Lemon Zest hummed along to the music blasting through her headphones, the pop music putting a little bounce in her step as she walked. It was a route she always took to try and keep in shape and just get away from Crystal Prep for a time. The fact that she could listen to her favorite tunes along the way was just a bonus.
She frowned as she felt her phone vibrate in her hand yet again and she stopped to check the screen. With a sigh, Lemon found it was just her friends, still talking about the science fair. They seemed to be close to a consensus, but she was never one for science stuff. She’d help them with whatever they came up with, of course, but she was tapped for ideas.
Pocketing her phone, Lemon looked up to find she was across from Canterlot High School. A few of the students were still milling around out front after school was done for the day. She kept her distance as usual, realizing she was about halfway done with her route.
She turned to her left and was surprised to see a flagstone path dipping into the woods across from CHS. Lemon frowned in confusion as she saw the trees and brush were trimmed neatly away from the path. She couldn’t remember it being here during the Friendship Games, though she didn’t often stop to admire the scenery when it came to CHS on her walks.
Lemon glanced around before cautiously stepping onto the path. It was shorter than it appeared to be—and led to a cleared out space in the woods. Neat rows of plants stretched out on either side of the path, along with lush flowerbeds. A few young saplings were spaced out between the flowerbeds. The path ended in a circle near the middle of the clearing.
Lemon took it all in with wonder, mouth agape. She turned as she looked above her, watching the canopy of leaves sway. She could remember when there was nothing here but woods and bushes.
Not looking where she was going, Lemon backed into someone. Her headphones fell around her neck and she scrambled to shut off the music from her phone.
“S-Sorry about that,” Lemon said, looking up.
The girl she bumped into looked completely startled. She had long, messy green hair and freckled cheeks. Despite the relatively warm spring weather, she was wearing a striped sweater and jeans.
“I-It’s alright, probably should’ve looked where I was… going…” The girl trailed off as her eyes fell to Lemon’s shirt. Lemon followed her gaze and realized she was staring at her Crystal Prep insignia.
“Y-you’re from Crystal Prep?” the girl asked, taking a step back.
Lemon held up her hands. “Whoa, easy. I’m not here on any kind of funny business. I’m Lemon Zest, and yes, I’m from Crystal Prep.”
The girl studied her, working her jaw. “I’m Wallflower Blush,” she said quietly.
“So, uh, what’s with this garden?” Lemon asked, gesturing around at the verdant space. “I don’t think I’ve seen it before.”
“It belongs to the Canterlot High School Gardening Club,” Wallflower said, rubbing her arm. She added, in a quieter voice, “I’m, um, the president.”
Lemon’s eyes widened as she turned back to Wallflower. “You and your club did all this?”
Wallflower nodded.
“This place is incredible! I’ve never seen something like this outside a greenhouse,” Lemon continued. “I’m surprised you made all of this out of a patch of woods.”
Wallflower’s cheeks darkened. “Th-Thank you.” She fidgeted with the hem of her sweater and cleared her throat. “If you, uh, don’t mind, I am kinda busy. Gardening’s a lot of work.” She flashed a strained smile.
Lemon blinked. “Oh, alright. I’ll swing by some other time then,” she said. “Nice to meet you, Wallflower.”
“N-Nice to meet you, too,” Wallflower replied, waving to Lemon as she turned and left.
Lemon figured the next day was as good a time as any. She arrived a little earlier than she had the day prior, and marveled at the afternoon sun filtering through the canopy overhead.
She found Wallflower on her knees, wearing gloves and digging in a newly made flowerbed. A carton of new plants, barely even sprigs, was set next to her.
“Hey, Wallflower!” Lemon called, lowering her headphones and walking over.
Wallflower jumped, nearly rising to her feet. She relaxed a little when she saw who it was. “Oh, h-hey. Um, Lemon, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah, the girl from Crystal Prep,” Lemon said, flashing a grin. “Whatcha up to?”
Wallflower turned back to her work. “Well we poured the soil for a new flowerbed. I figured I’d get a head start on planting the new starts. Heh…”
Lemon nodded, looking around the garden. “So, where are all the other members of the Gardening Club?”
“Oh, it’s after club hours. It’s alright though, I like being on my own like this.” Wallflower quickly flinched and flashed Lemon an apologetic smile over her shoulder. “B-But I don’t mind you being here.”
Lemon tilted her head. “Why do you like being alone?”
Wallflower huffed, turning back to the flowerbed. “It’s… always come natural to me, I guess. Being in the background. Don’t get me wrong, starting the Gardening Club has been… exciting. The most I ever thought I’d do is work for the Yearbook Committee. But… being alone in the garden helps me relax. Destress and stuff.”
Lemon nodded. “Yeah, I get that.”
Wallflower frowned, glancing back at her. “Really?” she asked, skeptically.
“Well, my favorite thing to do is chill on my own too. Just… listening to music. It helps clear my head,” Lemon explained.
Wallflower slowly nodded. “Yeah. I guess that sounds kinda like me…”
Lemon jumped when her phone vibrated in her pocket. She quickly fished it out and read the screen. She sighed when she saw it was from Indigo, wanting her to meet up with the rest of them at the library.
“Fine, on my way,” Lemon muttered, typing in her response. She pocketed her phone and flashed an apologetic smile at Wallflower. “Sorry, my friends need me for a project we’re working on, but I’ll totally come back tomorrow. Maybe I could even help you out.”
“Oh, sure,” Wallflower said, smiling softly. “I’d… like that. See you tomorrow.”
Lemon quickly sprinted back out of the garden, waving goodbye to Wallflower. She waved goodbye back, before turning back to the flowerbed, her face burning.
Lemon returned the next day, slipping on a pair of gloves she had borrowed from shop class. They had plenty of pairs, they’d hardly miss one. While she wasn’t entirely familiar with the ins and outs of gardening, gloves seemed like a safe bet to have on hand.
As she walked down the garden path, she was surprised to see Wallflower there—holding a CD player.
Lemon blinked. “What’s with the CD player?”
Wallflower’s cheeks darkened and she rubbed her arm. “Well, I remember you saying yesterday that music helps you to relax, so I figured I’d bring my CD player, but… I don’t know what kind of music you liked.”
She sighed and set the CD player on the ground near the flower bed she was working on yesterday. Lemon blushed, rubbing the back of her head.
“Darn, I didn’t bring any CDs with me,” Lemon said. “I kinda like… a lot of different stuff. Depends on my mood or what I’m working on. Like, I like listening to instrumental stuff when I’m relaxing. Next time, though, I’ll definitely bring some.”
Wallflower slipped on her pair of gardening gloves. “I’m actually kinda glad you’re here. The club is starting a new potted plant project and I could use the help moving the pots and soil.”
“Sure thing,” Lemon said. “Lead the way.”
Lemon followed Wallflower down a narrow dirt path that weaved in-between some of the beds and rows, leading to a modest wooden shed tucked away near the edge of the woods. The two of them quickly got to work, ferrying large ceramic pots from their neat stacks to specific spaces on the circular path.
Wallflower paused as she adjusted one of the pots. “So, uh, how often do you unwind? With music and stuff,” she asked.
Lemon wiped her brow with the back of her gloved hand. “Quite a bit, actually. Crystal Prep is stressful like you wouldn’t believe,” she admitted.
“Really?”
Lemon nodded. “Everyone’s super competitive and always trying to be the best at whatever they’re doing. It takes a lot of hard work and studying to keep your grades up, and I need a break whenever I can get it.”
“You guys did seem pretty competitive during the Friendship Games,” Wallflower remarked, heading back for another pot. She froze when she realized what she said and looked to Lemon.
“You were there?” Lemon asked.
Wallflower nodded. “Like I said, always in the background.”
Lemon sighed, her shoulders sagging as she looked towards Canterlot High down the path.
“H-Hey,” Wallflower said, walking over to her. “You don’t seem obsessed with winning or being the best now. You seem… I dunno, chill.”
“Yeah, that was mostly Principal Cinch,” Lemon said bitterly. “I’m glad she’s been replaced.”
They stood there in silence for a moment before Lemon continued on with their task and Wallflower followed. They worked like that, silently, for a few minutes more, until Lemon sighed as she set down a bag of potting soil.
“You know, I’m… I’m sorry, for what happened at the Friendship Games,” she said, looking to Wallflower. “It just occurred to me that we never really apologized for kickstarting that fiasco.”
Wallflower flashed a smile. “It’s alright. That wasn’t the weirdest thing I’ve seen at CHS,” she said.
“Oh yeah? What was weirder than that?” Lemon asked.
“Well there was the Fall Formal,” Wallflower said. “And the Battle of the Bands. Those were doozies…”
Wallflower continued on, the two talking and laughing together, long after they had finished their work.
Lemon shifted on her feet in front of the garden entrance the next day, her grip tightening on one of the backpack’s straps. Her headphones were around her neck already as she had found her music wouldn’t settle her nerves for once.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly before walking down the garden path.
Lemon found Wallflower, sweeping some fallen leaves and loose dirt off the flagstone path. From the state of the path, it seemed she was almost done. When she noticed Lemon approaching, Wallflower perked up and flashed her a smile.
“Hey, Lemon,” she said. When she noticed Lemon’s appearance, her smile fell. “What’s wrong?”
“I’ve… never really done this sort of thing before,” Lemon said, shrugging as she looked off into the woods. She found it incredibly hard to look at Wallflower, and felt her cheeks already starting to warm. “I mean, I’ve had a great time hanging out with you, Wallflower.”
Wallflower winced, her grip tightening on the broom. “B-But…?” she whispered, sensing it coming.
Lemon didn’t seem to notice, letting out an irritated huff at her own hesitance. She forced herself to look at Wallflower. “I was wondering… if you’d want to… I dunno… go out sometime. I just… I feel some kind of connection with you I’ve never felt with anyone before.”
Wallflower’s face grew beet red. “I-I… uh…” She swallowed. “Yeah… sure. I’d l-like that,” she stuttered. “I’d like that… very much, but, uh… where would we go?”
Lemon smiled through her blush and slipped off her backpack, setting it on the ground. She reached inside and pulled out a few CD cases and a green pair of headphones like her own.
“Well, we could start right here,” she offered. “If you still have that CD player.”
Wallflower grinned and nodded, hurrying back towards the shed and returning with the CD player in question.
The two of them found a grassy spot underneath a tall tree near the edge of the garden. They hooked up their headphones and Lemon popped in one her of instrumental CDs. She pressed play and the two of them sat against the tree, one of Lemon’s favorite chill songs playing through their headphones.
Their hands found one another, their fingers netting together in perfect harmony as they watched the sky together.
Author's Note
Date of Creation (D.o.C.): 07/31/24
Took a little bit to get the dynamic between them figured out. I admit to putting a little of myself into Lemon Zest here--and also try to explain her tastes in music from Friendship Games.
The next one might take me a while to figure out as well--and then it's time for what you've hopefully all been waiting for: The Rookie.
The song I listened to while writing this was Starr Lights' cover of "Pleasant Memory" from Stardew Valley.
-yours truly,
The Legendary Bill Cipher, Equestria Enthusiast
14-1-13-5: 12-5-13-15-14 26-5-19-20
8-15-13-5-20-15-23-14: 18-1-9-14-2-15-23 6-1-12-12-19
3-1-12-12-19-9-7-14: 19-8-1-4-15-23-2-15-12-20 20-23-15
16-15-19-9-20-9-15-14: 3-15-13-13-21-14-9-3-1-20-9-15-14 19-16-5-3-9-1-12-9-19-20
2-12-1-3-11 1-14-4 2-12-21-5, 6-12-25 20-18-21-5
