FLOWERS

Snapdragon

"Hey Lilly," Devon walked up to Lilly who was sitting quietly on the edge of the concrete border around Geraldine Highschool's beautiful garden.

The real pride and joy of a small town highschool like this one. Lilly remembered it's garden courtyard so vividly. The trees that were well kept to irrational perfection. The beautiful brick pathways between the buildings, each leading toward their respective doors. The way the courtyard seemed to have its very own ecosystem, separated from the rest of the world. Like a fairy land. Perfectly still and unchanged in the walls that guarded it. Nothing could touch such a place like this. That's why Lilly loved it. It was her safe place, all through highschool. It was the only place she truly felt like herself. And the fact no one ever came out there was a plus, as well. So seeing Devon out here, months after raping her in this very location, pissed Lilly off more than she could possibly describe. This was her haven. Devon smudged it. Devon didn't deserve to be able to enter such a place.

Devon limped slowly up to Lilly and sat down next to her. He wasn't sure what to expect from a conversation like the one he was about to have, but he was set on having it. He felt like he owed Lilly that much. He sighed, uncertain of his next action. Afraid that Lilly might just rip his dick off and finish the job if he said the wrong thing. He cleared his throat and looked her way. He scanned the side of her face, as she wasn't looking at him, noticing the bruise around the edge of her cheek. A bruise that he definitely didn't remember seeing. But it wasn't his buisness. Not that he would mind hearing about it, not that Lilly talked anyway. He decided to ignore it and just say his piece. "I'm sorry about my mom. She's never really... I don't know... givin a shit, I guess." He looked up into the air, not trying to see anything in particular, just trying to keep his body preoccupied and ignore the anxiety building up in his chest. "About people. Or anything really. She's just a greedy... old bat. Which I hate to say, cause she's my mom, but... the truth is what it is." He looked over at Lilly, who continued to ignore his existence. But he knew she was listening. "But I'm not one to judge, really. I guess I got her greed, too. I mean, I took something from you that... well, it wasn't mine to take. And you showed that to me by taking something away from me. Something I can never get back, just like you." He raised his hand to touch her shoulder, but decided that wasn't the best idea. After what he had done, he didn't get to touch her anymore. That sucked to think about. It hurt to think about, but it was true. "I don't... I don't have anyway of apologising to you for what I did, because it was probably one of the worst things you can do to another person. But I do know that, you gave me something that you could only give me. A second chance. And... Lilly, I promise. I'm gonna be a better man. I'm gonna be better than my mother, better than myself. I'm gonna be a good person. I'm... I'm gonna be the man you should've went to prom with. And you're not just a little mute, Lilly. You're so much more than that. The things I said... the things I did..." He paused. "Thank you for showing me who I was... the only way I would listen." He smiled at Lilly, but she didn't look back at him. He sighed, stood up, nodded to himself and limped his way back into school using the brick path he came out with.

"You're such a dick." Lilly spat as he left her.

Devon stopped in his tracks and spun around ever so slowly, trying not to disturb his ever so tender netherregion. "What?"

"I said your a DICK!" She shot her face in his direction, her face beat red with anger that she had been holding down the whole time. "How dare you walk out to this spot and APOLOGIZE TO ME? THIS IS MY PLACE! THIS IS MINE!"

"Lilly I-"

"NO! It's MY TURN to talk! The little mute wants to say a few things to you!" Lilly slid off the ledge and landed harshly on the brick path. "You say your sorry like it means something. You say sorry like my world isn't constantly falling apart and you just added to the distruction! You say sorry like there's something to apologise for! Well there's not!