A damaged flower

1 | Tulip Funeral

There are three things in this world I cannot stand.False hope, being lied to, and mornings.Especially ones that fall under the category of either Mondays or the first day of school.Unfortunately, today qualifies as both.I heave myself out of bed and into the bathroom where I take a brisk shower.

After slipping on my tennis shoes I decide I am ready and grab my bag and phone before racing downstairs to meet my mother.

"Hi, mom!"I smile brightly.

"Somebody is happy today."She chuckles before sliding a bowl of my favorite cereal towards me.

"Eat up Dahlia, Ashley will be here any minute."

I do as she says and eat my cereal.As I'm walking out the door I hear the deafening honk of Ashley's car and turn to see her speeding towards our tulips.I wince as they get crushed under her car.I get in and turn to her.

"Great Ash, now I need to start planning a tulip funeral."I sarcastically chastise her and she sends me a fake guilty smile.

"Oops."She snickers.

I roll my eyes at her as I chuckle myself.She looks at my outfit and dramatically gasps.

"What?"My face contorts into one of confusion.

"What are you wearing?It's our first day of school!It's senior year none the less!"She exclaims.

I sigh at her ludicrous words."So?And don't say this year I'll find a boyfriend."

She rolls her eyes."A true friend's work is never done.This year could be your year!"

"It could..."I start."But it won't be."I look down at my black skinny jeans as the car fell silent.

I can't try to find a boyfriend.Not after what had happened that day.I sigh as I look at Ashley's face.She understands, doesn't she?Ashley voices my thoughts as she speaks, breaking the silence that had fallen over the car.

"And that's fine Dahlia.I'm just saying that you need to get over Dean!"I suck in a breath.What Ashley didn't know was she had been wrapped in a spider web of my lies.Dean never moved, he never found another girl at his new school named Josie.I just don't have the heart to tell Ashley this.I hate being lied to, yet I lie so much.We pull into school and I get out of the car.

"Come on Dahlia!"Ashley runs into the school, leaving me to fend for myself.I put my head down and run through the doors of the school.I ram into someone and fall.I catch a flash of green before I hit the ground.I look up to find Jake Simonsen.I blush heavily as I tuck a strand of my long black hair behind my ear.I pick up my bag and start to run off when he grabs my arm, pulling me back to him.He looks at me for a fleeting second before I run off.How sweet of me.

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I walk into my history class.The class is relatively empty and I take a seat in the center of the room.I take out my journal and start sketching.I stop when I feel somebody watching me.I look up to find Jake staring at me.I sigh and turn back to my sketch.Suddenly, I hear him sit next to me.

"So..." he drawls."Why'd you run into me this morning?So you could get close to me?"Did I mention Jake Simonsen has an annoyingly huge ego?I stay silent so he takes that as his cue and asks another question.

"What's your name, anyway?"I sigh and turn to him.

"I'm Dahlia."

"Well Dahlia, I'm Jake Simo-"He doesn't finish his sentence because I cut him off.

"I don't live under a rock.I know who you are.Just like everybody else at this school."He chuckles.

"Well then, flower, I guess this is goodbye."He goes to get up,but the teacher has other plans.He walks in smiling.

"Hello!Jake.Have a seat."

He sits back down.We go throughout class in silence.Me, actually doing my work while he goofs off.The bell rings and I get up but he grabs my arm.

"Wait, flower!I was wondering if you could tutor me..."I sigh.

"Fine.But stop grabbing my arm."I turned around to leave as he sheepishly lets go of my arm."And stop calling me flower!"I walk out of the room and make my way to the cafeteria where I find Ashley.

"Hey."I smile as I sit down.Ashley looks up from her phone and smiles back at me.

"How's your first day been?"I sigh.

"It's been..."I pause, thinking of the right word."Interesting."She cocks her head to the side.

"How so?"

I delve into the story, going into every detail.I tell her Jake's nickname for me and how I am now his tutor.Ashley is silent until the end of it all.She blinked slowly.

"Wow..."She sighs.I nod, agreeing with her without saying anything.We go through lunch, laughing and chatting like normal.We walk to our next class together, English. I wish my life didn't hate me this much.But it does.I realize this when I see Jake across the room.I sigh and sit down.I manage to ignore him the whole class.I feel him staring at me through class and I roll my eyes.I turn to Ashley and see her staring at something behind me.Knowing it was Jake I go back to taking my notes.

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I arrive home and instantly head upstairs.I change and migrate toward the kitchen to eat something.Instead of grabbing the chips that are just calling my name I go for a healthier option, an apple.I take a bite out of my apple right as the doorbell rings.I gasp and race upstairs in a futile attempt to change before Jake gets to wondering.I quickly scramble to put on my outfit from school and race back downstairs.I pretend to act cool as I open the door to find Jake Simonsen furiously ringing my doorbell.He stops as he notices the door open.

"Hey."He smiles cheesily like a little boy.

"What do you need help with?"I sit down at the table and pull out the items I myself had brought home.He groans at the mention of the homework that he had come over to get help with.

"It's this math.The teacher totally gave it to us so I would flunk."I chuckle and pull out the aforementioned math homework that apparently the teacher gave to us so Jake would flunk.I sigh and lead him through the work.We finally finish and I get up to throw away my apple core.

"Well, Flower.What should we do now?"I turn to face him.

"I was going to watch Grey's Anatomy but obviously you have different plans."

"We should do something."He smirks, obviously planning something that, if I agree to, I will most likely regret.

"What?"I sigh and roll my eyes.

"Let's go to Starbucks!"He exclaims in a high pitched, over exaggerated voice.I laugh at his attempt to sound like a teenage girl and nod, giving in to his wishes.

"Alright, let's go to Starbucks."I grab my car keys.He watches me and laughs as I hold the keys in my hand.

"If you think we're going in your car, you are mistakingly wrong, Flower."I roll my eyes and follow him out to his car.

"By the way Flower," he calls from behind him." you're wearing unicorn slippers!"He chuckles and I'm just glad he doesn't  see me blush.

Jake Simonsen.He will either make me bloom.Or wilt.All over again.