>Rainy days are your favourite, you don’t know why, maybe it’s thanks to how empty the streets get when it happens
>Skipping class is something you only do when you really need to clear your head
>Like today, or yesterday, and maybe the last couple days before that
>You’re not a good student
>Nor do you care to be, however much that frustrates your parents
>That coupled with your tendency to avoid people, branded you as an outcast as soon as highschool started
>You want to say you don’t mind but it gets pretty lonely sometimes
>Yet you don’t do anything to fix that, to go out of your way to make friends
>What a dilemma you’ve put yourself in
>In this school, no one seems to be quite like you
>Everyone’s in their own cliques, happily going through their day
>Even if those days include random magical antics happening every couple of months
>You can’t find a single person you feel like you could connect to
>Well, there is one
>But to be honest, you rarely ever see her
>Maybe she’s as much of an outcast as you are, she never seems to talk to anyone when you do see her
>In fact, you’ve never spoken to her before
>Not that you remember, anyways

>Groaning, you walk back towards the school grounds
>Nice as these rainy days are, you’d rather not get suspended for skipping multiple periods again
>Sneaking behind school, you hope you’ll find the same back door you use to have these escapades
>That’s when you see her tending to the somewhat hidden garden behind school
>With her back turned to you, you can’t see her face but you know it’s her
>Her sea green hair catches your attention whenever you see her in the hallway, as is no different now
>Just like you, she seems to not mind the rain, letting it soak her hair as well as her sweater
>When she stands up to gather up her tools, you realise just how long you’ve been staring at her
>You didn’t even hear the school bell ring
>She turns to you, and you don’t bother trying to avert your gaze
>Her eyes lock with yours, clouded by the rain you can’t see them very well but you can feel her staring you
>It feels as if everything stopped just for a moment
>You can’t find words to speak
>You can’t even move from where you’re standing
>You feel your heart beating in your throat
>And that’s when she starts awkwardly walking towards you
>Like a feral cat judging your character, she cautiously keeps eye contact as she approaches you
>Just as you think she’s about to ask something
>She passes by you and picks up her pace, hurrying inside and leaving you in the rain 
>You were a total creep, weren’t you? 

>Heading back inside, you go to your locker and grab your PE clothes to change to
>You hurry to dry up and go to your next period
>Which is now halfway over, so of course you get an earful from Ms Harshwhinny over it
>Sitting down you tune her out immediately as you mull over what happened with that girl
>You froze in place the moment you saw her
>Furthermore when she noticed you staring you did your best impression of a gargoyle and kept silent while staring at her
>Laying your head on your desk, you let out a mental sigh 
>You have to find her again, apologise for being a creep and hopefully strike up conversation
>The class ends shortly, you didn’t even bother trying to catch up to what Harshwhinny was going over
>Lunch period
>Since the tables are always occupied by cliques, you begrudgingly decided to skip lunch altogether and just hang around school waiting for the bell 
>It’s still raining, and you don’t want to get another set of clothes wet before you get to go home
>Passing by a hallway you don’t frequent, you notice the lack of classrooms and students here
>Actually this part of the school feels almost abandoned, decals and stickers on the lockers here show inside jokes of years past
>Why would people avoid this part of the school?
>Walking around a corner, you see the lights of a classroom on
>Curiosity gets the best of you as you make your way to the door
>Reaching for the handle, you look inside to find…
>A bunch of gardening equipment and what seems to be a greenhouse?
>This school doesn’t have a gardening club
>Stepping inside, you look at the variety of flowers blooming
>Marigolds, Orchids, Sunflowers
>They’re all so beautiful, so well taken care of
>Your mind immediately goes to the only person you’ve ever seen handling plants on this school
>No not that farm girl, the green one
>Which just so happens to have been in the corner of the room the entire time you were admiring the flowers
>With an expression that can only be read as “Mom just walked into my room while I was jerking off”
>Your eyes feel as if they’re about to bulge out of your skull
>You clear your throat and do your best to seem normal, and say the first thing that comes to your mind
“Are these flowers yours?”
>Her eyes remain locked onto you as she awkwardly stammers out
> “Um, Yes?”
“They’re beautiful”
>With that, the same silence from before slowly sets back in, though this time it doesn’t feel nearly as awkward as before
>In fact, she seems taken aback by the compliment
> “You.. really think so?”
>She brushes her hair back slightly and averts her gaze for a moment
>You can’t help but smile a little at her
>You can see her well now
>Her pale green skin, the small freckles on her face, her greyish brown eyes
>Her still-wet hair, and some of her locks gently laid against her face
>Her drenched sweater, practically glued to her figure and letting your mind wander for a moment
>Before you mentally slap yourself and return your gaze to her eyes
>She’s so cute
>In a very fragile way that speaks “Please don’t touch me”
>The way she’s crouched in the corner of the room only accentuates how invisible she is
>You’re staring again

“I do, I always wondered who took care of the plants around school. I didn’t thought we had a groundskeeper”
> “We don’t anymore, he retired a year or so ago. I’ve been taking care of the flowers ever since”
“All by yourself?”
>She nods with a hint of sadness in her face
> “I have to. I won’t let them wither and die”
>She stands up and now you can see just how drenched she is
>From head to toe this girl’s clothes are still dripping from the rain
>Did she even bother drying out?
> “No, I don’t mind it.. It’s not like anyone would notice anyways”
>You said that part out loud without realising
“Aren’t you gonna catch a cold? I can go fetch you a towel if you want”
>Her eyes light up at your words
>When she turns to look at you, she just stares at you as if you had two heads
>Was that inappropriate? No, this is something else
>This is someone who’s been overlooked for years
>Finally being seen
>Someone is worried about her
>Someone is holding a conversation with her
>Someone is willing to do something for her
>A light blush creeps up on the girl’s face, as realization hits her
>She struggles to find her words, closing and opening her mouth a couple of times before she lets out a simple 
> “Yes please”

>As you turn around and grab the handle, you look behind you one more time to take a look at the star struck girl
>She’s recomposed herself slightly, and is now trying to avoid your gaze 
>Your lips turn to a smile and stay that way while you fetch a towel from the showers and come back
>When you return, the girl is tending to a pot of daisies
>Shivering slightly, it seems like she’s gonna need more than just a towel with how drenched she is
>You approach her, holding the towel out for her to grab it
> “T-Thank you” She stutters while grabbing it and wrapping herself in it
>You look around the room while she dries her hair and what she can of her clothes
>Every flower here seems to be given the same care as the rest
>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
>A dozen questions rush through your mind
>Why is such a gorgeous room hidden from the rest of the school?
>Why does this girl care so much about the flowers?
>Why is she the only one doing this?
>Shouldn’t the school just hire a new groundskeeper?
>But all that comes to a halt when your eyes settle on a framed picture on the wall
>Its the girl, a couple of years younger, tending to a small bed of roses 
>Next to her, an older man wearing a pair of overalls and rubber gloves, smiling down at the girl
>You can barely make it out, but you swear the man has the same eyes as the girl
> “it’s my dad, he and I started the gardening club a few years ago”
>Turning your attention back to the girl, she looks to you to make sure you’re listening before continuing
> “It wasn’t very popular, Principal Celestia must’ve agreed to it because of the free labor.”
> “Still, dad and I helped grow almost all flowers in school today.”
>So that’s why she does this
>Even at the expense of her health
>She looks at the picture with such melancholy
“Was he the groundskeeper?”
>She doesn’t answer for the longest time
>Letting out a sigh, she seems to come back to reality as she nods 
>You’re not a smart kid, but you can tell that something happened

>You take a seat on the stool next to her and cautiously lay a hand on her shoulder in solidarity
>Your contact snaps her out of her trance for good as she jumps at your touch
>It was only for a moment but holy shit this girl is freezing
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you like that. Are you okay?”
>She lets out an awkward chuckle and clears her throat
> “Yeah, sorry you had to see that. I don’t really know why I shared that with you.”
>You feel the silence settling back in
>But you refuse to leave this girl freezing to death 
“Hey, you’re still cold. Don’t you have a change of clothes?”
>Shaking her head, she answers “I usually stay like this until I get home, don’t worry, I’ll be okay”
>She forces the tiniest smile you’ve ever seen
>You feel terrible for her
>You look down at your PE clothes and mull over your thoughts for a second
>Standing up, you head to the door and turn to her
“Then let’s take you home, not like anyone here’s gonna miss us, right?”
>A small blush sets in the girl’s face as she seems to smile genuinely this time
> “I.. I guess yeah” she mumbles as she stands up
>The two of you exit the school using the back entrance
>It’s absolutely pouring, your PE clothes are gonna need to be dried as well
>As you make your way past the outside garden the girl was tending, you notice something that matches up with the photo from earlier
>A pedestal in the middle of the garden has an odd looking stone looking over the yard

>You hurry with the gardener girl through the streets of Canterlot as you realize you haven’t even asked her name
>But now doesn’t seem like the best time to ask 
>You make a mental note to learn her name before the day is over
>Even though you’re rushing through the rain trying to get this poor girl home
>You realize this is the closest you’ve ever been to hanging out with a girl before
>Hanging out with anyone really
>You contain a chuckle and instead hear one coming from behind you
>Turning back, you see she’s giggling as the two of you hurry through the streets
>But when she notices you can hear her, she quiets down and mutters a “Sorry”
>You can’t help but let your laughter out as you pick up the pace 
>She follows behind you, and even ends up taking the lead as she lets out a few quiet giggles
>Her gorgeous emerald green hair fully down thanks to the rain
>Her sweater which never really dried up is now even more drenched than you noticed back in the classroom
>Your PE clothes aren’t in any better condition, you doubt you’ll be using these again soon, or at least tomorrow
>Oh well, you never really liked attending PE

>At the pace you two were running, you make it to her house in just a couple of minutes
>Exhausted, you laugh while taking refuge under the front porch of her house
> “Woo! You’re way too slow, Anon!~” she pumps her fist up in the air as she proclaims her victory in your little race
>You struggle to catch your breath as it hits you
>She knows your name
>But how? You don’t share any classes
>And you’ve never spoken to her
>Maybe with how she blends into the room, she overheard it somewhere? 
“Hold up, you know my name?”
>Her eyes shoot open and her laughter stops
>It was as if all the joy you two shared dissipated as she stared at nothingness for a second before replying
> “Y-Yeah? You uh, told me when you uh.. brought me back the towel?”
>You did no such thing
>But why would she lie to you? 
>You don’t really want to be an ass about it right now
>Instead, you decide to ask what you’ve wanted to know for a while
“I.. see, well, I don’t remember catching your name?”
>Clearing her throat, she fidgets with her pocket and fetches her keys
> “I’m Wallflower, um.. Nice to meet you?” She awkwardly adds as she unlocks the door and steps inside
“Nice to meet you, Wallflower. And sorry I didn’t ask your name earlier”
> “It’s fine, people tend to forget it”
>The sound of the pouring rain against the roofing above you fills the awkward silence
>The both of you waiting for the other to say something
>Noticing just how drenched you are, Wallflower eventually stammers out “Hey Anon, you um..”
> “Would you like to come inside and dry up?”
>Relief washes across your face as you gladly accept and step inside
>Wallflower heads upstairs and fetches you a couple of towels
>As you dry up, she yells down the stairs to let you know she’ll take a shower 
“Don’t worry! I promise I won’t snoop around!”
>The sound of a door clicking close is your only response

>You desperately wrap the towels around you and try to warm up
>But the clothes do their best to stay wet and it seems like only a shower will fix this
>Your mind runs wild and begins wondering if Wallflower would let you in with her
>But before you can consider any further, you find yourself looking at the pictures scattered throughout Wallflower’s house
>Her, her dad and who you assume to be her mom doing various activities together
>You can see she takes after her mom more than her dad
>There’s several pictures depicting Wallflower tending to flowers, bushes and plants
>There are also a couple of her sitting in what seems to be
>An airplane pilot’s cabin? 
>Indeed, her mom is dressed up in uniform for some of these
>Though she looks like her mom, she really takes up on her dad’s hobbies
>As you continue admiring photos of a younger Wallflower being adorable
>You notice one where she’s surrounded not by her parents but fellow Canterlot High students
>Roseluck and Daisy seem to be chatting with Wallflower while Lily is seen bringing some supplies to them in the background
>And that’s not the only photo with these girls
>Theres one with all the girls lined up, smiling at the camera in the same room full of flowers you were just in
>And one more with Wallflower and the girls tending to the backyard school garden
>Wait
>In the middle of the garden
>It’s that pedestal with the weird stone again
>It’s such a minor detail but
> “Anon?”

>You turn around to find a warm and clean (and dressed) Wallflower looking at you from the stairs
> “You’re still drenched, don’t you want to shower?”
>You notice the smallest hint of a blush on her face as she says this
>Nodding, you step away from the pictures and follow her upstairs
> “Just put your clothes in the basket, I’ll set them to dry once you’re showering”
>Entering the shower, you undress and place your clothes in the basket Wallflower mentioned
>God you needed this badly
>The hot water running over your body helped you relax and think
>Wallflower had friends
>The gardening club was a proper club
>And there’s the fact she knows your name
>Maybe she knew you through one of the flower girls? 
>Roseluck was always the gossipy bitch
>Maybe Wallflower caught your name from her?
>But what about her friendship with those girls
>Did something go wrong? 
>Does her attitude towards her father have anything to do with this?
>Maybe she lost her dad and distanced herself from her friends
>But that doesn’t explain how it feels like
>Everything about her just seems to not exist for anyone else
>Not the gardening club, not the fact the school had a groundskeeper, not even her mere presence in school
>There’s something really wrong going on here
>You can’t tell what it is, but you have to look further into this
>You ought to talk to the flower girls, maybe they can tell you more about Wallflower
>If they don’t pretend like she doesn’t exist, that is
>Wallflower mentioned Principal Celestia approving the gardening club too
>Whatever mean-spirited rumor spread to make people ignore Wallflower, Celestia wouldn’t condone that

>Finishing your shower, you dry up and are about to step out of the bathroom
>Only to remember that your clothes are being dried
>As if on queue, Wallflower steps up the stairs carrying the basket full of your now-dry clothes
>As she sets eyes on your naked chest however, she drops the basket on the floor and freezes in place
>The tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife
>At least, that’s what she feels right now
>You on the other hand begin closing the bathroom door to cut her line of sight of your body
“Sorry Wallflower! Just leave it by the door, I’ll-“
>Without saying anything, you hear the basket being thrown and landing against the door
>And the footsteps of a very embarrassed gardener rushing downstairs 
>You really hope this doesn’t ruin whatever friendship progress you’ve made today with her

>Showering and dressing up makes you completely forget about the rainy weather outside
>Remembering you forgot an umbrella however, means you’ll have to brave the outside soon
>You really don’t mind this, but you want to make sure Wallflower will talk to you next time you see her in school
>She’s been holed up in her bedroom since she saw you half naked just around an hour ago
>You’ve been pacing around her living room waiting for her to come out to talk but she hasn’t yet
>Biting your lip you decide to go upstairs and check in on her
>Stopping at the door to her bedroom, you gather up courage and knock on the door
>Seemingly shocked you’re still here, Wallflower answers from the other side of the door “Anon? Why haven’t you gone home yet?”
>You note a hint of hope mixed along the confusion in her voice
“I just wanted to make sure we were on speaking terms, you know? Maybe we can chat more tomorrow at school”

>There’s a loud shifting around and the sound of footsteps from the other sound of the other door
>Wallflower unlocks the door and you’re treated to the messiest you’ve seen her yet
>Her disheveled hair, messy pajamas and slightly red eyes make you wonder if she was crying
>But instead of tears, you find a smile adorning her face
> “You… want to talk to me again? Really?”
“Of course I do! You’ve been nothing but nice to me, and I have a couple of questions I’d like to ask”
>You see her fidgeting with the door handle before she fully steps out from her bedroom
>If she looked fragile before, now it’s as if she had shattered
>Her messy look is that of someone who didn’t expect to see another soul for a while
>You probably shouldn’t have given her so much time alone 
>She probably thought you left without saying goodbye
>You’re staring again, again 
>You blink a few times before you start pitying the girl just based on her looks and clear your throat 
“So, we cool to hangout tomorrow? Maybe you could show me around the gardening club?”
>She thinks this over, her eyes darting from the ground to you
>You hear her gulp a little before responding
> “S-Sure, feel free to drop by in the morning”
> “Most of my favourites are in full bloom by then” She adds while a smile creeps upon her face
“Alright well, see you tomorrow, Wallflower” You say as you make your way down the stairs 
>Reaching for the handle of the front door, you stop to look behind you
>You see Wallflower’s face of doubt looking down from the top of the stairs
>Seemingly surprised at your every action, she awkwardly waves goodbye to you
>You can’t help but smile as you return the wave and exit
>Back into the pouring rain, you begin hastily making your way home
>Your heartbeat quickened, and not because of the pace you were running at

>Roughly 50 minutes ago
>Be Wallflower
>Laying face down in your bed
>You saw a boy naked
>Well, half-naked
>You totally looked like a creep
>Where’s that stupid stone? 
>Right, you don’t carry it around anymore
>Why did he not just wait for you to give him his clothes???
>Why did you invite him to come in?
>Why did you thought he’d remember? 
>Why do you feel the tears rolling down your face?
>You were over this
>Right?
>Fuck, you’re not over this
>How long has it been? It has to have been months now
>But the fall formal was just a few weeks ago
>A year? 
>Why are you thinking about this?
>He’s probably dressed up and gone already
>It couldn’t have been just a random thing
>You walk up to your mirror 
>Out of every heartbreaking picture
>You couldn’t get rid of this one
>Anon and you, sitting together on a picnic blanket
>Adorning your better kept hair was a sunflower hairpin he had just gifted you
>That smile of his, you missed seeing it so much
>You hold your hand up to his face in the picture
>Was there anything you could’ve done differently?
>That fucking stone
>It seemed like a good idea at first
>But now
>You wished things would just go back to normal

>A sob escaped your lips
>You couldn’t hide how much it hurt no matter how much you tried
>And for some reason, the stone just wouldn’t work on you
>And now you’re the only one who remembers anything about it
>About the two of you
>About your friends
>About your years in Canterlot High
>Your dad
>Dad
>You curl up in a ball next to your bed
>And just stay there sobbing
>It was all gone
>Why did you do it again?
>You fought over something
>You were spending so much time tending to the garden
>You missed a date or two with him
>But that wasn’t it
>You pushed him away
>You couldn’t spend time away from school
>Dad was getting worse
>You promised him you wouldn’t let anything happen to your garden
>And so you dedicated every hour you had to it
>Roseluck, Lily and Daisy chimed in when they could but
>You pushed them away too
>No one could understand just how important this was to you
>If you kept this garden alive until fall, Dad would make it
>He’d get out of the hospital and watch the sunflowers bloom with you 
>Mom would be there too
>Everyone would be there with you

>But no one was there 
>Anon tried to comfort you after dad left
>The girls all tried their best to be there for you
>Rose in particular never left your side
>But they couldn’t get it
>You never tried to tell them either
>It was just so much easier to be alone
>And when they came to check in on you
>You lashed out
>You broke up with Anon on the spot
>You told them you never wanted to see them again
>You went back to school 
>It hurt so much just thinking about the garden
>About the memories you had of this place
>You didn’t want them anymore
>You didn’t want to see these flowers bloom if it wasn’t with your dad
>You ripped off as many as you could
>Your tears clouded your vision but you could see the petals scattering all over the ground
>You rushed to the center of the garden
>And were about to break the pedestal
>But as your fist connected with the stone
>It glowed 
>And you felt it
>That rush of power
>The boiling rage bottled within you
>You thought about how much you missed your dad
>You thought about how much you wanted to hang out with your friends after school
>You thought about how Anon would hate you after today
>And then, a bright green glow overwhelmed you
>And you passed out

>You remember waking up in the messy petal-scattered garden 
>And you remember their confusion
>At first, you thought it was a way to give you the cold shoulder
>The girls didn’t come to gardening club that day
>Anon didn’t even approach you 
>And you got home to find out your mom hadn’t arrived from work
>She had left just before dad died
>She was supposed to return last night
>She never did
>After a week, you had enough of the silent treatment
>You walked up to Anon and asked him if the two of you could talk
>He seemed surprised you were talking to him at all
>At first you thought it was because you broke up with him but
>You brought up how much you wanted to go home and hug him
>How sorry you were for lashing out
>How you didn’t want to break up, and now just really wanted to be with him
>He looked at you so weirdly
>And then he laughed
>He thought it was a prank
>And when you got angry and told him you meant what you said
>He just said he didn’t know you

>The girls were the same
>They just dismissed you as if you were crazy
>Rose called you a stalker when you asked to go with them to your hangout spot in the mall
>As if she hadn’t been the one to ask you to go mere days before
>You went to see Principal Celestia about the damage to the flowers, and how you’d help repair them
>She couldn’t even remember if you were a student
>You rushed to the garden and stopped right before the stone
>And as you touched it
>Once again, it lit up
>You felt something reaching out for you
>For your memories
>What happened earlier still fresh in your mind
>Anon, Rose and the girls, Celestia
>And again, a green flash of light
>When you woke up, you did everything again
>Anon didn’t remember you 
>You showed him the pictures of you together
>You showed him the hairpin
>But he didn’t remember anything
>No one did
>But the worst thing was
>No one remembered your dad either
>Whatever you did, whatever that rock did
>It erased everything involving you
>Including the memory of dad

>People only interacted with you if you talked to them first
>But otherwise it was as if you didn’t even exist
>The bacon-haired bully didn’t even bother harassing you for lunch money anymore
>You hate to admit it but you stalked Anon for a while after that
>You knew everything about him already so
>What was the harm in going to the same places he was heading to anyways
>You tried to approach him a few times
>But it usually ended up weirding him out
>You started carrying the stone around
>Erasing any awkward conversations
>Or failed attempts at reconnecting
>But no matter what you did
>Nothing could bring back how much you lost
>And it just hurt remembering what you had
>What you threw away
>And now you’re here
>Bawling your eyes out because you were reminded of it
>Fuck, you’re gonna have to use that stone again if you want to face to him ever-
>There’s a knock at the door
>But
>He’s still.. here?
>Your throat is hoarse from crying so much
“Anon? Why haven’t you gone home yet?”
>You say a bit too aggressively
> “I just wanted to make sure we were on speaking terms, you know? Maybe we can chat more tomorrow at school”
>Your heart stops beating
>You rush to get up, not minding the fact that you look like a broken mess
>You leap to grab the door handle
>As if whatever was on the other side would just go away if you waited another second
>You open it to find him looking at you with worry in his face
>That only seems to worsen when he takes a good look at you 
>But you can’t help but let a smile fall on your lips
“You… want to talk to me again? Really?”

>Back to the present
>Seeing him walk out that door
>It made you realize just how much you’ve missed him being in your life
>You weren’t gonna ruin it this time
>You promise to yourself that no matter what
>You won’t give this chance up to the stone
>Even if he ends up hating you
>You wipe your eyes clean and let out a sigh
>Your life for the last year has been nothing but attempt after attempt to get back what you lost
>How will it be different this time?
>Well, maybe because
>It’s not just you who will be trying this time

>Be Anon
>Be running back home after such a rocky visit
>Wallflower
>There’s something about her that always made you want to talk to her
>But now that you have, you realize just how careful you’ll have to be 
>She seemed genuinely happy you wanted to hang out with her
>You’ll have to do your best to not make her hate you
>You get home and greet your parents
>Your mom asked why you’re in your PE clothes
>You don’t have an answer for her so you just say you’ll wash them later
>You head to your room and change out of the once again damp clothes
>It’s just 3pm, you have plenty of time to kill
>Booting up your PC, you sit down to play when you notice it in the corner of your screen
>A text file that you don’t recall making
>Clicking on it is a list of places
>the local movie theatre, the nearest park, the beach
>And next to them, activities you could do with… someone?
>They don’t say who, just “her”
>Huh
>You click to see the last time this text file was edited
>13 months ago
>You don’t really remember anything from that time
>You remember last year’s Fall Formal
>That schoolwide bully getting her ass handed to her
>Something to do with a trio of girls causing trouble in school
>And the Friendship games a couple of months after
>But before all of that? 
>it’s like your mind is blank
>In fact, there’s periods of time between those events that
>You also seem to have no recollection of
>It hurts trying to remember
>Returning your attention to the file 
>You don’t even remember writing this, or even letting it sit this long in your desktop
>A flash of light and a sting of pain rocks your head for a second
>You’ve felt this before
>Why? 
>You’re exhausted
>It’s so early but
>You just want to get in bed and sleep it off
>It was quite an eventful day 
>You lay down in your bed and think back to that girl
>Wallflower
>You feel your chest tighten as you think about how cute she is
>You fall asleep thinking about her

>You wake up in the middle of the night
>Well, more like 5am
>Which is pretty much the same thing to you
>Your head throbs a little, still hurting from whatever yesterday was
>Sitting up on the edge of your bed, you take a look at your computer, still powered on
>Just looking at that text file makes your head spin a little
>Still, it feels weird that you wouldn’t notice it for so long
>Your mind immediately goes to the image of that disheveled, messy girl from yesterday
>Wallflower told you to meet her behind the school early
>Standing up, you head to the mirror to make sure you look presentable
>And that’s when you notice another oddity to add to the growing pile
>A photo on the corner of your mirror
>Of none other than Wallflower, You and… Roseluck?
>The three of you are gathered around a bed of flowers, smiling at the camera 
>Wallflower looks like a completely different person in this one
>For one, she’s happy
>And she doesn’t look like she struggled to get up from bed 
>You don’t remember any of this
>In fact you don’t remember hanging this picture in your room at all
>You check your window to make sure it’s locked, and sure enough it is
>Your eyes return to the picture and you study it for any signs that it’s fake
>But you can’t find any
>Above all, you can’t imagine being friends with Roseluck
>She’s the complete opposite from you, she and those other flower girls aren’t hurting for friends
>A good student, well regarded and has no trouble speaking to people
>So yeah you pretty much hate her guts
>You could see yourself befriending Wallflower, the two of you being outcasts
>But Roseluck? 
>You can’t even imagine her recognising either of you 

>You’ve been too hung up on this Roseluck business
>And not the fact that this picture just appeared in your room all of a sudden
>But if the file truly was there all along
>Could these two have been here for much longer than you realised? 
>You grab the photograph and tuck it in your pocket
>You’ll ask Wallflower about it when you see her
>You head down the stairs and make your way to school
>You feel awfully drowsy despite having a 10 hour sleep
>How did you even manage to sleep that long?
>Was it really just trying to remember things from before your Junior year?
>Maybe you’re just dissociating again
>Your train of thought comes to a halt as you near the school grounds
>A couple of students are gathered around the entrance
>Mostly the nerds and athletes who got up early
>You don’t pay attention to them
>Instead, your gaze falls on the flower bushes that you never noticed sprinkled around the school grounds
>They’re absolutely gorgeous 
>Well cared for, maintained and freshly watered it seems
>Wallflower must do a lot to keep all of them looking this good
> “Pretty, aren’t they?”
>You hear coming from your side, and turn to see a certain redhead looking at the shrub in front of you
>Her recognisable single pink streak running along the side of her hair would be all you need to spot this girl
“Hey Rose, and yeah, I guess so”
>Her light green eyes lock onto yours as she scoffs under her breath
> “You guess? Come on, these are the mark of someone who’s done this for years!” She says, almost indignant at your answer
> “Someone works tirelessly to upkeep not just this bush, but ALL bushes at school! And no one but me seems to even notice!”
>You can’t remember the last time you spoke a word to Roseluck
>No one must give these flowers any attention if it makes her talk to you
“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”
>Out of the corner of your eye, you see Roseluck’s entire composure change
>She stops moving altogether for a second, as if you had just said the world will end tomorrow
> “Wall…flower?” She utters at such a low level you only realise she’s even spoken after a moment
“Yeah, that girl from the gardening club? Hey, did you know we have a gardening club? Pretty crazy huh”
>You turn to look at Roseluck properly as you say that
>She looks deep in thought, her eyes laser focused on the bush in front of her
>You can almost hear the cogs in her head turning
>She reaches in her book bag and pulls out her phone, and starts fidgeting with it 
>She stops soon enough, and you see her eyes grow wider with each passing second as she looks at something on her phone
>Looking up at you, Roseluck’s shaky yet determined voice snaps you out of your awkward staring
> “Where is the gardening club room?”

>The two of you head inside CHS
>Some teachers call your name out, probably the ones that are close to flunking you from skipping class
>But you don’t care about that right now
>Someone else besides you is having a sudden recollection of this mysterious girl
>Roseluck didn’t explain anything to you, but you could see it in her eyes
>Well that and you remembered the pictures that Wallflower had in her house
>Could the two of them have had a falling out?
>You raise the question to Roseluck as you two head to the abandoned section of the school
> “What? No!” You hear Rose answer from behind you
> “I mean, I don’t know? I don’t remember”
> “But I need to do this, I need to see who’s been tending to the flowers”
>You felt something similar yesterday when you saw Wallflower tending to her garden
>You don’t know why, but you feel a sense of kinship with Roseluck at the moment
>Maybe the two of you have something in common after all, if it means the two of you are drawn to Wallflower
>Reaching for the handle, you open the door to the gardening club to find Wallflower sitting on a desk, waiting for you
>She looks much better than yesterday, although still not as healthy-looking as she was in the photograph
>You realise now that she’s actually gotten much paler and skinnier than she was when the photograph was taken
>You see the traces of a small smile as she speaks up to welcome you
> “Anon, I’m glad you-“ 
>Which is cut short as Roseluck steps in front of you and Wallflower locks eyes with her
>Neither of you move for a moment
>Until Roseluck takes another step towards Wallflower
>The gardener girl leans back in her chair, unsure of what the redhead is doing
>Roseluck stops in front of the desk, and takes out her phone
>Shoving it in Wallflower’s face, Rose speaks up “Do you know who I am?”
>Wallflower stares at the phone for a second before nodding, “I-I do”
>Roseluck lays the phone on the table, still keeping eye contact with Wallflower
>Rose’s pale yellow hands rest on the desk, which support her as she sighs and slumps over
> “Then why don’t I remember you?” A defeated Roseluck whispers as she hangs her head low
>Wallflower sits awkwardly in front of the redhead currently having a crisis 
>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
>One that the redhead immediately returns, squishing Wallflower in her arms
>You hear the faintest sob come from Roseluck as you take a look at the phone on the table
>Roseluck’s home wallpaper
>A picture of her and Wallflower smiling at the camera  

>The two girls eventually let go of each other, though Wallflower is reluctant at first
>Making sure Roseluck isn’t crying, you feel like it’s the appropriate time to bring your own photo up
>You take the picture of the three of you out of your pocket and lay it next to Roseluck’s phone
“I feel like there’s something we ought to know, or something we used to know?”
>Wallflower’s eyes water up as she lets out a sigh
> “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” 
>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
>Wallflower walks to a nearby open closet and pulls out a small box
>She sets it on the nearest table, and opens it up 
>There are dozens of pictures piled on top of each other
>All of which include Wallflower, Roseluck, and you
>With her dad, Principal Celestia, Lily, and Daisy sometimes showing up
>As Roseluck and you grab and look at each and every photo, Wallflower speaks up
> “We knew each other, you two were my closest friends” She says while reaching for something at the bottom of the box
>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”
>Roseluck reaches for the rose-adorned necklace, holding it with utmost care, as if it were to shatter in her hands
> “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
>You take the hairpin and try to remember giving it to her, but your mind comes up blank
>The headache returns just for a second, making you wince and reminding you that you ought to not think too hard about it
> “Yes that’s.. happened before, don’t worry. I doubt you’ll remember after all this time” She says as her shoulders slump
“Wait, before? Have you tried to do this before? Why can’t I remember anything before last year’s Fall Formal?”
>You don’t mean to interrogate Wallflower, but the urgency in your voice betrays your intentions
>Wallflower keeps her composure, although her eyes shift from photo to photo, wanting desperately to avoid making eye contact
> “We were friends, we did everything together. But something happened, and I kinda pushed you guys away” She continues
> “I didn’t know what I was doing, and by the time it was over, you guys forgot everything about me. About us”
>Out of the corner of your eye, you see Roseluck’s eyes watering as she tries to make sense of all of this
>Wallflower isn’t fairing any better, she’s shaking, you can tell this is hurting her 
>And you… You don’t know how to feel 
>It hits you just how little of Highschool you remember 
>A month of freshman year… then it’s all gone until junior year
>You weren’t an outcast 
>You had friends 
>And they were taken from you
> “What did you do to us?” Roseluck finally speaks up, it sounds like she’s about to break into tears
>Wallflower sighs and turns to look in the direction of the garden
> “It was a relic from my grandfather, I didn’t know what it would do. But I wanted you guys to forget about me” 
> “I wanted to be alone” Wallflower finishes, and you can see the tears rolling down her cheeks
>You feel compelled to give her a hug
>To tell her it’s alright, and she doesn’t have to worry about it
>You’ll be friends again
>But you can’t move
>You can’t help but resent her, even if just a little 
>You let out a sigh of frustration and take a seat on one of the nearby stools
>The three of you remain in silence for what feels like an eternity

>Wallflower turns to look at the two of you again, a couple of fresh tears rolling down her cheeks
> “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
> “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”
>Wallflower’s tears fall on the photo, and looking at the ones near you, you can tell she’s cried over these pictures before
> “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”
>You remember this year’s Fall Formal just well, actually
>Bulk Biceps and Derpy being crowned homecoming king and queen
>Flash making a fool of himself in front of that Sunset girl
>And
>You remember seeing Wallflower
>Just looking at you from the sidelines, and then leaving through the back door
>You wanted so badly to go after her and ask her to dance
> “Does that mean- are you going to erase our memory this time, too?” Roseluck’s voice snaps you out of your flashback
>She’s still holding onto that necklace
>Guarding it against her chest, as if Wallflower would snatch it from her
>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”
> “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”
>Your heart feels heavy
>You don’t know just how much you really lost
>Did you really lost anything, if you don’t remember it?
>Even if you had friends, does it matter now?
>You’re still holding onto that sunflower hairpin
>You offer it to Wallflower
>And besides you, you see Roseluck struggling to part with the necklace
>The two of you lock eyes for a moment
>An odd hint of resolve in your eyes, in contrast to the doubt in her's
“This isn’t the last time we’ll talk”
>Your words echo in the quiet classroom as you turn to Wallflower
“You might have given up, but I just met you”
“And I’ve wanted-“
> “I’ve wanted to know who you were, for the longest time” Roseluck interrupts you, a hint of desperation in her voice
> “And now I do, and I want to know who you were, who we were” 
>Wallflower is stunned for a moment, her eyes growing wide as she looks at the both of you
>Roseluck steels herself and offers the necklace to her
>Joining you in your show of blind trust
>Wallflower however, can't bring herself to take either of the keepsakes
>Her eyes are full of fear, her hand shaking with indecision
>You take a step forward to make it easier for her
>As does Roseluck
>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?”
>You look at the photos scattered on the table
“Wallflower, all this time I thought I was a loser. An outcast without friends”
>You look down to the sunflower hairpin, and notice it’s collected a couple of tears
>Your own tears
“And I wasn’t, and that was thanks to you. So, let’s try again, if it's alright with you?”
>Wallflower’s doubt is painted all over her face
>You can see her internal struggle, her heart torn between wanting to accept it, yet hating the idea of hurting
>Hurting either of you, and hurting herself
>But she’s not afforded any more time to decide
>It might’ve never been her choice to make, truthfully
>Roseluck wrapped her arms around her so quickly, the two of them almost fell over 
>Wallflower merely stays still, her facial expression stuck in the shock
>You walk over, and slowly wrap your arms around the two girls
>Roseluck and you sandwiching the broken-hearted gardener 
>You feel your shirt begin to dampen
>And the sobs just confirm what you were thinking
>Wallflower’s words struggle to come out, her bottled up emotions making it impossible for her to form a sentence
>But she finally does utter two words in between sobs
> “Thank you”
>You don’t know who they’re directed to
>If they’re meant for you, or Roseluck
>Or she’s just relieved that she’s been given a second chance
>But you don’t care
>This is the closest you’ve felt to someone
>You can’t help but let your own tears flow
>And the gentle weeping coming from the redhead next to you reassures you
>The three of you are together in this

>The following 13 minutes were a blur 
>You don’t remember if you were this sappy when you knew Wallflower
>But you’re not afraid to say you joined the girls in the intense emotions being shared
>The three of you slowly broke off the bundle of relief and sorrow that had become your hug
>Wallflower still seemed overwhelmed with what to feel, her face a mix of emotions 
>Save for the smile that settled on her face for good once she looked at you 
> “I thought I’d never give you a hug again, sorry” she says as she wipes the last few tears from her eyes
>Before you can reassure her that it’s okay, she stands up and clears her throat
> “You- The both of you, have given me a chance to make this right. So let me start off on the right foot..”
>Roseluck to your right, shares a look of curiosity with you as Wallflower tries her best to chin up and sound confident
>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
> “My name is Wallflower Blush, nice to meet you. I hope we can be friends”
> “again” she adds, her voice quiet as a mouse, betraying the aura of confidence she tried so hard to establish
>You feel the need to match the seriousness she’s trying to set, and extend an arm to Wallflower as you speak
“Nice to meet you, Wallflower. Properly- I mean” you stumble upon your words
>Your voice is a bit coarse, but neither of them seem to mind it
>Wallflower takes your hand and shakes it awkwardly
>Giving you a smile, before turning to look at Roseluck
>Who has finished wiping the last bit of her tears and matching the vibe in the room
> “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
>To your surprise, Roseluck turns to address you once Wallflower and her are done shaking hands
>Any other day, you would’ve walked away from her, thinking that she was faking being nice to you
>But those photographs proved that you two used to be close
>Neither of you might be the same people you were then
“I’m Anonymous, nice to meet you Roseluck” you say, shaking her hand
>But if you were friends before, it had to be for a reason
> “Anon, you know my friends call me Rose! Please?” Roseluck says, a playful giggle escaping her lips
“Yeah yeah I know, Rose. I’m just trying to be nice and proper for once” you mentally roll your eyes at the girl
>To be quite honest, you don’t really remember why you are this way towards her
>So you’re more than relieved there’s no awkward air around the two of you
>Not any more than crying together would bring

>Rose was more than happy to keep the playful energy, her smile as sincere as that of Wallflower’s
>Who seems to be elated that the two of you are talking
>Returning your gaze to her, some worry returns to your mind as you remember how she looked in the pictures
>Yeah the three of you were just messily crying
>But Wallflower still seems shaken up, her disheveled look; one that made you wonder if she had forgotten how to take care of herself
>Your look of pity is painfully clear, Wallflower coughs a little as she tries to avoid your gaze 
> “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
>You mentally kick yourself for making her feel self conscious about this
>Roseluck moves to her side and places a hand on her shoulder, a warm smile on her face as she speaks up 
> “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!”
>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
“I don't have to be invisible to do that” You chime in, earning a giggle from Roseluck, and a worried look from Wallflower
>The bell rings just as the mood in the gardening club was lifting, reminding you of your early arrival to school
>The three of you share a look full of mixed emotions
>None of you want to leave
>But you’re pretty sure you’ll be expelled if you skip any more classes
>Roseluck has her near-perfect scores to keep up
>And Wallflower.. seems the saddest that she doesn’t really need to be anywhere
“Why don’t you join us for some periods?” You say before you can even think twice about it
>Wallflower gives it some thought and ends up agreeing to it, “Alright, as long as I’m not bothering either of you!”
>Picking up your stuff, Roseluck and you talk about your schedules
>Since you don’t have any matching periods besides lunch, you’ll take turns hanging out with Wallflower
>And given you spend yesterday with her, it’s only fair Roseluck gets the first half of the day with her
>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
>As you head to class, the photos you saw in the gardening club spring to mind
>You don’t know Wallflower, and you for sure don’t know Roseluck
>But you can feel your heart flutter just thinking you were friends
>You'll do your best to make this work out

>Be Roseluck
>And be rushing to class
>Dragging behind you a girl whom you’ve seen dozens of times before but you never truly noticed
>Maybe she didn’t want to be noticed? Surely she wasn’t expecting it
>But your sudden confrontation alongside Anon left the girl with no place to run
>And you finally cleared up a question that’s been bugging you for the longest of times
>Longest as in, last Spring Break
>When you were made aware of the rose bushes behind school 
>And you couldn’t believe how well-cared for they were
>How absolutely gorgeous they were
>In fact, there were dozens of flower bushes like them all over the school grounds
>And neither you nor Daisy or even Lily had noticed! 
>You call yourselves the flower girls for goodness’ sake!
>You just had to find out who was taking care of these
>You spend the rest of the year asking around, but no one could answer your question
>And then
>Then 
>You don’t really remember
>Although, with what you know now, you can suspect the girl behind you has something to do with it 
>Nevertheless, you finally found who’s taking care of the flowers
>You aren't fully sure why this was so important to you
>And you were beyond shocked at just how much you had learnt in the last half hour
>If you didn’t had that picture on your phone, you doubt you’d have truly believed what Wallflower was talking about
>You've seen it hundreds of times, but somehow you never paid attention to her in it
>Something to do with your bygone memories perhaps?
>Truthfully, you’d have loved to be her friend even without the revelation that you were once close
>But now there were more questions sprouting to your mind than those that were answered
>Who were you two before all of this?
>Was Anon really amicable towards you?
>Was she really your friend?
>And what did you do that could've pushed her away?
>No matter, one step at a time, Rose

>Taking your seat in Mr Cranky’s classroom, you smile at Wallflower as she sits beside you
>Lily spots you from the door and gives you an odd look as you two usually sit together for this class
>You give her a confident smile and a thumbs up, hoping she gets the message
>Wallflower notices this and you can see her posture stiffen for a second
> “You sure I won’t be a bother? I know you’re popular so I wouldn’t want to-“
“It’s okay! I’ll tell them during lunch, and besides I’m not really thaaat popular to have a new friend every period”
>Wallflower can’t help but let out a laugh that she quickly tries to quiet to not be so loud
> “Rose you’ve been nominated homecoming queen three years running, don’t be so modest!” 
>A red not unlike that of your hair sets on your cheeks
>You almost won this year’s! You only lost because no one could beat Derpy and Bulk Biceps in the cute couple factor
“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
>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”
>You hear her voice trail off, and turn to look at her staring at nothing in particular
> “You argued endlessly with me about what I should wear, I still have that yellow dress in my closet”
> “Anon surprised us with some cheap rental that we rode to homecoming, he looked so proud of himself”
>Wallflower’s volume is loud enough for some people to overhear her monologue 
>But there’s not anyone particularly paying attention that you can tell
>She’s still invisible, even if she’s with you
> “And when we found out you were nominated for homecoming queen?” She scoffs under her breath and turns to look at you
>Your eyes meet, and for some reason, you feel your heart skip a beat
>The way she looks at you is filled with such melancholy, you can’t help but get lost in her eyes as she speaks
> “You said you wouldn’t even consider it unless we were up there with you” She finishes with a warm smile
>A single tear forms in her eye that she quickly wipes away, and turns to look away 
> “Sorry, it’s still a lot to remember. It was a beautiful night” 
>You can’t even respond, your mouth hanging slightly ajar and your mind processing what you just heard 
>Unfortunately for you, you’re not invisible like Wallflower
> “Is something amiss, Miss Roseluck?” You hear the unmistakable cranky voice of your teacher call out for you 
>And you turn around with your cheeks flushed, out of embarrassment and something else you can’t begin to comprehend
“Wh- No! Um, no sir. Nothing at all” You blurt out, recomposing yourself as you sit up right
>You hear Wallflower stifling a laugh next to you
>And you try your hardest to suppress the smile that desperately wants to form on your face
>Mr Cranky returns to his lecture right as the bell rings, marking the end of the period
>Wallflower stands up and offers you her hand as the rest of the students make their way out 
>You grab her hand and look up at her
>She seems much more different than the fragile girl you met earlier today
>You stand up and exit the classroom together
>And she’s the one dragging you through the sea of students to your next class
>Where did that broken girl from the gardening club go, you wonder
>No, she’s still there
>This is just the remnants of what she was before shattering
>What made her like this? What caused her to chase after isolation?
>You wonder if it’d be too much to ask her so soon
>And if what she said was true, no one would be able to tell you 
>You’ll have to talk to Anon at lunch
>Maybe you’re being nosy, but you need to know
>Your train of thought stops suddenly as Wallflower turns to smile at you
>And you can’t help but return the smile as you enter the classroom
>You’ve got a feeling your grades might tank for a couple of weeks
>You simply won't be able to focus on your studies with her around
>But it’s worth it to see her smile
 
>Be Anon
>Be doing your best to keep up with class after skipping however many you have
>So much so, your teachers skipped the lecture they usually give you and just went with class normally
>The semester isn’t close to ending but if you don’t start fixing your grades, you’re sure you’ll flunk out
>Which sucks because now there’s a reason you’d want to stick around
>You wonder what Rose and Wallflower are talking about 
>Looking at the clock, you’ll meet them next period for lunch
>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
>Finishing your assignment, you spend the rest of class idly scrawling on your notebook
>You don’t really know why but you always end up sketching up plants and flowers when you do this
>Sunflowers being the most prominent
>Maybe you picked this up the years you spent with Wallflower, although it’s no use trying to remember 
>As the bell rings, you pick up your stuff and begin heading out
>And are stopped by Ms Harshwhinny calling your name out
> “Mr Anonymous, a moment of your time?”
>You turn around to face her and walk to her desk
>Her gaze doesn’t deign to look at you, stuck instead at the papers in front of her
> “Since I know reaching out to your parents would be useless, I’ll instead deliver the news to you”
>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”
>Grabbing the papers, the gravity of the situation finally hits you
>You were sure it was just a few classes you had skipped before, but looking at your report card
>Nearly every single class has you at a D, or worse
> “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
> “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” 
>Unlike before, there’s no sarcasm, no disdain and no condescending tone
>This might be the nicest Harshwhinny has ever been to you
>You speak up for the first time in the conversation, “Thank you Ms Harshwhinny, I’ll.. I’ll try” 
>You turn around to avoid looking at her, a weird sense of embarrassment taking over you
> “That is all, go make the most out of your month here. If you can”

>Stepping out of the classroom, you sigh as you make your way to the school’s cafeteria
>Only a month, there’s no way you can improve that much
>Maybe you wouldn’t be in this situation if you just bothered keeping up with class
>Stressing about talking to the flower girls seems silly now
>You try your best to shove your conversation with Harshwhinny to the back of your mind as you open the doors to the cafeteria
>In the mix of colors, you spend some time trying to find the sea green of Wallflower’s hair
>And find it next to the vibrant red next to hers
>Walking past a few cliques, you can’t help but take a passing glance at the table with the most popular girls in school
!highlight!>And that former bully sitting with them
>If someone like her was able to make friends after everything, maybe you’ll be alright
>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
> “Anon! About time, I was explaining to the girls here what happened earlier today” Rose turns around to greet you

>Sitting down to the right of Wallflower, you exchange a similarly confused look with the two flower girls sitting in front of you
“As in.. everything?” Even the tears? You think to yourself
> “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
>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?”
>No, she isn’t
>And you don’t have to worry about potentially losing contact with your newfound friends in only a month
>Or your future for that matter
>What exactly are you supposed to do if you can’t fix your grades 
>Work in fast food for the rest of your life?
>Don’t you need a high school degree for most jobs
> “I’m gonna take that as a yes” Wallflower’s voice snaps you out of your downward spiral
“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
> “A couple of months?” Daisy chimes in with a bit of a smirk on her face
>Roseluck quietly whispers to her, trying to cut her off “Daisy please”
> “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
>You’re reminded of the couple of times you ended up blowing her off on group projects
>And costing the both of you the grading
>You should apologize, but before you can
>Lily next to her adds in “And like, Rose, you yourself have told us we shouldn’t bother with him!”
>You turn to your left to look at Rose, who has this terrified expression on her face you’ve never seen her with
>And a very anxious-looking Wallflower sandwiched between the two of you, hunched over and playing with her food
> “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
> “Yeah like, Rose did you hit your head or something? I thought-“ Lily is cut off by Rose yelling at the two of them
> “Lily! Daisy! Please not- not now!”
>Which gets a couple people in nearby tables turning their heads to the commotion
> “That was before and I, I’ve” Rose struggles to find the right words
>Her eyes meet yours, her pupils turned to pinpricks 
>You can’t read her mind, but her face remains stuck in this look of desperation, regret and annoyance
> “I’m sorry, Anon” Rose’s quiet voice seems to expect some kind of lash out from you
>Maybe to yell at her or walk away from the table and tell her off
>But you’ve no energy for that
>You know they’re right
>Though it still hurts
>Your gaze falls to the empty space in the table in front of you
>Where your lunch tray should be, had you bothered to get some 
>A painfully awkward silence falls on the group
>You feel Wallflower’s hand on your left shoulder, and you turn to look at her
>That gentle smile has returned to her face, though there’s a hint of pleading that strikes at some chords in your heart
>Looking past her, you see Rose with a mortified look on her face looking at you
>Letting out a sigh you didn’t know you were holding, you finally speak up
“It’s fine, you won’t have to worry about that in a month”
>The confusion in their faces is plain, while in the corner of your eye you see Daisy and Lily exchanging worried looks
>But before you can explain further, the bell ringing signifies the end of lunch
>The two flower girls sitting across from you take their stuff, readying to leave
>Roseluck however, just gives them a glance and stays seated in the table
>Alongside Wallflower, who worriedly takes your hand in hers “Anon? Why a month?”
>You can’t bring yourself to say it
>Not yet at least, it’s too embarrassing
> “You’re being expelled, aren’t you?” Your heart sinks a little as you hear Wallflower answer for you
“I didn’t thought I skipped that many classes” is all you can say to excuse your behavior
>Behind Wallflower, you can see Rose’s horrified look as it hits her that she’s been making light of your situation
>Roseluck stands up and in a hurry, picks up her backpack and joins the rest of the students in leaving the cafeteria
>Daisy and Lily hurry after her, both giving you a single apologetic look as they disappear into the crowd
>Leaving you and Wallflower as the only students who are still sitting as if lunch was still going on
> “Well, you can’t afford to skip anymore in that case. Right?” Wallflower forces a sympathetic smile on her face
>Despite it not being genuine, you can’t tell her no when she’s trying to cheer you up
>You make your way out of the cafeteria, Wallflower practically dragging you to your next class

>You tried making light conversation with her, but Wallflower wouldn’t have it
> “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
>Truthfully, you’ve already given up and accepted your fate
>It’s true you could try mending your grade, pay attention in class and actually do the assignments
>For one class at a time, maybe
>Every single one would need the same degree of attention, even PE for fucks’ sake 
>But Wallflower didn’t give you a chance to screw up
>Given that she was overlooked in just about every room you two were in
>She took notes alongside you, and if she ever caught you daydreaming or staring off into the distance
>She would pinch your arm and point at your notebook to make you snap back to reality
>You only found it mildly annoying when she did it the first few times
>But by the end of your last class, you were glad she was there 
>Cheering you on, keeping you from going back into a downward spiral
>You wonder if she did this back then too
>If maybe you were always a bit of a screw up, and she’s helped you get out of a mess before
>It wasn’t until the bell rang and class ended that she properly turned to talk
> "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" 
>Packing your stuff in your backpack, you shake your head and lean back in your chair
"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
>The sounds of students making their way out of the classroom fills up an awkward silence between you two
>Your words struggle to come out, but a quick glance at her gives you the strength to spit it out
"And I dunno about asking her" 
>Wallflower sighs and turns to avoid looking at you, a similar expression of shame in her face
> "I'm sorry, Anon. I feel like this is my fault" 
>You wonder if maybe she's right
>You don't have a lot of memories related to your classes
>And what you do remember is filled with you lazing out
> "I already took your past" Her voice is shaky and quiet, but that changes when you turn to look at her
>Locking eyes with her, you see her doubt leaving her as she's reminded of what she's done
>Wallflower stands up and offers you her hand, "I'm not gonna take your future too"
>Her tone is more commanding now
>You can't help but feel a bit shocked
>This girl looks like she has gone months without properly taking care of herself
>And yet, you've never seen anyone as sure of their words as she is right now
>You take her hand, stand up, and pull her into a gentle hug 
>You can't see her face, but you can just feel her smile as she returns it
"Thanks for not giving up, Wallflower" You say as you step back from the hug and pick up your backpack
>"Thanks for giving me a second chance" She says while you two make your way out of the classroom