Buds

Chapter 1

Matt Bynes stared down his reflection in the mirror, the sink below it supporting his tired body. His black hair was tousled, a few waves curling around his face while others stuck straight up into the air. He held a strand between his fingers, wondering whether he should pay money for a haircut or just ask a friend to do it. Although, he didn't know who he'd trust so close to his head with scissors. He lifted his hand to scratch the stubble on his face, grimacing at how much it had grown in such a short time. He'd need to shave soon.

His sun-kissed skin was coated in a layer of dirt and soil collected during his long hours of working with his plants. He tried wiping away some of the smudges on his face but only ended up smearing it more.

A pale yellow t-shirt clung to his body due to the sweat he could still feel rolling down his back. He turned to his left, catching a whiff of the shirt, and almost gagged. His worn-out blue jeans were also covered in dirt, especially around the knees. He quickly stripped off the clothes he'd fallen asleep in, exchanging them for a fresh pair of jeans and a pastel green t-shirt.

Turning on the faucet, he splashed cold water onto his face, letting it drip down as he stared down at the sink. He took a deep breath to clear his mind before grabbing a rag, scrubbing the dirt and grime off his face. He did the same with his arms, examining himself in the mirror until he was satisfied.

He let out one more tired sigh, stretching as he let out a yawn. He tried to rub away the dark bags under his eyes but to no avail. His hair was also close to the point of looking greasy. He'd have to shower soon. He frowned at the thought of dealing with his friends' questions and scolding later. He slapped on a heavy layer of deodorant for a temporary solution.

Rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck a bit to relieve some of the soreness caused by sleeping at a desk, he opened the bathroom door and trudged into the back room.

The room was quite neat; Matt had stayed up late to make sure of it. Mostly he just couldn't sleep. However, nobody needed to know that.

The room was fairly large. It had two windows on the back wall, the blinds blocking any rays of sunlight from peeking through.

Between the windows was a red wooden door locked with a chain. The paint was peeling, and the wood was chipping away, but it was mostly intact. At least, it was intact enough to function as a door.

There were four stained oak desks scattered throughout the room, each having a trash can beside it. Most of them had ring stains from the several vases or coffee cups they went through in the shop. A few of them had papers stacked neatly atop them, and on the wall above each of them was a corkboard with a variety of papers and photos pinned onto them.

Along the side walls were metal shelves holding gardening tools, soil, plant food, and the like.

Matt unhooked the chain on the back door, walking out into the bright light of the morning. He had to squint a little, blinded by the sudden rush of sunlight that bombarded him. He held back a hiss. Walking out of the back alley of the shop, he continued his trek to Griddy's Doughnuts. The walk took him about ten minutes, but he was soon sat on a stool in his favorite donut shop.

There were only a few other patrons, much to Matt's delight. It was quiet. He could only hear the soft hum of the jukebox that played a tune he couldn't remember the name of. It was soothing to his pounding headache, which probably came from the lack of sleep and the bright light shining in his eyes the entire walk.

Perhaps he should invest in some sunglasses. Or he could just stare into the sun until he went blind; he wouldn't have to worry about bright lights at all. There was always the option of just throwing himself into the sun and let his existence burn away, leaving nothing behind but a puff of smoke.