Chapter 2:

Little Flower

Strawberry Milk


 A bead of sweat rolled down Aya’s cheek. She took off her blue beanie and used it to wipe the perspiration from her forehead. The air was sticky, and the lazy buzzing of cicadas could be heard from all around.

“Sorry to drag you along. The green dorm’s just a bit further ahead, kay?”

Aya nodded and flashed her new friend, Ivy, a quick thumbs up. Orientation had just ended, and Aya was trying to make her way to her new dorm assignment. What had been a quick ask for directions, turned into an enthusiastic full school tour. The two had been walking around in the hot sun for a while by this point, Ivy excitedly pointing out this building and that, whimsically recalling her school life memories along the way.

Aya patiently followed behind her new friend. She ran a hand through her sea-foam green hair, combing it as the two trudged through the August summer heat. She could feel a gentle breeze caress her hot ears and move through her hair, fluffing it out behind her in wispy strands.

“Oh my, you’re overheated.” Ivy had stopped mid conversation and turned around to face Aya. “Almost there; I swear! In the meantime, you look like you could use a hair tie, girly.” Ivy said, as she had begun digging through her flower shaped purse.

“Oh, thanks dude.” Aya fanned herself with her beanie. Her face was red, swollen, and lit by the intense beams of afternoon sunlight.

“Trust me, honey. I know your pain.” Ivy smiled wryly and tossed back her cascade of long wavy red hair.

Ivy’s hair glowed like a plume of flames in the tinted hues of the afternoon light, and it was so long that it practically touched the ground. She wore a long, low cut, black tank top that hung just over her upper thighs. Underneath it was a pair of extra small black shorts, which Aya’s wandering eyes only happened to catch a glimpse of in passing as her shirt rode up a few times. Ivy also wore a pair of black canvas sneakers, a cute yellow bow on her head, and sitting atop the bridge of her nose was a pair of thick, black-rimmed square glasses.

Aya admired Ivy for a moment as she fumbled through her bag and pulled out a long rectangular cut of cloth. She handed it over, and Aya took the cloth and unfolded it. It was black and had a strange golden symbol printed on it along with some cute fish. Aya tilted her head, not quite sure of what to do with this decorative cloth.

“Oh! You look a bit lost, honey. Don't know how to tie your hair back?”

“Nah, I do. It’s just, I’ve only ever used the small cheap ones or rubber bands.”

“I used to do the same thing. Those are both horrible for your hair, though,” Ivy said while she tossed her hair back. “Takes me back though…To my early transition days.”

“Oh yeah?” Aya put a finger to her lip. The buzzing of cicadas filled the empty space for a moment. “Must’ve been tough.”

“Kinda…But it helps to have a loving mom. She was there to teach me how bad rubber bands are for tying back hair,” Ivy said with a small chuckle.

“Must’ve been nice…having one of those.” Aya’s gaze wandered to the drifting clouds above. She stared at each one as if trying to guess what secrets they might be concealing.

“Ah-I see. Didn’t mean to bring up a sore topic. But hey, on the bright side, things just get easier from here, right?” Ivy patted Aya on the back. “The good times are just starting. You’ll see, Chippy.”

“...Chippy?” Aya tilted her head and narrowed her eyes.

“Mmhm. Chippy! Your new nickname!” She flashed Aya a smile and a wink, then proceeded to take the cloth from her hand.

“Heh. If you say so,” Aya said as Ivy moved behind her and began lifting and tying her hair. “So. Why Chippy—not that it’s bad.”

“Heh. You see,” Ivy said while taking a deep breath. She paused for a moment while working her hands around Aya’s hair. “A not so well kept secret about me is that I just so happen to adore mint-chocolate chip ice cream more than any other flavor in the whole wide world. It’s basically 10 levels ahead of the rest. And your hair is like, the exact same shade of green. So. mint-chocolate Chip. Chippy!”

She gave Aya’s hair one final tug and moved around to look her over. Aya felt a wave of sweet relief as a breeze blew by, taking some of the excess heat from her neck.

“Ah, Thanks dude.”

“Don’t mention it, Chippy."

“This could take some getting used to. Eheh,” Aya smiled and scratched the back of her head.

“Well, if it helps at all. You’re also sweet, like a chocolate chip. And you’re oh-so super cute that I could eat you up! Just like I would a chocolate chip.” Ivy chuckled. Her cheeks were rosy red, but Aya couldn’t tell whether she was blushing or if it was from the heat. Possibly both.

“Ehehe, well when you put it like that…”

“It has a nice ring to it. I think so anyway.” Ivy put her hands on her hips. “And besides, it’s the law of this land. All of my besties are required to have a cute nickname. It’s like an absolute. Sorry Chippy, I don’t make the rules.”

“Bestie, huh?” Aya smiled. “You’ve got older sister vibes. So I’m gonna call you Sis.”

“Hehe, works for me! I’ve always wanted a younger sibling,” Ivy said. She thought for a moment longer and flashed Aya a fox-like grin.

“Though you know…maybe you shouldn’t get too used to calling me that.”

“Why’s that?” Aya tilted her head.

“Because if I end up romancing you, then you’re definitely gonna have to drop that nickname like it’s hot. That is…unless you’re into that sort of thing,” Ivy said with a grin and a slight laugh.

“Sheeeesh!” Aya buried her face in her hands and shook her head frantically. After a moment she looked back up at Ivy pleadingly. “I’m dyin’ out here, dude. Can we get inside and get a drink?”

“Hehehe, sorry! Let’s keep it moving, Chippy.”

The two exchanged smiles and continued down the path. Aya could feel the lack of sleep wearing on her from a full day’s worth of travel and school orientations. Kanna and Saffron had helped her get this far, and it was up to Aya to finish off the day. The quicker she found her room assignment, the faster she could collapse and catch up on sleep.

The afternoon sunlight filtered through the windows of the renovated paper mill, now art student dormitory. Aging brick walls and solid concrete floors surrounded the two girls. The interior had rustic wooden furniture of unique shapes and sizes throughout. Aya ran a finger along a wooden common area table near the entrance, savoring its smooth wooden texture.

“This is it! Your new home,” said Ivy. She gestured with both hands. “Or so I think at least. You could end up getting stuck in the white dorm on the other end of campus. Kinda doubt it though.”

“Oh. There’s another dorm?” Aya stood back up and tilted her head.

“Yep. The white dorm is a smaller but more modern living space. They’ve kinda got a hip downtown single-room apartment look to them.”

“Nice. So this is the green dorm?” Aya said.

“Yup. It’s an old building, but the rooms are spacious and perfect for those of us that need lots of space for our study focus. Mom keeps that in mind when she assigns out rooms each year. Each dorm is low-key the headquarters and meeting spot for certain study programs as a result.”

“I see.” Aya put a finger to her lip and nodded along, taking in all of the information. “Wait, you just said mom, didn’t you? Your mom work in the housing office or something?”

“Eheh, not quite. She’s kinda the headmaster,” Ivy smiled awkwardly and scratched her head.

“Woah, didn’t see that coming. How’s that been working out for you?”

“Mostly fine I guesss,” Ivy said with a small sigh. She shifted her gaze away from Aya and began to trace small circles on the floor with one of her feet. “I kinda feel weird about it though. Like, I don’t want people feeling like I’m being done any special favors.”

“Yeah? Nah, I get it. But, like, I bet your mom’s careful to not do you special favors and stuff, right?”

Sigh—Well that’s just it. She isn’t at all! Mom goes out of her way to spoil me rotten and grant me all sorts of special privileges. It’s super embarrassing,” Ivy said, burying her face in her hands.

“Hehe. Dunno, sis. Sounds kinda nice to me. I’d just take what I can get if I were you.” Aya smiled at the thought, which was a bit of a fantasy for her. The idea of receiving love and special attention from a mother figure was something she never had growing up.

“Aw geez! I want people to take me seriously, Chippy! Mom’s totally not helping.” Ivy leaned her head on Aya’s shoulder. Aya returned the gesture by patting her head teasingly a few times.

“You’re overthinking things, I think.” Aya smiled.

“You’re probably right,” Ivy said with an exhale.

“So where’s your room at, sis? Is it here?”

“Yup. Follow me, It’s just down the hall here. Though I must warn you, it’s a bit of an anomaly.”

“How so?” Aya tilted her head.

“Just follow me. You’ll see what I mean.”

Ivy held Aya’s hand, and while being dragged along, Aya couldn’t help but admire Ivy’s thin and elegant fingers. They walked midway down the hall and made a sharp turn to a tiny corridor.

“This is the back entrance to the dining hall. If we just follow this here…my room’s here on the left,” Ivy said, opening the tiny door now in front of the two.

Aya stepped inside after Ivy and surveyed the room. It was cozy, to say the least. Roughly the size of two walk in closets stacked end to end, making the room feel long and thin. Aside from its size, Ivy had decorated the place quite nicely. There were several layers of shelves all around them, and they were filled with cute animal plushies, dried flowers, and various colorful crystals scattered throughout. A desk/bunk bed combo was set up towards the back wall. In the desk space below her bed, there was a cork board set up with pins and post-it notes covering it.

“As you can see, it’s a pretty cramped space haha. I guess I didn’t need much for my study focus, but I also really reallllly wanted to stay in the green dorm. Sooo I kinda sorta…begged my mom to let me convert this storage closet into a room I could use.”

“Dude. You just said you didn’t want your mom doing you special favors,” Aya smacked her forehead and shook her head.

“Yeah! But! Can you blame me? It’s soooo freaking cute in here! The green dorm is like a dream come true, Chippy! And to my defense, I’d have begged to live here, mother or not.”

“Heh, pretty sure this counts as a special favor.” Aya chuckled. “So what’s your study focus anyway?”

“Anthropology, specifically focused on Occult studies,” Ivy said while flashing a wink and a peace sign.

“Ah, nice. Sounds fancy. You must be really smart, sis.”

“No, no! Honest. It’s nothing special, I promise. I was chosen for the program because of some side gig where I read tarot cards for people. My study focus is just fancy window dressing for playing fortune teller. That’s all.”

“Relatable. To be honest, I feel the same about my study focus.”

“Oh? And what’s that, Chippy?”

“Um, Illustration…with a focus on murals and public art, I think?” Aya looked to the floor and put her hands in her side bag, fiddling with the contents inside.

“Get out! Now that’s fancy! The Illustration program here is incredibly prestigious. For you to get in means you must have some serious skill.”

“Maybe,” Aya said. She looked at the ceiling and scratched her head. “I dunno.”

“I’m sure you’re just being modest.” Ivy smiled and patted Aya on the shoulder. Aya smiled back shyly.

“Anyways. I’m a little thirsty, let’s go grab a drink. Then you can pull up your art and show me.”

“Um, yeah. Sure, sis.” Aya nodded and the two left Ivy’s room, opened a door across the small corridor and stepped through the back entrance of the common area’s kitchen space.

Aya sat down, pulled out her phone, and began navigating to her social media account. Meanwhile, Ivy popped open the fridge and grabbed two cartons of strawberry milk. The two girls passed the time in the common area sipping on their sweet drinks while Ivy bent over to get a look at Aya’s phone as she scrolled through her post.

“Now I get it. You’re a street artist! Oh, you’ll fit right in here,” Ivy said with a warm smile.

“If I’m being real, sis, art’s the easy part; The canvas is the hard part.”

“Ah, you mean the street part, huh?”

“Heh…yeah.” Aya smirked. “You never hit walls during the day. And the city at night’s a jungle. Cops, gangs, and other taggers lookin’ to claim your turf. Not exactly what you’d think when someone says illustration.” Aya shrugged.

“I mean. I kinda think it sounds a little romantic, if I’m being honest.” Ivy gave Aya a warm smile. She put her arm around Aya as the two scrolled through her gallery. Aya felt warm chills run the length of her spine as the distance between the two girls began to close. Ivy leaned her head on Aya’s shoulder, and Aya felt her face begin to glow red.

“Romantic? H-how?” Aya stammered.

“Well, it kinda reminds me of those cute yellow little flowers that grow in the cracks of sidewalks. Sure, it’s not the ideal place to grow. A field or some pretty window box would be much preferred…But there’s something about seeing how hard those little flowers work to reach up and touch the sky.” Ivy’s voice cracked. She cleared her throat. “Even…when life’s paved them over. They still choose to reach up. They still grow.”

Aya could feel a slight trembling on her shoulder. Aya’s neck stiffened as she felt Ivy cling to her arm. Without looking, Aya carefully reached over, and ran her fingers through Ivy’s beautiful red hair as she scrolled. A few moments passed and Aya put down her phone. Then silence. The two gazed quietly into each other's reflection while savoring the bittersweet melody of their past.

It had been a long day. Ivy’s scent was warm and intoxicating. It covered Aya like a blanket, and she felt herself slowly drift to a place far beyond the reach of time. A few moments passed and Aya was woken up by a slight tap on her shoulder.

“Ah, the heat really took it out of us, huh Chippy?” Ivy paused and put a finger to her lip. “I think the creative programs have a lab orientation tonight, don’t they?” Ivy asked.

“Supposedly. That’s what I’ve heard, I guess,” Aya said as she stifled a yawn.

“How much longer do you have?”

“Another hour. Kill me. Just wanna sleep.” Aya groaned.

“Well, why don’t we go visit the housing office? We can get your room assignment to kill the time.”

“Alright. Lead the way, Ivy,” Aya said. Ivy looked back and smirked. The two girls exchanged smiles and continued out of the door of the green dorm, towards the housing office. After waiting in a long line, Aya had gotten her room assignment, which happened to be on the top level of the green dorm where the two had just come from. They walked back and unlocked the door to Aya’s new room.
“Welcome to the green team, Chippy.” Ivy pushed open the door and the two made their first steps into the room that Aya would be spending the next few years in.

“Dude. This is more space than I’ve ever seen in my life.” Aya’s eyes were wide. She wandered through the room, touching the steel beams. Her footsteps echoed on the solid concrete floor with each step. She ran her fingers along the brick wall, and took in the musky industrial scent. “It’s perfect.” Aya felt her face form into a wide smile. So wide, her eyes broke into slight tears.

“Hehe, it suits you well, Chippy. You’ll have plenty of room to practice your murals here.”

“More room than I’ll ever know what to do with.”

“Oh, I think you’ll make better use of this than anyone.” Ivy smiled. She reached over to Aya’s hand and grasped it firmly. “You’ve more than earned your place here. Little flower.”

Aya blushed. She squeezed Ivy’s hand, and Ivy squeezed back. The two stood in the empty loft as the setting afternoon sun enveloped the two girls in a warm glow. Aya gazed outside, losing herself in the glimmering light of her future’s whimsical melody.