Flowerbloom

The rest of the week went on mostly as normal, of course with the exception that me and Penny (mostly me) worked on the project separately through a shared online document whenever we made time.

We made some pretty astonishing progress, typing out our findings and various sources of research almost expertly, finishing up most of the substantial details in record time.

Unfortunately, we had almost no time to meet up for the whole week after our conversation, only briefly going over small details during lunch right before she left for practice.

Ah, right, speaking of the project, I guess it'd be best if I summed up everything pretty succinctly. 

So what we decided to focus on in particular is the life cycle of the butterfly, going from the caterpillar stage all the way up to its final stage of emergence. It's evolution, if you will.

By the weeks end, we got about 90 percent of our tasks accomplished with only a few minor outliers. There were still some finishing touches to be made.

So, just like we agreed, we decided to meet at the palace of my everlasting beloved. I don't need to repeat her name, at this point. It would probably taint her deific elegance with gratuity, so I won't start with that.

August 6th, Saturday. This is the day Penny finally invited me over for the second time, and (to my extreme pleasure of course) I made absolutely sure to fully prepare for whatever may happen.

Okay, maybe not necessarily "whatever"..more like just for the best that may come, and nothing less.

I actually was set to meet her relatively early in the day compared to last time, our assembly set to take place at 1:30 pm. As you could probably (definitely) imagine, I made my way over there pretty early, leaving my house at 1:10.

Huh..for some reason, I'm not really that anxious though. If at all, actually. That's strange..I can't remember ever feeling this calm with anything she might be even remotely involved in.

Huh..hahaha..weird.

I chuckled to myself, placing my hands in my black short pockets as I strolled across the sidewalk in my red sporty high tops and reflective white v-neck tee.

Dressing up this modestly was something I was a bit apprehensive about at first, but Penny pretty quickly convinced me that we shouldn't try to make things too formal when discussing the project, which made sense. Tension would only breed neurosis (well not quite that extreme, but essentially something like that to a smaller effect), which is a terrible state to go into a presentation with. So, I agreed.

Even without her convincing, I still probably would've had to dress mildly due to the beating scorch of the sun's calefaction (its heat), she didn't actually have to say too much.

Which again leads us back to now, where I'm currently inching closer and closer to her home through casual steps.

Ugh..it's really hot. What is it, 90, maybe closer to 100 degrees? Jeez! Is this punishment for my deification of Penny the other day? I'm sorry lord, if you could please hear my plea! I was really just joking! Okay, maybe half joking-but still just joking!

I panted softly, beads of wet salt liquifying from my pores and beginning to soak into my clothes. My eyes started to burn from the heat, my hand raised to cover them still failing to circumvent the rapidly growing sensation.

Yeah, this isn't good. I need to hurry up and get there, fast.

Once I had finally reached her block and her house came into view, that's when I noticed her.

Leaning on one of two moderately sized stone pillars, she stood by the gate looking down at her phone with an unreadable expression.

Huh? What's she waiting out her for? she could've just stayed inside and came out as soon as I texted her that I had arrived..I mean, it's way too hot for her to just tarry around on the searing blaze of a sidewalk.

As I moved closer towards her, I noticed her chic attire shining brilliantly amidst the scintillating star dazzling its rays across the sky, making her seem even more irradiantly lucid than usual (which probably doesn't sound very spectacular considering who's saying this, but come on, you have to believe me for real this time!).

She was wearing a orangish-pink brushed skirt with frills, small white loafers, and a simple white t-shirt somewhat similar to mine (the main difference being that it wasn't a v-neck).

Strange...maybe this is me just being delusive again, but I swear it feels like she's dressing up for a date or something. What exactly is she up to?

Detecting my approach, Penny looked up swiftly, watching me quietly for a moment as I moved closer into her view.

"Ah-hey Greg!" she cheesed brightly.

"Hey there" I grinned back.

She eyed me up and down.

"Nice outfit, it suits you really well" she added, to my surprise.

I don't really think it's anything special, really. That's why I'm a bit taken aback, especially since it's coming from someone with such a distinctive urbanity. In comparison to her, if anything, I feel a little underdressed actually.

Despite this, I still blushed a bit at her commendation, scratching the back of my head as I released a brief chuckle.

"Oh-thank you, you look good too. Great even"

Wha-No! Stupid, you overdid it again! You just sound like a desperate dribbling fool slavering at the idea of her presence! Crap- Penny-please don't abandon me now, I still need you-no-you're just proving my point!

"Really? Um..thank you" she blushed, twisting a strand of hair with her index and turning away slightly, crossing her legs and placing her right arm behind her back (man, does everything this girl has to do, every action she has to make, be so effortlessly perfect?).

With a quick exhale, I begun once more.

"So, what're you doing out here? I thought we were working on the project inside"

She shook her head, now placing both hands in front of her waist and clasping her hands.

"Oh, well..I actually had something I wanted to show you first. It's actually..related to the project. I thought you wouldn't mind.." she smiled shyly (so cute!).

How could I say no to such a request, especially to my liege lady Penny?!

So of course, I had no choice but to accept

"Oh-no, of course I don't! But, ah..where are we headed exactly?"

She beamed.

"Hehe, I'm glad you asked. Come on, follow me" she replied excitedly, suddenly grabbing my hand and leading me off with her down the sidewalk (I could die from joy right now and have no complaints!).

Leading me off the path, she guided me into the small forest area behind the neighborhood parish, taking me into some interestingly unexplored territory (for myself, anyway. I have no idea how many people came over to this area).

It felt a little odd seeing that I had no idea where we were going, but I didn't pay it any mind since it was the love of my life taking me there, after all.

After trekking through a bunch of thick brush and moving between spiky, pointed branches and plants, she finally parted her lips.

"Okay, we're almost there"

She turned to me not a moment after, before continuing.

"I just ask that you..that you don't judge me..it'd feel kind of embarrassing if you started thinking I'm weird after seeing it. I don't show a lot of people this place" she requested, looking down meekly as she continued to grip my hand in hers.

I feel like I gave her a slightly disconcerted expression, since her request caught me a bit off guard.

Wasn't she just excited a second ago? I don't really get it, but I'll do whatever it takes to make her comfortable.

"Yeah, I promise that whatever it is, I'll be cool about it" I answered after pausing for a moment, smiling with a calm attitude.

She out a relieved sigh, before pulling out another of her light bringing simpers.

"Thank you, Greg. I really appreciate it" she said affectionately, as she begun to..lean in closer..

Whoah-w-whoah-w-wait, is it just my imagination, or is she actually getting..pretty close?

I felt my hear beating faster and faster  with each and every passing second until it seemed to pump out of my chest, before she slowly pulled away. She stared at me intimately for a moment, before turning around and gripping my hand a little tighter, beginning to walk forward once more.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little disappointed, but I was honestly much more relieved by the fact the fact that she did in fact pull away before..um..closing the distance (seriously, I'm not saying that just to sound cool. Hey, don't look at me with that face-it's the truth!).

Anyways, we continued our stroll for a few more minutes, before finally emerging from the brush.

We at long last reached the location Penny had held so near and dear

"Welcome, to my garden" she grinned, as the vibrantly lurid landscape came into focus.

It was..inexpressibly beautiful.

So many flowers and butterflies filled the landscape. So..so many.

The theophrastic spectacle peppered my vision with an abundance of fluorescent pigments, each and every aspect of the lavishly proliferate flora inexhaustibly dealt with an obvious amount of inordinate ministration. The numerous..no..the plethora of butterfly were equally as remarkable, fluttering across the terrain with elegance reflective of Penny herself.

I've never seen anything like this, not even remotely.

"It's..beautiful. How many different kinds of flowers are there here?" I asked, astonished completely and utterly. It was..hard to take it all in, to say the least.

Pink, yellow, orange, green, purple..even some blue was mixed in.

Other colors as well, but there's too many mixes and combinations to list!

"Anywhere from 11 to 15, I think" Penny turned back to me, smiling in her own affectionate and familiar way

"I added all of these and grew them with my grandpa. From milkweed, tickseed, wild bergamot and scarlet bee balm..to black-eyed Susan and purple coneflower" she continued to express ardently, going on to list all sort of species.

Wow. I'm legitimately kinda shocked. I mean seriously, how many middle school girls can you honestly say created their own garden with like, 15 different genus of plant? It's pretty impressive, you have to admit (hah-now you see why I love Penny so much don'tcha?! She's literally perfection incarnate!)

As she finished listing off the various flowers that make up her very own garden of eden, she began to slowly walk around the center of the massive field, spinning around lightly and twirling her skirt while her arms remained outstretched.

I watched her absentmindedly, staring at her flawlessly transcendental figure and admiring quietly. A few moments later, she looked back at me and spoke softly.

"This..this isn't really for the project. I lied. I wanted to show you a part of me most don't see. I wanted..to find a way to say thank you"

Ah..it all makes sense now. This is why she accepted me as her partner, isn't it? She sensed that I would accept her, despite her unique eccentricities. 

Why she told me about her grandfather, why she let me in her room and even cared to enlighten me on her sports activities.

She wanted to open up to somebody. Anybody.

I smiled back at her as the butterflies slowly began to flutter around the area, even ones I hadn't noticed until now.

"Anytime, Penny. Thanks for opening up to me, of all people" I replied, wholeheartedly.

I'm..genuinely happy that she found me as someone to confide in, to connect to. I had no idea that before this, she felt a little lonely. With the amount of friends and family she's surrounded by, I would've guessed the complete opposite.

She never told me that she felt a bit isolated, mind you. But I felt it.

Right to my very core.

Even if it wasn't me though, I would be happy regardless. As long as she found someone to relate to and be content with...no, be happy with and attach to, I would be more than satisfied.

She looked away from me for a moment, looking down in the garden before picking up a small, white flower with a small yellow centerpiece..a daisy.

It was a daisy.

The lone plant picked from the sea of fluorescent botany..the only white flower in the whole field, perhaps.

Penny looked back at me, holding up the daisy gently, as she smiled warmly..softly.

Butterflies breezed past her presence, as luridly sumptuous petals blew across the wind. She gazed at me almost lovingly, even still. 

This...feels like such a profound moment. For both of us.

As she begun to part her lips once more, the sky seemed to shift to a faintly pinkish view, seamlessly reflecting the atmosphere of the lush garden.

Her breathing shook slightly, struggling almost indiscernibly in opposition to the increasing gale, but she quickly caught herself, uttering the words, the only words, perhaps, that I will never forget, for the rest of my life.

With a gentle smile, she gazed at me fondly.

"Thank you..for helping me learn how to live"