Chapter Text
A tired boy walks into the principal's office, his mother's cold hand is loosely cradling his own. With his ashamed gaze directly facing the floor and his pale face disfigured from the anxiety, he takes a seat. Three familiar faces, none other than the boys who make his school life a living hell sit on the chairs nearby.
Their furious stares make him begin regretting having opened his mouth about their "daily activities". If only he wasn't so weak and helpless, if only he hadn't cracked under the pressure and could just take it like a man. But he was nothing like that, was he?
The principal sits in the middle, looking over at the parents and their children on both sides.
The air around them is so tense it's almost suffocating him.
After the adults conversed with one another for what seemed to be ages, the principal starts up her lecture and guided by some kind of higher being in Basil's eyes, she takes his side.
"Unacceptable, how could you treat your classmate like this?."
"This violent behavior will no longer be tolerated."
"You three better set yourselves straight and leave Basil at peace. His hobby might be unusual, but definitely not a reason for you to act like savages."
The three boys glare at the headmistress, but it doesn't phase her one bit.
"Anyone else who decides to follow in your footsteps will receive a warning before further punishment, but if it ever comes to my attention that either of you disturbed him again, I'll have no choice but to permanently expel you."
They have no power here, not in the principal's office with their parents right behind them. They can't do anything to him, not now and from this moment forward, not ever again.
They feel like chained up dogs which just had their favorite toy taken away.
But Basil… Listening to the principal's words… He felt like his own bindings were shattered in an instant.
"Would you perhaps feel safer if you transferred to another class, Basil?"
Finally, he could be free.
…
Or so he thought.
After all, this wasn't a lighthearted fairytale, similar to the novels his grandma reads out to him, this was real life.
And in the real world, a happy ending without a catch, is a foolish thing to hope for.
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Basil is quite the strange guy, to say the least. Very different from what you'd expect a prepubescent boy to be like.
Known for being quiet and timid, and yet still somehow prone to drawing attention to himself.
The kind of attention most people would never wish to have.
Awkward stares, judging gazes… Or worse.
His fascination with flowers, his effeminate nature and inability to stand up for himself have caused him a lot of trouble during his life. And it all reached its peak when he revealed his interest in gardening to his peers.
Even when he managed to put a halt to the constant bullying that followed with the help of the principal, he now had to deal with the newfound pressure coming from his own parents to quit the thing he loves the most.
They did not mind too much before. They believed it was unusual but cute nonetheless. Ever since he transferred however, something changed. Their stance wasn't neutral anymore, they've been trying their best to tear it away from him. They say it's for his own good, and to make sure something like this doesn't happen again… But.. He doesn't want to quit gardening, he doesn't want to stop tending to his plants. He loves it and holds it dear to his heart even though it comes with insults and unpleasant encounters.
Thankfully, despite it all there's still one place where he can run to. A safe space where he feels happy and relaxed, free of judgment, free of restrictions.
A garden where it's just him, his flowers, and no one else… Except… he had an unexpected visitor this time around.
"W-What th-...Oh g-god."
Basil felt anxiety gnaw at him as he locked eyes with the intruder.
From the place he was at right now, where the garden's red entrance could usually be seen clearly, a pretty black-haired girl stood before him, in its way.
He recognizes her immediately as one of his new classmates.
Her name is Aubergine Williams, or Aubrey for short.
Basil briefly wonders how on earth she managed to get inside but after seeing the entrance to his safe space wide open behind her, his foggy mind cleared in an instant.
"The door….. I forgot to lock it…"
He couldn't believe it.
He'd be face-palming himself into oblivion right now if he wasn't holding a watering can made of metal.
After everything he'd been through… How could he make such a stupid mistake? If there really was a time and a place to be careless and forgetful, this certainly wasn't the one.
In the end, it didn't really matter whether Aubrey's reaction would be hurtful or not, but why burden himself with more trouble and embarrassment than he already has?
But alas, what is done is done.
He braces himself and takes a deep breath.
"Let's get this over with.." was his final thought before the girl spoke to him for the very first time.
"Wow…! This place is breathtaking! I never knew our school had a flower garden!" she gasps in amazement.
Basil nodded and looked away shyly as her eyes travelled all over the beautiful scenery. In spite of his apprehension, he couldn't help but agree. Even though it was still a work-in-progress the garden's variety in colorful plant life, accompanied with the sun's vibrant rays, made this place truly a sight to behold. However, even if the flowers were mesmerizing, It wasn't long enough before the girl turned her attention back to the blue eyed boy in front of her.
"H-Hey! u-um.. You are Basil right?" she asks rather cheerfully.
"Y-yes that's me... And you're Aubrey, I-if I am not mistaken. H-Hi there.." he waves at her reluctantly.
Aubrey giggles and starts walking closer to him. Basil thought of backing up at first, but for one reason or another he didn't move away.
"I am sorry if I startled you… And showing up uninvited... It's just, I always wondered what went on inside the teacher-only areas and when I saw you going inside, I couldn't resist taking a peek."
Without really meaning to, the boy takes note of how oddly pleasant Aubrey's voice is. Sweet, playful and resounding, lacking the cold and judgemental tone so many people possess. It made him feel relaxed, it made him feel… Safe.
And to think he doesn't even actually know her at all.
"Aw, It's alright! I wasn't doing anything too important anyways… I was just… Gonna water some flowers!" Basil hummed.
"Wait… You take care of the flowers here?! Are you some kind of gardener? Oh my god!! That's so cool!!" she chimes, clasping her hands together.
"HUH??"
Now that was definitely not the reaction Basil was expecting.
Cool..? She thought it was cool?
Before he even had any time to fully process what just happened or react in any way, she was already standing next to him.
She smiles, and Basil finds himself enveloped in a strangely welcoming aura of warmth as they come face to face.
"If it's not too much trouble, could I please stay here with you for a bit longer? M-Maybe even keep you company while you do your thing?"
Basil stared at her in surprise.
His face was that of pure shock.
What a strange reaction, and what an even stranger request.
She wasn't mean to him, or called him any names. On the contrary she just gave him a compliment. She even wanted to stay and watch him tend to the garden.
That was the last thing Basil was expecting to happen and not only did he feel relieved but also… happy. It's been so long since someone reacted to his hobby positively, he had almost forgotten what it felt like.
A glint of hopeful excitement sparked inside his heart.
"O-oh! I.. Uh…"
He takes a second to consider it… There was truly no harm in letting her stay. She seemed very friendly and eager to stick around. She hasn't been anything but kind to him ever since she got here too. How could Basil refuse someone like that?
"Sure! Let me show you around!" he accepts her offer gladly and for a moment it seemed like Aubrey's eyes were sparkling.
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When a flower begins to grow, it doesn't happen in an instant. When it's seed is carefully planted, it doesn't emerge from the soil the very next day. It needs to stretch out its roots first in order to reach full bloom.
It takes time and effort and it has to be watered and cared for to turn into something beautiful. And it's all worth it in the end because the result will be its germination, a floral being and its petals grown with soil, water, your care and your love.
That's how Basil feels about gardening and for the first time in a while, he managed to pass his feelings to someone else and leave them awe-struck or at least a little moved.
As he walked throughout his safe space with his classmate beside him, he shared with her his knowledge and his thoughts on the plant life he took care of, often giving into his emotions and letting them seep into his words.
He pours water onto the fragrant lavender, and talks to her about serenity and devotion.
He adds fertilizer to the batch of foxgloves and laments about insecurity and regret.
He checks the daffodils for pests and parasites, their silky white petals reminiscents of the first time he ever cared for a flower. A daffodil just like them, symbol of a new beginning.
When he looked over to Aubrey while she listened to what he had to say, seeing her eyes overflow with stars and her expression shifting everytime he told her something new, he wondered if perhaps this whole thing was the start of something new as well-
***RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING **
"Ngh-!"
The two children flinch at the sound of the school bell ringing throughout the area.
As if a light switch had been flicked, their moment was over as soon as it began.
"Oh…" Basil frowns, and turns around to face Aubrey.
"Looks like the period is over, and so is school for today." he says to her.
"Yeah.. It appears that.. It is. We should probably go get our stuff." she sighs.
Basil places the gardening equipment back in its place, expecting Aubrey to have left already to pick up her school bag when he returns, only to find her smiling brightly, her hand resting lightly on the door handle.
"Thank you for spending time with me, this was so much fun!" she chimes.
"It really was… T-Thank you too, for your time.. " the boy muses, while gazing at her with a gentle expression. He still knew little to nothing about Aubrey, but their time together, her pleasant company, the way she listened to him, had already made him quite fond of her.
"See you around, Flower boy! Have a great day!" she twists the handle and walks out the door, leaving him alone.
Basil didn't know if what he felt after she left was bashfulness, joy, or plain embarrassment, but his face was burning up and the redness refused to subside.
He stands still at the center of the garden,engulfed by the inscrutable emotion, unable to shake it off.
"F-Flower b-boy…" he mutters when he finally snaps out of it, and soon after he takes his leave, making sure to lock the door behind him this time.
He grabs his schoolbag from the basketball field and walks over to the faculty office where he finds his former teacher, Mr.Brown.
The man greets him, Basil does the same and takes out the rusty keys from his pocket in order to hand them over.
He thinks of how grateful he is towards Mr. Brown, for giving him the opportunity to continue gardening, for giving him permission to enter this place and take care of its plants after the bullying stopped.
For giving him these keys, the keys to his safe haven to hold onto during the day.
His parents didn't know about it, and he hopes they never find out, but for better or for worse… Someone else did.
And from that moment forward, for the rest of the day, she never left his mind.
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It's a brand new day, inside a noisy classroom.
Basil sits alone by the window as he usually does.
His attention, however, isn't directed to the scenery outside.
But rather towards the girl with pink clothes sitting by herself in the back of the class.
He shot shy little glances at her, every now and again.
And then suddenly, without thinking, he gets up and makes his way to her desk.
She gasps in surprise as she notices him standing next to her.
He takes a deep breath, he tries to loosen up a bit and then finally, he says:
"H-Hey, good morning Aubrey! Would you like to s-sit with me at m-my desk?"
Her face lights up with joy.
She laughs and says yes.