CHAPTER 1: Pollen success
The world's flowers were back to normal, in great amounts. After Barry and Vanessa got humans and bees to work together to make that happen, the production of honey from the bees had increased once again, and now, with honey in the shops and supermarkets being 'bee-approved', a companionship between bees and humans had been created. Pollen was rising across the world, and more and more honey could be created. It was surreal, but iconic.
Barry, wearing his pollen jock uniform, with the see-through helmet and darkly coloured orange and black vest, flew into his room within the gigantic hive after a journey that stretched out for hours and hours. He was going to visit Vanessa in a bit, which meant he had to get out of his pollen jock uniform. His mum and dad were sitting on their orange, honey-looking couch, watching the bee news programs. Adam was eagerly waiting for Barry in his room, because he too was going along with Barry to visit Vanessa. Ever since the humans had established a companionship with the majority of the bees in this hive, Adam's been eager to chat more with the humans, now that the bee law of not being allowed to talk to humans was abolished.
Barry took off his helmet and began shoving off the military-like pollen jock vest as Adam flew behind him.
"There he is, the bee of the century, so uh, whatchu gonna do then?" he asked, as his wings emitted a buzzing sound so thick you could hear it echoing across the room.
"Adam, you don't need to fly, do you? Knock it off, I've had a hard day as it is..." Barry insisted, removing the jock vest ever so carefully.
"Sorry man," Adam responded, chuckling as he landed his two thin feet to the ground from flying, "I'm just...it's just surreal to take in, you know? How could we have ever envisioned this?"
Adam took Barry by the shoulder and raised his free arm out towards the direction of Barry's face, "humans and bees...once a law of ours to not talk to them, now a determination to get honey back into their hands..."
"Hey, don't leave Vanessa outta that equation man, me and her worked hard to make it happen..."
Adam adjusted his glasses as his fake stinger, given to him as a result of him stinging that guy from the court during the time bees were suing humans, felt strange for some reason.
"I'm not," the two friends started walking out of Barry's room as they briefly flew to increase their speed, moving into the living room, "but man, you've gotta go down in the record books for pulling off a stunt like that?"
"Eh, I wouldn't mind that. Bye mum, bye dad!" Barry said, catching his parents off guard.
"Woah woah, woah?" his dad said, taking the orange remote to pause the program, which was called 'you don't bee-long here'. It was a comedy show, to be specific.
"Where're you going, son?" his dad asked, with Barry's mother nodding to the question.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you, me and Adam are gonna see Vanessa now, is that a problem?"
"Oh, do as you want, son, but we figured that you'd want to rest; you've been out of the hive for hours, what was going on anyway?"
"Just a couple of wasps, they were being stubborn, let's just leave it at that. Anyway, am I okay to go out of the hive to see Vanessa?" Barry asked.
"You don't even have to ask us, son. But we thought you'd want to relax. Humans are neutral, so do whatever you want. Don't be too late, though, okay?" his dad said.
"This bee right here won't make you angry, 'dad', I can assure you..." Adam said.
"Hahaha, oh this guy, he's one step ahead of me every time..." Barry laughed, pointing at Adam, "but yeah, I won't be late, bye now!" Barry said.
"Have a good time, Barry!" his mother yelled.
The two friends in Barry and Adam ascended off the ground of the house as their wings emitted buzzing. They flew, looking like two twin bees in the air. As they briefly flew around all of the machinery involved with making honey across the hive, and specifically, the one where every single tiny drop of honey was retained, Barry had a brief moment of the past, where he felt like a student again. Just seeing all of this machinery had made him recall the moment he was graduating from bee college. It was an amazing feeling.
The hive nowadays was no longer closed on a time; any bee could go in or out, but at the same time, pollen jock like bees were outside the entrance of the hive to prevent any wasps or other insects entering it. The reason why more freedom was granted in regards to bees going in or out was obvious; because of the newly-established compaionship between humans and bees. And again, it was no longer a breaking of the bee-law to talk to humans. Barry and Adam, the second their tiny, black and orange bodies had escaped the isolation of the hive and into the warm, fresh breeze of the outside, their energy levels suddenly ascended. Adam had no idea where Vanessa's apartment was, but Barry knew it off by heart.
"How's that stinger of yours feeling, Adam?" Barry asked, in the midst of a flight above the ground where many humans and dogs were walking along the park that the hive was located at.
"I'm just surprised I survived it at all, Barry. We aren't wasps, we're bees, one sting and then we're pretty much done. I'm just too lucky, and I can't tell. I can't feel anything there, it feels...empty...that's the best I can describe it as. It's not fair, you didn't hold me back, it was only Vanessa..."
"Adam, you didn't hold yourself back, if I'm honest. You knew what'd have happened if you stung somebody. It's just like you said; we aren't wasps, we're bees..."
As their arms and legs were dangling in the midst of their flight, the two bees eventually reached the city, where roads and cars roaring their engines and horns at the traffic lights had been sighted from above. The bees were that high in the air that the entire city looked like ants.
"I guess it was just an instinct..." Adam said, referring to him stinging that particular guy during the court out of anger.
"We'll call it that, then..." Barry said.
As Barry flew further into the city with Adam, he had a mind bomb; he began wondering what Ken was doing. If you don't remember, Ken was Vanessa's boyfriend who eventually got dumped for his behaviour and hatred of Barry. It sounded stupid, to the point that you couldn't really conclude on how to think of it.
"Man, I bet that guy still hates me..." Barry said, holding his arm to his head.
"Who?" Adam asked, with curiosity.
"Ken...you know, this guy Vanessa was with...I, I think I torn apart his relationship with Vanessa...I didn't mean to do that, so maybe if I see him on our way back, I'll try and convince him. I don't wanna be that bee who...who just breaks apart relationships, you know?" Barry said.
"I don't think I've ever met him before, have I?" Adam said, stuttering towards the end of his sentence.
"Nah, you haven't. He's got an allergy to us, and he doesn't like honey. Says it all really, but that won't stop me from trying to talk to him whenever I get the opportunity. Hell, he even tried to flush me down the toilet in the bathroom, but I'll still try talking to him..."
"Uh, Barry, are you sure? That guy sounds like a maniac..."
"I'm sure, Adam. Just you wait and see.." Barry declared.
But is what Barry suggesting actually smart? Ken genuinely hates bees, and he hates honey, but you have to believe that he despises Barry the most. Ken doesn't believe that insects should be treated in the manner they're being treated by the likes of Vanessa; they shouldn't even be able to talk in his mind. His friend, Andy, follows him in his views. The thought of bees talking and establishing a compaionship with humans drove his friend, Andy, into cringe. They were just tiny little pests, and that was it.
Barry and Adam, after about 10 minutes, finally reached the window of Vanessa's apartment. They flew under it to sight the living room; the television was on, and a bag of crisps were on the small coffee table in front of the couch. Barry and Adam flew to the table and landed quite rapidly onto the wooden surface of said table. Vanessa, drinking a cup of tea, walked in from the kitchen, and she instantly saw the two black and orange insects on her coffee table.
"Oh hi Barry!" she said, "how've you got on?" she eagerly asked, placing her cup of tea next to the two bees.
"Hiya Vanessa, yeah, yeah, it's great, whatchu watching?" Barry asked, leaning on the handle of the cup.
"It's just a live-action soap, you know, one of those programs that're based on real life stuff and...hey actually, you two need to come and see my green house, yeah, why not? Come along!" Vanessa said, grabbing her cup of tea whilst walking back towards the kitchen.
"AHEM!" Adam yelled, after not being greeted by Vanessa, "friend is here also, where's my hello?!"
Vanessa laughed for a moment, "Oh, I'm sorry, haha, it's not as if I didn't notice you. But come along, Barry, I wanna show you this especially, if you look in the hallway you'll get a clue of what it is..." she said, with the two bees buzzing their wings again to fly, to catch up to Vanessa.
In her hallway were two pots of roses, both of a vibrant pink, and in the middle was a cyan-coloured poppy; all three had surprisingly fruit-like smells. She stopped for a moment, taking a sip of her tea before explaining her explanation for having the flowers here all of a sudden.
"I think your bees from the hive come here, and I've been growing these flowers here for more of them to collect pollen...they're in a pretty decent state if I say so myself!" Vanessa declared, referring to the flowers.
"Yeah, they actually look neat...when did you get them?" Barry asked, as he buzzed his minaiture black and orange body next to Vanessa's head.
"That's something I haven't remembered, embarrasingly enough, haha, but come out to the garden, and check this out!" she insisted.
Once they got out to the backgarden, Vanessa pointed both her arms to the glass house that was in front of her; inside was not only the giant heat that felt like it came from abroad, but also rows of colourful roses, ranging from blue, purple, to sunflowers, and to dandelions amongst many other flower types. She opened the door and unveiled said flowers in her medium-sized greenhouse.
"Do you guys wanna come here and get some easy pollen? It'd make your jobs easier, right?"
"I'm a pollen jock as you know, Vanessa, so I'd love that, it means more honey not just for us, but for you as well?"
"Exactly! Whilst we're here, do you two want anything? I can make you tea?"
"None of us can drink tea...can we?" Adam said, looking at Barry.
"Just give me a sugar cube, Vanessa. Adam, I'll let your logic find the answer for you, haha" he laughed, turning to Adam.
"Ah, alright. I assume your friend wants the same?" Vanessa asked.
"W-what? A cube of sugar?"
"Yeah, usually I'd put it in my tea, but you bees like sugar, so I've saved some for you, if you want a cube?"
"You know what? I'll try it out..." Adam said, shrugging his shoulders.
Vanessa, Adam and Barry had all went back inside, as Vanessa had left the greenhouse door open without realizing. She wasn't intending on coming back outside, either, because the evening was approaching. Nothing severe should happen to the flowers inside the greenhouse given that the glass door was going to be open all night, right?