Lilly's Garden

IV. Rue

"Are you serious?" Zin squinted at the back of Matt's head, focusing on distributing the red dye through his pale hair. "I can't believe you cursed the guy."

"I did not curse him!"

"You couldn't stand other people being love, so you sabotaged the guy."

Zin resisted painting the back of his neck red. "You can't curse someone with flowers."

"Then why bother with all the hidden codes?" Zin scowled and refused to answer. "Deep down you actually believe those flowers have some kind of magic. Otherwise, you wouldn't have saved your nana's place."

Zin grumbled under her breath. She loved Matt; if she didn't, she wouldn't have punched the brat who made fun of Matt's tooth gap. Or pulled a patch of hair off the floozy who used him to make her ex-boyfriend jealous. Or almost committed manslaughter with her car after his father broke Matt's dominant hand.

She loved him, but she couldn't stand when he was so astute.

"She wouldn't have wanted a soulless ."

"You're absolutely right."

"I had already been helping her since middle school."

"A natural choice."

"I don't like when you're so agreeable."

Matt grinned over his shoulder. A loud pounding corrupted his grin. He jumped off the chair and pounded a fist on the wall. "Goddammit! What the hell are you doing? Making a shrine to Micheal Jackson?"

As if on cue, the first notes of Thriller drifted through the walls. Matt cursed and retreated to the kitchen. A symphony of banging pots added to the concert. Zin shook her head at the ongoing neighborly .

She rubbed at the flecks of red dying her wrist. Whoever received her "cursed" flowers had probably loved them. She doubted she'd see the guy in her shop again. End of story.