The bell rang to signal the end of school. The students were packing their bags, and leaving in a rush. August took her time as she put away her sketchbook, and pencils, she hadn’t a clue that she had an admirer waiting and watching. She swung her bag over her shoulder, and walked out the class.

Claude had left before her and waited by a set of lockers across the hall on his cell. He waited for her to get far enough in front of him and then followed after her. She took the same route she always did, every day after school. August exited from the west wing school doors and walked down the small local roads that led to the small residential neighborhood nearby the school. Claude made sure to stay out of her peripheral life of vision as he continued to stalk her down the quiet road.

August had her earbuds in while walking, “Criminal, by MS MR”, filled her ears while she walked towards a large botanical nursery where she went to care for the flowers and plants there, as a community service slash volunteering—simply for her plain love of flowers. She bent the corner and smiled when she saw the curly pastel pink hair of her supervisor Rachel, waiting at the door with a pot of purple tulips under her arm. She wore black and a pastel pink halter top that fit her hair color along with her black combat boots.

“Hey sunshine, you look as bright as a sunflower today, and as pretty as one.” Rachel called out.

She blushed. “Thanks, Rach, you look lovely today as well, love the matching colors.” They exchanged a cheek to cheek kiss, then pulled back to smile again.

“So, how was school?”

August shrugged. “Same as always, but today a teacher actually thought I wasn’t smart enough to tell her what the center of an atom was.” Rachel laughed and shook her head.

“Wow. What, did she think you were dumb or something?”

August laughed and sighed. “She probably thought that the student who spends her time drawing flowers with her head in the clouds was an idiot... except for the fact that my grades have never fallen lower than an A-, and that’s only when I’m feeling lazy.”

Rachel snickered. “You’re a daydreamer, but one with her feet just above the line of reality.” they turned, and entered the thick exterior doors of the greenhouse,

“So, what are we tending to today?”

Rachel, set the plants down. “Baby’s breath, I figure you’ve heard of them?”

August scoffed. “My mom uses them for almost every bouquet to add some innocence and simplistic beauty to an order.” She took the gloves handed to her and continued to follow Rachel to the bushes full of baby’s breath flowers. The small white almost puffy cotton like bushes were full and looked so fluffy. “I just love these.”

Unbeknownst to the two women Claude was still lurking behind the large tropical red ginger flowers. He couldn’t believe that he had truly followed her all the way here. He was slightly disgusted at himself for becoming this girl’s stalker just out of his curiosity to get close to her. He thought of how these very actions were how serial killers come about. He huffed out softly just so he wouldn’t make any noise. The girl with the pink hair was speaking to her, then she patted her on her shoulder, and walked off with the potted planet, leaving August with an array of small flowers in a potting tray. He could only assume that it was to plant into the soil where the rest of the similar looking flowers were.

August pulled on the gloves and then turned to the small potted baby’s breath flowers just waiting to be tucked in with the others. She took the two trays, and set them down on the floor besides her bag as she grabbed the hand shovel with the maroon handle, and green watering can. She knelt down on the small towel so that her knees wouldn’t ache and began to dig small holes in the empty soil, which would become the new homes for these growing seedling.

Claude’s gaze softened while watching her tend to the baby flowers with gentle care. He wondered what had gotten her into flowers and what her dreams were.

“You know,” August began, “baby’s breath flowers are very delicate. They symbolize something innocent. Many florist use them in wedding bouquets for the pure fact that they are intended to show innocence, hence their peculiar name.”

Claude froze, had—had she spoken to him? Or was she speaking to herself.

“You can come out from behind the red gingers now, I know you’re there. Just not why.”

Claude gulped, taking his time as he stepped into view, August hadn’t turned around to see him, but he was nervous at the fact that she knew he was there… how long had she known? She patted soil ontop of the roots of one of the flowers, then dusted her hands off, and stood up. She turned to face him, her stalker and her expression was unreadable. “How did you know?” she ignored his question as if he never spoke, adjusting her gloves.

“So, it was you. I’ve never had a stalker before. Why?” August tilted her head, “why were you following me?”

Claude took a deep breath in, then spoke. “I was curious.”

“Curiosity killed the cat, all nine lives.” August said.

He gulped, heart racing as his lungs tighten. Claude prayed she didn’t scream for help. Her tone sounded unpleasant and he wasn’t sure what she’d do if she was displeased with him. “I—why does everyone avoid you?”

August rolled her eyes, a simple shake of the head. His question bothered her a bit. “Everyone who avoids me are all ridiculous and judgmental. They don’t like difference too much, but then not everyone at school sees me as an oddball. Why don’t you avoid me?” she pulled off her gloves, and set them on the table besides her. “You followed me all the way over here, so you at least owe me that much.”

Claude bit the inside of his bottom lip as he got ready to just tell her why he had unintentionally stalked her. “You’re interesting.” Her eyes widened as if in surprise and he wasn’t sure if he should smile at that, or keep it together… the latter seemed better at the moment, so he kept it together as he continued. “I was—”

“Why am I interesting to you?” August was really curious now, his words had gotten to her, and now she wanted his reasons for them.

“I think flowers look beautiful on you, and the simple fact that you enjoy them, wear them, and have such a care for them makes you interesting… to me—please don’t think that I’m weird for saying that,” he said with his hands up, “I just admired you for a long time, and I really wanted to talk to you today, but I just couldn’t find the courage to approach you.”

“So stalking me was your next best option?” August asked, folding her arms over her chest. He nodded in defeat, and embarrassment. She held back her laughter then saw as he raised his hand and pointed his thumb towards the exit.

“I’ll just leave then.” He turned around with sadness strangling his neck, cursing his idiocy.

August couldn’t take it, he was too adorable and innocent. “Stop, don’t go,” she smiled, “what’s your name?”

Claude turned back and watched her as if she had just spoken in tongues. “Umm, it’s Claude, Claude Mason.”

“August Chandler, I love flowers and I think with my head towards the future, you should start with hi, then see where it goes from there.” He nodded and stepped closer.

“I’m into photography, and nature, and modeling. I’m sorry that I stalked you, that wasn’t my intention. I was too curious and I did something stupid.”

August shrugged and chuckled. “It wasn’t fully stupid. We finally spoke, so there’s a win in that.” She winked, making him blush and scratch the back of his neck.

“Hi.”

“Hi.” August grinned. They stood there for another second without speaking, but then she cleared her throat. “No one really walks through that neighborhood unless they live there, and I heard extra footsteps while Rachel and I were walking, the rest of the workers normally work in the other sections of the greenhouse, so technically I heard you coming.” She said answering his earlier question about how she knew he was there. She turned back to her gloves and smirked, “Maybe don’t wear combat boots when you go stalking, they’re rather heavy.”

Claude laughed. “I don’t leave my house planning to stalk pretty girls into greenhouses.” She paused in pulling on her first glove on her right hand.

“Pretty?” August asked, his blue eyes met her gaze and he swore under his breath. He opened his mouth to apologize but she was quicker. “Thank you.” She grabbed another pair of gloves. “Come be useful and help me plant these. It’s a better use of your time, don’t you agree?”

“I think so, so do you come here every day?”

August chuckled. “As if you don't know. But no, not every day, but most of the time. I told you Claude, I love flowers, and they are the only beautiful things on this planet that are worth the time. With care and love they live long. And their multiple arrays of colors are something that attracts the eyes. They’re the imagined colors that the mind believes it sees.”

“Excuse me?”

“Humans don’t see color, not really. It’s all in your mind, it’s an illusion of the mind.” August said, while making her hands into an arch before her eyes. She chuckled and handed the pair of gloves to Claude. “There’s still more flowers to plant.” They got to their knees, and began setting the baby flowers in their holes that she previously dug up.

Claude couldn’t keep his eyes to himself because of how beautiful she was as, just like the flowers she planted. Something about her made him distracted, and he couldn’t figure it out.

“If you keep gazing at me, you’ll never finish these.”

“Sorry,” he said looking down, “so how do you care for baby’s breath?” he said, testing the name on his tongue, it sounded odd, but cute.

“Well, with minimal warm water—since they’re still young. They last five to around ten days, but if you take good enough care of them, then they live longer.”

“Have you ever dealt with dangerous flowers before?” he asked randomly, she shrugged.

“No, they won’t allow me to. Some flowers with toxins are dangerous by touch, like poison ivy, so they keep me and other young volunteers away. These here are toxic to dogs though, if ingested.” He rose an eyebrow, so she continued to elaborate. “It contains a gastrointestinal toxin that causes vomiting and diarrhea, it’s mild, but it’s still something to be aware of.”

Claude hummed. “Wow, you know your stuff.”

“Yeah, well, I want to work with flowers when I grow up and knowing all there is to them is one of the most important part of that job.” She gave him a smile and he gave her one back. “Thank you for helping me.”

“Not a problem, thank you for… not thinking of me as a stalker.” Claude mumbled.

“Oh, you’re still a stalker, you just unintentionally became one because of your random curiosity. But I’ll give you a free pass—just this time.” He giggled, his eyes lighting up as he covered his mouth. She couldn’t help but smile along with him. He was cute, she thought as she stood. “Maybe—if you want, you can come here with me after school? You did so well with these flowers today, and in turn, I could talk with you more in school?”

“Yes, I'd love that.” Claude caught himself when he heard how desperate he sounded. He calmed his tone then began again. “Sorry, I mean, I’d love to, it was nice, relaxing even.” She stretched her hand out to him, he observed her smirk, then took her smaller hand in his.

August gasped softly form the contact then bit her lips to stop the grin that wanted to come forth. “We have a deal then.”