Axel's Daisy

26 • Destiny

Axel was restless during our final exam, poking the pen on his forehead and moving it between his fingers with squinted eyes as he pursed his lips.

An idea popped into my head. I usually didn't help people cheat, but it was Axel, and I could make an exception. We were seated on the far right, and Mrs. Devan, a short woman, took her time walking between the tables.

I kicked Axel's ankle, and it was enough for the broody guy to look at me. I flipped the page out to show him. His lips parted slightly, then turned into a smirk as he copied quickly. I quickly put the page down when she passed by us, pretending to calculate.

My adrenaline spiked as her eyes scanned us for a moment before she strutted around to the far left. Axel's gaze was fixed while he copied the short answers section.

The hardest parts were the calculations, but Chemistry was like my game. It was quick and easy to solve. When the teacher announced to drop our pens, we did, letting out a deep exhale.

"That was super fucking hard," Axel groaned.

"What do you mean? It was a no-brainer."

He looked at me and scoffed. "Of course, you're the nerd and I'm the brainless one." He circled his fingers around his eyes as if wearing binoculars, making me laugh at the silly guy.

•••

It was my first day of work.

The eye-catching teal flowers made quite the entrance when I walked into Lé Rose flower shop. It was a whole universe, with rays of sunshine highlighting the mahogany setups that showcased elite flowers. They weren't ordinary; each one was covered in either silver or gold. I couldn't help but think the silver represented me and Axel the gold. He was my gold to the silver.

There were round, sparkly tables that matched the gigantic coffee machine. People came in either to purchase a collection of flowers with gift cards or to sit and enjoy the flowers and sunlight with coffee and a croissant.

It was crowded with people chatting away while others studied the art of flowers. Lena came over with a lively smile on her impish face.

"Hey, you made it," she exclaimed.

I extended my hand, but she hugged me instead. I blushed as I hugged her back. She showed me around the spacious place and stopped at the counter, where the employees made bouquets with chocolate.

"Your shop is really beautiful."

"Thank you. It's a dream come true, and yours will be too. With your talent and drive, you might have your own shop someday," she said jovially as she introduced me to the others. "Destiny, this is Zac and Indie. Indie and Zac, this is Destiny."

Zac gave me a tight-lipped smile, and Indie smiled politely at me, both in gloves and aprons. "They'll tell you the rules and everything," Lena said, gesturing to them. "I wish I could stay longer, but I have meetings all day. You're in good hands, though."

"It's totally fine."

"Great, we'll talk later. See you guys," she said, waving goodbye before clacking her heels out the door.

Indie told me to stay behind the counter to take people's orders since it was packed and there was no downtime until our shift ended.

Zac was not very talkative, but his eyes lingered on me from time to time during our rotation. I was eager to handle the organizing and wrapping part when it was my turn. I dealt with customers with an infectious smile and a "have a good day" as I handed out top-quality roses mixed with lilies wrapped in silk pink bouquets to an old lady, who told me I looked like her granddaughter.

"You're a natural, Destiny."

Indie was impressed with how quickly I worked. Her dark gray eyes were kind and non-judgmental. She seemed friendly from the get-go.

"I'm still getting the hang of it, but thanks for helping out," I said, my cheeks heating as I smiled at her. I wasn't very social towards people I just met.

She smiled back. "Anytime. Hey, I'm hosting a party at my house tomorrow if you want to come." She turned to Zac. "Zac, you're coming, right?"

"Dunno. Depends if my girl wants to come," he shrugged, his sage-green eyes cold and distant as he looked at Indie.

"When are you going to admit that she's cheating on you? She's got you under her finger." I felt like an intruder between them as I played with my bracelet. It was half past six, and we finished our shift at seven.

Zac glared at Indie. "At least I have a girl. You're going to be a loner for the rest of your life." The deep jab aimed at Indie made her frown and become angrier as Zac stormed past her.

"Anyway," she sighed, "don't mind him. I'll give you my address."

She sent me the address after we added each other, and I touched her arm. "Don't let his words affect you. You're going to find the right one."

Her face lit up, and she placed her hand over mine gracefully. We decided to clear the tables and clean the flower glasses from the fingerprints of intrigued visitors.

We finished our work as the clock struck seven and closed the shop. I ate the sandwich Dad left me in my bag. He knew my favorite was his crunchy grilled cheese sandwich. I was lacking in weight because I barely ate. I never developed an appetite due to the constant chaos in my head.

"How long have you been working for Lena?"

"For about a year. She's a friend of my cousin, and she set me up with her," Indie answered as we gazed at the moonlight while lying on a field of grass.

It was hard to say no to the tranquility of great weather and a big moon at night.

I told her the story of how I got the job, and she sniggered at the part where Axel stood up for me in front of the council.

"I never had a love like that. I've always lived with my aunt because my family had to travel far away to be with my brother. They always chose him over me, so I never really knew my parents."

I turned to face her. "I'm sorry this happened to you."

"Don't be. Life's unfair, I guess."

"That's true."