Can I Tag Along?

Jonathan lazily walked out of the apartment as he saw a boring school day ahead of him. Everyone just thinks of him as a geek and the funny thing was, not even the geeks let him anywhere near them!

He shook his head and kicked the soil off the ground as he walked. Then his head perked up as he remembered something.

He looked at the flower shop on the opposite end and crossed the road. He pushed open the glass door and got in.

He was met with an old lady who smiled fondly at him. He returned the smile.

"Um... Can I have some... Daisies?"

The old lady nodded with a smile and walked further into the store. She came back with a bunch of flowers.

"I assume it is for your mother, young man?" She asked Jon.

Jon was confused. "Er... No. It is for a... Uh... Friend. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, don't you know? Daisies symbolize motherhood" The woman gave him another warm smile and Jon smiled back with a slight nod.

He felt stupid for not knowing literally anything other than the stuff written in his textbooks.

He paid for the flowers and ran out of the shop, afraid that he might get a few minutes late for school.

•••

The first thing Jon did on reaching school was run to the park. He ran all the way to where he thought Adrian might be and let out a sigh of relief when he found him there.

"Hi" He squeaked out, almost breathless.

Adrian looked up from the book and lowered his gaze to the flowers in Jon's hand. He then looked back up at him with a blank face.

"Oh, um, this. Please accept this.... As a gift. Y'know, a.... Thank-you-gift?" Jon said, extending the flowers towards Adrian, with a grin that threatened to tear his face in half.

Adrian just got up and walked away, ignoring the bunch of flowers that were shoved on his face.

Jonathan blinked in confusion and ran at Adrian. He threw his arms up in the air as he tried to keep up with his fast pace. "I brought these for you!"

"Why am I not surprised?" Adrian said dismissively as he continued walking, leaving behind Jonathan, who stood there wondering if the guy was even human.

How can someone ignore a generous gift and not even feel bad about it?!

Okay, then. He is going to stalk him with daisies until the day he finally accepts them.

Jonathan scrunged his nose up and walked to his class, with a determined face.

***

For the next few days, Jonathan kept going to Adrian with a bunch of daisies and Adrian kept walking out on him. It hurt his feelings. He was just trying to be nice and now he was making himself look like a stalker, chasing around a  guy with.... Daisies.

He almost gave up. What was it to him anyway?

Jon sat on the stairs, dropping the daisies he had brought with him onto his side.

This is going to be the last.

He put his head on his hands and started swaying to his sides, just not to get bored while he sat there.

He missed his home, his parents, and his old friends. He even missed his least favorite teacher from his old school!

He missed how his good ole buddies, Gar and Pete teased him about having stuffed animals.

Yes, he still had them.

His train of thoughts were interrupted when someone kicked him on his back, and he went tumbling down the stairs. He wouldn't be surprised if he got his hands or legs sprained after this.

"Ooh, I've been seeing you walking around with a bunch of flowers for a while" Jonathan looked up to see the blond from the other day stepping on his daisies. "You tryna hit on some chicks?" He snickered.

Jon felt relieved that the guy was alone this time. He didn't want to listen to his buddies shit-talks.

He tried to sit down, but fell back down when the blond slammed his fist on his face.

"Ow!"

"Aw, did that hurt? Here, have another one!" Another hit to his face and Jonathan yelped in pain.

He couldn't say if he was hallucinating but he heard footsteps approaching them.

No, he wasn't.

"Leave him alone, Sean. Go pick on someone your size"

Was that..... Him?

Jon tilted his face up and saw Adrian towering over him, with an irritated look on his face.

The blond, Sean, leaned himself on the stair's railing. "Oh, hey Addie,.... W-wait a second"

He then leaned down, extending his arm towards Jon, confusing him. "Why didn't you tell me you were his friend? Shoulda saved a lotsa trouble" Sean said with a nervous chuckle, momentarily glancing at Adrian.

He helped Jon up.

Jon leaned himself on the wall and wiped the blood that dripped off his nose with the back of his hand.

"Er... Guess I'll see you around" Sean walked away, giving Adrian a pat on his shoulder and sure enough, Adrian didn't even spare him a glance.

"Why do you bring me daisies everyday?" Adrian asked, turning to Jon.

"They are undoubtedly your favorite flowers! I see you buying them every single day!"

Adrian rubbed his forehead and heaved a sigh. "Daisies aren't my favorite flowers. My mom loved them"

"Uh-uh, she seems to have an obsession" Jon mumbled.

"Used to. I buy them to put on her grave"

Jonathan felt gravity pull at him. He felt bad as he thought about how he might have reminded him of his mom, with those flowers.

Stupid...

"I.. Am sorry. I didn't mean to--"

"Help yourself to the medbay" Adrian said gesturing to Jon's bloody nose.

Jon pursed his lips.

He doesn't even want to help him...

"You knew him?" Jon asked as Adrian was about to walk away.

"Who?"

"... Sean?"

"We used to be friends back in elementary school"

"But...the way he talked about you in the park.."

None of it made sense to Jon. What kind of a friend jokes about your dead mom?!

"He didn't want to be friends after my mother died"

Adrian turned his back and walked away.

Jon really felt bad. But then again, he wasn't a bad person. Maybe he was someone worth his company, unlike the rest of the kids in this school...

"Adrian!" He called out.

Adrian stopped in his tracks and turned his head to his side.

"Can I tag along with you?..." Jon tightened his grips on the hem of his shirt. "I... I don't want to be kicked around like a loser" his voice had dropped to a whisper.

Adrian gave it a thought, then shrugged.

"Just don't get on my nerves"

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