In the Language of the Flowers

| 32 |

✾ Dahlia ✾

It was still freezing outside these days. I'd hoped that the weather would have calmed down a bit by the time I had to go back to school, but it still felt like I was walking in Siberia. The towering skyscrapers--which I still found both beautiful and sad--forced the fierce winds through narrow gaps, amplifying their intensity tenfold. Cities were cold places sometimes. 

I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket and pulled it out, clumsily tugging my mitten off to answer. "Hello?" 

Amory's voice came through the receiver. "I was glad to see you the other day."

"Me, too," I said, happy that he was calling me. Things had been a tad strange when he'd visited; I didn't know how to act around him with Ren in the room, and I hadn't been sure how he'd feel after I'd gone radio-silent on him for so long. Beyond being a little quieter than usual, he now thankfully seemed his usual self.

"You almost on campus?" he asked. 

I flinched as a particularly powerful gust hit me and pierced me to the bones. "Yeah. I'm on my way. What's up?" I asked. 

"Miller wants you to show up early. Said he sent you an email about it, but you haven't responded. He told me to remind you," Amory said. 

"Oh, awkward," I said. "I haven't checked my email all break. Are you there with him now? Will you let him know I'll go straight to his office?" 

"Yeah, one moment." I heard scratching sounds like Amory was pressing his phone to his chest. I could barely hear their quiet mumbling over the wind. As I waited, I silently thanked all the powerful weather gods for sparing New York more snow. "He said he will be waiting for you," Amory said. 

"Thanks, Amory," I said, switching which hand held the phone and exhaling on my frigid fingertips. "How come you were meeting with the Professor?"

Maybe the icy winter land made every second feel like hours, but I swear Amory hesitated to answer me. "Just some help on an assignment." 

I frowned. Amory didn't seem like the type to get any extra advice from professors. His supposedly serious studying had really just been an excuse to get closer to me, after all. "Ok, I'll see you soon, then?" 

"Before you hang up, I want to apologize," Amory said. 

I frowned, caught off guard. "For what? Isn't it me who should be apologizing?" 

"No," Amory said. "I messed with your roommate when I visited you. He probably thinks I'm trying to steal you from him." 

I scoffed. "What did you do to him?" 

"He is so uptight when it comes to you," Amory said, obviously avoiding my question. "But I guess that's a good thing. I just wanted to make sure he was good for you." 

"Just to clarify, you're not trying to steal me away from him?" I said. I didn't think he was, but better safe than sorry. 

"If I told you that I was, what would you do?" 

I stopped walking. A couple seconds of torturous silence passed. "You're not-" 

"No, I'm not serious," Amory said, laughing. 

"Jesus, you scared me," I said, relieved. "I was worried because Sallie said you haven't found someone new yet."

"Since when does Sallie know everything about me?" Amory said. "I have to go, but let's get food after work today." 

"Ok, talk to you later. Jerk," I said, hanging up. I eagerly slid my mitten back on. My pulse was still hammering in my chest when I started walking again. Despite how dim Amory's flame for me might have become, I had believed for a second that it still burned. It had seemed a reasonable explanation for his silence during the visit. Maybe he was still acting strange, after all? Amory's little joke had stolen about 7% of my sanity, which is far too much for something so small.