"I don't know what it was," Jay murmured, her voice fading off as she sat cross-legged on the greenhouse floor, sunlight glinting off the panes above. "It was some kind of sapling, I think. So… I brought it home. After all the madness of the day, I sat on my bed, opened Chrome, and started searching about it."
Jay's words drifted into silence.
Venelope had been watching her closely, her fingers idly tracing circles into the soft soil near her. "Jay?" she asked gently, noticing the sudden stillness in her friend's tone.
Jay didn't reply. Her eyes had gone glassy, distant—caught in a thought, or a memory, perhaps. Something far away and unspeakable.
Venelope reached out and placed a hand on Jay's shoulder.
Jay flinched slightly and then looked up, startled. "Oh. Sorry, I was saying something" she whispered, blinking fast as if returning from another world.
Venelope gave her a small smile. "You sort of zoned out for a second there. You were saying something about Chrome and a sapling?"
Jay rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "Right. Yeah, sorry. I was saying… it turns out the plant might be some species of dogwood. That's what Chrome said."
Venelope's eyes lit up. "Dogwood? Huh! Interesting."
She stood and dusted off her pants, then turned with a grin. "Come. Follow me…let me show you something."
Jay followed her toward the far end of the greenhouse, the oldest and most untouched corner where thick leafy stalks crowded together and scent-heavy blooms hung lazily in the air.
Venelope stopped in front of a long wooden shelf where several potted plants stood side by side, each labeled in neat handwriting.
Jay blinked in surprise. "Wait… are these all dogwoods?"
"Different types," Venelope said proudly. "White-flowered, red twig, even one that's barely growing because the garden keeper keeps forgetting to water it when I'm not here."
Jay let out a quiet laugh, the first real one in hours. "They're beautiful," she said sincerely.
"I know," Venelope said, her voice softening. "Now see if any of these match the mystery sapling you brought."
Jay bent forward and examined each plant closely. She squinted at the leaves, rubbed the stems gently between her fingers, and even crouched to check the roots of one that was planted in a transparent container. But after a few minutes of careful study, she leaned back, lips pursed.
"Nope," she said finally. "None of these match. The one I brought is Darker. And the stem had this strange purple hue to it. Like it had been dyed."
Venelope straightened and put her hands on her hips. "Well, then Chrome might've lied to you. Typical."
Jay grinned. "That's what I thought. Maybe it's not a dogwood. Maybe it's some rare offshoot. Or even some weird mutation."
Venelope turned, a spark in her eyes. "Then we'll figure it out together. You bring it out next time, and I'll do some digging of my own. We'll identify your mutant baby."
Jay laughed and looked down, a soft smile spreading on her face. The warm silence that followed was filled with the rustling of leaves and the faint creaking of the greenhouse's old wood.
Venelope studied her quietly. "What are you thinking now?"
Jay shook her head, eyes still lowered. "Nothing. I just… I looked at these flowers and for a second, I felt like I was somewhere else."
Venelope's smile turned more gentle. "Wanna take one of them home? You can keep it company with your weird purple sapling."
Jay looked up and gave a quiet nod. "Maybe… after we figure out what it is. I'll see what matches best."
"That's a good plan," Venelope said. "Sapling matchmaking 101."
With that, they packed up and left the greenhouse, their footsteps light against the old stone path as the late afternoon sunlight stretched longer shadows across the university grounds.
...….
Jay boarded the bus with her handsfree in her ears, music trickling softly into the background of her thoughts. She found a window seat and rested her head against the glass, watching the world rush by in shades of yellow and gray.
But her mind wasn't quiet.
It replayed the scene from that day… the day when—the old woman in the bus, the way her voice had cut across the vehicle, loud and condemning: "You stink! Whats that bad smell?"
Jay flinched inwardly.
I should've said something… she thought, her fists clenched in her lap. I could've explained. I could've told her it wasn't me. Why didn't I speak up?
She bit her lip.
Why is it so easy for Venelope? She stood up for me. She said it out loud. She wasn't scared of them. But me? I just stood there. Silent. Always silent.
She stared out of the window as the bus slowed at a signal, her breath fogging a small patch of glass.
Then suddenly—
"Oh!" Jay gasped, her body jerking slightly.
The woman sitting beside her startled. "Are you alright?" she asked, her voice concerned.
Jay turned, eyes wide. "Ah—sorry. Yes. I just… I saw someone I know. That's all."
The stranger gave her a small smile and returned to her own phone.
Jay craned her neck to look out of the window again.
She'd seen him. The boy from the pharmacy. The one who'd handed her the medicine, who'd looked at her with quiet eyes and hadn't said anything when the chaos erupted inside her in the library.
He hadn't seen her this time. He was walking along the sidewalk, holding a small white bag, earbuds in, gaze fixed ahead.
But it was him.
Her hand slowly slid to her stomach as if to confirm that the pain was no longer there, and with a strange sort of calmness, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes.
The bus rolled forward again. And somewhere behind her lids, something began to stir again as she gave a smile. She didn't like him but yeah she was happy to see him. An acquaintance she had made amidst her busy life.