Chapter One

They say there is a fine line between love and hate. To love or to hate, there has to be a connection. There has to be something there, a spark before the extreme. Two extremes but not opposites. Emotions that far-too-easily overlap.

That was probably the reason Plagg couldn't breath. Because somewhere along this dark winding road his hate had turned into love. Even if he himself couldn't- absolutely refused to- believe it. His hatred, his disdain had turned into love.

And his flowers said it all.

Hanahaki- a disease born from a one-sided, usually unrequited, love. People with Hanahaki cough up pedals, whole flowers much later on, as a physical manifestation of their love. Flowers vary from person to person. And though the origin of the disease was unknown, along with why it had suddenly started to effect people, the doctors could remove the flowers from the lungs of the ill.

Which left a question. Why had Plagg not had his flowers removed? Simple, whether it was love or hate, he didn't want to lose what he felt for her.

Tikki Cheng. The stupidly strong-headed class rep. He hated her, it couldn't really be love. Everything about her annoyed him. That stupid sweet smile she always had plastered on her fake face. Her too-bright-to-be-natural red hair. And those obnoxious blue bell eyes that always seemed to see right through him. He hated her.

But even thinking of her made him choke. If he hadn't been in the safety of his own personal bathroom that was attached to his room, them maybe he might have worried about the orange pedals that slipped passed his dark fingers. But since he was locked away, far from the view of others, he didn't care that little orange lily pedals littered his bathroom linoleum.

Hatred and disdain.

He hated her so much? So why? Why did he cough up pedals everytime she entered his mind?

"Plagg hurry up." Nooroo called from outside his bathroom door.

He was probably Plagg's best friend, not that he would ever openly admit it, and also one of the most dense people ever. The purple haired boy was probably thinking so weird reason for Plagg to still be in the bathroom. He once told everyone at Plagg's birthday party that he had a weird obsession with showers and was constantly taking them because though he loved cheese greatly he hated to always smell of it.

"I'll be out when I'm good and ready." Plagg grumbled just loud enough to the other to hear.

"Come on man. We were supposed to meet up with Trixx and Pollen like," There was a brief moment of silence while Nooroo checked his phone. "Like, half an hour ago."

"Go without me then." Plagg called through the door. He was pretty sure he was done. No petals, no blood. Okay, he was good.

"No way! If I don't take you out, you'd probably just sit in your room all day eating cheese and playing video games."

"I see nothing wrong with that." Plagg flushed the toilet. He rinsed his hands before making his way to the door.

Nooroo's frown came into clear view, making Plagg want to slam the door in his stupid face. Sometimes having friends that actually care about your well-being was hard.

"You look pale."

"I'm pretty sure you have no right to talk." Plagg teased. Nooroo and he were opposites. Where Nooroo was pale and had naturally light blonde hair- why he dyed it purple was beyond Plagg but he never wanted to see the inside of his friend's mind- Plagg had black hair and dark skin. So for Nooroo to comment... Maybe he wasn't as good at hiding this as he had originally though.

Nooroo's worried eyes followed him behind thick rimmed glasses. "Shou-"

"Dude, you were so worried about being late and now you're blocking me in my bathroom. Make up your mind." Plagg teased him again.

He loved to watch his friend fumble after getting flustered. It was like he had no idea what to do. He had been caught unaware.

"Yeah- yeah. Sorry. Want me to grab your bag?" He stepped away.

"It's in the kitchen. I'll get my shoes." Plagg bolted left, heading down the small apartment hall to his bedroom.

He didn't mind living in an apartment. It was just him and his dad, Sass, so they didn't have need of the big house they used to live in when his mom...

"Plagg, dude, when is your dad getting home?" Nooroo's voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"Should be soon. He's in China right now." Plagg raised an eyebrow at the question before realizing that his friend was in the kitchen. The almost barren, desolate, kitchen.

It wasn't like Plagg didn't know how to shop, or that he just didn't. But, it seemed like a waste to get a lot at once when his father was gone. He would get what he needed when he needed.

Plagg shook his head. He could think about that later. Right now he just wanted to get this day over with. Having to be a third wheel, which he often was when it came to Nooroo and Duusu, was awkward and, at times, unbearable, so he could only imagine how weird it was going to be being the fifth wheel.

Not that this was, to his knowledge, a double date that he was crashing. It was just... All of his friends were dating. Pollen had Trixx, Nooroo and Duusu couldn't be separated even if their families were too close to a Romeo and Juliet feud. Ah, the pleasures of being rich.

"You almost ready?" Nooroo's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Yeah. Give me a second would you." He snapped, grabbing the nearest shows he could find, a pair of worn black converse.

Man, he really didn't want to go. But at least it would take his mind off of her for the moment. But just like every time he tried to forget or brush her from his mind, those perfect blue bell eyes crept into his tthoughts.

He let a hiccup escape.

Tikki Cheng. Loud, stubborn, lucky, always right, and amazingly beautiful. She was nothing but a constant thorn in his side, the flutter in his stomach, the pang in his heart, and now she was the flowers in his throat.

She really did just continue to take.