Blue Plastic Flowers
By Clary

Prologue:

Arnica Sol was probably the last person to be expected to walk right down the steps of the International Flight 9-65 on the morning of August 20th. She certainly did not fit the preconceived thoughts of what an American should look like. With her iron-straight, deep brown hair and exotic forest green eyes she seemed more inclined to be from another country. So it was no surprise when she was immediately approached by an obviously Latino man around the age of 24 while she was waiting for her luggage to come.

"Hola senorita," he greeted her placing a friendly hand on her shoulder. "What are you doing here? Come to make a place for yourself on Scottish soil?" Arnica looked to the man and smiled. If you had known her you would realize that when she smiled at you, as she was now, you were about to be brushed off. The man smiled back thinking it was best to wait for the women to answer first. When she turned and grabbed a rather large, black, canvas Samsonite suitcase and lifted it off the conveyor belt the man became impatient.

"Hey chica didn't your mother ever tell you it's rude to brush off people who are being friendly?" Arnica pulled out the handle to her luggage and smiled again before replying:

"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to talk to strangers?" With that she walked away her Doc Martin black, lace-up boots clip-clomping in rhythm with the wheels on the suitcase. Really, the audacity of men these days! Like she was just supposed to fall down and thank them for gracing her with their presence! She was smart, educated women totally capable of finding her way around the country without the smart-ass comments of one machismo male. Oh how those kinds of men just made her so angry. Truly she'd had enough of that kind of treatment back in Texas. This prestigious college had better damn well be worth the horrendously long flight, and relocation over.

"Arnica!" A female voice caught her attention and Arnica looked around the highly crowded airport lobby to find a cousin of hers waving.

"Stella! Hi!" Immediately Arnica let go of her bag and hugged her cousin very happy to see friendly face in was quite possibly an unfriendly country. Stella had the same dark, straight hair as Arnica, and the same exotic green eyes. It was her skin color that was different. Instead of the deep brown Stella had a light golden color since her father was after all Caucasian.

"Oh Arnica please don't call me by my name you'll ruin my whole reputation, call me Estella." Estella reached down and took the backpack that Arnica had towed from the plane and immediately started chattering on about St. Andrews and all of her friends.

"What's wrong with Stella?"

Chapter One:

"Get out, Prince William is attending St. Andrews?" Arnica squealed. She stirred the tomato soup in the pan and added a pinch more basil before lowering the heat and closing the lid. Estella nodded sipping on her wine cooler. Arnica grabbed her own drink and sat on the wicker chair next to her cousin.

"Yep, he finished his first year, too. This would be his second, but by now everyone's star-stuck feelings have worn away. That's why you signed that "Stop Press" agreement. To preserve the privacy of all the high breed students. His brother is attending Eton I think."

"That's crazy, but of course I wouldn't know I've had my head in high school and college since his mother died. That was what five years ago? And news about the royals really doesn't trickle into America unless you look for it."

"Or read the paper." Arnica turned towards Estella quickly.

"Are you saying I'm not keeping up with the news?"

"Yep. Don't worry a lot of people don't unless it's extremely important. It's really a bad habit. You won't find too much of that here though. The school is really tough and very few students get in and American transfers are rare. Your just lucky I was here before you it may have helped." Arnica took a swig of her wine cooler before taking the soup off the burner.

"Yea but it's not like Sol isn't a common Latino name anyways. Wait a minute why are we having such a serious conversation? Tomorrow classes start and I haven't even had the chance to tour the grounds. Or the pubs, and I'm even legal in both countries so lets go do that." Estella looked at her pointedly, her right eyebrow arched as if to say 'your serious'?

"You want to get slammed before the first day of classes?"

"So what? It's not like we're not drinking now, and I didn't say slammed I said visiting pubs." Estella licked her lips and downed her wine cooler before nodding.

"Ok but no drinking until the wee hours of the morning just socializing."

"Whatever you say papi."

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_

Stepping into the pub you could tell college students visited regularly. Several were actually studying on the round tables while others where chattering away amongst themselves making up 75% of the noise pollution. Arnica immediately felt like 'American' was posted on her forehead and everyone who looked at her could just immediately tell. She looked to Estella for some direction but it seemed that Estella had already found a flock of friends to join. 'Thanks for including me, prima.' Arnica followed Estella to the farthest table from the entrance and smiled as she approached the table. Estella squealed loudly and hugged all the men and women, a clear attribute that she'd brought from home. Arnica and Estella were accustomed to hugging all their friends in greeting. Their mothers had hated it, because it was so flirtatious.

"Hey everyone this is mi prima from the states, Arnica Angelita Sol." Arnica smiled and waved and Estella began to point and introduce all of the people in her group.

"That's Michael, he's actually early to Andrew's. He wasn't supposed to arrive until tomorrow. He didn't even call me." The man looked to be 21 and well built with tousled curly hair, kakis, and a baby blue, long-sleeve collared shirt. He shook her hand and yelled a hello.

"That's Joseph, he's our resident stuff-shirt. His father's an Earl if you can believe it." This man had ivory white skin, red hair and freckles all across his face and neck. Like his companion he wore a long sleeved shirt and kakis.

"And finally, that is David." David turned out to be quite different. He wore a black long sleeved shirt and pants. He wore Doc Martin boots that had ornamental buckles all along the side. His nails were painted with cheap black nail polish and his hair was spiked in relatively short clumps all along his head. The tips where even dyed purple. Immediately Arnica admired him for his independence.

"Pleased to meet you Arnica. Always a pleasure to meet such a sweet looking girl." Arnica mumbled thanks, not knowing if it was a complement or not. Estella didn't bother to introduce the women of the table. She simply left to the bar to order drinks, making Arnica feel very much embarrassed.


"Well come, sit by me." David insisted. "Do you smoke? I happen to have some cigs with me." Arnica had actually quit smoking a year ago. The temptation however was tremendous so she nodded yes and lit up the cigarette feeling both guilty and excited. Free to say the least. And, did it ever feel so good to smoke. A year later and she was still undeniably hooked to the awful cancer ridden things. David was obviously a free spirit.

"So first day at ol' Andrews is it?" Michael asked. Arnica nodded.

"Yes I finished my required classes at my old University, St. Mary's. And I wanted to finish out my college years at St. Andrews. It's quite a prestigious school and would look really good on my diploma."

"No kidding, what are you majoring in?"

"Art." Michael almost burst out laughing.

"Art? So you are an artist too, eh?" Arnica looked a bit offended as Estella rejoined the group plunking down a large glass of brown beer in front of her.

"What happened?" Estella asked.

"You didn't tell me that your cousin was an artist Estella," Michael stated. "That's a complete waste of education if ever I heard one."

"Oh shut up Michael you've never seen Arnica's work it's terrific. She'll be famous and you'll be begging to have a piece of artwork in your bedroom."

"Well your half right."

_+_+_+_+_+_+_

"What the hell did that mean? 'Your half right.' Bastard. I'm always right!" Estella bellowed in the hallway. "What a selfish priss."

"Calm down Estella, I'm sure it was nothing." Arnica said pulling off her coat and shoes.

"Not when it comes to Michael, prima. You'd better watch yourself with him. I trust him about as far as you can throw him." Estella looked to the clock on the her bedroom table.

"Jeza it's already 12 am. Off to bed now or you'll be late and that does not make a good impression on the professors."

"I would if you would just shut up."

_+_+_+_+_+_

The next morning the alarm clock blared out the morning radio news as Arnica opened her eyes. She blinked twice before noticing that her cousin had already taken over the shower. Arnica grumbled and shut off the alarm clock before curling up into her blankets.

'Too cold.'


"Hey now get up!" Estella threw a moist towel onto Arnica and Arnica grumbled in reply. "Your going to need a shower to get yourself going. Come on now it's already 6 o'clock we leave in 15 minutes."

"Fifteen minutes why did you set the alarm so late?" Arnica bounded up grabbing some jeans, underwear and long sleeved shirt before rushing into the steamy bathroom.

"I didn't you kept hitting snooze!" After tying up her hair into a tight bun spreading on some make-up and perfume Arnica arose from the bathroom much nicer looking then 15 minutes ago. She walked into the kitchen to find Estella sipping on coffee and reading the morning paper.

"It's about time. I have your coffee ready to go, and grab a warm sweater or you'll freeze to death. Your from Texas remember? Anything under 80 degrees and you'll become a Popsicle." Arnica threw on her favorite sweater and grabbed her corduroy book bag. This was horrible her first class started in just thirty minutes and without Estella she'd be so lost she'd never find her way around. Wait a minute.

"Hey my first class is at 9:30. It's barely 6:25 why are we leaving so early?" Estella scowled at her.

"Because, dumbass, you haven't seen the whole school, and my class is at 8. I can't be holding your hand every where you go."

"Oh." Well, at least the scenery was pretty. It smelled a little like the sea and the university was so old and huge that Arnica thought it was once a castle or at least an older church. She didn't know she hadn't exactly read up on the university, although now she was clearly regretting her procrastination. It seemed like everywhere she turned there were birds waking up and singing and the sun had turned the clouds a deep shade of pink and blue. Almost like a painting.

"Hey Estella! Arnica wait up!" It was David and Michael, clearly surprised to have come along the two girls so early in the morning. At least David looked surprised. Just as asked the two girls waited on a concrete bench. David meet up with them first hugging both girls like it had been ages since they last meet up instead of just the night before.

"Michael what are you doing up so early did your maid wake you setting out your kakis and shirt?" Michael scowled a bit before ruffling up Estella's perfectly blown dry hair. "Jerk cut it out!"


"Maybe that'll teach you to not joke with me so early. For your information there is a reason why I'm up this early, although it's none of your business. Why are you here? I thought you had classes later on."

"I do I was just showing Arnica around. Hey why don't you and David show her around instead? I have to visit the library anyways." David snickered and already Arnica's cheeks felt warm. She hated being dumped onto other people like a puppy.

"You know the only reason I would is if she gives me a kiss." Michael smiled. "I do have reasons for being here."

"Hey its no big deal Michael we can show her around." David interjected. "I mean it's not a problem."

"It is for me and I want my reward for doing so." Arnica scowled, and sighed quickly. She stepped up to Michael and intended a quick peck on the lips as payment. Although when she did Michael clasped his hands on the small of her back and kissed her deeper and longer. Arnica was too stunned to wiggle out of his grasp and was a bit ashamed to admit that she actually liked the kiss. Instead she felt her cheeks grow a lot hotter then before and snuck quick looks to her cousin and David before staring straight down to the floor. Estella's mouth was open and in fact when she closed it Arnica noticed her cousins expression actually became a bit angry. David on the other hand looked hurt. Arnica was confused, why would it hurt David?

"Good now that it's all settled lets move on shall we?" Michael said guiding Arnica away from the small crowd to the north end of the university grounds. Estella took off without another word and David walked along side Arnica puffing on a cigarette staring straight up. Until 7:45 Michael and David pointed out key places that Arnica's schedule told her to go. By 8 David had to leave to his first class and Michael and Arnica were left alone.

"Didn't you have some meeting or something important to do, Michael?" She asked him, more out of curiosity then wanting him to leave. After the kiss Arnica had a very strange attraction to the man. She was sure however that it was purely the adrenaline talking and not true feelings. The man had made fun of her major, or whole purpose of being. Art was her life, so why was it that after that kiss Arnica couldn't help blushing when she looked up at Michael.

"Yes I do." Michael said. "I suppose you can come along with me. It's in the same building as your first and second classes. But I must warn you Arnica that you must keep completely silent about this. If you aren't you'll be kicked out of the university."

"Alright."

_+_+_+_+_+_+_

The smell of old books was the first thing to invade Arnica's senses as the two stepped into one of the buildings labeled "Arts and Humanities." Arnica was a bit taken back but kept silent as their shoes click-clacked all the way down the marble floors and when the stopped directly in front of a door marked "Professor Edmond Fitzgerald, Ph.D Arts and Humanities Director". Michael knocked quickly and entered after the voice of an older man bid them entrance. Inside was a balding professor of at least 45 years of age seated behind a polished mahogany desk twice the size of her own hand me down. The old man pushed his glasses back up his nose and took Michael's hand in greeting him. Arnica looked around a moment before smiling and greeting the professor herself.


"Well, well, my, my you have stunning green eyes my dear. Yes, stunning against that dark skin of yours. Yes, most elegant. What is your name my dear?" His breath smelt like mint candy.

"Arnica, Arnica Sol, professor."

"Ah yes, come, come, sit. I think I remember an Arnica Sol. Quite an interesting portfolio you have my dear. Yes, we don't see talent like yours too often. You have the best potential to become quite well known. But, please how do you know Mr. Cedrus?" Arnica smiled.

"I run in the same group of friends as her cousin. We meet last night." Michael answered, this she did not like one bit.

"Oh good, good. Well William should be here soon I'm glad to see you so early and with such lovely company. I'm sure it won't matter to him." A buzzing noise came from the professors intercom on his desk.

"Professor Fitzgerald William is here to see you." The man jumped up with delight and clapped his hands.

"Send him right in Agnus." He turned to Arnica. "My dear William also shows great promise in the arts I'm sure you two will find much to talk about."

"Yes I'm sure." Michael agreed, although not as enthusiastically as the professor. In the office walked a very handsome blonde that any photographer would have recognized.

"William so good to see you again ol' boy." Michael said, slapping William on the shoulder and shaking his hand. He looked to Arnica and smiled. "This is Arnica Angelita Sol. Wasting her life away on an art major as well."

"Hello very nice to meet you." William said taking Arnica's hand and shaking it.

"Nice to meet you, too." Arnica smiled trying to hide the bubble of excited feeling welling up inside her.

"William, my boy! So glad you've not changed your mind about majoring in Art History. You had me scared." Professor Fitzgerald took William's hand hugged him slightly.

"Very sorry about that Professor."

"Yes, yes, well it's alright. Alright indeed." The professor sat down at his desk and fiddled with the papers that littered his desk. "Ah , yes here it is. Your new schedule, and do make yourself at home William and be glad to have such wonderful friends as Mr. Cedar here to greet you. Have you meet Ms. Sol? She's one of our more talented students. In fact I think that you and she have a class together. Speaking of class I must rush off. I do have to keep up appearances that I am a professor you know."

"Yes, sir we do." William smiled as they were all shooed out the door and Professor locked it behind him.

"My dear, so good to meet you do keep in contact. I'd love to see new works you've created."

"I'll be sure to Professor." After that the three were left alone in the hallway. "Well he was pretty nice. Maybe the nicest professor I've ever met."

"Yes, well he is always in a hurry unfortunately. Rather hard to keep up with what he says." William commented. He looked to Michael. "Well tell me how did you two meet?"
_+_+_+_+_+_

"I knew this university was diversified when I first chose it. I wanted to get away from home and become more independent. Plus it's near the sea so that made it all the more appealing." Arnica nodded. It was almost six in the evening and they hadn't stopped chattering since. Michael was puffing on a cigarette and sipping on tea. Arnica had ordered a soup and Earl Grey tea and was taking tiny sips every five minutes. William was drinking a coke and they had gotten into they're conversation they had started that morning.

"I chose it because it was very prestigious. I wanted all the advantages I could take after picking my major. Artists don't get very far in the world. At least not from where I come from. In fact, Michael I don't even know your major.

"I'm pre-law. After this I go to Harvard or some other school my father thinks will look best." Arnica looked back to William.

"You see I could never find myself stuck into eight years of college. I'm just not built for it. Mi mama y papa always said 'I don't care what you do just go to college'. After that I'm on my own." The blonde waitress stopped over them.

"H're ya go love. One bowl of tomato soup and crackers. You sure you don't want anything else?"


"Yes I'm fine thanks."

"Well school is pretty much my whole life. I mean besides all those other engagements. There isn't time for much else." Micheal nodded.

"Yep the life of a royal or high class is always filled with appointments. Not to bad as compared to others just a bit boring." Arnica smiled.

"Oh what a terrible life you lead."

End Chapter One.