Heroes of Dreamland Rewritten, Book 2: Stars in Far Places

Chapter 25

Blossom | ブロソッム

The apartment above the library has been absolutely full of singing on this fine, sunny Midspring day.

Well, it's been full of one person singing, anyway.

And that one person is yours truly.

"She's captured all my heart and soul, with those three words she said. She told me that she loved me, the girls with flow'rs 'pon her head!" Unable to keep a giddy smile off my face, I admire the flower-speckled cape I've made myself and the crown of flowers on my head in the mirror on the chest of drawers in the living room and give a little twirl in front of it. I still can't believe this is all really happening, that I've really been asked on a date for the first time. I can't believe I'm finally going to get to experience my own love story.

I've felt like I've been floating on air ever since I was asked, honestly. It felt so unreal when it happened, and now it's here, and I still just can't believe it at all.

"Do you really have to keep singing that song over and over?" Meta asks in a muffled groan, his face buried in the sofa. He's lying on it on his stomach, with his gloves held limply down against his sides. It's really pretty funny looking.

"Sorry, I'll stop," I agree, but quickly find myself humming it again not thirty seconds later, and singing it again not thirty seconds after that. "She's full of faerie blood, you see, but I felt inside no fear; 'I'll never hurt you, lad,' she swore, my flow'r girl so dear..."

Meta gives a long, drawn-out groan again. Forest, who's lying upside down on the opposite end of the sofa from him and tossing a hacky sack up and down, gives him a glance before turning his eyes back to me. "He's right; that one is getting a little bit old, mum."

I roll my eyes good-naturedly. "You two don't have to be here, you know. If this is annoying you or whatever, you could go hang out in your shed."

"We want to see you safely off, mum. Since you don't got a da, it's our job to scare the lad out of 'is wits so we know 'e'll treat you nicely," Forest tells me with a bit of a smile, focusing on the hacky sack again.

Meta mutters something grumpily into the sofa and gives a heavy sigh.

"Be nice, Mets; it's not every day a girl goes on 'er first date and all, y'know."

I pause a second and check back in the mirror. "He thinks I look silly, doesn't he? What if he's right—"

Forest snorts. "'e 'asn't even looked at you, mum. 'e's just sour because 'e thinks the whole mess is gross. Sixteen-year-olds, what can you do about 'em?"

Meta makes a growling noise but doesn't respond further.

Feeling slightly hesitant, I go over and pop one of my lacy dress gloves off to test the temperature of the back of Meta's head with my paw. "He doesn't feel like he's got a fever... Meta, you're not sick, are you? I can stay if you are..."

Before Meta can answer, Forest interrupts again. "'e'll be fine, Blossom. You quit worrying so much and just have fun tonight. Back before ten, though, you 'ear?"

I roll my eyes and give Forest's head a fond rub. "Yes, Dad. I'll be back before curfew."

Forest chuckles but doesn't look up at me. "That's a good girl."

Meta grunts and doesn't move a muscle.

"Can you even breathe like that?" I question with another fond roll of my eyes, starting to pace back and forth in minor nervousness. I check the clock. Clover should be here in about ten minutes, so I should probably head downstairs into the library area in about five, so I'll be able to hear when he knocks on the door...