Soul Fire

1.1

Bloom didn't bother looking at the menu, she usually ordered the same thing. Bree, on the other hand, hated drinking the same thing twice. Today she ordered some coffee with so many syrup flavors, there was no way she would even be able to taste the actual coffee.

The girls were silent as they stood off to the side of the shop, waiting at the counter for their drinks. Bree, who was quietly simmering in her mild annoyance, and Bloom deep in thought at the crushing realization that her closest friend was moving away in two weeks. And that Bloom didn't want her to go.

But Bloom kept her mouth shut. Didn't tell Bree that she wanted her to stay- that she didn't want to shorten their last summer before they went to college in different states.

The barista called their names, and Bloom grabbed her iced matcha. She swirled the paper straw in the drink a few times as they walked out of the shop, before sipping her drink.

"When does your shift start?" Bloom asked, looking up at Bree through her eyelashes. Bree towered above her a good few inches, despite Bloom standing relatively tall at 5'7". Bree was incredibly lithe and slender, the toned body of an athlete.

"My shift is nine-thirty to five." Bree said, and Bloom nodded.

She let a small smile peek through as she looked at the drink in Bree's hand. "Is that any good?"

Bree bit down on her smile, "it's... unique." She let a small snort escape as she took another drink, apparently not bothered.

Bloom's eyes softened. "I really am excited for you, I know how important this is to you. Just promise me that I'll see you plenty before you leave."

Bree pulled Bloom into a hug, holding her drink up to avoid spilling it. "Bloom, of course." They stood there for some time, Bloom breathing in the familiar floral scent of Bree's shampoo.

"I'm going to miss you." Bloom said softly, "I'm not ready for everything to change." She pulled away and Bree frowned at her.

"Change is healthy." She said, stirring her drink with her straw. "Growth is important."

Bloom checked the time on her phone. 9:25. Bree's work, a pet shop, was a ten minute walk from here. They met here in the mornings for coffee, as it was between each of their jobs. "You should go, you're going to be late."

"Shit." Bree cursed, checking the time on her watch. "I do. We'll talk later, okay?" Bree turned on her heel. "I'll text you!" She shouted over her shoulder.

Bloom hiked her bag up on her shoulder and turned in the other direction.

.

The front counter thudded with the impact of the package hitting it.

Which meant it must be Thursday, which meant Bloom must be really exhausted if she had to rely on the mail service to figure out what day it was.

Seated at the front desk of the modest flower shop, Bloom smirked as she kept her eyes on the paper she was scribbling away on. Tucking a strand of her wine-red hair behind her ear, she asked, "Isn't it a little early in the day for you to be showing up here?"

The man before the counter crossed his arms impatiently. "Why delay my least-favorite delivery of the day, when I could just get it over with instead?"

Bloom continued to doodle little flames on the piece of scratch paper before her, a faint smile playing on her lips. Slowly, she brought her blue eyes up, up, up, over the package looming before her, until they met the brown eyes of Seth Winley.

Seth's eyes twinkled mischievously as Bloom set her pen down on the counter and leaned back in her chair casually. "You should know that Vanessa is out delivering today's orders right now. I'd bet she'll be back within the next twenty minutes." Bloom crossed one leg over the other, and grabbed a strand of hair between her two fingers. She pulled it into her line of sight to examine it before dropping it and letting her hand fall.