Seedling Springing in Love

Spring was usually a very beautiful season of the year. It was the season of new beginnings. What kind of brand new? It depends on the brand new you want it to be. Mostly the brand new could be a change in you. Like how you think, how you act, or your feelings can change. Yes, the feelings you have for someone close to you. But this change can only be seen, if you're ready for something new. This is the story of how it happened.

I always thought of Spring as a joke. The same phrase was prancing around in the my head over and over. How could spring even exist in this world? Spring was something I hated. Well... maybe not spring in general, but the meaning of it was serving no purpose from what I can tell. Spring is suppose to bring a change in you but it was nothing but lies. That was something I would think to myself everytime I hear somebody talk about it.

People are suppose to notice a change in you and see you in a new light. They'll find a friendship in you or cherish you dearly. But there was no way that could be true. I don't see anything different in me and nothing really changed over the years.

What were my thoughts of spring? I thought of spring as the worst season of them all. Full of nothing but false hopes and dreams. All the meanings of spring were just phony. Only now did I realize what everyone was saying these were the meanings of spring because they could never actually find a good reason to have this season. At least this was what I believed.

Did I had false hopes and dreams? Yes, I had plenty. But the one I discovered today, changed my outlook on spring like no other. My hope, you ask? It was the hope that maybe a certain someone would accept my feelings and he would feel the one moment earlier in the day, I believed in the meanings of spring. One time only, I believed spring would not let me down. Yes, earlier that morning, I was counting on this hope-filled season.

I can recall it well. I was getting a kite for Apple Bloom and successfully climbed to the top of the tree and got the kite. But as I looked down, I realized getting down a tree was not going to be as easy as climbing up. I felt my entire body automatically freeze up at the thought of trying to get down. As I thought of telling Apple Bloom to get help, he appeared on the scene.

"Hey Apple Bloom, what's wrong?", he asked as I was freezing in terror.

I turned my head at the sound of his voice and weakly smiled.

"Hi Pipsqueak."

She pointed up to the tree.

"Take a look for yourself." Apple Bloom added.

Pipsqueak stood in the same place as he looked up and squinted up at the tree. It seemed like he couldn't see me at first. But then his big green eyes stared right into my eyes. I had never felt so embarrassed. Why did she have to announce where I was?

"Babs!? What are you doing up there?" he called.

I opened my eyes and looked down at him.

"Oh, just looking at the view," I said sarcastically. "…and hanging on for dear life!" I added with a whimper.

"She was getting my kite." Apple Bloom answered for me. "She climbed up and got it, but she looked down and saw how high up she was. She became scared!" she blurted out.

I set my fear aside for a second to glare down at Apple Bloom. Out of anger, I threw a stick at her and shouted,

"I’m not scared! My dumb shirt just got stuck to the branch and I can't move!"

After saying that, I closed my eyes once more.

"She's scared." she whispered.

I was about to say something but before I could, Pipsqueak called out go me and yelled,

"Hang on Babs! I'll get you down, okay?"

I opened my right eye.

"No! Get one of the older kids! You're too little!"

"NO I'M NOT!" he snapped in an angered voice.

If there was one thing I could recall that he hated, it was being called little. He would be called shrimp, shorty, dwarf, stubby, and any other name the older kids could put together. No matter how mature he would try to act, it would never work. They would say, 'He’s so cute when he tries to act so mature!' Or 'look at the little tough guy!' He pulled out something that looked like a rope or something.

"I'll get you down without anyone's help! Then you'll see… I'm not little!" He aimed his bow and rope-attached arrow at the branch I was grasping onto. "Heads up, Babs!" he called as he shot the arrow.

I saw it coming quickly shimmied back a little, not wanting to get poked. The arrow made a direct hit, shaking the branch a little, but it stayed firm. I looked down below to see the rope fall on me. He grabbed onto it, and he pulled up quickly towards me. As he was reaching the branch, I started to feel an odd feeling in my heart. As I tried to figure out what it was, I assumed that it was the way that he grabbed the branch. He hoisted himself on top of it and looked at me with a smirk.

"I told you I wasn't little. When are you guys going to learn…"

I could see that he was rambling on, but I wasn't trying to comprehend what he was saying. Something anew was sprouting in my heart. He raised an eyebrow as he stopped talking, when he saw me. I nearly gasped when he got close to me as he landed down. He sighed and held out his hand.

"Come on. I'll help you down."

I snapped out of my thoughts when I saw his hand. I looked at it for a moment and then grabbed it while letting go of the tight grip I had on the branch. As he faced his back to me, I placed my arms around his neck practically, hugging him. I felt my face turn red as I held him.

"Hang tight."

He hopped off the branch with me hanging on tightly to him. He lowered himself and I looked down slowly with the rope holding tightly. He had grinned big… as he saw the ground coming closer.

"I told you I could…"

He stopped abruptly as I heard a snap noise in enter my ears. As we started to jerk around, I realized the branch was starting to snapped. I screamed.

"Whoa! Nearly gave me a heart attack there…”

I clenched even tighter as I noticed the branch was beginning to snap.

"Don't worry, I-”

There was a sudden snap as the rope as we were preparing to get down. The branch tilted down from breaking, making the branch even looser. We screamed even louder as we started pummeling to the ground. As we reached closer and closer to the ground, I noticed him position himself as if he were lying face down with me still hanging onto him. His face made impact with the ground, and I landed on something soft.

I opened my eyes and started to catch my breath. I looked at my hands, feet and saw that I was unharmed and safe. Pipsqueak on the other hand was another case.

"Pipsqueak!" I exclaimed as I quickly got off him. "Are you okay?"

He pulled himself off the ground and spat out the dirt caught in his mouth.

"I'm fine,” he said, trying to sound tough. I could tell he was in pain. "What about you?"

"No injuries here." I gasped as I looked at his face. "Oh! You have a cut on you forehead! It's bleeding."

"What?" He placed his hand on his forehead and removed it quickly. Sure enough, there was blood on his hand. "It's nothing. Just a small cut."

"If you don't treat it now, you'll get an infection.”

"It's fine. Really!"

"Pipsqueak! Babs!"

We saw the teacher running towards us with Apple Bloom right next to her. She had a worried expression on her face as she kneeled down next to us.

"Apple Bloom told me what happened. Are you two hurt?"

"I'm fine, but Pipsqueak got hurt!" I blurted out.

He gasped and covered his forehead.

"Babs! Don't tell her that!"

The teacher gently grabbed his hand that was covering his wound.

"Let me see it," she said softly. Without looking for a protest from him, she revealed the wound. "It's a really bad cut. I'll heal-"

"No!" he protested. "It's just a cut. It'll heal up eventually."

The teacher rolled her eyes.

"Fine. But at least clean it up and put a band-aid on it." she told him as more of a demand than an offer.

"I have one." I placed my hand in the front pocket of my jacket. I pulled out a rubbing cream, a fluffy white cotton ball, and a band-aid. "I always keep these, just in case." I poured some of the ointment concoction onto the cotton ball and held it up to his head. "It might sting a little."

The fluffy and cotton ball made contact with his face. He cringed from feeling the stinging sensation spread across his soft head. I know how it feels. It’s horrible, but he clamped his teeth together and withstood the pain. I rubbed it against his wound softly a few times before pulling the cotton ball away. I placed the band-aid on carefully and softly and smiled.

"All done!"

He stood up and smiled.

"Thanks."

The sound of his voice made my heart skip a beat. His voice never sounded so…sweet to me.

"You're welcome."

"Oh…" The teacher said softly.

I looked over at her. She was now down on her knees looking into a garden rife with wild flowers and abundant with other beautiful plants of spring. She walked over to my side along with Apple Bloom and stood on opposite sides of the teacher.

"What's wrong, teach?" I asked.

She shook her head.

"These two little buds have yet to bloom." She carefully touched the yellow and green bud and the pink and white bud. They were still closed. "It's almost been a whole season of spring and these flowers have yet to bloom. There's only one day of spring left."

He simply shrugged at what she said.

"It's just two little buds. You have so many other wildflowers that have bloomed. What difference does it make if two never bloom?"

The teacher caressed the greenish flower.

"It's just sad if a bud never blooms. We'll never get to see the beauty of it. When summer comes as of tomorrow, they're chance of being luminous will be missed. This one looks like it's being stubborn and isn't quite ready for change."

I felt my heart ache as she spoke those words.

"I never thought of it that way…”, I said with a sad tone.

The teacher’s hand moved across the white bud.

"This one's close to blooming. But it seems like it's waiting on something. Maybe for the other bud. So they can bloom together." She removed her hand from the bud. "Spring is a very magical season."

"That's nice," Pipsqueak said flatly. I could tell this wasn't his kind of topic. "I'm going to find my friends. I’ll see ya around, Babs." Without another word, he dashed away and Apple Bloom followed after him.

"As much as I would like to stay, I’m sure my friends are looking for me. Bye teach, bye Babs!"

I felt my face turning the color of a pink rose as he left the scene. I slowly waved.

"Bye..." I said softly.

The teacher smiled as she looked at me.

"Why is your face red? Is there something bothering you?" she asked.

I gasped and covered my face.

"N-No! It’s just that… I was just feeling a little frightened after what happened back near the tree. That's all,” I said as an excuse.

She turned away and went back to tending to her flowers.

"It’'s nothing you need to be ashamed of. He's a sweet boy."

I shoved my hands into my pockets. I started to hesitate between asking her for some advice or keep my questions to myself. I knew that she knew I liked him, but I didn't want to get someone so mature and cosmopolitan as her to solve my dilemma. After a few seconds of silence, I spoke.

"Um… Hey, teach?" I spoke hesitantly.

"Hmm?" she hummed to indicate she was listening.

"Well I…" I sat down next to her and stared out at the flowers. “This is just a hypothetical question but…” I took a deep breath and spoke. "Do you think Pipsqueak would ever… like a girl like me as more…than a friend?" I asked in almost a whisper.

She stopped what she was doing and turned to me.

"I believe that he would. Do you have some doubt that he wouldn't?"

I nodded slowly. Like one time, I was getting picked on by these three girls. They were because they didn’t like the way I looked. As they were about to finish up with me, Pipsqueak came in the nick of time and the told them off for me. But saving me wasn't the start of my attraction to him. It was when I started to get to know him. I found my attraction blooming for him. He was always so kind and courteous towards me and he never would leave me upset about anything. To me, he was the little sunlight in my heart that made my heart bloom with love.

"I'm afraid to tell him. I don't know what he'd think. Besides… I don’t think that he would be into me."

She placed an arm around me.

"You know, I think he feels the same way about you. But, he's also afraid to admit what he feels about you too. You two are too young for love, but I think he considers you a very special friend in his heart."

"And why is that?" I asked.

"I didn't explain it earlier but when I mentioned the buds, I was thinking of you and Pipsqueak. You two are like those two little buds." She faced me towards the pink and white flower slightly open. "You see this flower? It represents you. You see how it's slightly open? It's ready to bloom into the world just like how you're ready to bloom and tell him how you feel about him. But it's waiting for the other bud to be ready. Do you see?"

I thought for a moment as I looked at the little bud. Could he really have a crush on me? Or is it just some sort of fallacy…?

"I kinda get it..." I looked at the other bud. "So does this white flower represent him?"

"That would be correct."

"But unlike the other bud, this one isn't open. What does that mean?"

She ran a hand through her hair.

"Well… in my opinion, I think this bud is being stubborn, hard headed if you will. It wants to bloom but then again… it's not quite sure if it's ready for such change." She smiled warmly at me. "But maybe with a little push from the other bud, he… I mean 'it' will bloom in sync with the pink one."

I crossed my arms and closed my eyes and started to take a full understanding to what she was trying to tell me. She stood up and ruffled my hair.

“You'll understand when you’re older."

She turned from me and headed back inside. Little buds? Pipsqueak and I…are little buds? I looked up at the creation of spring. I had always noticed spring would be the season of change. Though fall was also known as the season of change also, spring's change was slightly different. Fall would bring change in lives but spring would give you another life. In other words, like being reborn. I had felt I was being reborn into someone new. I was becoming someone who was starting to appreciate what was around me and the people dear to me. Just like the little buds, I was ready to bloom and become a brand new. But… I didn't want to do it alone, I wanted a companion in this process.

Just like the buds. I uncrossed my arms, realizing my discovery. I do like him, but I'm waiting for him to feel the same so we can bloom together. But I'll never find out by waiting for him. Wait! It's just like what the teacher said, he needs a little push and then maybe…no… What am I saying? I don't know if he likes me. He may like some other girl instead of me. But…I want to know…maybe I can find out somehow. Oh wait! We're picking partners for when we go on a trip to that festival in a few days. I can ask him if he'd like to partner up with me and then I'll tell him…

I felt the pink rosy blush coming to my face again. But this time, I didn't feel so ashamed of it. At least... I wasn't ashamed of it at the time. I heard the bell ring and realized that it was time for class. I rushed over to class and arrived just in time. I sat down as the teacher walked in and started class.

*After school*

I wished the blushing would just stop. I had never felt this miserable in my whole life! It was all because of my friend. In fact, I wasn't even sure I could even call him a friend anymore. The words he said to me…were tearing me apart. While I was getting ready for bed, I looked out the sliding glass door leading to a balcony. The rain was falling at a fast rate and it seemed like it would never stop. But I no longer cared if the rain would keep washing away the last day of spring. I just wanted summer to come. I wanted to forget all about this terrible spring and get on with my life.

I looked out further and saw the two little yellow pots sitting on a table outside on the balcony. In each pot contained two very familiar buds. They were the same white and pinkish buds she was tending to outside. I agreed to keep them, but I didn't agree to taking care of them. If those two buds really did represent me and Pipsqueak, then I wanted mine to dry up as soon as possible and die. In my opinion, I know I didn't  deserve to be his girlfriend, but if I don’t try, then I will never know at all.

I jerked my head away from the buds. It was like the two plants were giving me looks of sadness, as if trying to make me feel like I needed to not give up hope. I knew my hope was gone and I had no desire to get it back.

"She was wrong," I said coldly. "How could I have thought he would ever feel the same? Boys are all the same and they'll never change. None of them could possibly like me that way…”

I bit my lip as I remembered another description of spring. The thought of this quote brought tears to my eyes. Lies… lies… lies. Nothing but lies!

He never felt the same about me. We were just friends. We even may not have been friends either. Just like the bud, he wasn't blooming. But unlike the other  buds, I knew he would never bloom into a brand new person who actually liked me. Feeling like I could no longer stay in my own room, she sat up quickly and wiped my salty tears from my eyes. I hadn't felt a heartache this bad in quite some time. I hopped off my bed and looked at myself in the mirror. How could any guy like someone as plain as myself…?

The little pink and white bud started to change. It was actually starting to close. Even if it was getting the nutrients it needed to grow, the bud could not help but feel the same heartache that I was feeling at that precise moment. It started to seal up as the rain ran down the bud's sides. I decided to leave the room in hopes that this headache would go away. It just has to loosen up sometime later on. I walked around, trying to distract myself from my own problems but every time I did, I felt worse. I couldn’t get rid of the thoughts in my head from what those girls said to me that day.

‘The crybaby, nobody and loser.’

Maybe they were right. Maybe I am just a loser that nobody want to be around. Maybe I should just admit it and at least then, I’ll have my answer. A nobody, that what I am... Why would anyone want to be with me. Why did I even tried...

I decided to sleep in the living room in hopes that the thoughts will go away…

*The next day*

I woke up and got out of my bed, washed up, had breakfast, grabbed the pots and headed out. Today was the day. No going back now. I had to figure out what to say while I was walking on my way to school. It was do or die. I walked forward without hesitating for a single moment, I couldn’t find him anywhere when I made it to school. I went to the art room and placed the two buds in there since I didn’t know what would happen. I head out of the room and went back outside only to see he was nowhere to be found. I started to grow worried until he actually showed at the front of the school. He was talking to his friends and he didn’t notice that I was there.. I walked over to him without holding back. This was it… The moment of truth.

“Can I… talk to you for a moment?” I asked. A few seconds went by before I added, “Alone?”

He reluctantly agreed and his friends left so we could be alone. There was a moment of silence and I was unsure how to tell him. He was completely concentrated on friends, and at that moment, I froze. I twiddled my fingers trying to figure out how to put how I feel. After a full minute of no words, I said the first thing that came to mind.

“Um… Pipsqueak? I have to tell you something but you have to promise not to laugh…” I said sheepishly. I averted my eyes away from him, and after waiting a little longer, I continued. “I don’t know how to say this and quite frankly, I’m not sure how to express how I feel but… Pipsqueak, I’ve been meaning to tell you this for a while now. I’ve liked you for a long time but… I didn’t know to tell you when I first saw you. Would you please be my boyfriend?”, I said with fear coming out of my voice.

He looked shocked to find out that I felt this way. At that moment, I would've hugged him but I noticed his attention was elsewhere. What it was, I don’t know but his body language changed and yelled,

"Wait, w-what, me? Ew, that's gross, Babs! Why would you... no, why would I like you like that? I'm not some, some Prince Charming! I don't fall in love with anyone! You... you can be so dumb sometimes! N-n-no, leave me alone, till you get some sense knocked back in your head!"

Hearing the words he said to make my heart stop completely… I expected him to not like me but for a moment, I had hoped that I was wrong. But at that moment, I felt nothing but emptiness flow through me. It felt a lot like breaking a vase, only a hundred times worse… I slumped down in defeat and without saying a word, walked away, holding back the tears in the process. Words could not describe the pain that I was feeling. It was like getting stung by a million bees. Everything had collapsed when I heard him say those words to me. After building up all the courage that I had with confessing to him, it all just broke on me.

I ran away from him after he told everything about what he felt about me. After class during recess, I sat alone sitting on a swing. I was slowly swinging back and forth while looking down at the ground. A few minutes later, I heard someone walking towards me and saw him smile his innocent smile as he walked over to me. I looked as soon as he was in a close enough distance and immediately stopped swinging and stared directly at him. Then, I saw his smile fade away as I was giving him the most menacing glare I had ever done.

"What do you want?", I asked in an angry tone.

He tried to apologize but I didn't listen. I simply hopped off the swing and walked past him. He called my name over and over again but I wouldn't listen. Finally, I heard him run up to me and grabbed my hand, trying to stop me. The unexpected happened next. I balled my fist up and hit him straight in the face, knocking him several feet away. I walk over to him and saw that he was barely awake. He started to close his eyes but not before I yelled,

"Go away! I hate you! You're so stupid!"

I ran off after saying that. It hurt when I punched him but it hurt my heart even more, knowing what I did. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt him in any way. I felt foolish for telling him how much I liked him. How could I be so stupid to think it was even possible? My brain was racked with so many questions that I couldn't find an answer. I scratched my head as I walked into a random room, closing it behind me... I sat down onto a desk and grabbed something out of my pocket. It was a bracelet of some sort. Something he had given me a few months back. I forgot that I had this on me. It was like remembering the time when I had my first taste of ice-cream. It was all coming back to me when he showed me the bracelet. I looked around and after checking around to make sure I was the only one there, I started to openly cry. After a few minutes, my tears stained my cheeks. Just then, I heard a knocked on the door.

"Uh… Babs?" A voice asked in a whisper. "Are you there? I want to talk to you." It was Pipsqueak. There was no mistaking it. I quickly wiped my tears away.  He really did come to apologize to me. He spoke a little louder. "Please Babs? I really want to…" when he made contact the door with his fist, it slowly opened all the way.  I couldn’t believe it. He was really trying to talk to me. It was all so much to bear if we met eye-to-eye.

He took a step inside. "Babs?" he called.

I quickly hide into the closet before he came in. I saw him walk all the way into the room and looked around and saw the bracelet I had left there. He turned his attention to the closest and walked over to it. He smiled when he saw the bracelet I left.

“I guess she kept it all this time…” he said to nobody in particular. “She would smile the same sunshine smile that made me always glad to be around her.”

He paused and his attention in the corner of his eye. He turned to the balcony sliding glass window to see two plants sitting on a table. He pressed his hands on the sliding glass door leading to the outside balcony. It's those two buds I left here that I was suppose to take care of… He pressed his hands against the transparent glass and looked at the two buds. He looked at the two flowers and saw that they still wasn't blooming. But then, he noticed the pink and white flower was closed up.

"That bud wasn't like this before," he said to himself. "It was open earlier."

It seems he remembered what the teacher had said the two buds were taking too long to bloom, like something was holding them back, as if they're waiting for each other. He didn't realize it till now but she was right. It would be sad if a flower never gets to bloom. The flower would never get the chance to be seen as something new. I'm sure he knew every flower was different, new, and beautiful in different ways.

"Just like Babs…" he said stopping my thought. “From all the girls, she was very different. To me, if all girls were buds they would bloom into plain and ordinary flowers. But her…” he paused and regained his smile. “I knew she was different from those other flowers. She would be the most rare and most beautiful flower of them all. There was no one like her and no one could take her place. She was like a rose or a sunflower standing in the center of a garden of dandelions.”

“Babs... I knew you like me after we became close friends and I liked you too. We’re both like two little buds waiting to bloom into a close relationship. Just like the buds here. We weren't sure of our feelings, maybe you were more sure than I was but either way, we were still staying little buds till we were ready to bloom. But I…” His body started to shudder as everything started to become clearer. He seemed to be even more scared of blooming. “I was acting so stupid that I didn't notice that we were starting to close up like the buds are right now.”

He put his hand on his face, covering the tears that were flowing down. He looked like he was in pain. I wanted to come out and say something, anything to make him feel better but after what I did… How could I face him after that…? I choked back my sobs by holding my hand to my mouth and staying silent. But, that proved to be difficult as I started to shutter and the the words that I wanted to say were escaping from my lips.

“I was so eager to please my friends that I wasn't thinking about your feelings or my own. I was abandoning my feeling just so I wouldn't teased for it. I know now that I had made the wrong decision. How could I fall for the typical childish thoughts? There was nothing to be ashamed of. But… It’s too late now. I hurt her deeply because I was afraid there was a chance we wouldn’t be friends again…” His tears started to roll down his cheeks. “I ruined our friendship and… we may never have a second chance to bloom into something new. Babs… I don’t deserve you.”

Those words pierced my heart. I couldn’t believe it. He was really making an effort to apologize to me. I wanted to get out of the closet to talk to him, but how could I possibly face him? Not to mention I hurt him as well... It was so hard to come forth with my own feelings towards him. After finally managing to build up enough courage, I came out of the closet and I saw him kneeled down with his head down. I crouched down and I saw his eyes covered in tear stains when I looked down.

“Oh Pipsqueak, I never knew that you were so sweet. I should’ve been more considerate and understanding,” I said as I got closer.

He wiped his tears away.

"Babs…", he started. "Wait…I… I have something to say."

I didn’t say anything. I didn’t know what to say. He wanted to speak, but he couldn’t find the proper words to say. He sighed, his shoulders slumped as he walked towards the door with his head hanging low. As he reached the door, he turned to me. He looked like he wanted to tell me something, but I couldn’t tell what it was. Just then, he finally said something to me.

"Babs! We can't let our feelings about our friendship die!", he blurted out.

I had no words to describe what he just told me at that moment.

"What?"

He looked back at the buds out the window.

"We're those buds, Babs."

I looked in the same direction as he said that. I noticed he was referring to the same buds the teacher was planting in the garden. I just stared at him, not knowing what to say. I faced back to my friend.

"Babs… I didn't notice till now. But we are those buds. What they're feeling is what we're feeling. We're both feeling pain in our hearts and it's affecting the buds. They're closing back up, just because our friendship is slowly dying." I turned back to the buds to see if his thoughts were true. He continued. "I don't want those buds to wither and die and the same with our friendship! You're the bud on that flower."

My fears and sadness evaporated as every word he said to me started to sink in her head.

"But…" I said in a calm voice. "All those things you said to me earlier. You told me I was sick for thinking I'd ever like you!"

"No! I was the one who was sick." He gently grabbed one of my hands. "I knew in my heart that you are one of dearest friends! More than anything else in the world! I was just so worried about what my friends would think that I didn't care about my own feelings."

I felt my cheeks growing red.

"But…how do I know? How do I know you're telling me the truth?"

His response to that was a warm hug. He shook his head hopelessly.

"I-I don't know how I can prove it to you. I don't know if I can fix the damage I laid out but, I'm just hoping you'll trust me again and we can start over as friends. Even if it takes my entire life, I will do everything within my power to make you happy. I promise."

I stood there for a moment. Although I wanted to push him away, something in her heart stopped me. What he had said to me was the same thing I was thinking. I did feel they were those two little buds and even if I was angry about what he said earlier, the last thing I wanted was our friendship to end. I wasn't sure why I told him why I hated him, but I now knew I could never hate someone as sincere as him. I circled my arms around him. I believed every word that he told me, and I couldn’t let him suffer any longer.

"It is a shame if a bud never blooms." I whispered. "It will never get the chance to be seen in a new light. Like I'm seeing you."

After hearing what he had to say to me, I pulled away from him. I was smiling the smile of peace just like before. It looked like he could cry at that moment, but he didn’t for some reason. Without giving it a second thought, he pressed his warm lips against my cheek. I accepted the small kiss without any hesitation. He pulled away; feeling like a heavy burden had been pulled off my shoulders.

"I really do like you a lot, Babs. I'm sorry I didn't admit it sooner. Maybe we would have bloomed sooner into something more than just friends if I weren't so stubborn like the other flowers bud.

I grinned and said,

"Well…better late than never."

We laughed and stole a quick look, I noticed the two buds in the window were working their magic again. They were both slowly opening again! But they weren't quite ready to bloom just yet. Something else had to be done. I saw a light from the outside. The sun had come out from the gray clouds in the sky.

"The rain finally stopped! You wanna go outside?"

As I nodded, two other people entered the room. And they were getting ready from what it looked.

"Come on, Babs!", Snips interrupted. "You have to get your partner for the festival in a few days. Soon, there won't be anyone left for you."

"Yeah. Then you'll have to go with this lovesick puppy!", Snails laughed with Snips joining in.

I rolled my eyes. They can be such pains. But… I looked up at him. What if he wants someone else as a partner? I couldn't help but think. After all, he doesn't want to lose his friends by being with me. I lowered  my head and whispered, "It's okay, stubby. I underst-"

"I already have my partner." Pipsqueak said with a smile. He gently grabbed my hand and held it up. "She's right here!"

My eyes widened. "Pipsqueak..." I said softly.

"WHAT?!", They exclaimed.

"You heard me. I want Babs to be my partner!"

"Pipsqueak…”, I said in a whisper. "You don't have to do this."

"You're right. I don’t have to..." He squeezed my hand. "But I want to."

His friends frowned.

"I didn't know that you were a girl lover, smallfry!", Snips teased.

Pipsqueak glared at them.

"So what? Babs is someone I really care about." He gave me a peck on a cheek with no shame. "She means alot to me. And nothing you two can say will make me change my mind!" The two boys stared in shock at his response. Pipsqueak turned to me. "Come on. Let's leave these two idiots behind."

I couldn't believe the new change in him. He was finally thinking on his own and I didn't hate this change at all. I smiled brightly at him.

"Sure!"

We linked arms and walked past the them and out the door. I turned to face her them.

"You know. Maybe when you two grow-up, you'll see that we girls really aren't bad at all." I stuck my tongue out at them. "Nah!" I instigated as we left the room.

After telling off Snips and Snails, he handed me the bracelet I had left out earlier.

“Thanks for talking to me, Babs.”, he said as he held me closer.

I felt my heart spring back to life after hearing that. I smiled and said,

“Some people never learn…  Pipsqueak.”

We continued to walk after we finished getting ready to head to our class.

*A few hours later*

After the school day was over, me and Pipsqueak walked out and headed to the festival. I’m not sure if I was imagining it or not, but I noticed the door was wide open. Wanting to check on who was inside, I walked inside only to find out that there was nobody inside. I noticed something in the dark. I turned on the lights and I saw something amazing. The two little buds had bloomed into two beautiful wildflowers.

I walked outside and looked at them.

"Amazing. Spring really is a magical season."

I knew that the two little buds had finally bloomed. We had moved from buds with a friendship, to beautiful flowers with a caring relationship. It was like the whole world was finally lifted off my back. Nothing could describe what total relief that I was feeling right now. I have no idea what will happen in the future… but one thing for sure… is that I’m gonna make it last. For as long as I live, I will make sure that our relationship will never die.