Pollen Count | ✓

s i x

Allie's phone has been blowing up all morning, not that she's been awake to notice the notifications.

She's been atop her blankets, basking in the light breeze that her standing fan provides. It's too hot to sleep under the covers, and Allegra worries that leaving the windows open will let bugs in and set her allergies off.

She finally blinks herself awake at the muffled sound of her mother's voice. It's coming from the other side of the pillow that's smushed over her head.

"Allie? Darling, are you awake?"

Allegra only groans in response.

"Okay, well, the pink girl is here, if you want to--"

"Daisy?"

Allie sits up, her hair mussed up around her face and her eyes bleary and tired.

"Is that her name? With the-- the pink--?"

Her mother gestures vaguely at her own hair, shrugging uncertainly.

Allie is already up and out of bed, and her mother starts laughing.

"This is the fastest I've ever seen you move," she teases. "I'll tell her you'll be down in a moment."

Allegra is rushing around her room, pausing only when she stubs her toe on the corner of her desk chair. She winces, but grabs the floaty skirt from the back of the chair anyway, and starts tugging it up to her hips, shimmying off her pajama shorts afterwards.

She flings open the doors to her closet and is immediately shot with panic. After a minute of wild searching, her eyes land on a lacy crop top, and she pulls it on as quick as she can before spinning to examine her reflection.

She's looked better, but it's not bad, she decides.

Allie rakes her fingers through her brunette tangles, then gives up and grabs her eyeliner.

Downstairs, she hears voices and laughter, and the panic returns. She has no idea why Daisy is downstairs, and she hates the lack of control she has over the entire situation.

Luckily, Allegra is seasoned enough with her make-up that in the span of two minutes, she has passable eyeliner and eye shadow on her lids, and a neat nude lip on. She nods at the mirror. It's reasonable enough.

She grabs her phone as an afterthought and starts heading downstairs, taking them two at a time.

"There she is, sleeping beauty," her mother says, shooting her a wink as she appears in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Um, hi," Allegra replies, an unsure smile fixing itself on her face as she looks between her parents and Daisy.

Daisy is grinning like this is the most entertaining thing she's seen all month.

"Morning," she says, her dark brown eyes bright.

Allie's eyes skim down Daisy's outfit. Between the tights that are so ripped they serve no purpose and the large O-ring choker she's wearing, Allegra almost can't believe her parents haven't kicked the girl out of the house. She's not exactly dream daughter-in-law material.

"You look nice," Daisy says, almost as if she can tell exactly what Allegra is thinking.

Allie's brain malfunctions, and her mouth can't seem to spit out anything she can even consider saying in front of her parents.

Eventually, her father pipes up instead.

"Do you two have some big plans for the day, then? It'd be nice to see you getting out and about," he says, raising his eyebrows somewhat sternly at Allie.

Allegra couldn't have rolled her eyes harder.

"I think we're gonna see where the day takes us," Daisy nods, all confidence. "Right, Allie?"

Allegra almost sputters.

***

Daisy gets her way, and sure enough, fifteen minutes later Allie has her teeth brushed, her purse packed, and her ass out the door.

Daisy laughs when they're a few houses down, mostly because Allegra seems to be stunned into silence.

"Good morning," she sing-songs, annoyingly.

"I think I'm still asleep. This has to be a nightmare," Allie replies.

Daisy cackles.

"You're such a baby. Why didn't you reply to my texts?"

"Your texts?" Allegra is incredulous, and she glares at Daisy accordingly. "It's--" she rips her gaze away to glance down at the time on her phone. "9.47. In the morning. What made you think I'd be avidly checking my phone, waiting for a text from you?"

Daisy pouts, teasingly. "Y'mean you weren't?"

Allegra grits her teeth. It's all she can do not to throw a tantrum.

"C'mon, it's a beautiful day! I just thought adding you to the mix would make it even more beautiful," Daisy says, holding a hand against her chest to emphasize the mock flattery.

"You're beyond annoying," Allie says, matter-of-fact.

"You can go home," Daisy says, shrugging. She knows Allegra isn't going anywhere.

The two girls trudge along in silence for a few moments. Allegra, trying to make Daisy think there's a chance she'll leave. Daisy, trying not to laugh because they've already made it this far. There's no way she isn't getting to hang out with Allie today.

The silence drags on until Daisy tosses her hair back and smirks. "That's what I thought."

Allie stops, at those words, and then forces herself to 180.

Daisy's overconfidence is bizarrely equal parts charming and grating to Allegra, and she decides it's worth reminding her that she should have a say, too.

"Allie!" Daisy yells, as the brunette stomps away from her. She laughs a little, but it doesn't sound as joyful as she gives chase.

"That's what you thought, huh?" Allegra says, her tone cool and light. Daisy's confidence, Daisy's cockiness, is somehow in her voice.

"Allegra," she says, her tone insistent. "I was totally kidding, come on. You can't spend a day like this inside. Let's go somewhere," she says, enthusiasm bubbling in her voice.

"Where?" Allie asks, as she continues to head back in the direction of her house. Her pace has slowed, significantly, however, and her leisurely stroll is merely a show of potential defiance.

"Anywhere."

"Anywhere?" Allegra repeats, in disbelief. "Like... the library?"

Daisy groans. "You're awful, you know that? Could you be nerdier, please?"

Allegra smirks a little, shrugging.

"Look, you clearly can't be trusted with this," Daisy teases. "Just let me figure today out, okay? I promise you'll have fun."

Allegra narrows her eyes dramatically, skeptically.

Daisy almost cracks, the expression too adorable.

"I mean it," Daisy says, trying to be serious. "And if you don't have fun, you-- you never have to hang out with me again. Deal?"

Allegra's eyebrows shoot up, and she nods, even though she thinks not hanging out with Daisy anymore would somehow feel like both winning and losing.

"Deal."