Chapter Text
Beth had waited for Sunflower-Gram Day all week and now it was finally Friday. Normally, she anticipated the day to see the reaction on people’s faces when they received a sunflower from their best friend or a crush or the occasional parent that wanted their kid to feel special. From fourth grade until eighth grade, Beth had been one of those kids whose parents arranged for them to get a sunflower. But in high school that stopped. Not because Beth had asked them to stop, like some embarrassed kids had done with their parents, but because her parents had moved on from the tradition. Still, Beth loved seeing how happy other kids were to get a sunflower. And this year, she finally had a group of friends to send flower-grams to.
During their marine biology class, Yolanda received her flower-gram. She teared up a little and squeezed Beth in a hug so tight that Beth couldn’t help but giggle.
“I’ve seen you get three of these like every year,” Beth said as she smoothed the wrinkles out of her sweater after Yolanda released her from the hug.
“Not last year. And do you mean from people who don’t even talk to me anymore?” Yolanda’s eyes were still shining when she added, “It’s different when it’s from a real friend. Thanks, Beth.”
After her geometry class, Beth found Courtney waiting by her locker. The blonde waved her sunflower enthusiastically in the air as Beth approached.
“This is so cute, Beth! We didn’t do this at my old school. Thanks,” Courtney said cheerfully as she leaned against the lockers. “Not to brag, but my sunflower was the biggest one in the bunch that they passed out during homeroom. I told them my friend loved me more than their friends loved them.”
“You didn’t,” Beth gasped, slightly amused and slightly aghast.
Courtney chuckled. “No… but I should’ve.” She smiled at her flower. “It is bigger.”
“You’re so competitive.”
“Yeah,” Courtney shrugged half-heartedly. She grinned, “I’m gonna see if mine’s bigger than Yolanda’s.”
“The size doesn’t matter, Courtney!” Beth called out as her friend sped down the hall. “I love you both the same!”
An hour and a half later, before Beth walked into the cafeteria, she got a text from Mike.
Thanks : )
Beth beamed happily at her phone. Sunflower-Gram Day had gone perfectly. All of her friends were happy with their flowers and that filled her heart with joy. She tucked her phone into her pocket and then entered the lunchroom. She spotted her usual table and walked in that direction. But before she reached it, Yolanda and Courtney walked up to her with their same-sized sunflowers on their trays.
“Where are you guys going?” Beth asked as she bounced her backpack on her shoulders and held tightly to her lunchbox.
“To the bleachers on the soccer field. Rick’s in a mood,” Yolanda said, glancing over her shoulder at their friend slouching at the table.
“Maybe you can find out what’s wrong,” Courtney said to Beth. She gently nudged Yolanda with her elbow. “Let’s go. It’s really nice outside, so it’ll be like a picnic.”
Yolanda smiled at Courtney, “Yeah, okay.”
Beth waved goodbye to the girls and then casually walked up to the table. She noticed the way Rick was slouched and glaring at his notebook. Normally he would look up when she arrived and give her a small smile and a ‘Hey.’ But not today. Beth glanced at the words written in the notebook and folded her lips. The notebook was upside down.
“Hey, Rick,” she greeted him with her usual pep even though it was obvious something was up with him. “Happy Friday!”
“Sure,” Rick grumbled as he leaned forward and tapped his pencil on the table. “Can’t talk. I’m studying.”
Beth glanced at the notebook again. It was still upside down. “Uh huh…”
She opened her lunchbox and silently unpacked her lunch, all the while watching him. His chest wasn’t puffed out like he was angry. Instead, his shoulders were sagging. And his jaw didn’t look tight as if he were clenching his teeth, which was something he did when he was frustrated. But instead, it looked like he was biting the inside of his cheek as he pretended to study.
Beth decided she could rule out anger as the reason for his sour mood. She focused on his eyes. They weren’t red in the corners or glossy like they tended to be whenever he talked about something sad. So, this mood probably didn’t have to do with his parents. But she knew something had to be bothering him.
“You’re staring, Beth,” he said plainly.
She put down her sandwich and asked, “Did a teacher say something mean to you today?”
Rick sighed as he scribbled in his notebook. “No,” he answered flatly.
“Someone on the football team?”
“No.”
“Someone on the soccer team?”
“No, Beth.”
“Someone in…”
“Nothing’s wrong, Beth! Everything’s fine.” Rick let go of the pencil and finally looked up at her. “It’s Friday. No school tomorrow. And Yolanda, and Courtney, and everyone got their stupid flowers. Everything’s great.”
Rick’s gaze shifted away from Beth at the mention of the flowers and something clicked inside the girl. Her eyes widened in realization and she exhaled, “Oh, I get it now.”
His eyebrows shot up and his expression looked like he had admitted something that he hadn’t meant to. He stammered, “There’s nothing to get, Beth,” and then stared down at his upside-down notebook.
Beth pointed her finger at him and practically shouted, “You’re jealous!”
Rick looked up from his notebook so quickly that he winced in pain. “No,” he tried to argue, but she interrupted him with a wave of her hand.
“Don’t try and argue, Rick. I get it now. You’re jealous that I sent sunflowers to Yolanda and Courtney and Mike…”
“What the hell, Beth! Mike doesn’t even go to our school,” Rick huffed. His face heated at his outburst and he dropped his gaze. “I mean…”
Beth stood up and pulled her seat closer to Rick’s before sitting back down beside him. Her arm brushed against his but he didn’t scoot away.
“I’ve always wanted to send a flower-gram. You know every school in Blue Valley has done them since like fourth grade. And I was so excited that this year… I had friends to send flowers to,” she explained honestly.
Rick looked down at his hands as he fidgeted with his thumbs. He said softly, “I get it. For your friends.”
“I didn’t think you would like getting a flower in front of everyone, but I guess I was wrong. So instead of giving this to you at the garage,” Beth said as she reached over for her backpack.
She pulled out the biggest sunflower that the flower committee sold. She had made sure to pick it up from the art classroom where they organized the flower-grams first thing that morning. She had even taken all of her books and binders out of her bag to make sure it didn’t get crushed.
The look of surprise on Rick’s face had to be the best reaction Beth had ever seen to a flower-gram. Her heart swelled with pride at the thought that she had finally got the chance to awe someone with a sunflower-themed school fundraiser, which had always been a personal goal of her’s that she hadn’t thought she was likely to accomplish.
Beth scootched her seat back and carefully climbed up to stand on top of it. She cleared her throat loudly to get everyone’s attention. She looked around, but all the other students were busy laughing and talking at their own tables. She looked back down at Rick, who was staring up at her in shock.
She held out the giant sunflower in her hand and announced the way she had seen the flower-gram committee do all day, “Sunflower-gram for Rick Tyler!”
The corner of Rick’s lips upturned into a small smile. He slowly stood up so that he was nearly at eye level with Beth. She waved the flower slightly and he chuckled before gently taking it from her hand.
“Feel better?” she asked sweetly.
“I feel like a brat,” he answered honestly. “Guess I always thought the sunflowers were stupid cause I never got one.” He rolled his eyes. “And I don’t even like flowers.”
“But you like this one, right?”
Rick’s smile broadened and he chuckled again. “Yeah, thanks,” he nodded.
“And just so you know, I’d never forget about you or leave you out,” Beth said sweetly as she enjoyed being almost as tall as he was.
Rick nodded and the expression on his face changed to something she didn’t recognize. It made her want to lean in closer and get lost in his eyes. But she didn’t do any of that. She giggled and asked, “Make sure I don’t trip as I get down from this chair?”
“I got you,” he laughed lightly as he helped her down.
Beth resumed eating her lunch, humming happily. And Rick admired his sunflower.
“It’s bigger than Courtney’s. She’s gonna be pissed,” he laughed.