Gigi / Gilda Nnamani is an OC of my own creation. C mentioned here is a reference to caustic-c on tumblr.
March 11th, 1994
United Kingdom, England
Beyond enjoyed the solidarity of the greenhouse. The overgrown vines that hung from above & twisted through the glass panels created an overcast that reminded him of his home in Panama. It was typically silent in here & there was no one but ghosts to look at. Well, aside from C who enjoyed his own form of botany which was surrounded around poisonous plants. A few months ago, after constantly arguing & shoving each other's planters aside, they had finally reached an agreement to split the greenhouse down the middle. So far, it had gone without incident; though when C was not around, Beyond often did lean in close to the other boy's plants & observe them, which was something he knew C would throw a fit about if he was ever caught.
But today was another peaceful morning. Beyond often slipped into the greenhouse before classes began. He hated the early morning on the principle of liking sleep far more, but there was magic in the dew that could be found on his plants at this time; tangible otherworldly essence could be smelled in the air. Besides, if he didn't water & tend to his plants now, he'd surely be too tired or preoccupied to do so after class.
Beyond was in the middle of counting the leaf sprouts on his newly planted Agrimonia when an all too familiar voice was heard.
"Beee~ Beee~!" It sang, moments before the doors to the greenhouse were flung open & disregarded by an obnoxious presence. "There you are~!"
It was Gigi, of course. The young girl waltz in wearing, what seemed to be, newly purchased designer clothes. Beyond's eyes had already felt tired with the morning, but just being near the other child zapped him of what remaining energy he had left.
"What do you want, G." Beyond stated flatly, reaching for a clipping tool under the table. He aimed it at a pesky tuff of weed that was encroaching on his Fennel which had been growing strong so far.
"You should greet a girl nicer than that." Gigi huffed, leaning against the table diagonal from Beyond's position. He paused & watched the planters bobble & tetter at her movement before they settled back into place. His silence, which carried on then as he precisely trimmed his choking plant informed Gigi that he did not plan on answering that inane comment.
"I came~ to show off my new outfit!" She exclaimed, arms gesturing down at her elaborate clothes. Why she thought he'd be interested in such a thing, was truly beyond him, but he glanced over with a sarcastic gaze & blinked at the new clothes.
"Dare I ask where you got the money this time." Beyond breathed, setting down the tool & reaching for the rusted watering can next. He dribbled cold water over his various plants, a calculated amount falling into each platner according to the contained plants' needs.
"Not nefariously." Gigi giggled, a glint in her eyes. "I found a wad of cash when I went looking for you yesterday in the church."
Beyond's hand stopped & a few lingering drops of ice water dripped off the holed exit. Something began to tremble in him. The feeling did not bubble over into his voice, however, which remained constrained & even.
"...Just where in the church did you find it?" Something ominous filled the air around Beyond & Gigi would be a fool if she didn't pick up on it.
She paused, dainty brows knitting to pinch on her forehead. When she spoke, her voice was tight & rather devoid of her usual confidence. Gigi could never place what it was about Beyond that scared her when he was like this, but she supposed it was the same thing that kept everyone else from engaging him in the first place.
"It was in the confession box, I think where Priests used to store Rosaries they'd give to confessors & stuff." She rushed to explain, watching the color around Beyond sink into grayscale.
Beyond took a deep breath, but didn't know why. Gigi deserved to be blown up at right then; she utterly deserved the rage that was coursing through him. The watering can trembled in his hand.
"Did you even think that the money belonged to someone?" Beyond enunciated, speaking slowly. His dark hair was obscuring his face which pointed away from Gigi; he was afraid of what his expression was like just then.
"Uhm….uh...I-I guess I … didn't." Gigi fumbled, beginning to back out of the greenhouse. She realized by now that it was, apparently, important money she had taken. Whether it was Beyond's or just money Beyond had known about, she didn't know; but she didn't need to understand the details to comprehend the fair amount of danger she was in.
Beyond ground his teeth; his blood felt hot. That money … It was from his grandmother; what money his family in California could spare whenever they decided to write him. That money … Beyond didn't know what he was saving it for but a ghost whispered in his ear that he better save it; that something would happen one day where he needed emergency funds. He took that warning very serious & had not spent a cent of it.
He placed the watering can down as easily as he could, but it still clattered against the tile under the table. Gigi was closing in on the doors then, & though her eyes were trained on him, he suddenly appeared inches from her face. The inexplicable movement coiled her stomach with something awful. This was why people stayed away from Beyond, wasn't it? People had warned her to, but she hadn't listened. Oh, why didn't she listen...
"Gilda Nnamani," He said her name like it was a curse & Gigi swallowed. She thought it was a rumor that Beyond knew everyone's names - What else about him was true? Her hands shook.
"You're going to return everything you bought with that money." Beyond instructed her, voice low & cautionary. He took steps closer to her as he spoke, seeming to emphasize each word with an equivalent action. Gigi began to nod her head as she glanced over her shoulder to calculate how far the door was now. Just a few more feet. Could she run for it? Should she?
"You're going to hand me every penny of that money." Beyond licked his lips, the action not aimed at being malicious but rather a nervous tick. He didn't want to lash out & injure Gigi, really; she was a stupid girl, he thought. Impulsive. Reckless. Idiotic. Thoughtless. People like that … Didn't deserve pain. They were just sheep.
"& if you don't…" Gigi's hand rested on the tarnished bar of the door behind her. Her gaze finally navigated away from Beyond's burning eyes & appraised the rest of his face; the action caused him to hesitate & with that, Gigi bolted from the room.