Chrysanthemum, Chrysanthemum

First Encounters

    Chrysanthemum followed her Aunt into the City Hall building. She didn't know why they were there, but she didn't have her own car so she had to go. They walked down the halls and approached a pair of doors that were labeled 'Parks and Recreation'. Ann turned to her niece and put her hands on Chrysanthemum's upper arms.

  "Do you remember meeting Leslie?" Ann asked. Chrysanthemum furrowed her eyebrows and nodded slowly.

    "How could I forget? It was only one of the weirdest things I've ever experienced," The teen was staring at Ann with wide eyes.

  "Okay, well you are about to meet several...interesting people. So remember Leslie and try not to be too surprised," Ann prefaced as she pushed the doors open. Nothing was out of the ordinary at the moment but Chrysanthemum regarded everything with caution.

{"No, I'm not scared of meeting these people! I just don't know what to expect. I hope that they like me, I guess."}

    Ann sat at a table in the center of the room and Chrysanthemum awkwardly stood beside her. No one paid attention to the teen and she didn't want to disturb anyone, so she remained silent.

  "Why don't you go introduce yourself?" Ann suggested. She was getting mildly uncomfortable with Chrys just standing there. Chrysanthemum shook her head.

    "No thanks. I'll just stand here like a statue until someone talks to me," The brunette teen crossed her arms over her chest and pushed out her hip. Ann rolled her eyes.

  "Fine," The woman huffed and looked around, her eyes settling on April Ludgate, the intern. "April! This is my niece, make small talk," Ann said as she pushed Chrysanthemum in April's direction. The two girls stared at each other for a moment before Chrysanthemum tried to break the ice.

    "I'm Chrysanthemum, most people call me Chrys."

  "I'm Satan, most people call me...Satan," April said as she glanced at the camera.

    "Nice to meet you, Satan. I trust you've been getting my goats?" Chrysanthemum played along with April's antics. The intern tried not to smile but failed.

  "I prefer chickens," April said as she walked away. Chrys smiled and shook her head.

    "Okay, Aunt Ann, I've talked to someone. Am I done?" Chrysanthemum leaned against the table and let her head fall to the side.

  "No, you won't be done until you talk to everyone in this office," Ann said as she looked down at her phone. Chrysanthemum groaned and looked around the room. She saw an African American woman sitting at a desk in the corner of the office and decided to start there.

    "Hi, I'm Chrysanthemum, Ann's niece. I was told to introduce myself," Chrys said after approaching the woman's desk. The woman, Donna Meagel, looked up from her computer and looked Chrysanthemum up and down. She smiled at the girl.

  "Well, I'm Donna and if you have any questions try not to ask me," Donna said before returning to her computer and scrolling through Facebook. Chrysanthemum laughed.

    "I'll keep that in mind," Chrysanthemum walked away and saw an older man sitting at a desk at the other end of the room. She walked over and introduced herself self but she regretted it shortly after. 

  "It is so nice to meet you, Chrys. I really hope that you enjoy living here and I know changes like this can be a lot. I just want to let you know that if you need anything, I'm available!" The man, who Chrysanthemum now knew as Jerry Gergich, rambled for a bit before smiling kindly at the girl. Chrysanthemum nodded and smiled tightly before quickly leaving. Next to Jerry's desk was an office. Chrysanthemum peeked in and saw a man, Ron Swanson, writing in a small notebook with a serious look on his face. She quietly entered the office and just looked around, hesitant to greet the man at the desk. She noticed the pictures on the walls and the trinkets on his desk and cabinets.

    "Who are you and why are you in here?" Ron demanded. Chrysanthemum jumped at the sound of his voice and cleared her throat.

  "I'm Chrysanthemum, Ann's niece. I just moved to Pawnee," Chrysanthemum explained.

    "Okay, now leave please," Ron said. Chrysanthemum raised an eyebrow and sat down in one of the chairs instead. She remained silent but she stared at the mustached man until he couldn't take it anymore. "What do you want, Ann's niece?"

  "Usually when people introduce themselves, the other person introduces themselves also," Chrysanthemum pointed out.

    "I don't care, please exit through either door."

  "Is that a broken shotgun?" Chrys asked, ignoring the man's orders. "And is that a mine? Is it still active? What about the duck? Did you carve it yourself? You look like someone who would be into carpentry."

    "That's enough!" Ron couldn't take it anymore. He had snapped his pencil in rage and thrown it down onto the desk. Ann came hurrying in when she heard Ron's yelling.

  "Hey! What's going on in here?" The woman asked in a hesitant tone. Chrys turned and smiled at her Aunt, while Ron glared intensely at the teen in front of him.

    "I want you to remove this girl," Ron pointed his finger at Chrysanthemum and she turned back to him with a wide grin.

  "Why? I was just asking some simple questions," the teen stated. "If you hadn't just sat there ignoring me I could've been gone by now."

    "Typically when I ignore people they get the hint and leave," Ron said.

  "Oh, I got the hint. I just ignored it."

    "Okay! Chrysanthemum, why don't you come out here with me?" Ann interrupted the childish argument and waved her niece over.

  "Aww, but I was having fun!" Chrys whined. She looked at the man across from her, who had a very intense frown on his face. She pointed at him and grinned, "Look at how much fun we're having!" Ann walked over and grabbed her niece by the arm, pulling her out of the chair.

    "Let's go before Ron kills you,"

  "Ha! That's your name! Ronald!" Chrys shouted in satisfaction as Ann dragged her out of the room. Ron shouted in anger and annoyance as Chrysanthemum giggled.

{"I wish this office only had walls. Only walls."}

    "You shouldn't annoy Ron. It's a dangerous game," Ann told her niece. Chrysanthemum was still smiling and trying not to laugh.

  "Aww, but it was fun! I think I found my favorite person here!" The teen giggled. Ann shook her head and sat back down at the table. The woman dug through her purse and handed Chrysanthemum the car keys.

    "Why don't you head home, I'll catch a ride from Mark," Ann said. Chrysanthemum furrowed her eyebrows.

  "Who the hell is Mark?"

    "Just go," Ann pushed. Chrys rolled her eyes and walked out of the department. She headed toward the exit but heard music being played in one of the hallways. She followed it and found Andy Dwyer and his band playing music at a shoeshine stand. She listened to Andy's uninterested voice as he played old 40's songs. She walked up to Andy and tapped him on the shoulder just as he finished a song. Andy's head whipped around, the wrong way, and he turned all the way around to face the teen.

  "Hey, Andy!" Chrysanthemum exclaimed. The man's face showed surprise, but he smiled anyway.

    "Chrys! Wow!" He said as he moved his guitar and pulled the teen into a tight hug. Chrys returned the hug and took a deep breath.

  "I've missed you, what's new?"

    "Well, I have a job now, ya know, always on that grind," Andy started to explain.

  "Andy, could you shine my shoes please?" A man was sitting at the shoeshine stand and pleaded with Andy. Andy closed his eyes and sighed.

    "Shut up, Kyle."