Chapter Text
saturday, 9:48am
Messages - ryland
——R——
ryland: morning ♪♪!! sorry to bother. just wondering if you had the grade reports ready for the progress checks coming up. i just submitted mine. also rocky says hello!
<♪♪ hearted a photo>
♪♪: morning! not a bother at all. im submitting mine tonight most likely. ive got a busy day ahead of me!
ryland: oh ok! sorry, ill let you do your stuff.
—————
“ok…” i mutter to myself— mid washing dishes, with soapy hands getting water on the screen i type back
“noo worries… just doing chores.. comma… ill text you in a moment… send” i mutter aloud as i type,
then drying my phone and getting back into the dishes, i hum a song to myself, almost immediately ryland texted back a little “no rush!” and hearted my message.
cute… i look around my small little flat… acting like i just got caught for even thinking that!
oh gosh…
to be real, me and ryland never talk much out of school. and its really only ever through email. which… admittedly so.. im not good at checking on the weekend. so now that i have his number.. its all so casual and more.. friendly— BUT THATS ALL WHAT THIS IS!!
right? its just friendly!— cmon! i litterally met the guy like… uhmmm…. its november so… 2..3..4..5— 5 months ago? theres no way im getting attached! im not a teenager who falls in love immediately!
i take a breath, and sigh.
i need to really stop overthinking things, hes just a nice guy who i think i would be good friends— thats all! a like a friend-crush! yknow— when you like someone where like you wanna be there friend?
friend-crush!
thats what is is. and thats ALL it is.
right.
i get back to focusing on the chores at my hands.
——
Rocky was sitting on the couch with me, but then he got a bit restless. poor boy, probably needs a walk
i exhale and stand up, cracking my back with a stretch as i get up
“alright boy lets get your leash…”
rocky jumped up and scrambled around, very very excited to go on a walk, i chuckled and picked up his leash, then kneeled down to his level
“yeah? you ready boy? we gonna have a nice walk!”
rocky got onto his leash, and i slipped on shoes before heading out
we walked around the area, strolled by apartments and trees—when i saw a familiar face outside.. it was
♪♪, and she had just stepped outside to tend to her garden— she hadn’t noticed me yet… but i watched as she kneeled down to her lavender and rosemary plants and tended to them… humming a short melody under her breath… i try and speak up but words catch in my throat..
rocky realizes ive stopped and sits at my feet and whines, wanting to go more down the sidewalk
♪♪ looked back and saw us
“o-oh! hi ryland! sorry! — didnt notice you guys there—“
“nono! thats my bad, im standing here— uh i didnt know you liked.. uh gardening”
“oh yeah… its a little hobby of mine! would you like some fresh lavender? its uh.. good for if you want a calming bath.” she smiled
“i mean.. if you dont mind!— i dont wanna take too much from you..”
“oh cmon, it fine. here.”
i watch as ♪♪ took a nearby bundle of twine- wrapped lavender stems
“i picked these this morning off my back porch this morning, they are all dry so its good for baths, or teas even, since its dry”
i smiled and took them
“oh thank you! ill have a nice bath tonight.. heh”
♪♪ smiled back and nodded, then looking over at rocky, who had sat near ryland, tongue out
“well hello handsome!” she waved at him, which rocky took as an invite to say hello, walking over
“say hello rocky!” i chuckled, watching ♪♪ pet him
“hes very polite.”
“yes a very polite boy he is.. at times.. only when hes not home”
she chuckled “sounds about accurate.. you probably spoil him”
“oh just a bit.. cmon hes like my kid”
“hey not blaming you, back when i lived with my mom, we spoiled my childhood cat.”
i smiled “they are too cute not to spoil”
“agreed…”
♪♪ and i sat in silence a moment longer
“well! ill let you two finish your walk, let me know how you like the lavender.”
“oh yeah! will do! thank you again ♪♪— truly”
“anytime!”
she waved us goodbye as rocky and i walked down the complex, he chased squirrels and layed in grass, when we got home, i realized we spent almost 2 hours out there..
“well rocky you must be spent! you had me out there for awhile..”
to which rocky just jumped onto the couch and circled until he was comfortable enough to lay down.
i smiled and hung up my cardigan.. then pulled out my phone to look up ‘how to use dried lavender in bath’
——
after some time i went to the back and hung some new lavender bunches to dry, then washed up, since i have dirt and gravel sticking to my knees.. lavender and most of my other plants would be going out of season soon, so i had to harvest the most i could, which was making ne excited to start planning what i would grow next.
after i washed up i checked my phone, and saw a text from ryland, i opened the text thread;
——R——
ryland: hi ♪♪! just wanted to show off the lavender you gave me.
…
—————
it was a photo of rylands bathtub, just the bath, luckily. i dont think i could of handled seeing him. with the lavender spread out— he did a good job. he probably knew how to use it!
——R——
♪♪: awe yay! glad you put it to use! it looks great!!!
ryland: thank you again!! im excited to use it. you dont know how long i needed a calming bath like this.
♪♪: haha yeah! i usually do them often since i grow it, but its going out of season soon so, i knew id have some extra.
ryland: well, i think its super cool you grow it. agriculture and gardening is something i dont think i could do.
♪♪: well thank you! i learnt back when i was a teen.
ryland: double-cool… i didnt have many hobbies as a teen so, mostly learning all the fun stuff now.
♪♪: well if you ever need a new hobby to pick up let me know! i have plenty.
ryland: will do!
—————
my heart has gone through what feels like the craziest emotional rollercoaster— haven’t felt like this since sophomore year. i focused on my studies after that… but one thing is certainly true—
this might be the LONGEST weekend of my life…