Unlikely Love

Just Friends

(A month after last chapter)

Steps on how to be just friends;

1. Hang out, just not too much.

2. Be nice, but don't flirt.

3. Don't go to each other's house.

4. Don't do anything romantic.

5. Do NOT pretend to date.

——-

"Wake up, Rue," A man's voice eased her.

"What?" Rue asked sleepily.

"Today you have your counselor session," The man told her.

"What session?" Rue sat up in her fine bed. "Where am I?"

"You spent the night at my house," The man answered.

"I did?" Rue questioned, opening her eyes to see Carlos sitting at the end of her pink covers.

"Yes, Rue. Don't you remember?" Carlos laughed.

She did remember now. She was meeting Carlos' parents. Nice people, they were, but a little intimidating. She smiled. "Is today the day?"

"It sure is!"

"I'm getting a job!" Rue yelled, and raced out of the door. "I'm getting a job!" She told Carlos' mom and dad.

"Calm down, Rose," Mr. Maloo sighed.

"I'm Rue. Same first letter, different flower!" Rue smiled and laughed.

Rue walked over to the table, and ran into Carlos' siblings, Mayona and Ranoma. Rue remembered what Carlos had said about their unique names; Carlos didn't seem unique like Mayona (May- own- ia) and Ranoma (Ra- Gnome- ia) at first, but Carlos' actual name was Carlosious (Carl- lose-ee-ous).

"Hey May!" Rue exclaimed. "Hiya Rano!"

"You're perky today," Mayona said, staring at her phone . The thirteen year old was mean, rude, and very independent, but a smile tugged at her lips as Rue hugged her.

"You're gonna do great, Rue!" Ranoma exclaimed. They all hugged and laughed, then ate their oatmeal when Carlosious, Carlos, jogged downstairs into the kitchen.

"I have some bad news, Rue. I didn't get the job. Only you did. Sorry," Carlos sighed. Rue's smile faded.

"What?"

"I'm gonna be working at Carla's Candy Court instead. Sorry, Rue."

"What? That can't be," Rye stated.

"What about just friends?" May asked, still staring at her phone.

"What do you mean?" Rue asked her.

"You just seem awfully attached to him for not being together..."

Rue looked down at her oatmeal. She thought about the last month. She would visit Carlos for ice cream, spend time at his house, meet his parents, visit him in his school, and so much more. Maybe they weren't supposed to be 'just friends'. Maybe they were meant for more. She shook her head. She shook those thoughts from her head. "It's okay. We will survive."

"Yeah, we will," Carlos agreed.

——

Rue trudged to her job at Mickey Domain's Flower and Pawn Shop. When she saw the broken store, she ran to it.

"I'm Rue. My job started today, so... Here I am."

"Heya Rue! You are the florist, right?" The clerk asked her.

"Umm... No," Rue answered.

"Oh. Well, today you are. Go to the flower section of the store, please."

"What do I do?" Rue questioned.

"You wait for someone to call or come to your counter and give them a bouquet of flowers," The clerk said blandly.

"But... I don't know anything about, well, plants!" Rue protested.

"Then why are you here?"

"I want a job for the Pawn Shop!" Rue explained.

"Just do it for today. Tomorrow you can do the pawn shop, just do the flowers for today," The clerk pleaded.

"Whatever."

Rue walked to the florist counter and sat there, waiting. She waited until around noon, and finally got her first call.

"Hello?" A voice said from the phone.

"Hello. I am Rue from Mickey Domain's Flower and Pawn Shop. How can I help you?" Rue read from the script. It was a piece of paper on the table.

"Well, I am coming from work at 5:00 tonight, so do you think you could get me a bouquet for my granddaughter's recital by then?" The woman asked.

"Yes, I do. Any particular flower you want in the bouquet?"

"Umm... Rues, roses, and daisies. She loves daisies," The woman answered.

"M'am, we don't have rue here, I don't think. Sorry."

"Oh... Just whatever is fine."

"What size do you want?" Rue asked, jotting down what the lady says.

"Small. She's just a little tot."

"Okay. Thanks. So I will see you at 5:00 tonight with a small bouquet with roses and daisies and other flowers. Am I correct?"

"Yes," The lady replied. "Oh, and a small card."

"And a small card," Rue muttered, and wrote it down. "What's your name and phone number?"

"MC Johnson," The lady said. Rue snickered. She had heard of that name. The lady then told Rue her phone number.

When Rue got off the phone, a customer was at her desk.

"Hi. I'm Rue. How can I help you?"

"Umm. Can I have a single sunflower please?" The customer asked.

"Uh... Yes?"

Rue handed him the flower and he left. "Okay..."

Rue served customers all day, and walked back to her little alley. She still wished Sidney was there, and she still had nightmares about her. She sat and read a book that Carlos lent her. It was about a wizard who didn't know he was a wizard, and his parents were killed. It was called Harry Potter.

Rue smiled. She loved the books, even though she couldn't afford them. She hadn't seen Carlos at all that afternoon, but she fell asleep.

—-

(Dream)

"Oh, Rue. You really think I loved you? No. I was just being a nice person. We will always be just friends, Rue. Always. Besides, I have a girlfriend. I met her at the candy shop."

"What? No. Carlos! Carlos? Don't go, please!"

"Goodbye Rue."

——

"NO!" Rue woke with a start.

Dream Carlos' words rang in her ear like bells. "We will always be just friends."

"Just friends?" Rue asked herself. "Just friends," Rue confirmed, and that's all she wanted to be.

JUST FRIENDS