More Than Just a Wallflower

How could you?

I trusted you!

I HATE YOU!

Throughout your roller coaster of a weekend, Wallflower’s verbal lashing tormented you. You could barely sleep the first night, too busy scrolling through your message history with Wallflower. Things were going so well. Friendly banter, photos of her garden…

Of course, every time you looked at her message history, you had to get past the last texts she sent—the slow realization that she’d been abandoned yet again.

You also had to scroll through the increasing number of texts you sent afterwards trying to reason with her. Even bolder—or stupider, perhaps—you tried calling her. Unfortunately, it went straight to voicemail every time, meaning her phone was off... or she’d blocked you. That’s when you couldn’t deny it any longer. She was really done with you. Why wouldn’t she be after you hurt her so cruelly?

In one fell swoop, everything came crashing down. The most beautiful girl you’ve ever met hated you, and it was all your fault.

...how could you? Really. How could you?

...

...

...

...but the next morning, you woke with a new mindset.

You couldn’t give up! Wallflower was too special for you to give up! She thought you’d forget about her over the weekend. You had to prove her wrong. You had to prove how much you cared about her! It wouldn’t be easy. Hell, winning her back at this point may be a pipe dream. But you had to try! For a girl like Wallflower, you couldn’t go down without a fight!

The big question became... how? Rarity had suggested a gift, while Flash and Brawly suggested serenading her. It’d be a stretch. You wouldn’t consider yourself good at either of those things, but now was the time to shape the hell up.

The rest of the weekend was spent planning Operation: Win Wallflower Back. No other activities. No meeting up with friends. No homework. Only Wallflower mattered now.

Monday after school. For most, the first day of the week was over. For you, it was just starting.

The only thing on your mind all day had been Wallflower Blush. You didn’t care about anything else, wanting to speed up time to get to the end of the day and put your plan into action. Or at the very least, speed through pre-calculus. Today, that class was excruciating, because you still had to sit next to her. She didn’t talk to you, of course. She didn’t even look at you. She was just... there. The air between you was overbearingly heavy. Then again, maybe she didn’t feel that heavy air at all. Maybe she was totally fine without you.

But in the end, you made it through the day. Now, any and all doubts had to be put aside. It was time.

Slung behind you was your acoustic bass you’d brought from home, and held behind your back was her gift. With all necessary items in tow, you headed for Wallflower’s locker. Your heart skipped a beat when you saw her and her long, flowing green hair.

Her locker was open, but strangely she wasn’t getting things out or putting things in. She was just standing there… and she looked upset. Because of you? Or did something else happen?

You couldn’t let that bother you. It was now or never. Even if this didn’t work, even if she tore your confidence apart in front of everyone, you had to try. Wallflower was worth the risk.

After making doubly sure your gift was concealed, you took a deep breath and approached her.

“Wallflower?”

She didn’t make eye contact or even glance in your direction. Instead, she turned her head away.

“I know you can hear me,” you said.

“Go away,” she said.

“Wallflower, I just wanna talk to you.”

“I said go away. Don’t you have better things to do?”

Her words were harsh, but you stood your ground. No turning back now.

“Nope. I’m right where I wanna be.”

That seemed to get her attention. Finally, she turned to look at you. You were shocked to see that her eyes were slightly bloodshot. She furled her eyebrows, focusing her chilling gaze squarely at you.

“...I don’t know what you’re doing, but it’s not funny,” Wallflower said.

“I’m dead serious, Wallflower.”

“So am I!”

She seemed taken aback by her own outburst, taking a moment to calm herself down.

“J-Just leave me alone,” Wallflower said. “I’ve had a bad day.”

“What happened?” you asked.

A tear escaped her eye.

“I did something horrible... and I'm so ashamed and... ergh! Why am I telling you this?! Leave me alone already!”

“Wait, maybe I can help?” you said.

“Don’t waste your time. It’s not worth it.”

You paused. Those words struck a chord with you like no other words have.

You looked her dead in the eye.

“…you’re wrong, Wallflower.”

She looked at you quizzically.

“Wh-What?”

“You heard me. You’re wrong. You are worth it.”

Her eyes widened. She looked at you intently, like she was trying to get a read on you. Maybe she thought you were crazy. And she’d be right... because you’re crazy for her... and you weren’t going anywhere until you saw her smile again.

Her mouth moved slightly as if she was trying to say something, but nothing came out. You seemed to have stopped her in her tracks. This was your chance.

You spoke again, but softer and more compassionately.

“Just hear me out. All I want is a chance to make it up to you, and if you still hate me, I promise I’ll leave you alone for good. But I’m not giving up on you so easily. I’m begging you, Wallflower. One more chance. Please.”

She was silent, but you could tell that there was a war going on in her head. Her eyes wandered as you anxiously waited. She seemed frustrated. Thusly, you prepared for the worst. You waited for her to stare you down and rip you apart with her words...

...

...

...

“…fine.”

Her suddenly soft voice released the tension in the air, and you could breathe a sigh of relief. She looked annoyed, but at least you had her attention.

But that was only the beginning. Now to put the rest of the plan into motion.

You took another deep breath.

“Wallflower... I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I lost sleep over this. That's how sorry I am. I guess I got so caught up in rehearsal that... well... I forgot. There’s no excuse for what I did. I betrayed you, and you have every right to hate me. But I do care about you. I care about you a lot. And to prove it… I got you these.”

With an eager smile, you revealed your gift. Upon seeing it, she gasped, and her eyes widened, and all the coldness in her face disappeared.

In your hand was a bouquet consisting entirely of a very particular blue flower.

“Are... are those forget-me-nots?” Wallflower asked.

“They sure are,” you said.

Her cheeks turned red like strawberries.

“...f-for me?”

“All for you.”

You extended the bouquet toward Wallflower, and she timidly accepted it. For a moment, she just stared at them in astonishment.

“That’s your favorite flower, right?” you asked.

She looked up at you. There was no hint of coldness left in her eyes.

“You remember that?” she asked.

“Of course. Do you like them?”

She looked back down at the flowers. Her strawberry cheeks turned even redder.

“…you remembered...”

And then, as beautiful as a ray of light piercing the clouds, Wallflower smiled again.

“...thank you. I... I don’t know what else to say.”

“You don’t need to. Your smile is more than enough.”

She looked stunned at those words.

“Oh... um... o-okay,” she said, blushing even more.

You blushed a little too. It was a bold thing to say, but her reaction to the flowers was so adorable and gratifying that you felt bold enough to say it.

“And the flowers are just part one,” you said.

“Th-There’s more?” Wallflower asked.

She gasped when you slung your bass around to your front. You shot her a grin.

“How about your own personal solo, too?”

Wallflower’s eyes widened.

“Y-You’re gonna play for me? Right now?”

“Right now. Nothing like a song to show someone you care about them, right?”

Suddenly, Wallflower put her hand on your bass.

“Wait, hold on.”

“Huh? What is it? I don’t have to have to do this if you don’t want. I-I don’t mind.”

“It’s not that, it’s just… um... can we go somewhere more private?”

Oh, right. Doing this in the hall would draw a lot of unwanted attention to Wallflower. You didn’t think about that.

“Sure thing,” you said. “Let’s see if any of the practice rooms are open.”

“Actually, I have a better idea,” Wallflower said. “Do you mind following me?”

Her insistent tone took you by surprise. A practice room is about as private as it got in this school. Still, she seemed confident.

“Uh... sure,” you said. “After you.”

She smiled and gestured for you to follow.

You were surprised when your excursion led you outside behind the school. Now you really weren’t sure where you were going. Nevertheless, you followed Wallflower diligently. Her long hair looked so pretty in the breeze.

Crossing the parking lot, you reached a dirt path leading into the woods behind the school. Wallflower followed the path only for a few steps before taking a detour into some bushes. There was a column of sunlight where she was heading. Carefully following her through the bushes, you emerged into a sunny clearing, colored by a wide array of flowers and crops.

Strange… why did this familiar?

It wasn’t until you spotted an flowerbed in the center filled with familiar blue flowers that you realized where she brought you.

“Wait... Wallflower, is this your garden?” you asked.

“Yep... sure is,” Wallflower said, blushing. “Wh-What do you think?”

You looked around in awe. That photo didn’t do this garden nearly enough justice. A dazzling rainbow of flowers, a bountiful assortment of crops in different stages of life, all sitting in rustic stone-lined flowerbeds surrounded by the greenest grass, and illuminated by heavenly, golden sunlight. The air was sweet and invigorating, as if every plant’s aroma coalesced in perfect harmony.

“It’s even more amazing in person,” you said. “You seriously did all this by yourself?”

“Heh... yeah. All me,” Wallflower said, playing with her hair. “Ooh, wait here one sec.”

Wallflower placed the bouquet down next to the other forget-me-nots. Then she walked to her strawberry plant, carefully picked a couple, and brought them back to you.

“Here, try one,” Wallflower said, handing you a smooth, plump, vibrant red strawberry.

It looked so good that you almost didn’t want to ruin it by eating it. But you watched Wallflower eat the strawberry she picked for herself without a second thought, so you followed suit. Pulling the leaves back, you brought the berry up to your mouth and took a bite.

Your senses were shocked when sugary, decadent juices enveloped your tongue—more juice than you’ve ever had from a strawberry before. Delightfully sweet, but with a little tartness for some flair. The flesh was soft with perfect firmness for a satisfying crunch. Every bite released more of the heavenly juices. It was the sweetest, juiciest, most delicious strawberry you’ve ever tasted.

By the time you swallowed, you felt like you’d returned from a journey. Wallflower looked at you, eagerly waiting for your reaction.

“...wow,” you said. “That was incredible.”

Wallflower beamed.

“Aren’t they so much better freshly picked? Here, I can take the leftovers and compost them.”

You handed her what was left of your strawberry, and she took them to a nearby composter bin.

Meanwhile, you just looked around. You couldn’t believe you were actually in her garden. But it was more than a garden. It was her safe place. Which begged the question... why? Despite this afternoon going better than you could’ve imagined so far, there was still tension in the air. Friday’s altercation loomed like a storm cloud. You could still hear her biting words in your head. Was she still mad and just not showing it? If so, why would she bring you to such a sacred place?

“So... did you want to play your song now?” Wallflower asked.

...those thoughts would have to wait. It was time to sweep her off her feet.

The center forget-me-not flowerbeds were made of flat-top stones. It had two perpendicular lower tiers that jutted out and were the perfect height for makeshift benches. Wallflower took a seat, and you sat across from her.

“Word of warning, this guy you’re about to hear can be kind of a douchebag after a solo.”

Wallflower giggled.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Making her laugh helped calm you a little. And what an adorable laugh too. She looked at you with beautiful, eager smile... which was not helping you calm down.

Nevertheless, you took a deep breath and tried to relax as much as possible... before playing the first note.

The song you chose was just a simple, short love ballad. Nothing complex. Despite that, in the beginning your heart was on fire. But after a while, it was like the outside world faded away, leaving you alone with the prettiest girl you’ve ever known. Her smiling, bashful face gleaming in the sunlight was all the reassurance you needed. Soon it felt like your very heart was singing through every note and lyric. A strange feeling of exposure… yet it felt so right.

As the song came to a close, you stretched the last few notes for as long as you could, not wanting this feeling to go away. Even after playing the last note, you didn’t relax until the very last inkling of sound had faded. Only then did you look at Wallflower. Somehow, her face was even redder than when you started.

She applauded you timidly, making you blush with her.

“Well, what’d you think?” you asked.

Wallflower looked at you with the cutest smiled.

“...I loved it. Thank you so much."

“You’re welcome,” you said.

And then... silence. You smiled at her, she smiled at you, and you were full of sweet satisfaction at a job well done...

...until you saw Wallflower’s smile slowly fade. She looked anxious... almost scared.

“Wallflower? Are you okay?”

She didn’t say anything for a moment. Holding her arms, she looked away.

“...I... I don’t know,” she whispered.

Her voice choked with pain, and it didn’t take long for you to figure out why. Of course, what topic had you been avoiding this whole time? The whole reason why you’re even doing all this in the first place.

Suddenly, it felt a little colder in the garden.

“Do you want to talk about it?” you asked.

She looked at you. Without even mentioning it, you could sense that she knew what you meant. Her pained eyes tugged at your heart.

“...I-I need a moment,” Wallflower cooed. “There’s a lot on my mind.”

You knew couldn’t avoid this forever, no matter how much she liked your gift or song. But you also knew that you couldn’t truly move forward without facing the consequences of your actions.

“...take your time,” you said gently. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Wallflower nodded solemnly.

“...thanks.”