Chapter Two: Petals

Daisy showed up at the front door the following day. She had a tennis racket in her hand and told me, more like ordered me, that I was going to learn how to play.

At first I denyed her, but that didn't really work out.
She still ended up dragging my ass out of the house.
I was ordered to carry the sports bag.

"Daisy! C'mon! I can barely hold the darn thing!" The tennis racket and Luigi's hand was wobbling because he was so nervous. Daisy laughed and took the racket away from him. "Can't and won't play tennis with me, huh?" She smirked. "Fine. Basketball it is. You can keep carrying the sports bag."

Daisy put the rackets back inside the bag and pulled out a bright, orange, round, bouncy ball. Luigi gulped. "What?! Don't I get a say in anything?" Daisy puffed out her chest and let out a long sigh. "You're hopeless," She threw the basketball at Luigi's chest. He caught it. "You always say you're not as good as Mario. Today I'm going to show you how wrong you are."

Luigi trailed behind Daisy as she led him to a large cement area. Luigi could only look at Daisy. Her yellow shorts were shorter than short. Her yellow T-Shirt came above her belly button just by an inch and looked like it was going to fold upwards. "I suppose that's the only 'girly' a tomboy like Daisy can get." Luigi thought. Before he realized it, Daisy popped a big bubble gum bubble right in his face.

"Toss me the ball!" Daisy ran onto the cement and carried a pole and a net with her. Luigi tossed the ball at Daisy. It his her right in the head. "Are you okay?!" Luigi ran over to the surprised, on-the-ground Daisy. She got up. "I'm just a bit dizzy," she said rubbing the red spot on her forehead. "But I'll live."

It was only a few more minutes until Daisy had set up a strange looking basketball hoop. She tossed the basketball back at Luigi. This time, he ended up on the ground.

Daisy ran circles around me the entire time, but she never got a shot. Every jump I made was a point saver. We ended our game about a half hour after it started and Daisy was pooped. Impressed, but pooped.

"You're not half bad," she blushed. "At jumping, I mean. Can your brother jump that high?"

"No, he can't."

"Well, you've impressed me."

"Really?"

"Yes. We've found something you're better than Mario at."

"I wouldn't count jumping as-"

"Well you better! Or I'll pound you!"

"Yes'm."

I ended my day with Daisy early in order to go home and test out a few things. Well, really only one thing. I wanted to see how high I could jump. It turns out that I could get to some pretty high heights. Heights that not even my brother could get to. I was impressed with myself. I thought I could never be good at something, but here I am, amazingly skilled at jumping.

My self-party ended abruptly by a Bowser attack.

"I'LL CLOBBER YOU, YOU LITTLE RED NERD."

The bad tempered Koopa blasted fire with a loud roar. Mario jumped over it.
"Don't burn the field, idiot!"

"I'LL BURN WHAT I WANNA BURN, NERD."

"Horn ass!"

Luigi was sitting on top of the roof of the house when a burst of flame shot up like an explosion. "Bowser." He jumped off the roof and sprinted towards the dissapearing flame. Mario and Bowser were fighting in the middle of one of the meadows. More importantly, it was Peach's favorite meadow where the blue tipped bobby flowers grew during the summer time.

Then he saw her. Peach was standing to the side of the fight being guarded by a small gathering of Koopas.
"Now's my chance to be a hero!"
While Bowser blew flames and Mario punched his gut, Luigi snuck around the back to Peach and the Koopas. The Koopas were too busy watching the fight to pay attention to the teen princess in puffy pink. Luigi grabbed her hand.
"Come with me."

He led her away to the patch of blue flowers she adored. "Why didn't you run away, Luigi?" Peach was puzzled. "Usually you run away from dangerous things like this." Luigi frowned. "I could ask you the same thing," he said. "Why didn't you run away when the Koopa Troopers weren't watching you?" Peach blushed. "Because I wanted Mario to save me like he always does," She looked over at the frowning Luigi. "B-but this is a nice change of pace!" Peach gave him a hug. The flowers were on a little hill just above the meadow. Peach sat down on the hill and picked at a flower petal.

"Have you ever done this before?"

"Done what?" Luigi murmered.

"Picked petals to show you who you're gonna marry?"

"No."

"Wanna try?"

Luigi reached for the flower, but looking at Peach's bright blue eyes made him draw back.

"No."

"Please, Luigi? For me?"

Not being able to deny her, Luigi plucked a flower from the earth and removed a petal.
Petal by petal, he felt rejection slithering into his skin.

She loves me

She loves me not

She loves me

She loves me not

She loves me

She loves me not

She loves me

Luigi stared at the last petal. "She loves me..." he muttered. He put the remaining petal attached to the stem into his cap. "What was your answer, Luigi?" Peach batted her eyelashes at him. Luigi gulped. "Uh, it was 'she loves me'." he said. Peach giggled. "Who was the girl?"
Luigi twiddled his thumbs. "No one." he said. "I didn't wish for anyone. I just did it for fun."
Liar.
"Well, if you did do it for a girl and you won't tell me, I'm sure she loves you very much."
No. Not really. No.
"Yes, Peach, I'm sure too."

Fire blazed from the bottom of the hill.

"WHERE THE FUCK IS PEACH, MARIO?! I DIDN'T EVEN SEE YOU TAKE HER!!"

"How the heck should I know, you bloated turtle!"

"HUH? LOOK! SHE'S UP THERE WITH YOUR STUPID BROTHER!"

"So we fought for nothing?"

"NO, NOT REALLY. I HATE YOU. I CAN FIGHT YOU WHENEVER I WANT."

"Later, Bowser..."

Mario found us at the top of the hill. He wasn't too happy that Peach was with me instead of waiting to be rescued. Turns out that Mario made Peach stand there so he could show off his strength. I didn't think that was really fair to Peach, but apparently my say in anything didn't matter.

When we got home, Mario ended up yelling at me and telling me that if I kept hitting on his girl, I was gonna get it.

I hate my life.

I hate my brother.

I hate the fact that I can't confess my feelings to that one special girl.

I hate that her best friend likes me.

I hate that I'm so wimpy.