"These flowers are coming along nicely, Misty." Cordelia said.
"They sure are!" Misty chuckled. "I'm havin' a great time with ya, Miss Cordelia...You're so good to these plants. It's just so admireable." Misty replied.
Cordelia laughed, looking down at her feet. She could feel her cheeks turning redder by the second.
"Come on, Misty. You know you've put just as much work into these as I have, if not more." She replied.
"Oh hush up, Miss Cordelia! You're wonderful, These plants'd die without ya!" Misty said, and lightly touched Cordelia's shoulder, reassuringly.
Cordelia smiled and shook her head. "Are you forgetting which one of us has the power of resurgence?"
"That don't change anything, Delia…" Misty said, as she looked lovingly at Cordelia, her hand still rested on the Headmistress' shoulder.
"You're still...so very special…" Misty whispered.
Cordelia's heart jumped into her throat. She suddenly became very aware of how her hands were hanging uselessly at her sides and grabbed a nearby fern to fidget with.
"Ha," Cordelia laughed weakly. "Thanks, Misty."
"It's no problem, Delia. Just so long as you know ya are." Misty said and smiled, turning to the plant Cordelia had grabbed.
"I thought we were done with that one, Miss Cordelia?" She said.
Cordelia felt tears welling up behind her eyes. How long had it been since somebody called her special? Had Hank ever bothered to?
She blinked hard and brought her attention back to the greenhouse. Misty was looking expectantly at her.
"Sorry," Cordelia said. "What?"
"We already did that one, Delia." Misty said, slightly worried. "Are you...alright?"
Cordelia plastered a smile on her face. "Yeah!" She cleared her throat. "Yeah, I'm fine."
"You're right, we did this one already." She put the fern back on the table and pointed to a plant nearby. "Hey, you know what this one is?" she asked.
"It's...a…" Misty said, putting her hands at her sides. "Oh, I haven't got a clue!" She giggled.
"What is it?" Misty asked, smiling at Cordelia.
Cordelia picked up the plant and placed it in Misty's hands, her smile turning genuine. "It's a Belladonna." She said.
"Ooooh! That's a pretty name!" Misty said excitedly. "Y'know Stevie's got a while record called Bella Donna?"
"She's got the song, too!" She said, "Here, let me play it for you!"
Misty grabbed her 8 track off the floor, and put in a different tape. She began humming the lyrics to the song.
"Oooh my Bella Donna, Come in out of the darkness…"
She began to twirl.
"It's just a feelin'..." She sang. "Sort of captures your soul,"
Misty looked at the Headmistress, and stopped her spinning.
"Dance with me, Delia!" She happily said.
Cordelia smiled so hard her cheeks hurt. She knew Misty would love it since she saw the Belladonna tape lying on the floor near Misty's 8 track.
"No, no," She protested. "I'd rather just watch you, really."
"Oh, Nonsense, Delia!" Misty laughed. "This song reminds me so much of ya, it'd be a shame if you didn't dance with me!" Misty took Cordelia's hands in her own.
Cordelia let Misty lead as they twirled and danced around the greenhouse. Though Cordelia's limbs usually felt too long or too awkward when she tried to dance with anyone else, with Misty it felt...natural.
Don't you know that the stars are
A part of us
And the lady's feeling
Just like the Moon that she loved…
Cordelia slowed their dancing to listen closer. This song reminded Misty of her?
Cordelia shook the thought away.
"This is a really pretty song, Misty." Cordelia said. "I can see why you like it."
Misty happily twirled with the Headmistress. "Bella Donna… My Soul…" She sang. "Don't change… baby please don't change…"
"Oh Cordelia, I'm so glad you're dancin' with me!" She said.
"It means...The World to me."
"I'm having a great time, too, Misty," Cordelia laughed. "I can't remember the last time I actually enjoyed myself dancing. Hank can never really tell where his feet are… or where mine are, for that matter."
The words were already out of her mouth before Cordelia could stop herself. She could tell Misty didn't like when she talked about Hank, not after he yelled at her in the greenhouse a few days ago. She cursed in her head and looked up at Misty searching for a response.
"Yeah...yeah, I never took him for much of a dancer." Misty said, looking to the ground.
You are in love with
And I'm ready to sail
It's just a feeling
As the song came to an end, Misty pulled away from Cordelia.
"Well...I outta get you to dance more often then." Misty said, less than happily. She was slightly off put by Cordelia's mention of Hank, but she tried not to let it show, though she knew it had.
"Hey…" Cordelia said softly, wracking her brain for something to say to change the subject.
Internally, she pleaded for Misty to turn back with the same smile she had on her face as they danced. She couldn't stand to see Misty so dejected when she had been so happy just moments ago.
"A couple of these plants are looking kind of dry. Want to try another incantation?" Cordelia asked.
"I...I'm actually feelin' kind've tired, Miss Cordelia," She said, "Ya mind if I just go upstairs and rest?" Misty looked at Cordelia with a faked smile.
"...Sure. Sure, go ahead." Cordelia searched Misty's face for something that might signal that she was kidding, that she might burst out laughing at any moment. But there was nothing. She watched sadly as Misty turned away.
Misty was about to leave the greenhouse when Cordelia realized she wouldn't let her go that easily. After trying to find the right words but failing, she simply decided on:
"Are you sure?" Her voice echoed more than she would have liked through the room.
Misty turned around to look back up at Cordelia. The seemingly sad swamp witch smiled at the Headmistress' words.
"I mean… I could do a few more incantations...if ya...if ya want…" She said.