Chapter 33: Flowers for the May Dance
I head back to my room and slump down on my bed. Ellen is probably studying, and Virginia is probably in the gym, so I'm alone here. It's stupid, but I can't stop thinking about Hieronymus and how he held me while teleporting me back. Shouldn't I worry more about being tricked by a fellow student?
Or think about what may happen to Damien, now that he has been caught? Since he finally gave up on me, I should feel more relieved and less…
embarrassed, joyous, flustered, jubilant, yearning, love-struck. Geez, it wasn't even a full hug! How could that small amount of body contact stir me up so much?
I mean, it's not like I'm a virgin… though technically I am right now, but not… mentally?
The next day I approached Potsdam after green magic class, in order to ask her about that student, who tricked me. It's not like she intended harm, since she thought, that Damien just wanted to clear up some misunderstanding, but she should still get punished, right? She trapped me and teleported me against my will away from the academy after all. "Don't worry, cupcake. Hieronymus already informed me about Miss Melia's contribution in your abduction. He even wanted to expel her,
but I convinced him, that detention and demerits would suffice, since she didn't intend to harm you." I see. That's good, I guess.
"Ah, I have another request!", I exclaim. I nearly forgot about it… "I'd like to sell bouquets in the mall on Saturday as fundraiser for the May Dance, but I don't think I'd be able to grow enough on my own. Also, I haven't bought the seeds yet…" Potsdam smiles at me. "Oh, I know just the right person, to drive you to the nearest home improvement center. And we can use the seeds as practice in my next green magic classes, there are still many students, who need to learn that spell."
Nice, with this we should be able to raise enough funds. I don't know how well the bouquets will sale, but I will make flower wristbands and brooches out of the leftovers and sell them for the May Dance.
After my next black class, Potsdam informed me, that Hieronymus will drive me after the last afternoon class and that I should meet up with him at his room.
As expected of Potsdam. I bought a variety of flower seeds, florist's wire, wax in form of a lot of simple white candles, paper for packaging the flowers and ribbons in different colours. I even managed to order some tulip bulbs, which will arrive on Wednesday. Tulips are planted in autumn and blossom in spring, so it's the right time to sell them and I really like tulips, so I didn't want to miss out on them. I'm sure they will sell well. Unfortunately, I had to borrow money from Grabiner, since my own money wasn't enough. Shame on me, but I didn't have much money left after buying a dress for the May Dance.
After classes on Wednesday, I go to the post office to collect the tulip packets and head towards the empty patch Potsdam has showed me, to plant the tulips and speed up their growth. It takes up the whole afternoon and evening, but I don't mind garden work and the weather is perfect for spending time outside anyways.
The next day I want to plant the rest of the tulips and check on the growth of the others, but Minnie approaches me after classes in the halls.
"I'm sorry… everything got so out of hand, I completely forgot…" What is she talking about? "The May Day Ball. We're supposed to do a fundraiser." Oh, so that's it.
"I have taken care of it, but it would've been nice to be reminded earlier anyways. We will sell flowers in the mall, I need your help with making bouquets and selling them on Saturday. Furthermore, we'll make accessories for the May Dance from the leftover flowers, for which I also need your help. I'd like to sell them next Thursday or Friday.", I reply to her. Minnie just stares at me confused. "I… uh… of course, I'll help…", she stutters after having snapped out of it.
Why is she so surprised? Is it due to the game event? I shouldn't have been prepared for the fundraiser, following the game flow after all…
On Saturday I wake up extra early to deliver the mail and pack the flowers into the van. I had harvested them yesterday evening and kept them in buckets filled with water, so I only have to move the buckets in the van, together with some vases and the other stuff. Hieronymus drives us to the mall and Minnie and I set up our booth with his help. After we have finished, we start making bouquets. Since I read a book about flower language in the holydays, I use the knowledge to make bouquets for different purposes. I instruct Minnie in which flowers to use together for funeral bouquets, apology bouquets or bouquets used for confessing your feelings or simply giving thanks. Apart from the mixed bouquets, we also make some simple bouquets from tulips, in one color or mixed colors.
After having stocked up our booth with enough bouquets, Minnie leaves and I take over the first shift. My shift will last for three hours, after that Minnie also takes over for three hours. After that I will take over again for two hours and then Minnie will come help packing up. Apart from selling to the mundane mall visitors, students can also order bouquets to be delivered to someone for tomorrow. Courting gifts are popular in the magical world, especially in the spring, so a lot of our customers are fellow students. Most of the bouquets we made, are for showing affection accordingly. Apart from that, I sold two apology bouquets to young men for their fiancé / wife and a funeral bouquet to an elderly woman, who came to the mall with her daughter to eat some cake, before visiting the cemetery for the death anniversary of her husband, and a small bouquet for showing your thanks to a young woman, who wants to thank her neighbor for taking care of her cat, while she was away due to work. People sure like to chat. Well, it's a good thing, that I read that book about flower language, since I wouldn't have been able to advise them on what to buy otherwise.
Minnie arrived early to her shift and I use my break for roaming the mall a bit. Since I have used my whole money for buying supplies, so that I would have to borrow as less money as possible from my husband, there is now nothing I can really do here, apart from a bit windowshopping. I immediately gave Hieronymus the five dollar I received as allowance this morning. I really hate owing others money.
I head back early to take over the last shift, since I'm growing bored of wandering the mall soon. Minnie also managed to sell a few bouquets, though not as many as I did. My second shift proceeds without any remarkable incidences. When it's time to close our store, we made enough profit to repay Hieronymus fully and I get my invested funds back. The surplus left isn't much, but it's not the end of our fundraiser yet. By the way, Hieronymus sat the whole time in the corner of our small store and read a book, like at the fundraiser for Thanksgiving.
On Sunday, I deliver the ordered bouquets, before heading to the post office. Minnie and I craft the flower accessories, which we'll sell on Thursday afternoon for the May Dance. I also got Ellen to help us. I didn't need to persuade her, but she still feels distant. I didn't even try asking Virginia, since I doubt that she's good at crafting. Ellen melts the wax and I dip the flowers into it, thereby preserving them. In addition, I modify the properties of the wax slightly by using black magic, in order to improve the coating properties a bit. Meanwhile Minnie makes some bows using the hot glue gun, which we'll be using as base for the wrist corsages.
Next I show them how to stick the flowers on the bows, using glue and wire. "Where did you learn how to make these?", Ellen asks me curiously. I shrug.
"I read a book about handicraft in the holydays. There wasn't much to do here anyways…", I explain to her. "Wait, you stayed here for the holydays? Why didn't you go home?" She sounds a bit suspicious… Maybe she thinks I stayed for my husband? Furthermore, Ellen didn't know? Now that I think about it, we only talked about their holydays back then. They didn't ask and I usually don't talk about myself, unless someone wants to know something about me.
"I stayed because of Damien." NOT my husband! Now Minnie also curiously turns to me. Wait, was it wrong to mention Damien?
"What has Damien to do with it?", Ellen asks confused. I sigh. "He kind of stalked me, so I didn't feel safe returning home. Which turned out to be the right decision.", I dryly explain to her. Great, now she is visibly upset. "He stalked you? And you didn't tell us? What else is there, that we don't know about you?", she complains pouting. Are you the right one to accuse me? Mrs. Secret-Organization-Member, who is dating Donald behind our backs? Well, she shouldn't be part of Rose and Wasp, since she didn't argue with Grabiner about her exam, but she would join them without telling us, if given the chance.
"It's not like he harrassed me a lot, I didn't pay him much attention anyways. Then he started dating Myreen and I thought he would've given up, but he attacked her and got expelled. I felt a bit tense during the holydays and might've confided in one of you for consolation, but you were at Virginia's, having fun.", I remark sarcastically. Immediate regret washes over me, since that came out harsher than anticipated, and I soften my tone a bit, "He tried to abduct me, but I got saved. Then the rumours about my wedding got out and it kind of distracted me from thinking about Damien." Minnie and Ellen look at me in shock.
"He tried to kidnap you?", Minnie questions me. She sounds worried about me... "Well, technically, he succeeded… but I got saved. Again. And now I'm finally save from Damien, he gave up and got caught.", I answer her, without hiding my frustration about always being the damsel in distress.
"You didn't inform us about your marriage, because your husband forbade you to do so. So why didn't you tell us about you being ABDUCTED?", Ellen criticizes angrily. "Well, it's not like I could confide in you these days, since you're afraid of me for being Grabiner's wife.", I snap at her.
Ellen opens her mouth, but closes it again, unable to answer for a moment. "I… it's not like we wouldn't listen to you…", she counters a bit weakly.
"You can't even deal with me being married in name only, so how could you deal with me being targeted by a powerful demon? Anyways, it's over now, so there is no use in dwelling on it for me.", I reply. I can't help but sound a bit hurt. I'm surprised at how much this conversation upsets me.
"You should've told us nonetheless.", Ellen retorts. "Ellen, may I ask you something? Are you dating someone?" Ellen blinks in confusion.
"Why are you asking me that suddenly?" Minnie also seems confused, but stays quite. "Well? Are you?", I continue probing. Ellen stares at me in silence for a moment. "I'm dating Donald.", she finally confesses. "And you didn't feel the need to inform us.", I sarcastically conclude for her. Ellen looks hurt. I take a deep breath.
"Look, I'm sorry. I just… I guess I don't like relying on others… I didn't want to bother you at first. Then I thought it would be over anyways. And lastly, I felt unable to open up to you, since you were so distant to me lately.", I apologize to her. Minnie gives me an understanding smile. It was the same for her with Kyo, wasn't it?
That time I was also frustrated, because she wouldn't confide in me more. Ellen stays silent, while looking down at the flower in her hands.
She probably doesn't know how to react to this situation either. "I will try to open up more to you guys, ok? I guess, you're right, I shouldn't keep all my problems for myself.", I surrender. Silence ensures. Awkward.
"So, uh, how did Damien kidnap you?", Minnie breaks the uncomfortable silence. I proceed to tell them about how I got tricked by this snake girl, who was tricked by Damien, and how Grabiner came to my rescue, together with Potsdam. While I summarize what happens, the atmosphere becomes more relaxed again.
"Well, he swore to protect you after all…", Minnie comments Hieronymus heroic behavior with a smile. "He sure kept his word. I feel guilty about all the times he had to save me…" We continue to chat, while handcrafting more wrist corsages. Apart from the wrist corsages, we also tape few flowers together for the males to pin on their suits. I also simply hardened the stem of some flowers with black magic, so that you can stick them in your hair, like those Asian hair ornaments, that I saw in Korean dramas, and glued smaller flowers on simple hairclips.
"Can you ditch your last class on Thursday, Minnie? I want to set up our shop early. Additionally, I'd like to use you as model and styling your hair will take some time." Minnie agrees to my request, a bit hesitating. Most students usually don't attend all classes on a day, but leave at least one period free, however none of us is normal regarding that. Ellen always attends as many classes as possible and studies a lot on the weekends. Minnie is similar to that, except that she often also teaches other students. And I, well, I attend all classes as well, though I don't study as much as Ellen does. I have also taught other students a few times, but I don't do it regularly like Minnie. After we have finished handcrafting the remaining flowers into accessories, I discuss suitable prices with them. I think I have a good instinct for choosing the right price, but it's better to get another opinion anyway. We will sell the small flower hair clips for 1$ per piece and the bigger ones for 2$. The flower brooches for the guys will cost 3$ and the flower wrist bands will cost between 5$ and 7$, depending on their complexity.