     
  1182. 1182.
    >Your moment of budding friendship is short-lived, you two return your attention to the quiet wallflower looking at you with tears in her eyes
  1183. 1183.
    >Wallflower steps in and pulls you both into a hug
  1184. 1184.
    > "Is everything okay, Wally?" Rose says while returning the embrace
  1185. 1185.
    >Wallflower nods, letting you go and clearing her throat "Yes, sorry it's just, memories rushing to me. I had to make sure this was real"
  1186. 1186.
    >Standing up, you set your notebook aside and look around the room
  1187. 1187.
    >The photos, necklace and hairpin laid neatly in one of the tables
  1188. 1188.
    >Surrounded by a myriad of flowers
  1189. 1189.
    >Wallflower must've buried herself in work to avoid these memories
  1190. 1190.
    >You wonder if she ever tried to make herself forget
  1191. 1191.
    >If she did, it seems like it didn't work
  1192. 1192.
    >You stand up and walk up to a bundle of sunflowers next to the window
  1193. 1193.
    >You glance at the necklace and hairpin once again
  1194. 1194.
    >If Roses are Rose's flowers
  1195. 1195.
    >Are these yours?
  1196. 1196.
    > "Those little guys should've withered by now, usually sunflowers don't last this long. But I must've been taking good care of them" Wallflower chimes in as she joins your side
  1197. 1197.
    > "I try to cycle the garden plants so they can fit better with the season, even if no one really notices them.." She adds, looking out the window and into the garden
  1198. 1198.
    >Which is rather empty, at least compared to what you saw in the photos
  1199. 1199.
    >There's still plenty of flowery shrubs and bundles of blossoms that you assume are hardy for the winter
  1200. 1200.
    > "Oh my! That must've taken a lot of work! I know how tough it is to keep these 'precious platinums' alive out of season!" Rose points at a cluster of roses, growing opposite of the sunflowers
  1201. 1201.
    >No, if the sunflowers were yours you'd probably know their name like Rose does hers
  1202. 1202.
    > "Well, I've spent a lot of time making sure they're taken care of. Almost all of the flowers here don't make it back to the garden, but I like to keep them for as long as I can"
  1203. 1203.
    >You notice Wallflower's tone to be the same she has when sharing her memories of your time together
  1204. 1204.
    >This must be the way she's coped with losing you
  1205. 1205.
    >And, perhaps, with something that caused her to erase your memories
  1206. 1206.
    >You haven't asked her why yet
  1207. 1207.
    >The way she speaks about it, it seems like a really touchy subject
  1208. 1208.
    >You recall what she told you about her dad
  1209. 1209.
    >She could've lost him, but where would that leave her mom?
  1210. 1210.
    >All you saw of them were the photos back in her place
  1211. 1211.
    >And a couple in her box of memories
  1212. 1212.
    >If she pushed you away
  1213. 1213.
    >If she erased your memories
  1214. 1214.
    >What happened to her parents?
  1215. 1215.
    >You only knew her for two years, if your gaps in memory are to be trusted
  1216. 1216.
    >And your life was apparently way different than it is now
  1217. 1217.
    >Then just what could she have done to them
  1218. 1218.
    >Terror dawns on your face as your mind goes to the worst possible assumptions
  1219. 1219.
    >But you don't know if it's too sudden to ask her about this
  1220. 1220.
    >Worse still, she might've said she wouldn't erase your memories this time
  1221. 1221.
    >Yet you have no way of ensuring she won't
  1222. 1222.
    >You're already doubting her and it hasn't even been a day, what a friend you are
  1223. 1223.
    >You try to get a hold of your emotions, and hide the expression that was adorning your face
  1224. 1224.
    >You turn to Wallflower, whom is still reminiscing and looking at the sunflowers
  1225. 1225.
    >She didn't catch that
  1226. 1226.
    >You then look to her side
  1227. 1227.
    >Roseluck did
  1228. 1228.
    >Fuck
  1229. 1229.
    >Okay, you'll eventually clue her in to your line of thinking
  1230. 1230.
    >If she's in the same boat as you, perhaps it's a good idea to share ideas with her
  1231. 1231.
    >And maybe she won't think the worst right away
  1232. 1232.
    >You give Rose a poor attempt at a calm smile
  1233. 1233.
    >Which only makes her eyes widen in visible panic
  1234. 1234.
    >You cough, trying to ground yourself to reality
  1235. 1235.
    "So, are you gonna tell us what we can help with? I don't really have a clue where to start" You awkwardly blurt out
  1236. 1236.
    >Wallflower snaps back from her trance and smiles at you
  1237. 1237.
    > "Oh, of course! Well I was setting some plants down for the rest of the season, grab a couple of the purple ones over there and put them in the cart!"
  1238. 1238.
    >She heads to one of the tables and picks up some of the smaller gardening tools
  1239. 1239.
    >You turn your head to Rose
  1240. 1240.
    >Her expression is one of confusion and distress
  1241. 1241.
    >You doubt you can explain her everything without Wallflower hearing
  1242. 1242.
    >So you just offer her a thumbs up, a nod, and the silent promise that you'll eventually tell her
  1243. 1243.
    >Which does at least makes her posture ease up
  1244. 1244.
    > "Um, these ones? Wally?" Rose walks up to the ones Wallflower pointed at, trying to pretend as if you weren't being a huge weirdo just now
  1245. 1245.
    >It's alright, Anon
  1246. 1246.
    >Just take a couple of breaths in
  1247. 1247.
    >Your friend, who you met just yesterday
  1248. 1248.
    >Whom admitted to stalking you for a year
  1249. 1249.
    >Isn't a killer, and she definitely DID NOT murder her parents
  1250. 1250.
    >You really need to figure out what made her erase your memories in the first place
  1251. 1251.
    >And talk to Roseluck about this
  1252. 1252.
    >Hopefully she can talk some sense into you
  1253. 1253.
     
  1254. 1254.
    >You spend a couple hours helping Wallflower with setting up the garden
  1255. 1255.
    >Your hairs standing up whenever you saw her handling shears of any size
  1256. 1256.
    >Idle chatter filled up most of the time while you worked, usually Rose and Wallflower trading tips and ideas on handling most plants
  1257. 1257.
    >You had no idea what you were doing most of the time, Wallflower had to step in and help you so you wouldn't damage the flowers more often than not
  1258. 1258.
    >Always with that gentle smile on her face
  1259. 1259.
    >No one who looks this adorable and acts so kindly could be a killer
  1260. 1260.
    >Right?
  1261. 1261.
    >By the time you finished, the garden was filled with shrubbery that would thrive through Canterlot's upcoming harsh winter
  1262. 1262.
    > "I really have to thank you, guys. This would've taken a few more days if it was just me" Wallflower comments as you three sit down on the grass to relax
  1263. 1263.
    >You feel a sense of accomplishment, looking at the greenery and knowing you helped make this look pretty
  1264. 1264.
    >Though your back is killing you, you've no idea how you were able to do this so often back then
  1265. 1265.
    "It's really not a problem, but damn, that was a workout" You say, stretching your shoulders and back
  1266. 1266.
    > "You can say that again, I'm used to taking care of a small bundle at a time, not an entire garden.." Rose chimes in, wincing as she stretches
  1267. 1267.
    >Wallflower tittered, clearly amused at your tiredness "Maybe it was too much to start with. Good thing that the worst is over! Just gotta take care of it now"
  1268. 1268.
    >The late afternoon sun shines on the three of you, reminding you that there's still plenty of questions you want to ask before the day ends
  1269. 1269.
    >But, what's the rush
  1270. 1270.
    >You'd probably be stressing everyone if you started interrogating Wallflower right now
  1271. 1271.
    >And this right now, feels nice
  1272. 1272.
    >You let out a sigh of contentment
  1273. 1273.
    >This might be the best you've felt in a while
  1274. 1274.
    >You look at Wallflower, and you can tell she's feeling the same
  1275. 1275.
    >A peaceful smile adorning her face, her eyes closed
  1276. 1276.
    >The smallest streak of sweat running down her face
  1277. 1277.
    >Your heart skips a beat, reminding you that you're staring
  1278. 1278.
    >You look to her side, to find out if Roseluck is as equally comfortable as you two are
  1279. 1279.
    >The redhead has the lightest blush on her face, looking at Wallflower
  1280. 1280.
    >In what you can only assume is the exact same expression you just had
  1281. 1281.
    >Her eyes meet yours and just like that, she smiles at you in a different way
  1282. 1282.
    >Her blush gone
  1283. 1283.
     
  1284. 1284.
    >With the last remaining bits of sunlight, the three of you put back the tools and empty bags of soil away
  1285. 1285.
    >Though you're tired, dirty and feel like your arms will fall off
  1286. 1286.
    >A look at Wallflower is all you need to cheer up
  1287. 1287.
    > "Sorry that this took all afternoon, I was really looking forward to hanging out with you guys" Wallflower's shoulders sulk as she speaks
  1288. 1288.
    >Only for a moment, a smile growing on her face as Rose speaks up "This was us hanging out! And I loved getting to help you with the garden! I bet Anon did too!"
  1289. 1289.
    >You nod in agreement, offering Wallflower a grin of your own just as Rose continues "Besides, we can hang out tomorrow. And the day after that and that one and-"
  1290. 1290.
    > "What about your tutoring with Anon? Shouldn't you two be scheduling that?" Wallflower interrupts her
  1291. 1291.
    >You share a look with Rose and shrug
  1292. 1292.
    "I'd appreciate the help but-"
  1293. 1293.
    > "Nope! No buts, I promised I'd help." Rose turns to you "I haven't forgotten. We have time to spend together but you, mister, really need to pump those numbers"
  1294. 1294.
    >Wallflower moves to put back the scattered photos from earlier into the box
  1295. 1295.
    "Fine, fine. I'll do my homework today, mom" You teasingly dismiss Rose
  1296. 1296.
    > "I'm serious! Don't try to put that mask up on me. I can be strict when I want to!"
  1297. 1297.
    >You see Wallflower pause before grabbing the necklace and hairpin
  1298. 1298.
    >Gently placing them back into the box
  1299. 1299.
    >Take it slow, Anon
  1300. 1300.
    "Alright. How's tomorrow after school?" Returning your attention to Rose, you see her eyes widen in surprise for a moment
  1301. 1301.
    >Probably wasn't expecting your sudden shift in attitude
  1302. 1302.
    > "So be it! Hey Wally! You wanna come with us to the library tomorrow?" Roseluck's voice causing Wallflower to jump to attention
  1303. 1303.
    >Turning to you, you see she's holding onto one photograph that she stuffs in her pocket
  1304. 1304.
    >She does it so quickly you almost miss it, piquing your curiosity
  1305. 1305.
    > "I'll check on the garden and then head there. I uh, just want to make sure it's taken care of" Wallflower's voice full of hesitation only makes your head run wild once again
  1306. 1306.
    >Now you really want to see what was in that photograph that could have her acting like this
  1307. 1307.
    >No, stop, bad friend
  1308. 1308.
    >You force a smile and nod at her
  1309. 1309.
    >You'll wait until she's ready to tell you
  1310. 1310.
    >Though you really hope it's not something to support your theory that your friend is a murderer
  1311. 1311.
     
  1312. 1312.
    >The three of you exit the gardening club through the backdoor, with Wallflower locking up behind you
  1313. 1313.
    >Your group makes its way around CHS' main building
  1314. 1314.
    >You note the flowery bushes on your way back that prompted Rose to talk to you
  1315. 1315.
    >Wallflower must not tend to them as often as the garden
  1316. 1316.
    >With how much care she gives that place, you can't help but wonder it's value to her
  1317. 1317.
    >Rose turns to face you both as she turns a corner, "I'll see you guys tomorrow, alright? And you better do your homework tonight, Anon!"
  1318. 1318.
    "Yeah I'm on it. See ya, Rose"
  1319. 1319.
    >Wallflower next to you waves goodbye to her, with Roseluck returning the gesture as she leaves
  1320. 1320.
    >You walk Wallflower home, appreciating the calm pace in contrast to yesterday's
  1321. 1321.
    >A silence falls between the two of you
  1322. 1322.
    >And you start to wonder about what you could say to make it less awkward
  1323. 1323.
    >But looking at Wallflower, you don't see her tensed shoulders that she had at school
  1324. 1324.
    >Her posture is much more relaxed
  1325. 1325.
    >And there's that gentle smile she has when you two lock eyes
  1326. 1326.
    >Like you're doing right now
  1327. 1327.
    "Sorry, I didn't mean to stare" You turn to look away, hoping you didn't creep her out
  1328. 1328.
    > "I um, was about to say the same, sorry" A nervous laugh accompanies her apology
  1329. 1329.
    >Out of the corner of your eye you can see her turning to look away
  1330. 1330.
    >Shit, don't make her feel self conscious
  1331. 1331.
    >Quick say something
  1332. 1332.
    "I was just wondering about that hairpin, the sunflower one?"
  1333. 1333.
    > "The one you gave me? What about it?"
  1334. 1334.
    "Nothing just, why don't you wear it? I think it'd look cute, you know?"
  1335. 1335.
    >The faintest blush colors her cheeks as she turns to look back at you
  1336. 1336.
    > "Uh, well" Another nervous giggle
  1337. 1337.
    > "I guess it reminded me too much of you. And since, we weren't uh- friends, anymore"
  1338. 1338.
    >Wallflower's fingers fidget with her hair
  1339. 1339.
    >Her voice growing shaky
  1340. 1340.
    >And as you're about to apologize
  1341. 1341.
    > "But, if you think it'd look cute on me. I'll wear it again"
  1342. 1342.
    >She gives you a tentative smile, her eyes pleading you for an answer
  1343. 1343.
    >She looks so cute
  1344. 1344.
    "Sure thing, if you want to, I mean" you stammer out a response
  1345. 1345.
    >Feeling a warmth on your cheeks
  1346. 1346.
     
  1347. 1347.
    >You spend the rest of the walk in a similar silence to before
  1348. 1348.
    >No matter how much you wanted to speak up and say something
  1349. 1349.
    >You'd take a quick glance at Wallflower, and your train of thought would come to a sudden halt
  1350. 1350.
    >Unbeknownst to you, she was going through the same chain of actions
  1351. 1351.
    >Think of a topic
  1352. 1352.
    >Take a quick glance
  1353. 1353.
    >Look away
  1354. 1354.
    >You almost walked by her house with how distracted you were
  1355. 1355.
    >Wallflower unlocked the door, and opened it
  1356. 1356.
    >And froze in place, seemingly deep in thought
  1357. 1357.
    >You hear her taking a deep breath and turning around
  1358. 1358.
    >Her eyes closed and her face full of bravado
  1359. 1359.
    >Which immediately escapes her as her eyes meet with yours
  1360. 1360.
    > "I'll um see you tomorrow, right?"
  1361. 1361.
    "Sure, though probably not as early as today" You try to alleviate whatever tension is plaguing her with a comforting tone
  1362. 1362.
    >Which seems to work, a ghost of a smile adorning her face
  1363. 1363.
    > "Of course. I'll be in the gardening club, just pass by whenever you can"
  1364. 1364.
    >You look over her shoulder
  1365. 1365.
    >Directing your attention to the dark, empty house behind her
  1366. 1366.
    >Though you should be making your way home
  1367. 1367.
    >You stay rooted in place
  1368. 1368.
    >Debating if it'd be too much to ask her if you could come in
  1369. 1369.
    > "Um, I'll see you then, Anon" She takes a single step back inside
  1370. 1370.
    >You force a smile and nod your head at her
  1371. 1371.
    "I'll see you tomorrow, Wallflower. Thanks for today"
  1372. 1372.
    >Though you're sure she sees through your facade, she returns the smile and slowly closes the door
  1373. 1373.
    >You stare at the door for the longest time
  1374. 1374.
    >Knock on it, come on
  1375. 1375.
    >Ask if you could hang out just a bit more
  1376. 1376.
    >You let out an exasperated sigh
  1377. 1377.
    >You turn around and begin walking away from her place
  1378. 1378.
    >Though you could swear you heard a faint 'Please stay' from behind the door as you left
  1379. 1379.
     
  1380. 1380.
    >Be the teary-eyed gardener on the other side of the door
  1381. 1381.
    >You take a look through the peep hole to confirm he's gone
  1382. 1382.
    >And once you do, you drop to your knees and let a few tears fall
  1383. 1383.
    >You pull out the photograph you took from your box of memories back in the gardening club
  1384. 1384.
    >An image of Anon fixing up the sunflower hairpin on your hair
  1385. 1385.
    >Anon was wearing something other than his usual black hoodie
  1386. 1386.
    >And you had gone with a yellow sundress that Rose had helped you pick
  1387. 1387.
    >It was your first date as a couple
  1388. 1388.
    >And you had worn that hairpin since then
  1389. 1389.
    >When you heard Anon mention you'd look cute with it
  1390. 1390.
    >Your heart soared
  1391. 1391.
    >Maybe he'd remember your time together?
  1392. 1392.
    >But you should know better
  1393. 1393.
    >Well, at least he still thinks you're cute
  1394. 1394.
    >Even if you're feeling oh so gross
  1395. 1395.
    >You stand up from the entryway and head to your gloomy room
  1396. 1396.
    "I'm back" You say to the empty house
  1397. 1397.
    >You take off the same sweater you've been wearing for all of highschool now
  1398. 1398.
    >Looking at yourself in the mirror
  1399. 1399.
    >You can't help but compare yourself to the past you in the picture
  1400. 1400.
    >You feel like you've both gained weight and haven't had a proper meal in ages
  1401. 1401.
    >Your hair is full of split ends
  1402. 1402.
    >Oh gosh have you always had such dark eye bags?
  1403. 1403.
    >You remember Roseluck would always help you brush your hair when you'd hang out
  1404. 1404.
    >You tried to do something similar this morning but
  1405. 1405.
    >It's been a year
  1406. 1406.
    >A long and tiring year of living utterly alone
  1407. 1407.
    >You pry your eyes away from the mirror before you do more damage to your self image than you already have
  1408. 1408.
    >Though there's no denying it
  1409. 1409.
    >Anon probably noticed it
  1410. 1410.
    >To say the least of Rose
  1411. 1411.
    >You're a mess
  1412. 1412.
     
  1413. 1413.
    >You should've asked him to come in
  1414. 1414.
    >He didn't seem put off by all this
  1415. 1415.
    >But you really couldn't, you're lucky he didn't look at this photo for more than a few moments
  1416. 1416.
    >You don't want to creep him out again by acting all lovey-dovey
  1417. 1417.
    >You tried that once before and it had gone poorly
  1418. 1418.
    >As long as you can avoid it
  1419. 1419.
    >You'll never touch the memory stone again
  1420. 1420.
    >You lay down in your bed
  1421. 1421.
    >And bury yourself in mountains of blankets
  1422. 1422.
    >It's only been a day
  1423. 1423.
    >And not only is Anon talking to you by his own volition
  1424. 1424.
    >But Rose went out of her way to find you
  1425. 1425.
    >This hadn't happened before, at least not at the same time
  1426. 1426.
    >Why did this happen? What's so special about this reunion in particular?
  1427. 1427.
    >You pull your phone out and check today's date, November 17
  1428. 1428.
    >You can think of a couple of things
  1429. 1429.
    >Scrolling through your photo gallery until you find a lead
  1430. 1430.
    >Three years ago, November 16
  1431. 1431.
    >Anon joined the gardening club, a couple of weeks after the Fall Formal
  1432. 1432.
    >A selfie pic of Rose with the flower girls and you, welcoming Anon to the club marks the date
  1433. 1433.
    >Well, there's the connection
  1434. 1434.
    >This would match Roseluck mentioning she's been looking for the flower's caretaker for a while now
  1435. 1435.
    >Something in their subconscious must be pushing them to follow a path
  1436. 1436.
    >One you've already gone down
  1437. 1437.
    >You don't know how to feel
  1438. 1438.
    >You've struck lottery, your friends went out of their way to find you again
  1439. 1439.
    >So why do you feel like a terrible person?
  1440. 1440.
    >Would you be manipulating them if you chose to hang out with them knowing this?
  1441. 1441.
    >Are your feelings for them healthy?
  1442. 1442.
    >Are their feelings real? Or just retreading ground you've already been on
  1443. 1443.
    >You kick the blankets off you and just squirm around in your bed
  1444. 1444.
    >You're so ready to throw the phone away and just wallow in judgemental self pity
  1445. 1445.
    >And then it starts ringing
  1446. 1446.
    >'Don't you dare call her' is the name of the caller
  1447. 1447.
    >You recognize Rose's number and clear your throat
  1448. 1448.
    "Um, Hello?" You squeak out and wait for the redhead on the other side to answer
  1449. 1449.
    >It takes a few seconds for you to get an answer
  1450. 1450.
    >And then you hear an 'EEEEEEEEEEEE' on the other side of the line
  1451. 1451.
    >Yeah, that's your bestie
  1452. 1452.
     
  1453. 1453.
    >Around 30 minutes ago, on the other side of Canterlot
  1454. 1454.
    >Be the bubbly yet studious redhead known for being the second valedictorian in your class
  1455. 1455.
    >Fucking Sparkle
  1456. 1456.
    >You part ways with your newfound friends and head back home
  1457. 1457.
    >You think back on the day and the multiple ways in which it could've gone badly
  1458. 1458.
    >There were a lot of tears shed
  1459. 1459.
    >And to be honest, you don't know how to feel about Anon now
  1460. 1460.
    >You weren't expecting him to ever talk to you again after how things went a couple months ago
  1461. 1461.
    >You got careless with how you spoke about him too
  1462. 1462.
    >Lily and Daisy didn't had to spill out the way you gossiped
  1463. 1463.
    >You'll set things straight with them when you get home
  1464. 1464.
    >The two of you are friends now
  1465. 1465.
    >You hope
  1466. 1466.
    >And Wallflower
  1467. 1467.
    >What's to say about her
  1468. 1468.
    >Something compelled you to look for her
  1469. 1469.
    >You pull out your phone and look at the picture that is your wallpaper
  1470. 1470.
    >The thing that prompted all of this from you
  1471. 1471.
    >How could you have been so blind to not have noticed her before?
  1472. 1472.
    >You let out a wistful smile
  1473. 1473.
    >Wondering just what your relationship was before she erased your memories
  1474. 1474.
    >If what she said was true, you were the best of friends
  1475. 1475.
    >But something in your heart doesn't seem to accept that as the end of things
  1476. 1476.
    >You put your phone away, having stared at the picture for most of the walk home
  1477. 1477.
    >Arriving at a particularly larger house among the rest of the residences
  1478. 1478.
    >You wouldn't really call it a manor
  1479. 1479.
    >Though maybe your friends would
  1480. 1480.
    >Your mother greets you as she finishes trimming a hedge at the edge of the property
  1481. 1481.
    >She's taught you everything you know about gardening
  1482. 1482.
    >You and your sisters
  1483. 1483.
    >Who rush to your side as you enter your house
  1484. 1484.
    > "Rose! We've been worried sick" Lily speaks up "You haven't answered your phone since we left school"
  1485. 1485.
    >Daisy adds with a hint of suspicion "Yeah! We were worried Anon might've hurt you after that chat earlier, did he?"
  1486. 1486.
    >You just stand there, your eyes shifting between the two of them
  1487. 1487.
    >And scoff, baffled at the idea of letting that boy hurt you again
  1488. 1488.
    "Wh- No! Girls, I'm okay. We were hanging out with Wallflower!"
  1489. 1489.
    >They share a look of doubt, probably gauging how honest you're being
  1490. 1490.
    >You've no time for their theorizing
  1491. 1491.
    >You step aside and drop your schoolbag by the foyer
  1492. 1492.
    > "Rose are you sure you're okay?" Daisy speaks up as they follow behind you
  1493. 1493.
    > "That guy isn't leading you on again, is he?" Lily's comment is what snaps something within you
  1494. 1494.
    >You turn around and lose your composure for a second
  1495. 1495.
    "He did NOT lead me on!"
  1496. 1496.
    >You let out a sigh of frustration and close your eyes
  1497. 1497.
    >Feeling a migraine already setting in
  1498. 1498.
    "Just, really girls. I'd appreciate if you didn't spoke that way about my new friend"
  1499. 1499.
    >Your sisters look like they're trying really hard not to do so
  1500. 1500.
    >Daisy just shakes her head and leaves for the living room
  1501. 1501.
    >While Lily offers you a sympathetic smile and apologizes
  1502. 1502.
    > "Sorry, we're just looking out for you. I promise to not talk about him like that"
  1503. 1503.
    >Daisy yells from the living room "I don't promise anything!"
  1504. 1504.
    >That rotten-
  1505. 1505.
    >Just, calm down, Rose
  1506. 1506.
    >You smile at Lily before making your way back to your room
  1507. 1507.
    >You'll explain things to them later
  1508. 1508.
     
  1509. 1509.
    >You take out your phone once again to check if you still have his phone number
  1510. 1510.
    >Yeah of course you do
  1511. 1511.
    >'Asshole' is the name you have with it
  1512. 1512.
    >You were surprised when you found him looking at the flower bushes
  1513. 1513.
    >The ones seemingly only you had spotted before
  1514. 1514.
    >So you had to talk to him about them
  1515. 1515.
    >But it really did hurt when he just randomly stopped talking to you a couple months ago
  1516. 1516.
    >And then just acted like nothing happened!
  1517. 1517.
    >Seriously it's like his memory was-
  1518. 1518.
    >Oh
  1519. 1519.
    >You stop right in front of your room's door
  1520. 1520.
    >But the way this works
  1521. 1521.
    >Doesn't this mean you shouldn't remember it as well?
  1522. 1522.
    >You two bonded over a few weeks
  1523. 1523.
    >Running into each other constantly in your favorite places
  1524. 1524.
    >Which were also his favorites
  1525. 1525.
    >And then, when you were supposed to go to a movie together and he just stood you up
  1526. 1526.
    >You called his phone until he picked up
  1527. 1527.
    >And he just deadpanned "Sorry who is this?"
  1528. 1528.
    >You thought he was giving you the cold shoulder for something
  1529. 1529.
    >But he ignored you at school too
  1530. 1530.
    >You absolutely loathed him
  1531. 1531.
    >Lily and Daisy consoled you
  1532. 1532.
    >And being sisters, were there to talk shit about him with you
  1533. 1533.
    >But now that you look back at it all
  1534. 1534.
    >You realize just what could've happened
  1535. 1535.
    >Wallflower, what did she do?
  1536. 1536.
    >And most importantly, why do you still remember this?
  1537. 1537.
    >Your frustration reaches it's boiling point
  1538. 1538.
    >Your headache in full swing as you let go of your temper once again
  1539. 1539.
    >Something you reserve for when you're at home
  1540. 1540.
    >Lest your 'perfect student' image falters
  1541. 1541.
    >You kick the door to your room open
  1542. 1542.
    >And then you see it
  1543. 1543.
    >A picture of you and Wallflower hanging near your bed
  1544. 1544.
    >No, not just one
  1545. 1545.
    >Dozens of them
  1546. 1546.
    >All over your bedside wall
  1547. 1547.
    >Even on the ceiling
  1548. 1548.
    >There's even a couple with Anon in them
  1549. 1549.
    >How could you have been so blind to not notice these before
  1550. 1550.
    >But if they were just like your wallpaper
  1551. 1551.
    >Your heart feels like it might shatter from the confused mixture of emotions you're feeling
  1552. 1552.
    >You freeze in the middle of your room
  1553. 1553.
    >And look at each picture individually
  1554. 1554.
    >You're always smiling around her
  1555. 1555.
    >Or you were, rather
  1556. 1556.
    >You throw yourself against the bed
  1557. 1557.
    >Letting the mattress support your heavy thoughts
  1558. 1558.
    >Even on the ceiling, good lord, Rose
  1559. 1559.
    >You really need to talk to her about this
  1560. 1560.
    >No, not just about this
  1561. 1561.
    >Just in general you need to talk to her
  1562. 1562.
    >You look through your contacts to see if you can find her
  1563. 1563.
    >Sure enough, there is a name that sticks out
  1564. 1564.
    >'Wally!' with a green and a red heart next to her name
  1565. 1565.
    >You internally cringe
  1566. 1566.
    >You could only be more obvious about this if you were screaming it out loud right now
  1567. 1567.
    >Who's feelings are these?
  1568. 1568.
    >Past Rose's?
  1569. 1569.
    >But back in the garden with the both of them
  1570. 1570.
    >You felt something for her
  1571. 1571.
    >And when she took your hand
  1572. 1572.
    >You turn around and scream into your pillow
  1573. 1573.
    >This wouldn't be as annoying to figure out if it weren't for the makeshift mural next to you
  1574. 1574.
    >Seriously, how did nobody noticed these?
  1575. 1575.
    >You take a few deep breaths to calm down
  1576. 1576.
    >And eventually turn your attention back to her number
  1577. 1577.
    >You do your best to keep this side of you home
  1578. 1578.
    >'It's not befitting of a future lawyer to lose her composure so easily' was what your father ingrained in you
  1579. 1579.
    >You don't mind being cheery
  1580. 1580.
    >You just wished you didn't had to bottle things up for the sake of a facade
  1581. 1581.
    >Alas, that's how your friends know you now
  1582. 1582.
    >So you put the mask back on as you dial the number
  1583. 1583.
    >And once it connects, you struggle to come up with what to say
  1584. 1584.
    >Maybe you should've thought about this better
  1585. 1585.
    > "Um, Hello?" The quiet voice of the source of your headache answers
  1586. 1586.
    >And snapping to attention, you switch to personality B
  1587. 1587.
    "EEEEEEEEEEEE"
  1588. 1588.
     
  1589. 1589.
    "Oh I'm so happy I still have your number, Wally! How are you doing? Did you make it back home yet?"
  1590. 1590.
    >It takes a little bit for her to speak up
  1591. 1591.
    >You wonder if you overdid it with the girly screech
  1592. 1592.
    > "Yeah um, I was just ready to turn in for the night"
  1593. 1593.
    >You look at the clock and wonder out loud
  1594. 1594.
    "But it's not even that late.."
  1595. 1595.
    >Your stomach growls and makes you realize you haven't eaten anything yet
  1596. 1596.
    >And likely neither has she
  1597. 1597.
    "Wally, did you had something for dinner?"
  1598. 1598.
    >Again, silence for a couple of seconds
  1599. 1599.
    >Worry gathers in your expression
  1600. 1600.
    >Even if Wallflower can't really see it
  1601. 1601.
    > "I didn't, but it's okay I usually don't eat anything this late" There's a hint of tiredness to her voice
  1602. 1602.
    >It sounds a bit coarse too, like she's been crying
  1603. 1603.
    >Your mind instantly thinks of the boy you last saw her with
  1604. 1604.
    "Did Anon do something? Wally, are you alright?"
  1605. 1605.
    > "No! No, no no he didn't, I just" She answers much quicker this time
  1606. 1606.
    > "I'm just, thinking about a lot of things. It was quite a day"
  1607. 1607.
    >You lay down in your bed and look at the photos scattered all over your wall and ceiling
  1608. 1608.
    "Yeah, no doubt it's been a lot" Your mask slips a bit, and you debate if you should have it on at all
  1609. 1609.
    >You hear the sound of shuffling sheets and static over the phone
  1610. 1610.
    >She must be in her bed
  1611. 1611.
    >Laying down with her hair wild and scattered
  1612. 1612.
    >Is she wearing pajamas?
  1613. 1613.
    >Or does she sleep without-
  1614. 1614.
    > "Hey Rose?" Her voice snaps you out of your delightfully distracting thoughts
  1615. 1615.
    "I'm here! Sorry! I'm just relaxing over here"
  1616. 1616.
    > "That's alright, I was just wondering, um"
  1617. 1617.
    >You give her some time to collect her thoughts until she speaks up "How long were you looking for me? After you became aware of the flowers, I mean"
  1618. 1618.
    >You take a deep breath and think back on it
  1619. 1619.
    "Last spring break, so March? Though I have a few gaps in my memory since then.."
  1620. 1620.
    >You close your eyes, feeling a tinge of guilt as you continue
  1621. 1621.
    "I assume you have something to do with them?"
  1622. 1622.
    > "I, yeah, I didn't stop using the stone until a month or two ago"
  1623. 1623.
    >Which would coincide with what you were fearing
  1624. 1624.
    "Wally, can you erase someone's memories without affecting other's?"
  1625. 1625.
    >Your voice carries with it an uncharacteristic icy cold edge
  1626. 1626.
    >You don't realize how deadly serious you sounded until you hear Wallflower on the other end whispering "Yeah, I think I could"
  1627. 1627.
    > "I never understood that thing, but, it reacted with my emotions"
  1628. 1628.
    >You take another deep breath to calm down
  1629. 1629.
    >Frustration piles on top of you
  1630. 1630.
    >But you can't let her see you or even hear you like this
  1631. 1631.
    "I see" is all you can muster saying in a poor imitation of your bubbly tone
  1632. 1632.
    > "Rose, I think there's some things I should tell you about"
  1633. 1633.
    >You take a look at the mural once again
  1634. 1634.
    >And you see her smile in dozens of the pictures
  1635. 1635.
    "Yeah, I think there's some things I should say too"
  1636. 1636.
    >The words don't leave your throat, two sides tugging your vocal chords
  1637. 1637.
    >One side wants her to explain what she did
  1638. 1638.
    >If there's something she's still hiding
  1639. 1639.
    >Another wants her to tell you how she thinks of you
  1640. 1640.
    >If she knew how you felt back then
  1641. 1641.
    >But your heart tells you that no matter what, you don't want to do this over the phone
  1642. 1642.
    >You need to see her when you do this
  1643. 1643.
    "At what time do you open the gardening club again?" You finally croak up
  1644. 1644.
    >Holding back your frustration as best as you can
  1645. 1645.
    >Wallflower's sigh lets you know that she was probably thinking the same as you
  1646. 1646.
    >This is just too much to do over the phone
  1647. 1647.
    > "Early, at around 6am. Though feel free to pass by any time before school"
  1648. 1648.
    "I'll be there early" You nearly cut her off with how fast you answered
  1649. 1649.
    >A single awkward chuckle can be heard from the other side
  1650. 1650.
    > "I'll be waiting then"
  1651. 1651.
    >You run out of things to say
  1652. 1652.
    >But you don't want to hang up just yet
  1653. 1653.
    >Standing up, you walk up to your dresser and see yourself in the mirror
  1654. 1654.
    >Your hair got a bit ruffled just now
  1655. 1655.
    >So out of habit, you grab your comb and fix it up
  1656. 1656.
    >Until it's perfect once again
  1657. 1657.
    "Hey Wally?" You wonder if she's still on the line
  1658. 1658.
    >She doesn't respond at all this time
  1659. 1659.
    >Until you hear the gentlest of snores get picked up by the microphone
  1660. 1660.
    >And you find yourself staring at your reflection as you listen to her sleep
  1661. 1661.
    >Your cheeks flush red
  1662. 1662.
    >Your heartbeat quickens
  1663. 1663.
    >Your mind conjures up a scene of the tired, slightly dirty gardener laying in her bed
  1664. 1664.
    >She was so fragile to the touch, she looked like she could fall apart at any second
  1665. 1665.
    >Oh how you want to be that which holds her together
  1666. 1666.
    >You bite your lip and quickly hang up the phone
  1667. 1667.
    >And throw it onto your bed
  1668. 1668.
    >You look into the mirror and stare into the unmistakable visage of a teenager hopelessly in love
  1669. 1669.
    >And you absolutely hate that you can't fully enjoy it
  1670. 1670.
    >That you can't just be that teenager all the time
  1671. 1671.
    >Because that girl is only one side of you
  1672. 1672.
    >One that you need to control and distance from, lest your emotions get in the way of your future
  1673. 1673.
    >Your stomach grumbles once again
  1674. 1674.
    >And as you head downstairs to find some leftovers
  1675. 1675.
    >You wonder how bad it'd be to let her see all of you
  1676. 1676.
     
  1677. 1677.
    >Nightmares are common for you
  1678. 1678.
    >Missed deadlines, upset parents, exposed facades
  1679. 1679.
    >Though tonight you’re relieved to dream of something else for once
  1680. 1680.
    >An endless garden ever expanding
  1681. 1681.
    >And a strikingly familiar figure tending to the plants
  1682. 1682.
    >Though before you can ask her anything
  1683. 1683.
    >You are woken up by the loud thud of something hitting the floor
  1684. 1684.
    >That something being you
  1685. 1685.
    >You must’ve been tossing and turning in your sleep
  1686. 1686.
    >You groggily crawl back to bed and end up staring at the countless memories that no longer belong to you in the form of pictures
  1687. 1687.
    >Were you also like this back then?
  1688. 1688.
    >You know you’ve always strove for perfection, ever since you were a kid
  1689. 1689.
    >Did you ever told Wallflower about who you are?
  1690. 1690.
    >Given the time, could she find out again?
  1691. 1691.
    >This perfectly kept attitude of yours
  1692. 1692.
    >Why do you wear it
  1693. 1693.
    >What do you want, Rose
  1694. 1694.
    >You grab your pillow and begin swearing in a hushed out voice
  1695. 1695.
    >Your frustrations only keep mounting on the longer you’re in this room
  1696. 1696.
    >You check the time, 3am
  1697. 1697.
    >The lack of sleep might catch up to you, but you need to clear your thoughts somehow
  1698. 1698.
    >Heading to the nearest bathroom within your spacious home
  1699. 1699.
    >You idly go through the motions of your morning routine
  1700. 1700.
    >Why does it bother you looking at all of those pictures
  1701. 1701.
    >Maybe because you actually look happy in some of them
  1702. 1702.
    >You’re doing this again
  1703. 1703.
    >You step out of the shower
  1704. 1704.
    >As you dry your hair and stare at yourself in the mirror
  1705. 1705.
    >You recall your face full of joy in those photos
  1706. 1706.
    >And you try to imitate them
  1707. 1707.
    >Though you’ve practiced smiling in a way that seems genuine even though you’re forcing it
  1708. 1708.
    >You can’t replicate the way you looked
  1709. 1709.
    >Is it your eyes? Are you showing too much teeth? Maybe your grin was crooked
  1710. 1710.
    >Nothing works
  1711. 1711.
    >Giving up on it, you wistfully look into your eyes and wonder
  1712. 1712.
    >If that girl in the photos was you
  1713. 1713.
    >Will you ever look like that again
  1714. 1714.
    >You head back to your room and finish fixing yourself up
  1715. 1715.
    >5am
  1716. 1716.
    >You can’t go back to bed now that you’re fit to your standard
  1717. 1717.
    >Well you could, but you don’t feel like it
  1718. 1718.
    >Being home is refreshing as you’re able to express whatever you can’t out there
  1719. 1719.
    >But that only works if your source of frustration is something external
  1720. 1720.
    >You quietly grab your school bag and begin making your way out of the house
  1721. 1721.
    >Mom is already tending to the backyard
  1722. 1722.
    >And your sisters are only now waking up to fix themselves up
  1723. 1723.
    >You grab an apple to eat on your walk and step out
  1724. 1724.
    >CHS won’t open for a couple hours, and Wallflower is probably fast asleep right now
  1725. 1725.
    >You make your way to a park near your house
  1726. 1726.
    >And spot one lone Anon sitting on the playground's swing
  1727. 1727.
    >Whats he doing here?
  1728. 1728.
     
  1729. 1729.
    >You begin approaching him and notice how lost in thought he is
  1730. 1730.
    >Notebook in one hand, pencil on the other
  1731. 1731.
    >What do you know, he might have actually taken you seriously
  1732. 1732.
    >He doesn’t notice you until you sit in the other swing next to him
  1733. 1733.
    “Hey Anon! Whatcha doin’ there?” You slip into your cheery attitude as easily as putting on a shirt
  1734. 1734.
    >He looks startled at first, bringing the notebook close to his chest before he realizes it’s you
  1735. 1735.
    > “Roseluck? What are you doing here?”
  1736. 1736.
    >His defensive posture relaxes, though he still keeps the pages hidden from you
  1737. 1737.
    “I live close by! I’m just taking a walk around waiting for Wally to wake up”
  1738. 1738.
    > “No kidding? My house is right around the corner. And this park is lonely enough to help me clear my head” He lowers the notebook as he speaks
  1739. 1739.
    >You lean close to him to see what he’s working on
  1740. 1740.
    >And see a page exclusively filled with sketches of roses and sunflowers
  1741. 1741.
    “Clear your head out, hm? I hope it’s from all the work you did yesterday!” You swing in your seat as you tease him
  1742. 1742.
    > “Hey I did! Just, not all of the pile. It’s a lot of stuff, okay? And I don’t really remember most of it”
  1743. 1743.
    >He looks just a bit hurt, but the grin reassures you that you haven’t pushed it too far
  1744. 1744.
    “That’s why we’re going to refresh your memory later today, mister!”
  1745. 1745.
    >He nods, reaching for his school bag and storing his belongings inside
  1746. 1746.
    >You see him slump on the swing and take a deep breath, preparing himself to address you
  1747. 1747.
    > “Rose, about what the flower girls said”
  1748. 1748.
    >You have the urge to comfort him and apologize once again
  1749. 1749.
    >Though you really hated what he did in the past, you felt so ashamed that he heard the way you gossiped about him
  1750. 1750.
    >Before you can speak up, something within tells you to listen to him
  1751. 1751.
    > “You were right, I just didn’t want to face it. But it’s likely I’ll end up as a fry cook if we don’t fix this”
  1752. 1752.
    > “And, by we I mean me. I guess”
  1753. 1753.
    >You slowly reach out to place your hand in his shoulder
  1754. 1754.
    >He turns to look at it, and then you two lock eyes
  1755. 1755.
    >You see his shame laid bare
  1756. 1756.
    >But there’s a hint of confusion too
  1757. 1757.
    >Like a puppy not understanding why they’re being scolded
  1758. 1758.
    >Does he really not remember
  1759. 1759.
    “Anon, do you remember what we used to be?”
  1760. 1760.
    >You watch as his face twists in a matter of seconds
  1761. 1761.
    >First in confusion
  1762. 1762.
    >Then to sudden realization
  1763. 1763.
    >Then you feel as if he skipped from wondering and questioning to straight up panicking
  1764. 1764.
    >He flinches back as if someone had hit him as he asks “What, you mean. Us? What?”
  1765. 1765.
    >Endearing as it is seeing him express anything other than stoic coolness
  1766. 1766.
    >You can’t help but groan
  1767. 1767.
    >You could’ve at least worded that better
  1768. 1768.
    “Not like that you dumba- Silly!”
  1769. 1769.
    >You slipped for a second, and over-correct with a wide grin as he stares at you
  1770. 1770.
    >You’re only doing more to fry his brain
  1771. 1771.
    >So instead, you allow yourself to let the mask slip a bit
  1772. 1772.
    >Just like you did yesterday in the gardening club
  1773. 1773.
     
  1774. 1774.
    “We used to be friends” You trail off, gauging his reaction
  1775. 1775.
    > “Well yeah, Wallflower told us about it”
  1776. 1776.
    “No, no I mean like, after that. We hung out, just the two of us”
  1777. 1777.
    >This finally gets him to calm down, listening attentively and sitting properly on the swing
  1778. 1778.
    “It was a couple months back, before last summer break. We just kept running into each other! At the mall, the ice cream parlor, the music store, and..”
  1779. 1779.
    >You come to your own realization as to why you felt like coming out here at this hour
  1780. 1780.
    > “..this park?” He offers, connecting the dots quickly
  1781. 1781.
    >You slump on your seat and nod at him before continuing
  1782. 1782.
    “We ended up hanging out, and before I knew it we were making plans together”
  1783. 1783.
    >You chuckle to yourself as you remember
  1784. 1784.
    “We did this for, what a month and then some? My sisters were so annoying about it”
  1785. 1785.
    >You barely catch him muttering to himself “sisters?”
  1786. 1786.
    “But, well something ended up happening and. We just stopped hanging out”
  1787. 1787.
    >You know the answer is no, but you have to ask him
  1788. 1788.
    >You turn and lock eyes with him
  1789. 1789.
    “Anon, do you really not remember?”
  1790. 1790.
    >He shakes his head and presses his lips together, clearly frustrated he doesn’t
  1791. 1791.
    “You ghosted me, and when I asked you about it at school, pretended you never even knew me”
  1792. 1792.
    >You take a deep breath and hang your head in shame, supporting it with your hands
  1793. 1793.
    “Though, I think we have a lead as to why that could be”
  1794. 1794.
    >Neither of you say anything for a long time
  1795. 1795.
    >You don’t have the courage to look at him
  1796. 1796.
    >It’s one thing bearing your heart out alongside him
  1797. 1797.
    >But right now, you feel so utterly alone doing this
  1798. 1798.
    >Why are you doing this?
  1799. 1799.
    >This is just gonna make him feel worse about it all
  1800. 1800.
    >Why are you being so selfish right now
  1801. 1801.
    >You hear him stand up from the swing
  1802. 1802.
    >The sound of footsteps makes you think for a second that he’s leaving
  1803. 1803.
    >But as if reading your thoughts, you feel yourself being pulled into a hug
  1804. 1804.
    >It’s an awkward hug, he’s leaning down to match your height sitting down
  1805. 1805.
    >His hands are very careful of where they’re touching
  1806. 1806.
    >But nevertheless, you lean into it and wrap your arms around him
  1807. 1807.
    > “I’m sorry, Rose. I had no idea”
  1808. 1808.
    >You let yourself feel this attempt at a connection
  1809. 1809.
    >It feels odd to admit it, but you needed this
  1810. 1810.
    “I’m the one who’s sorry, Anon. I’m sorry I turned around and badmouthed you. I didn’t want to hurt my friend, I just-”
  1811. 1811.
    > “You were hurt. It was something out of your control, and that’s alright”
  1812. 1812.
    >You stand up from the swing, causing him to back off and give you some space
  1813. 1813.
    >His look is one of empathy and forgiveness, his mouth turned to a small knowing grin
  1814. 1814.
    >His eyes just slightly watery, unlike yours
  1815. 1815.
    >You pull him into another hug as you feel your eyes watering up
  1816. 1816.
    > “Do you still want to be friends, Rose?”
  1817. 1817.
     
  1818. 1818.
    >You desperately nod your head up and down
  1819. 1819.
    >Wiping some of your tears off on his shoulder
  1820. 1820.
    >In your clouded vision, you’re afforded a look at the rising sun in the horizon
  1821. 1821.
    >Your shame gives way to happiness
  1822. 1822.
    >Though you still feel bad about it, you’ll do your best to aid him the same way he’s comforting you right now
  1823. 1823.
    >Taking a deep breath, you pull away and give him an uncharacteristically shaky smile
  1824. 1824.
    >The way you’re feeling now, the way you felt yesterday
  1825. 1825.
    >These are your feelings, you know them to be true
  1826. 1826.
    >You may never know what you lost, how you felt back then
  1827. 1827.
    >But you know how you feel now
  1828. 1828.
    >And you’re thankful for it
  1829. 1829.
     
  1830. 1830.
    “Thank you, Anon. This.. it hasn’t been easy for me”
  1831. 1831.
    >He nods as he speaks up “You mentioned as much yesterday. It’s a lot, but, we’re still in it, aren’t we?”
  1832. 1832.
    “Of course! I mean, it wouldn’t be fair to Wallflower if we were to..” You trail off, remembering just what you want to ask her
  1833. 1833.
    >Anon picks up on this and an awkward silence falls between the two of you
  1834. 1834.
    >You don’t know how to breach the subject
  1835. 1835.
    >Aren’t you grateful that Anon is a bit direct when he wants to be
  1836. 1836.
    > “You think she’s behind what happened between us?”
  1837. 1837.
    >Though you don’t want to word it like that, you’re afraid that’s just it
  1838. 1838.
    “Maybe. I was gonna ask her about this today, though I don’t know if I want to accuse her of anything”
  1839. 1839.
    >You cross your arms as you consider your next words carefully
  1840. 1840.
    “I asked her if she could erase someone’s memories, without affecting someone else’s”
  1841. 1841.
    > “That’d explain how you remember and I don’t” Anon joins you in your brainstorming
  1842. 1842.
    “Though, she said the stone reacted to her emotions so I don’t know if she truly did meant to do it”
  1843. 1843.
    >You try to defend Wallflower, walking Anon through your entire thought process
  1844. 1844.
    >Which sends a shiver down his spine as he stares off into the distance
  1845. 1845.
    > “But what if she wanted it? Like, what if..”
  1846. 1846.
    >He turns to look at you, a similarly mortified expression like the one he had yesterday at the gardening club
  1847. 1847.
    > “What if she’s a cold blooded killer that is just trying to cover her tracks so she can strike again”
  1848. 1848.
    >What
  1849. 1849.
    “What”
  1850. 1850.
     
  1851. 1851.
    > “Yeah like, what if her parents didn’t disappear all of a sudden? There’s something that made her want to erase our memories.. what if she killed someone?”
  1852. 1852.
    >You consider his line of thinking for all of a second
  1853. 1853.
    >Before you realize how little sense it makes
  1854. 1854.
    >If any at all
  1855. 1855.
    “Anon. Why would she reveal to us we were friends if she was planning on killing us?”
  1856. 1856.
    >You deadpan, too stunned to use your cheery voice or swear at him for his stupidity
  1857. 1857.
    > “What if she likes the thrill of it! What if she wants to use us as compost for the garden?”
  1858. 1858.
    >You never took Anon for a conspiracy theorist
  1859. 1859.
    >To think you opened your heart out to him just a few minutes ago
  1860. 1860.
    >You take a deep breath and rub your temple with both index fingers
  1861. 1861.
    >This line of thinking so unfathomably retarded you can feel the onset of a headache
  1862. 1862.
    “Anon. In just 24 hours of us knowing this girl, we cried over something we had no idea we had lost, we promised to reconnect and we bonded over something that came natural to both of us in the way of gardening”
  1863. 1863.
    >You take another deep breath and give him such a steely glare it’s surely to ruin the facade for him
  1864. 1864.
    “So I’d ask you to not badmouth our friend behind her back, please”
  1865. 1865.
    >This, however, goes clean through one ear and out the other
  1866. 1866.
    >You can practically hear the cogs in his head turning
  1867. 1867.
    >You’re ready for him to just say something retarded
  1868. 1868.
    > “Rose, are you crushing on Wallflower?”
  1869. 1869.
    >Your eyes shoot wide open as you scream at the top of your lungs
  1870. 1870.
    “WHAT?!”
  1871. 1871.
    >Whatever words you try to say come out as incoherent mumbling befitting someone caught red handed
  1872. 1872.
    “That’s, NOT what this is about, Anon!”
  1873. 1873.
    >Your poor choice of words makes it clear to him of your messy mixture of feelings about it
  1874. 1874.
    > “Wow, I, I was just teasing! I had no idea you- I didn’t thought you liked-“
  1875. 1875.
    >You grind your pearly white teeth together and feel your headache swinging in full strength
  1876. 1876.
    >You’d absolutely tear off his throat for this if he wasn’t one of the only people to have seen you cry
  1877. 1877.
    >No, remember your debate training, Rose
  1878. 1878.
    >You’ve already lost your facade, if he wants to deal with a killer then you’ll show him one
  1879. 1879.
    “Yeah?! Well, I’ve seen how you look at her! You.. I bet you’re crushing on her too!”
  1880. 1880.
    >Are you really so desperate that you’re resorting to ‘no u’
  1881. 1881.
    >Apparently you are
  1882. 1882.
    >Years of practice with dad hadn’t prepared you for how easily you’d crack with someone you’ve been honest with
  1883. 1883.
    >And yet, in spite of the lame come back
  1884. 1884.
    >You see a tinge of red coloring Anon’s otherwise green cheeks as his eyes look away from yours
  1885. 1885.
    >Oh you’ve got to be kidding me
  1886. 1886.
    “W-Wait, for real?”
  1887. 1887.
     
  1888. 1888.
    >This seems to snap his attention back to you, and he let’s out a few lame chuckles
  1889. 1889.
    > “I, I think? I mean.”
  1890. 1890.
    > “I keep finding stuff related to her in my room, yesterday it was a file of places to take someone on dates, today I found.. well”
  1891. 1891.
    >He fidgets with his school bag and brings out the same notebook he was scribbling on earlier
  1892. 1892.
    >Flipping through dozens of pages worth of sketches
  1893. 1893.
    >And you note that the date on his assignments are from a couple years back
  1894. 1894.
    >He finally sets in one page and you see it
  1895. 1895.
    >A pencil-sketch portrait of Wallflower
  1896. 1896.
    >Surrounded by sunflowers
  1897. 1897.
    >And it’s not the only one, once he acknowledges you’ve seen it, he begins flipping pages again
  1898. 1898.
    >Dozens of sketches of her
  1899. 1899.
    > “You were right, I did had a sketchbook once”
  1900. 1900.
    >He flips to some of the first pages in the notebook
  1901. 1901.
    >And you see a sketch of you holding a bundle of roses and..
  1902. 1902.
    >Forget-me-nots?
  1903. 1903.
    > “And, I guess I ended up making that drawing for you too”
  1904. 1904.
    >Your heart swells a little, and you give his arm a squeeze and a shake
  1905. 1905.
    >Alongside one of your most sincere smiles
  1906. 1906.
    >On the page next to your sketch, is yet another one of Wallflower
  1907. 1907.
    >Surrounded by both sunflowers and roses this time
  1908. 1908.
    >You feel absolutely disarmed, and can’t help but chuckle at the situation
  1909. 1909.
    “I.. I have a wall and some of my ceiling just covered in photos of me and her back home”
  1910. 1910.
    >Anon shakes his head as you both confess your feelings for someone who isn’t even here
  1911. 1911.
    > “Oh I’m so glad I’m not the only one who was obsessed with her”
  1912. 1912.
    >You scoff and give him an incredulous look
  1913. 1913.
    “‘Was’? Anon from the way you look at her I think you still are”
  1914. 1914.
    >He rolls his eyes at you and gives you the same kind of sass you’re giving him
  1915. 1915.
    > “Oh please, I bet you’re just jealous she kept trying to hold my ha-aand~”
  1916. 1916.
    >You jokingly push him and can’t help but mutter to yourself
  1917. 1917.
    “Just a bit”
  1918. 1918.
    >You feel that sense of kinship you felt with Anon a day ago rekindling
  1919. 1919.
    >And you can tell from the way he’s smiling that he feels the same
  1920. 1920.
    >Which just makes it hurt even more thinking you’ve no chance with Wallflower
  1921. 1921.
    >Is this what you were trying to avoid?
  1922. 1922.
    >This crushing feeling of disappointment
  1923. 1923.
    >You’re not dumb, you’ve seen the way she looks at him
  1924. 1924.
    >Letting out a sigh full of frustration, you turn to watch the sunrise
  1925. 1925.
    >Anon picks up on your emotions, and places a hand on your shoulder “Rose? Something the matter?”
  1926. 1926.
    >You don’t want him to see how pathetic you are, not now at least
  1927. 1927.
    >So you bring your attention to the elephant in the room
  1928. 1928.
    “It’s Wallflower. I need to find out if she meant to erase your memories”
  1929. 1929.
    >Anon doesn’t say anything, instead he just picks up his school bag and begins making his way to CHS
  1930. 1930.
    >Your doubt is clear on your face as you stand there frozen in place
  1931. 1931.
    >He turns around to look at you and extends his hand towards you
  1932. 1932.
    > “Rose? You coming?”
  1933. 1933.
    >You hesitate at first, but each step is easier to take than the last
  1934. 1934.
    >You steel yourself and grab his hand, and you two walk together to answer some questions
  1935. 1935.
     
  1936. 1936.
    >Holding his hand this way reminds you a lot of when you two were friends
  1937. 1937.
    >You don't know why, it just feels natural
  1938. 1938.
    >You reached out for him earlier, and now he returned the favor to you
  1939. 1939.
    >It feels weird seeing him taking charge for once, you didn't thought him capable
  1940. 1940.
    >The walk back to CHS is a comfortably silent one
  1941. 1941.
    >Enough to let you gather your thoughts and the really tough questions you'll have to ask
  1942. 1942.
    >Anon wasn't ever one for idle chit-chat, no matter how hard he tries
  1943. 1943.
    >You can't help but wonder how he must feel about this
  1944. 1944.
    >Having your memories erased while there's people who remember what happened
  1945. 1945.
    >The memories you shared together, the ones that you lack
  1946. 1946.
    >Though at the same time, you absolutely hate that you can't just explain to him how things were to its full extent
  1947. 1947.
    >With all of this in mind, however
  1948. 1948.
    >There's someone who knows this feeling of isolation
  1949. 1949.
    >Why would she ever want this?
  1950. 1950.
    >Not just what she did to your memories of Anon and you
  1951. 1951.
    >But what originally made her do it all
  1952. 1952.
    >You should've asked this before
  1953. 1953.
    >But you got swept up in your emotions
  1954. 1954.
    >Again
  1955. 1955.
    >Damn it, why is this happening?
  1956. 1956.
    >Why does it feel like you can't control your feelings when either of these green teenagers is around you
  1957. 1957.
    >You let them get too close once, didn't you
  1958. 1958.
    >But, it must've felt nice, right?
  1959. 1959.
    >Yesterday sure was nice
  1960. 1960.
    >But you had your mask on the entire time, if you didn't
  1961. 1961.
    >Would they hate you?
  1962. 1962.
    >You recall what memories you do have
  1963. 1963.
    >Anon eventually chipped away at your facade before as well
  1964. 1964.
    >You two bonded over music
  1965. 1965.
    >He didn't expect someone like you to be into alt rock
  1966. 1966.
    >You remember bringing him home to hang out
  1967. 1967.
    >And how much dad disapproved of him
  1968. 1968.
    >And mom telling you to drop the facade if you were to be friends
  1969. 1969.
    >And your sisters poking fun at the way you always held hands when you were together
  1970. 1970.
    >...
  1971. 1971.
    >You come to a sudden halt, alerting Anon that something was wrong
  1972. 1972.
    > "Rose? Are you alright?"
  1973. 1973.
    "They thought we were dating"
  1974. 1974.
    >Anon seems unfazed about this
  1975. 1975.
    > "..I'm sorry?" He mutters to himself, his eyes fixed on yours
  1976. 1976.
    >You bring your fingers up to your face and rub your temples to lessen the returning headache
  1977. 1977.
    >He didn't seem to hate you, at least from what you remember
  1978. 1978.
    >And if you're to ask this stuff to Wallflower
  1979. 1979.
    >You need someone
  1980. 1980.
    >Not like your sisters
  1981. 1981.
    >You need someone who understands what it's like to be as pathetic as you feel
  1982. 1982.
    "Anon, what do you think of me?"
  1983. 1983.
    >You watch his eyes grow in mild confusion, feeling the need to clarify what you meant
  1984. 1984.
    "Not like that, just"
  1985. 1985.
    "When you look at me, what kind of person do you see?"
  1986. 1986.
    >It takes him a while to respond
  1987. 1987.
    >At all, in fact he hasn't moved a muscle since you asked
  1988. 1988.
    >Then, with a deep breath, he shifts his stance and answers
  1989. 1989.
    > "I think you're an asshole"
  1990. 1990.
     
  1991. 1991.
    >Motherfucker
  1992. 1992.
    >You can feel your expression turning to one of anger
  1993. 1993.
    >And quickly try to gain control over it, and with it your own breathing
  1994. 1994.
    > "Yeah, like that. You told me not to badmouth Wallflower behind her back, but you did the same to me"
  1995. 1995.
    >You clench your fist as he goes on
  1996. 1996.
    > "And that's just it, Rose. All my memories of you are clouded with mistrust"
  1997. 1997.
    > "I hated how perfect you looked, how no one cared for the aura of superiority you carry yourself with"
  1998. 1998.
    >Where did he got the courage to suddenly speak his mind?
  1999. 1999.
    >And yet, he's right
  2000. 2000.
    > "And I hated you yesterday too, and then you offered to help me"
  2001. 2001.
    >You lock eyes with him, and within them you see the panic of a deeply confused boy confronting his bully
  2002. 2002.
    > "That person, crying with Wallflower, the one who shushed Daisy and Lily, offered to tutor me"
  2003. 2003.
    > "And offered me her hand before. That's not the same one who talked smack about me, or even the straight-A student"
  2004. 2004.
    >You take a step back in reflex
  2005. 2005.
    "What are you talking about?"
  2006. 2006.
    >He shakes his head, letting out a sigh of frustration "I feel robbed of my hatred, because on the same day I learnt it was justified"
  2007. 2007.
    > "You were the kindest to me you've ever been."
  2008. 2008.
    >You really didn't meant to take it that far
  2009. 2009.
    >You were bitter and angry with him, but you didn't intend to make him hate you
  2010. 2010.
    >This mask, putting it on and off
  2011. 2011.
    >He probably thinks you're crazy
  2012. 2012.
    >No, that's just what he's saying
  2013. 2013.
    >Your heartbeat quickens, your mind split in how you should react
  2014. 2014.
    >Is it too late to pretend you can cheer him up
  2015. 2015.
    >Fucking hell, no this is exactly what he's talking about
  2016. 2016.
    >You can't control your breathing
  2017. 2017.
    >You can't control anything anymore
  2018. 2018.
    >The way you feel right now, it's the same way you reacted last morning too
  2019. 2019.
    >You look at him, only to pry your eyes away and look at the horizon
  2020. 2020.
    "I'm sorry" You start off, choking on your words and looking back to him
  2021. 2021.
    "I was hurt, a few months ago when you stopped talking to me, I mean"
  2022. 2022.
    >You two lock eyes again, his confused scowl contrasting your pitiful plead for forgiveness
  2023. 2023.
    "I lost a good friend" You comment, and mutter quietly under your breath "The only real one I remember"
  2024. 2024.
    >You didn't intend to, but this seems like it finally disarms him
  2025. 2025.
    >He looks at you with soft eyes
  2026. 2026.
    >This is it, isn't it
  2027. 2027.
    >You can't keep the facade anymore
  2028. 2028.
    >You're pathetic, and he's gonna witness it
  2029. 2029.
    > "We were friends then, for real?"
  2030. 2030.
    "For real, we hung out a lot, and you saw me for who I was"
  2031. 2031.
    > "And who is that, Rose?"
  2032. 2032.
    >You slump against the wall, sighing as you chuckle lamely
  2033. 2033.
    "A loser who pretends to get along with everyone"
  2034. 2034.
    "But not you, you met me. And then you met the real me"
  2035. 2035.
    "I fucking hate it, Anon"
  2036. 2036.
    >This seems to make him flinch
  2037. 2037.
    >It seems he didn't consider you could be the type to swear
  2038. 2038.
    >You slide down the wall and sit on the street
  2039. 2039.
    >You look absolutely perfect on the outside, not a hair out of place
  2040. 2040.
    >And though the day hasn't even started, you feel like you've just been ran over by a truck
  2041. 2041.
     
  2042. 2042.
    "I didn't mean to bully you, I should've told Daisy and Lily to shut up about it, I shouldn't have been that angry I just"
  2043. 2043.
    >You bring your knees up to your chest, and scoff
  2044. 2044.
    "You're right to hate me, I think I'd do it too"
  2045. 2045.
    >You didn't watch him sitting next to you
  2046. 2046.
    >But you felt his hand on your shoulder
  2047. 2047.
    > "Both can be true, I think"
  2048. 2048.
    >You turn, and see the most compassionate pair of eyes staring at your soul
  2049. 2049.
    > "You could've done better, but I also hurt you. Even if I wasn't aware about it"
  2050. 2050.
    > "Rose, you want to change my opinion of you?"
  2051. 2051.
    >You hesitate to nod, cautiously optimistic of what he could say next
  2052. 2052.
    > "Keep doing this, be honest. Be yourself"
  2053. 2053.
    >You'd be willing to do anything
  2054. 2054.
    >Except this
  2055. 2055.
    "But, what if you hate that? What if Wallflower hates me, what if everyone does?"
  2056. 2056.
    "I've been trying so hard to keep this up, to be friends with everyone"
  2057. 2057.
    >He shakes his head to this "Rose, that sounds exhausting"
  2058. 2058.
    >You scoff, and this turns to a lame chuckle
  2059. 2059.
    "It is, but I have to"
  2060. 2060.
    > "Then you're far more pathetic than you think you are"
  2061. 2061.
    >Letting out a sigh, you lean against him
  2062. 2062.
    >You rest your head on his shoulder and the two of you stay like that for a few minutes
  2063. 2063.
    >Your eyes occupying themselves with some of the cars passing by you as Canterlot begins waking up
  2064. 2064.
    "I missed it, you know"
  2065. 2065.
    >You can't look at him from this angle "Hm?" He grunts out, assuring you he's listening to you
  2066. 2066.
    "That I could talk to you like this. And you wouldn't hold anything back"
  2067. 2067.
    >You look up to him and give him a smile
  2068. 2068.
    >You don't know why you're smiling, but you are
  2069. 2069.
    >He turns away from you, "I must've been a real handful back then too"
  2070. 2070.
    "Oh absolutely, though I suspect that's because you didn't had a little gardener around to keep you in check"
  2071. 2071.
    > "You think Wallflower has me in a leash?" He scoffs at your comment, looking down at you
  2072. 2072.
    "I don't think so, I'm not the only one who behaves different when around her." You tease him, sitting back up and stretching your back
  2073. 2073.
    "And speaking about her, I think we need to head back to the club."
  2074. 2074.
    >Anon grabs his schoolbag and stands up, chuckling to himself
  2075. 2075.
    "Something funny?"
  2076. 2076.
    > "Nothing, just" He gives you the biggest shit eating grin you've ever had the displeasure of receiving
  2077. 2077.
    > "Your parents thought we were dating huh?"
  2078. 2078.
    >You pretend not to hear him, and stand up on your own
  2079. 2079.
    >Only to shove him gently against the wall as you resume your walk to CHS
  2080. 2080.
    "Yeah, and oh boy did they disapproved of you!"
  2081. 2081.
     
  2082. 2082.
    >CHS is just as quiet as the rest of Canterlot is at this hour
  2083. 2083.
    >Some of the teachers arriving greet you while they walk by
  2084. 2084.
    >You can't help but returning the gesture with your characteristically bubbly mood
  2085. 2085.
    >Which earns you a scoff from Anon by your side, who is mostly ignored by the school's staff
  2086. 2086.
    >You make your way through the parking lot and behind the main building
  2087. 2087.
    >But as the gardening club's door comes into sight
  2088. 2088.
    >Anon places a hand on your shoulder and stops you from continuing
  2089. 2089.
    > "Rose, how do you plan on doing this again? Just gonna head in and confront her?"
  2090. 2090.
    >You didn't had much time to think about this, you've been quite impulsive this morning
  2091. 2091.
    "I'd say so, although, I'm worried she could feel cornered if we were both to-"
  2092. 2092.
    > "Go in at the same time, yeah, just my thoughts"
  2093. 2093.
    >Anon leans against the wall and drops his schoolbag next to him
  2094. 2094.
    >You were scared to ask him to wait outside, but this should make it easier to talk to Wallflower without coming off as too confrontational
  2095. 2095.
    > "I don't have much to say about it, my memory isn't shaken up by having even more gaps in it than I thought"
  2096. 2096.
    "I'll just breach the subject. Give me a few minutes and you can go in, alright?"
  2097. 2097.
    >He reaches into his bag for his sketchbook and gives you a thumbs up
  2098. 2098.
    >In return, you give him a reassuring smile and approach the door to the club
  2099. 2099.
    >Coming to a halt right in front of it
  2100. 2100.
    >You quickly try to think of which side of you should she see
  2101. 2101.
    >She knows the bubbly one, but does she know it's a fake?
  2102. 2102.
    >Should you even try to keep it up at all?
  2103. 2103.
    >You're not afforded much time to think on it as the door opens on it's own
  2104. 2104.
    >Wallflower stands there, looking even more disheveled since yesterday
  2105. 2105.
    >Her grimy sea-green hair fragile and with less volume than the one you stared at as you fell asleep
  2106. 2106.
    >You lock eyes with her and come out blank
  2107. 2107.
    >Any words you had planned in advance gone when she pulls you into the classroom and into a hug
  2108. 2108.
    > "I'm sorry" is the first thing she says, and the second, and so on
  2109. 2109.
    >She keeps apologizing over and over
  2110. 2110.
    >And you can't think of what to say, so you just wrap your arms around her
  2111. 2111.
    >It wouldn't have mattered if Anon stayed behind, it seems like she had already cracked under pressure without either of you asking anything
  2112. 2112.
    >She smells like wet grass and sweat
  2113. 2113.
    >With how early it is and how messy she looks, you can't tell if that's because she was working on the garden
  2114. 2114.
    >Or if she simply didn't shower today
  2115. 2115.
    >Regardless, it doesn't stop you from cradling her and whispering into her ear amidst her desperate apologies
  2116. 2116.
    "Wally, what happened?"
  2117. 2117.
     
  2118. 2118.
    > "It was over summer, I remember going to the mall to get some ice cream and hopefully run into you guys"
  2119. 2119.
    > "To my surprise, you were interacting all by yourselves in the parlor. You apologized for cutting in line with Daisy and Lily"
  2120. 2120.
    > "It was small, but I was really hopeful that this could ease things for all of us"
  2121. 2121.
    >Wallflower sits across from you, in a table she must've cleared up for the seriousness of this
  2122. 2122.
    "I don't really remember meeting Anon there, Wally. I remember it was-"
  2123. 2123.
    > "In the music store?"
  2124. 2124.
    >A chill goes down your spine, and your eyes are fixated on hers
  2125. 2125.
    >They look dead
  2126. 2126.
    >You're reminded of her admitting to stalking you and Anon, and you can't help but stay silent as she continues
  2127. 2127.
    > "At first, I thought this was were it would end. I didn't thought you two could share similar taste in music"
  2128. 2128.
    > "But you spent a while talking. And when you were gone, Anon had bought something you had recommended"
  2129. 2129.
    >Wallflower speaks with such coldness about this that you didn't thought was possible from her
  2130. 2130.
    >She had apologized for a good while, even after you sat down
  2131. 2131.
    >But now that she's recounting this, you're not even sure she's looking at you
  2132. 2132.
    >It's like she's reliving this
  2133. 2133.
    > "It was a few days before you met again, I was just too curious about what could happen to butt in."
  2134. 2134.
    > "I would try to find either of you after taking care of the garden"
  2135. 2135.
    > "And I thought you wouldn't meet again, until I found you two in a park near your houses"
  2136. 2136.
    > "And you were smiling, Rose."
  2137. 2137.
    >The ghost of a frown on her face shows but for a second as she focuses her gaze on you
  2138. 2138.
    >And you feel like a deer in the headlights
  2139. 2139.
    > "You were smiling like you hadn't since before I erased your memories"
  2140. 2140.
    >She let's out a sigh, shakes her head and goes back to looking like a corpse
  2141. 2141.
    > "Something stirred inside me that day, I couldn't tell what it was, but I didn't approach you guys for a few days"
  2142. 2142.
    > "But the way you smiled at each other, I just couldn't believe it"
  2143. 2143.
    > "It's all I wanted ever since I met you two, for my best friends to also become each other's best friends!"
  2144. 2144.
    > "And yet my heart grew heavy. Anon wasn't smiling like that because of me, and neither were you"
  2145. 2145.
    >With the deadly calm quiet of the room, you could hear your own heart beating
  2146. 2146.
    >And you swear you heard some shuffling on the other side of the door leading to the outside
  2147. 2147.
    >Anon could've walked in by now, why hasn't he yet?
  2148. 2148.
    > "Before I knew it, you two were hanging out nearly every day. At places we had all once hung out in"
  2149. 2149.
    > "You even invited him to your place, Rose"
  2150. 2150.
    >This time, she utters your name with almost disgust as she stares into your eyes once more
  2151. 2151.
    >And it suddenly dawns on you what she could've thought of
  2152. 2152.
    >She's just as obsessed with you as you were with her
  2153. 2153.
    >She must've thought..
  2154. 2154.
     
  2155. 2155.
    > "I couldn't handle it anymore, the way he looked at you, the way you looked at him"
  2156. 2156.
    > "The way you held each other, you hugged, you laughed, you made memories without ME!"
  2157. 2157.
    >Wallflower slams her fists on the table and hangs her head low
  2158. 2158.
    >And you swear you can hear her grinding her teeth
  2159. 2159.
    >She thought you were dating
  2160. 2160.
    >Just like your parents did
  2161. 2161.
    >Just like your sisters did
  2162. 2162.
    "Wally, we weren't-"
  2163. 2163.
    >Wallflower raises her head to look at you
  2164. 2164.
    >The way her messy, shaggy hair falls down her face however, makes it so only one of her eyes looks at you from under it
  2165. 2165.
    > "I erased your memories out of jealousy, I admit it. I've had months to reckon with it, with how much I know you two didn't need me to become close"
  2166. 2166.
    > "Before I erased your memories, I kept telling Anon that you two would've made the best of friends."
  2167. 2167.
    > "I didn't know how true that could've been"
  2168. 2168.
    >Your heart is at your throat, you don't know how to answer her
  2169. 2169.
    >You were more than ready to comfort her as she cried through her explanation
  2170. 2170.
    >You hadn't expected her to be the confrontational one
  2171. 2171.
    >When she doesn't continue however, it becomes evident to you that she's waiting your response
  2172. 2172.
    >Taking a deep breath and clearing your throat, you answer
  2173. 2173.
    "We- I didn't know you were watching us, all that time."
  2174. 2174.
    "I'm sorry that we hurt you, but we didn't even know there was anyone being hurt."
  2175. 2175.
    >You nervously fidget with your fingers, as the once timid Wallflower looks at you as if she was wishing you ill
  2176. 2176.
    >And suddenly, you're reminded of the one question you've had in your mind since you woke up
  2177. 2177.
    "Wally, why can't Anon remember anything about it, but I can?"
  2178. 2178.
    >Her posture shifting is so diminutive you almost miss it
  2179. 2179.
    >But she seems to slump even more once you ask this
  2180. 2180.
    > "I don't know how the stone works fully. But it seems to react to my emotions"
  2181. 2181.
    > "I didn't want Anon to look at you like that, so it must've erased only his memories"
  2182. 2182.
    >You rest your forehead against the edge of the table as your worst fears are confirmed
  2183. 2183.
    >She ruined your friendship with the one person you've been close with
  2184. 2184.
    >The one friend that you remember
  2185. 2185.
    > "I'm sorry I lied to you about this, that I kept it hidden."
  2186. 2186.
    >You look up at her, her face turned blank from the scowl she was just giving you
  2187. 2187.
    >But that's not what ticks you off
  2188. 2188.
    "Is that what you're apologizing for?"
  2189. 2189.
    >Her only response is to blink, waiting for you to continue
  2190. 2190.
    "Wallflower, you took a friend away from me and you're only sorry about hiding it?"
  2191. 2191.
    > "I am" She looks at nothing in particular as she answers "I'm not sorry about erasing his memories"
  2192. 2192.
     
  2193. 2193.
    >Your eyes turn to pinpricks as you hear this
  2194. 2194.
    >Your hands turning to fists
  2195. 2195.
    > "And you know how I feel now, don't you? Losing someone that close to you hurts a lot more when you remember it"
  2196. 2196.
    "You wanted to hurt me..?"
  2197. 2197.
    >She shakes her head and returns to looking at you "No, but you understand it now. What it's like to lose your boyfriend"
  2198. 2198.
    "WE WEREN'T EVEN DATING"
  2199. 2199.
    >You nearly flip out the table as you stand up from your seat so fast the chair tumbles down
  2200. 2200.
    "We hung out! We had ice cream and watched movies together!"
  2201. 2201.
    "Didn't we do that too, Wallflower?! Or did you just never noticed the way I looked at you?!"
  2202. 2202.
    >Her blank expression shifts to confusion as you speak
  2203. 2203.
    >You feel as though you're about to cry out of frustration
  2204. 2204.
    "I don't know how things were when we were all friends, but I've seen the photos. I know you only have eyes for him"
  2205. 2205.
    >You have to swallow your next words
  2206. 2206.
    >Lest you reveal to her right now your true feelings about her
  2207. 2207.
    >Past and present
  2208. 2208.
    >You're about to, but you're interrupted by Wallflower before you can
  2209. 2209.
    > "I don't know why I don't regret it"
  2210. 2210.
    >She leans back in her seat, looking up at the lights and sighing
  2211. 2211.
    > "I hurt you, and I didn't want that. But I couldn't help feeling like you were stealing him from me"
  2212. 2212.
    > "I wished I had never used that stone, and I feel horrible that I used it for my benefit like that"
  2213. 2213.
    >You wrap your arms around you, and lean against the wall, looking at the door leading outside
  2214. 2214.
    >Wondering just how much of this conversation Anon has eavesdropped in
  2215. 2215.
     
  2216. 2216.
    >You've been frozen in front of the door just listening to the girls talk
  2217. 2217.
    >You didn't mean to, but when you heard Wallflower talking about the gaps in your memory, you couldn't help but want to know more
  2218. 2218.
    >And now you're listening to her saying how she doesn't regret doing it in the first place
  2219. 2219.
    >Be Anon
  2220. 2220.
    >And be very, very ticked off
  2221. 2221.
    >You move to open the door and confront Wallflower about this
  2222. 2222.
    >That is to say, you slam it open
  2223. 2223.
    >Both of the girls turn to you
  2224. 2224.
    >You meet Rose's eyes first
  2225. 2225.
    >Though they're filled with anger and frustration, you know her pain is multilayered
  2226. 2226.
    >Both by being hurt, lied to, and played with her emotions
  2227. 2227.
    >What you heard was hard as is, even without context of what happened
  2228. 2228.
    >Rose has to deal with it now
  2229. 2229.
    >You stop yourself from even looking in Wallflower's direction
  2230. 2230.
    >You can't bring yourself to see her like this
  2231. 2231.
    >To you, she was past her faults
  2232. 2232.
    >She was to help you, all of you
  2233. 2233.
    >But you turn and look into the eyes of the shattered delusion you sold yourself on
  2234. 2234.
    >Wallflower looks as though she's falling apart at the seams
  2235. 2235.
    >Her eyes wide open in surprise
  2236. 2236.
    >Tears gathering around their edges
  2237. 2237.
    >Her lips twitching as if she was about to say something to hide behind
  2238. 2238.
    >You don't know if it's because of your sudden appearance or if she was already breaking
  2239. 2239.
    >But from the sounds of it, she wasn't sounding any regretful
  2240. 2240.
    >Something tells you she wasn't expecting you to be on the other side of that door
  2241. 2241.
    "And yet, you're not sorry?"
  2242. 2242.
    >You take a step inside the room, and let the door close behind you
  2243. 2243.
    >Rose stands up to come to your side
  2244. 2244.
    > "Anon are you-" She begins, before you both lock eyes
  2245. 2245.
    >Whatever look you're giving her, it's enough to speak for you
  2246. 2246.
    >Rose stands aside, rubbing her arm as if she had been punched
  2247. 2247.
    >She knows the answer is no
  2248. 2248.
    >You're not okay
  2249. 2249.
    >You feel used
  2250. 2250.
    "You told me you didn't meant to use it, right? The first time you erased our memories"
  2251. 2251.
    >Wallflower sits perfectly still as you approach her
  2252. 2252.
    >You watch as her chest rises and falls faster the closer you get
  2253. 2253.
    "Then why, why keep using it? Why keep trying to force yourself into our lives?"
  2254. 2254.
    >You stand in front of her
  2255. 2255.
    >She has to tilt her head up to keep her eyes locked on yours
  2256. 2256.
    "Why sabotage us at the one opportunity we could've had to move on from what you did?"
  2257. 2257.
    >A tear falls down her cheek
  2258. 2258.
    >Her voice is but a whisper, but with the absolute quiet within the classroom, it sounds as if on an amplifier
  2259. 2259.
    > "I was alone"
  2260. 2260.
     
  2261. 2261.
    >You watch as more tears fall along her cheeks
  2262. 2262.
    >But she doesn't break eye contact with you
  2263. 2263.
    >As if by doing so, you'd just walk away from her forever
  2264. 2264.
    "And who's fault is that? Who erased our memories in the first place?"
  2265. 2265.
    >Her lip quivers, holding back a sob
  2266. 2266.
    >You watch as snot builds up at her nostrils
  2267. 2267.
    >Though you feel bad about making her cry
  2268. 2268.
    >You need to know
  2269. 2269.
    "What could have even made you do that?"
  2270. 2270.
    >Wallflower has trouble speaking
  2271. 2271.
    >But she forces out one word before she snaps
  2272. 2272.
    > "Dad"
  2273. 2273.
    >She closes her eyes, finally breaking eye contact
  2274. 2274.
    >Letting out a wail as she has a full on meltdown
  2275. 2275.
    >She hugs herself as she slams her forehead down on the table
  2276. 2276.
    >Letting her tears drip down to the floor
  2277. 2277.
    >You turn to look at the framed picture of her and her dad, hanging on the other side of the room
  2278. 2278.
    >The only one she displays at all times
  2279. 2279.
    >And you remember that's how you got her to open up to you in the first place
  2280. 2280.
    >You turn to look at Rose, whose gaze is fixed on the framed photo as well
  2281. 2281.
    >You two were close with Wallflower, if something happened to her dad
  2282. 2282.
    >Why would she push you away?
  2283. 2283.
    >Maybe, just maybe
  2284. 2284.
    >That's who she is
  2285. 2285.
    >Wallflower's weeps and sobs pull you away from your thoughts
  2286. 2286.
    >Though it makes you sick to think of what she did
  2287. 2287.
    >You don't want to hurt her
  2288. 2288.
    >Even after finding out about this
  2289. 2289.
    >You drop to one knee next to her
  2290. 2290.
    >And hesitate to do anything else as she cries alone
  2291. 2291.
    >You're alone, too
  2292. 2292.
    >You place your hand on her shoulder, reminding her of this fact
  2293. 2293.
    >Her bawling stops for a second when she registers what you're doing
  2294. 2294.
    >Only to resume even louder
  2295. 2295.
    >You turn to Rose, her eyes fixed on your hand
  2296. 2296.
    >And you can tell she's having an internal struggle by the way her eyes shift from you and back to Wallflower
  2297. 2297.
    >You tilt your head Wallflower's way, silently asking Rose if she wants to come closer
  2298. 2298.
    >But it doesn't seem like she's ready, preferring to back against the wall as she hugs herself
  2299. 2299.
    >You can only nod at her in solidarity
  2300. 2300.
    >Maybe if you could split yourself into two, you'd be able to comfort them at the same time
  2301. 2301.
    >As is, however, one is crying her heart out
  2302. 2302.
    >She may be the reason you're all in this in the first place
  2303. 2303.
    >But she's also hurting
  2304. 2304.
    >You're all hurting
  2305. 2305.
    >And once she's done crying
  2306. 2306.
    >You'll remind her of that fact
  2307. 2307.
     
  2308. 2308.
    >Wallflower cried for a good few minutes before she was able to utter another word
  2309. 2309.
    >The most she did was thank you when you offered her some tissues to blow her nose
  2310. 2310.
    >All that time, Rose didn't move from her spot
  2311. 2311.
    >Whenever the two of you would lock eyes, she'd give you a fake smile only to then look away and get lost in her thoughts once again
  2312. 2312.
    >You didn't know what to do
  2313. 2313.
    >You wanted answers but if you pressured Wallflower now, you doubt she'd do anything but go back to crying
  2314. 2314.
    >And you wonder if Rose even wants to be comforted
  2315. 2315.
    >Truthfully, you don't know what she's still doing here
  2316. 2316.
    >Does she still want anything to do with Wallflower?
  2317. 2317.
    >Maybe she's waiting for you to leave, and go back to having a one-on-one
  2318. 2318.
    >Or, maybe she's waiting for her friend to finish consoling a lost cause
  2319. 2319.
    >Whatever the case, she's still here
  2320. 2320.
    >There may be a chance for you three to mend this yet
  2321. 2321.
    >It's all up to Wallflower now
  2322. 2322.
    >She mentioned her dad, which means that something did happen to him
  2323. 2323.
    >But for her to push you away, did you do something to her?
  2324. 2324.
    >As the gardener blows her nose again, she tries to speak up
  2325. 2325.
    >Her throat coarse from speaking, she struggles to actually say something
  2326. 2326.
    >And then
  2327. 2327.
    > "He got sick, dad"
  2328. 2328.
    >This manages to get Roseluck's attention, and yours as well
  2329. 2329.
    >Wallflower coughs and clears her throat, continuing "I never told you guys, but he was hospitalized for a couple months leading to our junior year's Fall Formal"
  2330. 2330.
    > "A year ago, then" Rose interrupts her, finally taking a couple steps closer to the two of you
  2331. 2331.
    >Wallflower nods at this, brushing her messy hair off her face so you can properly look at her
  2332. 2332.
    > "He couldn't take care of the school grounds or the garden in his condition, so I swore I'd help maintain them while he got better"
  2333. 2333.
    >Her eyes shift from you to Rose, a meek little smile growing on her face "You two helped me so much, but I didn't want you to worry, so I didn't told you he was sick in the first place"
  2334. 2334.
    > "And in the end, he just.."
  2335. 2335.
    >Wallflower doesn't finish her sentence, falling into silence as a couple more tears roll down her cheeks
  2336. 2336.
    >Rose stands next to you, watching Wallflower sob
  2337. 2337.
    >You can see Rose's expression has softened a lot, and you see her hesitate to take another step forward
  2338. 2338.
    >But she doesn't, putting a hand on your shoulder for support as Wallflower blows her nose one more time
  2339. 2339.
    > "Principal Celestia must've told you guys about it, because by midnight, all of you were waiting for me back home"
  2340. 2340.
    >Her bloodshot eyes lock onto yours, "I know she was just trying to help, but I just didn't want to talk about it, I didn't want you guys to see me like this"
  2341. 2341.
    > "I ran" Wallflower says between sobs, wiping a few tears away "I.. I told you guys I didn't want to see you anymore"
  2342. 2342.
    >She reaches out for your hand, and you hold hers
  2343. 2343.
    >She's shaking
  2344. 2344.
     
  2345. 2345.
    > "I broke up with you, Anon. I don't know why. I just wanted to throw myself into the void, and stay there"
  2346. 2346.
    >You don't know how to feel about this
  2347. 2347.
    >You just place your other hand on top of hers
  2348. 2348.
    > "I just kept running. I didn't had anywhere in mind, I just ran and ran until I was out of breath"
  2349. 2349.
    >Wallflower looks out the windows, and stares at the garden far off
  2350. 2350.
    > "I ended up at CHS, and I was so mad that it didn't matter how much I cared for these flowers. Dad wouldn't be here to see any of it"
  2351. 2351.
    >She dries the rest of her tears and takes a couple of deep breaths before continuing
  2352. 2352.
    >The way she's looking at you, it's eerily similar to the way she looked a couple days ago
  2353. 2353.
    >Shifty eyes, gauging your emotions, like a cat ready to bolt
  2354. 2354.
    > "I went through the garden, ripping off flowers left and right. I was so done"
  2355. 2355.
    > "I should've stopped there, but I kept going until I got to the center. And then, I felt something dragging me to that stone ornament"
  2356. 2356.
    >Wallflower slumps over in her chair, holding her head in her hands as she sighs
  2357. 2357.
    > "That stone, it did something, and I swear I felt my heart splitting. It was like all the pain I was feeling just got.. multiplied"
  2358. 2358.
    >And that's how your memories went
  2359. 2359.
    >In a fit of blind rage and some presumably magical rock
  2360. 2360.
    >You've kept your blank expression through all of her explanation
  2361. 2361.
    >But this makes you stand up and reconsider things
  2362. 2362.
    "So then, you really didn't meant to do it? It just happened?"
  2363. 2363.
    >Wallflower nods and grabs your arm as you get up
  2364. 2364.
    >Her grip is tight, she must be desperate "I promise, Anon. I just, I wanted to be alone for a while, and it happened"
  2365. 2365.
    >You hear from behind you, Rose muttering under her breath "Well, you got it" as she turns around to look out the window
  2366. 2366.
    >And yet
  2367. 2367.
    "You used it again, didn't you? And not just to try to befriend us again"
  2368. 2368.
    >At this, Wallflower's hand limps while still holding onto you
  2369. 2369.
    > "I, yes, I used it for my benefit"
  2370. 2370.
    > "When things got awkward, when you'd think I was creepy, when Rose and Daisy and Lily thought I was following them"
  2371. 2371.
    "When me and Rose became friends?"
  2372. 2372.
    >Wallflower whimpers and falls to her knees in front of you
  2373. 2373.
    >Her weak body hanging from the grip she has on you
  2374. 2374.
    > "I didn't want to be alone for so long. I didn't thought you two would became so close even without me"
  2375. 2375.
    > "Please, Anon, I miss you guys so much"
  2376. 2376.
    >There's no more tears flowing down her cheeks, though you can see the regret on her face
  2377. 2377.
    >Still, you can't help but feel used
  2378. 2378.
    >And Rose
  2379. 2379.
    >You don't want to assume how she feels, but she hasn't said anything to Wallflower in a while
  2380. 2380.
    >Yet no matter how much she pleads
  2381. 2381.
    >You haven't heard an apology from her
  2382. 2382.
    "I don't think you've realized it yet, Wallflower"
  2383. 2383.
    >Her body stiffens at your words
  2384. 2384.
    >You don't know if it's right for you to give her hope
  2385. 2385.
    >Or if you want to offer her a second chance
  2386. 2386.
    >So instead, you'll do the same thing she just did
  2387. 2387.
    >And explain your piece
  2388. 2388.
     
  2389. 2389.
    "I'm not who you used to know, I don't know if I can be"
  2390. 2390.
    >Out of the corner of your eye, you see Roseluck turning her head to hear you better
  2391. 2391.
    "What we had, and what you took from us. It's all gone, and whether you regret doing it or not, it's your fault"
  2392. 2392.
    "I'm alone too, Wallflower"
  2393. 2393.
    >Wallflower tilts her head up to look you in the eyes
  2394. 2394.
    >You can't read her expression
  2395. 2395.
    >But you know she's listening to you
  2396. 2396.
    "I wanted a friend, I still do. But I want that friend to be real, and for that to happen, you need to think about what we want"
  2397. 2397.
    "And, I want to know if you're even considering using that stone again."
  2398. 2398.
    >Wallflower thinks for a bit, her eyes shift from you to Rose
  2399. 2399.
    >You see the two of them looking at each other, before Rose turns away and goes back to gazing into nothingness
  2400. 2400.
    > "I don't, I meant when I said I was done using it, I don't want to hurt you guys any more"
  2401. 2401.
    >That's a start, at least
  2402. 2402.
    >You hold her arm, and support her
  2403. 2403.
    >Wallflower shakes a bit, but eventually begins standing up on her own
  2404. 2404.
    >Her head barely reaches your shoulders, so you get a pretty good look at her hair up-close
  2405. 2405.
    >Good lord it looks brittle
  2406. 2406.
    >And you don't even know that much about hair
  2407. 2407.
    >She still has to tilt her head up to look at you
  2408. 2408.
    >You see the dried tears and boogers on her face
  2409. 2409.
    >This girl needs a shower, a warm blanket, and a hug
  2410. 2410.
    >She steps back and crosses her arms, guarding herself as she sighs and looks down at her shoes in shame
  2411. 2411.
    > "I messed up, didn't I?"
  2412. 2412.
    >You hold back any sarcasm you have at the moment, and just nod your head
  2413. 2413.
    >She looks past you, focusing on Rose
  2414. 2414.
    >Whom can definitely feel the two of you looking at her, though she pretends not to
  2415. 2415.
    >You put a hand on Wallflower's shoulder
  2416. 2416.
    "What do you see in her, Wallflower?"
  2417. 2417.
    >Rose stands upright at your words
  2418. 2418.
    >Wallflower, however, just looks at a loss for words
  2419. 2419.
    "Who is her, to you?"
  2420. 2420.
    >Rose remains turned away from you, though you can see her hugging herself, as if bracing for what she's about to hear
  2421. 2421.
    >Wallflower's words die in her throat, it's apparent to you that she doesn't want to say the wrong thing now more than ever
  2422. 2422.
    > "She is, she.."
  2423. 2423.
     
  2424. 2424.
    >Wallflower clears her throat and continues "She was always there, for me"
  2425. 2425.
    > "When we first met, her family had just moved in to Canterlot, and I was surprised the new girl took an interest in me, the shy girl who blended into the background"
  2426. 2426.
    > "And she just, never left my side."
  2427. 2427.
    >A small smile grows in Wallflower's lips, in contrast to her freshly dried tears
  2428. 2428.
    > "I was never alone with you, and I miss that so much, I miss how you lit up my day whenever we'd talk"
  2429. 2429.
    >Wallflower begins walking towards Roseluck, who remains adamant in not looking at her through her monologue
  2430. 2430.
    > "I, I remember how strict your dad could be. And how you told me how he was so different when I was with you, much more relaxed"
  2431. 2431.
    >Wallflower comes at a stop within arm's length of Rose
  2432. 2432.
    >She looks terrified of taking another step
  2433. 2433.
    > "I can't imagine how you must remember that, without me there."
  2434. 2434.
    > "You were alone, weren't you, Rose?"
  2435. 2435.
    >The redhead turns around, and you can see she's trying her best to hold back tears
  2436. 2436.
    > "I just, why won't you just apologize already, Wally?"
  2437. 2437.
    >Wallflower takes a step back at this, and seems like she's about to turn to leave
  2438. 2438.
    >Instead, it's Rose who makes her way to the door, leaving her schoolbag behind
  2439. 2439.
    > "I'm sorry!" Wallflower yells out, just as Rose reaches for the handle
  2440. 2440.
    > "I, I know it was wrong. I'm sorry I was jealous, I'm sorry I took advantage of the stone, I'm sorry I.. I'm sorry I destroyed your friendship"
  2441. 2441.
    >Rose turns to face Wallflower
  2442. 2442.
    >You can see Rose's exasperation plainly written on her face
  2443. 2443.
    > "You're not really sorry" Rose leans against the wall as she lets out some tears
  2444. 2444.
    > "You just don't want to be alone anymore"
  2445. 2445.
    >Rose hugs herself as she slides down onto the floor
  2446. 2446.
    > "And neither do I, but I,"
  2447. 2447.
    > "I just don't know if I can forgive you, Wally" Rose hides her face in her knees as she sobs
  2448. 2448.
    >Wallflower stands there, watching her former best friend crying
  2449. 2449.
    >You're about to begin brainstorming what you should do now
  2450. 2450.
    >If you'll be forced to pick between the two of them
  2451. 2451.
    >But it seems like you're giving too little credit to the gardener
  2452. 2452.
    >Wallflower slowly approaches Rose, and kneels down in front of her
  2453. 2453.
    > "That's okay" comes from her green lips, soft as she can possibly sound
  2454. 2454.
    > "Please, I just want to try again. Hate me if you want, but please"
  2455. 2455.
    >Rose looks up, and the two of them lock eyes
  2456. 2456.
    >You can see the fear in Roseluck's eyes, wondering if it'll be different this time, if there's anything else that could hurt even more
  2457. 2457.
    >She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and hides her face behind her knees once more
  2458. 2458.
    > "Just, give me until after school. Okay? Please"
  2459. 2459.
    >Wallflower stays there, though you can't see her face, you can feel the sad, forced smile with which she replies
  2460. 2460.
    > "I'll wait for your answer, then"

Where Wallflowers Bloom

by Wowflower

Happy Valentine's Day, Wallflower

by Wowflower