Jenny couldn't believe it. She was finally in love.
Just like she'd always dreamed of. Ever since she was a little girl...
Except Jenny's prince was no Prince Charming, but a psychotic serial killer with a penchant for bloodlust.
Yet she wouldn't trade him for the world.
NNY was just as crazy as Jenny was, and they were definitely a match made in heaven. His soul harboured a lot of darkness, just like hers.
In fact, she saw the same pain in his eyes when he confessed his love to her the other day, and she knew she found a kindred spirit.
She even imagined marrying him one day and having his babies, but that was way, way into the future.
There was no rush.
NNY hardly left her side these days as he always hung around the shop. The only time he bothered to leave was when he headed out to eat or when he had the urge to stab someone.
Right now, he'd left the shop to buy them both some tacos from Taco Smell, and he promised he would be back within the hour.
She just hoped he remembered she was vegetarian.
Just as she was arranging a bouquet, smiling as she pictured NNY waiting in line at the Mexican food chain, a woman entered the shop.
Jenny smiled out of habit, but the woman only had eyes for her paintings.
Her gut clenched. Oh no.
The woman gawked at her paintings, and Jenny's heart pounded.
Most customers hardly paid any attention to them, which was why Jenny hung them up in the end.
Her grandmother always loved her paintings. So to honour her memory, she placed them up in the shop.
They did brighten up the place, yet they weren't anything spectacular. Just pretty forest scenes and flowers.
The woman had a sharp, pointed face, and Jenny couldn't tell whether she liked the paintings or not.
Still, she took a deep breath, welcoming the woman to her shop. "Welcome to Jenny's Enchanted Garden. If there's anything you need, ma'am, then I'm right here."
"Mm-hmm," the woman replied, gazing at the signature at the bottom right of one canvas. She pointed her long red fingernail. "Who is this artist? I have never heard of this Jenny..."
She talked with an uppity accent. The complete opposite of Jenny's soft drawl.
Jenny's cheeks flushed, and then she dipped her head, hiding behind a curtain of pink hair. "I-I'm Jenny..."
The woman finally looked up.
Jenny almost squeaked.
Her face was so severe, and Jenny swore she could see right through her. A cold shiver ran down her spine.
"Is that so...?" the woman remarked, gazing at Jenny through a pair of oversized sunglasses.
Jenny dragged a stuttered breath through her lungs. "Y-yes..."
Finally, a smile crossed the woman's face. Well, at least Jenny thought it was a smile. It could have been a smirk.
Her insides froze when the woman penetrated her with a cool, glacier stare next, assessing her worth as a human being.
"You've got talent, Jenny. Your paintings look almost life-like..."
Jenny sighed, relaxing her shoulders, and a small smile curved her lips. "You really like my paintings?"
The woman shrugged. "Ugh, why not? They're beautiful in their simplicity. You really capture the beauty of nature with your gentle brushstrokes."
A mist formed over Jenny's eyes, and then her smile widened. "Th-thank you. You're so kind."
The woman stalked closer, and Jenny felt like a zebra being corned by a lion. "This world could do with a little more simplicity. Everyone tries to be too edgy these days. It's tiring. What is it with you kids this generation? You don't have to be dark and tortured all the time. Ugh..."
The woman gagged, and Jenny raised a brow. She couldn't tell how old the woman was, since she'd had too much work done on her face, but judging by her tone, she had to be fifty.
The woman sneered again, and it stretched her whole face. "But then there's you... Such a breath of fresh air and so sweet... You almost look good enough to eat."
Jenny squeaked, and the woman threw her head back and cackled. "So adorable! If only my daughter were as precious, but she's too 'edgy'. She grew one of those "Mohawks", and now she plays drums in a band. A shame. A Princeton graduate, too..."
The woman sighed, and Jenny watched her strangely. What was wrong with a Mohawk? Jenny thought they were beautiful...
The woman eyed her up and down again. Then she handed her a card, and Jenny gazed at it in shock.
"What is it?"
The woman sniggered. "My business card, darling. You're not from the city, are you? I'm guessing you're a country girl?"
Jenny swallowed. She was. It was why her paintings depicted a lot of nature. Sometimes, she missed the fresh air and large open fields.
The air in the city was smoggy and smelled like car fuel.
She only came to the city in the hopes of blending in. She hoped it would stop the doctors from finding her...
Jenny took the card, taking note of the name. "Dahlia Fontaine?"
The woman smirked proudly when she heard her name, throwing her fur scarf around her neck. It was made from real fur, and Jenny gave a silent prayer for the poor animal.
I'm sorry...
She met Dahlia's shrewd eyes. "Why would you give me this?"
Dahlia scoffed, placing her sunglasses over her eyes again. "I own a gallery uptown, darling, and I want to feature your art. It will help to get eyes on your paintings. A lot of artists I've featured in my gallery now have thriving careers... "
Jenny's eyes widened, and then her heart pounded as she couldn't believe her ears. "You... want to feature my art?"
The woman thought for a moment. "Yessss. I'm getting sick of all these whiny goth types these days. We get it. You're so dark and mysterious. Gah!"
Again, she poked her tongue out, and for someone who appeared to be so high-class, she really was immature with her expressions.
Still, Jenny couldn't believe she wanted to feature her art.
Dahlia gripped Jenny's chin with her long, pointed fingernails, making her wince. Then she turned around, leaving her dumbfounded.
What just happened?
The woman bumped into NNY on her way out the door, hissing in disgust. "Well, you're certainly a wacky-looking one. I'd simply die if my daughter ever dated someone as wacky as you..."
NNY seethed, his eyes bulging in red-hot rage. "What the hell did you just say?"
Dahlia glanced back at Jenny, and it was as if NNY wasn't even there anymore. "Well, ta-ta, Jenny, and... keep the police on speed dial. This one's certainly very wacky... if you know what I mean..."
She finally vanished, leaving NNY utterly stunned. It took him a few moments, but then his fists clenched as he ground his teeth, reaching around for his knives.
"I'll show you wack—!"
"NNY, it was amazing! That lady... she loved my paintings!"
NNY's hand froze halfway to his knives. "Huh...?"
Jenny squealed, skipping around the counter to join his side. She waved the business card in his face. "That lady was admiring my paintings just now, and she wants to feature my art in her gallery. I can't believe it!"
She screamed next, and NNY flinched. Then she grabbed his hands, spinning him around, and he looked as if he wanted to vomit.
Jenny stopped, stepping back. NNY held onto the wall for support, his face a sickly shade of green. He covered his mouth.
"I'm so sorry... did I make you dizzy?"
He burped, focusing his eyes on her again, and he looked so disoriented. "What... what happened? Why... why were you screaming?" His face paled. "Are you in danger?"
She giggled. "No, silly. I already told you. That woman just now, well, she owns an art gallery uptown, and she's going to feature my paintings!"
NNY's eyes flashed bright red, and then he went to grab his knives again. "Of course! That snooty bitch. She called me wack—!"
Jenny grabbed his arm, barely hearing his threats over the sound of her own excitement.
"Come on! Let's celebrate with some tea and cucumber sandwiches!"
NNY grimaced. "Cucumber? No! I bought tacos."
He dropped the bag onto the counter, and Jenny's eyes widened. "Oh, right. How could I forget?"
She twirled her pink hair in embarrassment. NNY regarded her strangely, grabbing his chin in thought.
"What's gotten into you? You're more... animated..."
He wiggled his hands for effect.
Jenny smiled, holding up the business card. He musn't have heard her the first two times. "My paintings are going to be featured in an art gallery. Can you believe it? Someone loves my paintings!"
NNY grabbed the card, scanning the name as he almost looked as if he wanted to burn holes into the cardboard.
He looked back up.
She clasped her fingers, waiting for his response. He was silent, and she assumed he was still angry about being called "wacky".
It certainly was a triggering word for him, but luckily, Dahlia had already left by the time NNY could exact his revenge.
"So, what do you think?"
He raised an eyebrow, glancing quickly at her paintings on the wall. Then he sighed, passing her the card. "I suppose it is good news. Exposure is every artist's dream after all. But..."
Jeannie blinked. "But what...?"
NNY jumped up onto the counter, unwrapping his taco. Bits of cheese dropped onto his pants.
"Well, the lady was a bitch. What more can I say?"
She harrumphed, moving around the counter to finish her bouquet. "You could at least try to sound excited. You are my boyf..."
She stopped herself short. Although he'd confessed his feelings to her, she still didn't want to say boyfriend out loud.
It may trigger him just like the word wacky did...
NNY lowered his taco, gazing down at the floor in silence. His cheeks burnt red as he swallowed.
Jenny decided to leave him alone. She supposed he was thrilled; he just had an odd way of showing it.
Dahlia had been mean to him, after all, so it was understandable.
"I'm sorry, and it's okay, NNY. I know you're happy for me. You don't have to say it out loud. So, enjoy the rest of your taco..."
Jenny still hadn't touched hers as she didn't feel all that hungry anymore.
NNY was silent as he sat on her counter. Meanwhile, she fussed with her bouquet, unable to get the arrangements right.
Finally, he exhaled, glancing up at last. A small smile curved his lips. "I am happy for you. Your art should be in a museum, let alone an art gallery. But people uptown are not friendly. I should warn you."
Jenny thought about Dahlia again. She was pretty sharp, and she wore a fox tail around her neck.
She sighed, peering down at Dahlia's card.
Should she call her?
NNY's warning swirled through her mind, but she couldn't let a bunch of uptown people stop her from her dream.
How else was she supposed to succeed? She couldn't let adversity foil her.
She smiled at NNY. He blinked, his taco frozen halfway to his mouth.
"I appreciate your concern, but this is something I have to do. I can't be afraid to try new things anymore. No more being shy and worrying about what people may think of me. So... I'm going to do it. I'm going to call Dahlia."
He studied her a little longer. Then the corner of his mouth lifted with a crooked smile.
"That's what I admire about you, Jenny. You truly are an inspiration, always trying to better yourself. Meanwhile, I just regress further and further. I haven't even painted in years. My artistic credentials come in the form of a deranged stick figure these days. I really am hopeless."
A dark cloud formed over him next, and Jenny pushed the bouquet aside, climbing up onto the counter beside him. She placed her hand on his shoulder. "You're not hopeless, NNY. You inspire me every day too. And after everything you've been through... Yet here you are, still alive..."
He snorted. "Just about. Before I met you, I may as well have been a walking corpse. I just wanted to be cold. Speaking of cold... your taco's getting cold..."
He chomped on his taco again. The shell crunched, dropping bits onto his pants along with the cheese.
Jenny didn't care about her taco. She just wanted to show NNY that he wasn't hopeless.
She wrapped her arms around him, even though he was trying to eat his taco. "You're not hopeless or cold, NNY..."
He sighed. "I know. It's awful..."
Jenny giggled, squeezing him tighter. She made him choke on his taco a little, but how else was she supposed to show him that she cared?
"Besides... Happy Noodle Boy is very inspiring. I learn new things from him every day..."
NNY choked again when he heard her confession. So she let him go, giving him space.
He picked up his drink and sipped. "Thanks, I guess. I'm glad someone else besides the homeless insane likes my comics."
Jenny smiled, crossing her legs. Then she grabbed her own taco as they ate in silence, watching the people pass by on the street outside.
For just a moment, everything was right with the world. Jenny had a boyfriend, her own shop, and a promising art career on the horizon.
Life couldn't get more wonderful.