A Love Like Never Before: The Shadow and The Shrek.

Chapter 1: When the Flowers Fall.

Shrek Miller was your average high school jock, always passionate about whatever sport is to come the next season. However, among all of these sports he was remarkably known for having a special gift for swamp swimming. Shrek was the kind of ogre who dedicated his heart and soul to swamp swimming just like an artist did with their art. His swimming techniques were immaculate, so much, that he impressed all the girls and boys in his school. Sadly, even though he was gifted in all existant sports, he had a rather ice cold personality. He'd never flinch, not even if you threw a pebble at him. He wouldn't show a single reaction. It was this exact personality that gave him a mysterious shrexy aura that attracted everyone who walked across from him.

The very only place in the world where people compete passionately in swamp swimming, is in Helltown, Louisiana. This town was known for its high crime rates and birth rates as well. It was both common to hear babies cry, or hear that your next door neighbor got robbed. One thing  was for sure however, the annual swamp swimming festival was just around the corner. And that meant extra training sessions for Shrek. Throughout generations, the Miller family held the gold with pride in swamp swimming. The townspeople admired the Millers, and keeping this admiration became one of Shrek's major responsibilities. 

This responsibility has been bestowed upon me... Yet they expect so much of me... Shrek thought as he walked to school.

It was a warm May morning with a sun that smiled to Shrek as he walked. The neighborhood was quite noisy on the other hand, as people readied to go to work while they held toasts in their mouths. Shrek had never liked hot days, though they were perfect for swamp swimming which was the only reason Shrek tolerated these days.

Suddenly, the gentle sound of quick and speedy footsteps went through Shrek's Crassula Ovatas. This may sound misleading, but that's what Shrek's ears are called.

Shrek couldn't help but turn to see who headed towards him. It was the wretched Shadow Hedge who ran at an abnormal speed which caused her fake balloons to jump up and down.

Shadow Hedge was the weirdest girl in all of the school. And everyone was conscious of this, as the school was fairly small. At times, she'd be clumsy on purpose to attract Shrek's attention which completely angered him. Some said her first and upmost priority was to attrack Shrek's attention, yet she failed miserably whenever she tried. 

The girls would talk about Shadow every so often about her quirkiness. About how she bit her lips as she solved problems in Algebra II, or about how she'd constantly click her pen during History class, or even about how she spoke to herself in the bathroom, yet remained quiet whenever someone actually tried to talk to her. These things had made quite a reputation of Shadow, yet she chose to remain nonchalant about it. 

"Shrek! Shrek Miller!" Shadow gasped for air as she arrived to Shrek's side.

Even though he attempted to ignore her until she walked away, she just stood there. And spoke, and spoke about her life, and praised Shrek for his skills. Shrek simply ignored her even further, but he couldn't take it anymore when she grabbed his arm. 

"Would you leave me alone?! Please, I don't want to be seen with you!" Shrek yelled as he pulled her away.

"I... I'm sorry... I just... I'm sorry..." Shadow turned her head away. "I was just so excited to see you for a moment and-"

"It's fine if you want to hold a casual conversation with me, but don't treat me like a close friend of yours. Know your social boundaries, or else people will keep calling you weird and quirky." Shrek warned as he walked.

"You're right... I'm sorry..." Shadow murmured as she quickly regained her excitement. "I just happened to see you walk by, and wanted to get to know you better! Maybe not close friends, but we can be acquaintances at least!"

Shrek let out a large sigh and didn't care about what Shadow said as she walked alongside with him. What was it that she said anyway? How guys were total asses at school? Or how school lunch lost its quality over the months? Whatever it was, she said it with the hopes of igniting a conversation between them.

"So... Are you competing this year for the annual swamp swimming competition? I heard your family is heavily respected by mayor Doofenshmirtz himself!" Shadow jumped in excitement.

"We are... I mean I will obviously participate... aren't those like old news already?" Shrek grumpled in a low tone.

"Oh yes, sorry for tha-" 

"Why do you keep apologizing?" Shrek turned to face her with a grumpy expression across his face.

"It's because of manners!" Shadow continued, "If I am making you mad right now... I think it's best to apologize for whatever I do wrong... Or whatever I did that offended you..."

"You're not offending me, you're just running out of things to say. Which is good, I want you gone." Shrek said as he stopped in front of Shadow.

Shadow stood there for a solid ten seconds, unable to respond to what Shrek said. Why was Shrek so rude? Shadow wondered what was it that made him like that until...

"I usually see you alone in the hallways. Don't you have any other friends?" Shrek asked as he finally expressed a crumb of curiosity.

"S-Sonic is my only friend... No one else... Likes me because I love poetry..." Shadow murmured.

Shrek raised and eyebrow and said, "I thought it was because of your quirky personality."

"No, well, yes and no, they simply don't like me at all." Shadow continued, "I think I will leave... You don't have to bare my existance anymore..."

Shrek put a hand on her shoulder sofltly and said, "If you're lonely, then it's fine if you walk alongside with me, there's no harm in that. Just don't mind my silence."

Shadow flushed like a freshly grown rose bud and nodded. The two of them continued their way to school. The sun glowed gently on their heads as they walked together and shared stories about each other.

As they almost reached school, they walked along a road filled with cherry blossoms.

"Did you know that these were planted on purpose? My mom said that this road looked ugly a decade ago, so the mayor financed a little project to beautify it." Shadow's eyes glowed.

Shrek tilted his head up to have a closer look of the cherry blossoms above him. The flowers shone in different tones of pink. Some gentle tones, other stronger tones, and other tones disappeared with the light of the sun. It was like a spectacle for their eyes alike.

A blossom flower slowly fell and landed gracefully on Shadow's head. 

"It looks good on you..." Shrek murmured.

"What?" Shadow asked excitedly.

"Nothing... Let's keep walking, school will start soon..." Shrek rushed her and thus they descended together deeper into the beautiful pink hues of the road. 

Chapter 1 End.