Chapter Text
March. It's a weird month. It's technically spring, but the people that are unlucky enough to be outside still wear their winter coats. There's nothing much to do around town during this month. There are no corny festivals, no holiday decorations, the most you get is anxious teens anticipating Spring Break, which is here already, and even then there is no guarantee something exciting will happen.
Nobody goes out of their way to go to small shops, why would they? If they do, it's only to loiter and get warm before trudging the weather again to get to their actual destination. There's nothing worse than owning a shop, and knowing that anyone that comes in isn't going to buy something. Then again, other shop owners probably like their work.
Hyde didn't.
It wasn't that he didn't like owning the best record store in town, he just didn't like work. Every day is the same— open the store, do some setting up, sit around and wait for people to come in, sell them stuff they probably don't want, take a smoke/lunch break, shoo people away, clean up, count money, do inventory, and go home. That's it.
Simple, predictable, no surprises.
It was practically perfect.
The only real criticism he has for his routine is that it can get incredibly boring and repetitive after a while, and Hyde's been doing this for a long while— try a whole year. Okay, maybe that wasn't as long as it seemed, but it is when the only jobs you had before it was part time at a Foto-Hut, as a cook for the downtown hotel kitchen. When you compare any of those mediocre jobs with Record Store Owner, there's bound to be some culture shock.
Hyde didn't need anymore shock value in his life, he's had enough of it. There was nothing that made trying to live your life how you wanted harder than unexpected happenings. All he needed was to get through each boring work-filled day so he could do the stuff he actually wanted to do. He didn't need change, change was what led him to this very spot, and it was about as much as he was willing to take. Hyde wasn't looking for any more of it.
What if the next drastic change was for the worse?
He didn't need anymore shock.
Shock— like when the best family you ever had is someone else's, like when you make it out of highschool without dropping out, like when an accident gives you a one-way ticket to being a business owner. Shock like... like... like a giant truck blocking the front of your store.
"What the hell?" Hyde asked out loud, lifting his chin away from his palm. A few store goers glanced up at him, but he ignored the stares and walked around the counter to the front of the store.
Hyde looked out the windows, trying to get a better look at what was going on. He noticed several men carrying various boxes, crates, and furniture out of the truck and into the shop next door. A wave of confusion washed over his face, a sudden move-in? That normally doesn't happen.
Usually, someone would come by and scope the place out, they'd get some weird tour of the empty space, then they'd come over and try to introduce themselves to Hyde. That's where he'd give them a taste of what was to come if they stuck around— loud music, rowdy friends, a confused hippy, and an underlying smell that just wouldn't go away. It was strange that people suddenly weren't interested in the property anymore after they met him.
So strange.
Hyde began to walk back to his spot, he must've not noticed the For Rent sign go missing during the month. Could you blame him though? It wasn’t exactly on his to-do list every morning. His first response was to let out an exasperated sigh, because there was absolutely nothing worse than neighbors. The next thing he wanted to do was cover his ears.
"Hey, be careful with that!" A loud voice screeched from the other side of the wall. “I didn’t have it moved across the country to have it break two steps in!”
There was a loud thump from the other side of the wall, making it shake briefly. That was enough for some posters to fall and several 8-tracks to tumble off the nearby shelves. Hyde groaned, this is exactly why he doesn't like neighbors.
He hated sharing a space.
Yeah there was a wall separating the two areas, but they shared the same wall. Now a part of his store that had been nice and quiet was filled with loud talking, objects scraping the floor, and the occasional knock.
“Perfect!” The loud voice could still be heard even though it was muffled. The sound was way too optimistic for his liking, especially considering how early in the day it was.
It wasn't just the knocking on the walls that irritated him, but it was also the loud muffled yelling from the other side. Despite not even meeting this person, Hyde could already tell they were a pain.
Great. A noisy neighbor.
For once, Hyde wondered why the day couldn't be like it always was— boring.
Well two could play at that game.
Hyde walked back behind his counter, grabbing one of his personal records from the shelf. He looked up at the few people still in his store, they seemed like the perfect crowd.
“Hope you all like Zeppelin.” He said a bit loud, getting a few nods in response.
It wasn’t long before a song of theirs was playing over the big speakers in the room. Hyde didn’t even think twice before turning the volume up a little more than halfway, that should block out all those terrible noises of the neighbor from Hell. There was no way he was going to let whoever it was ruin his perfectly boring, repetitive, schedule.
The door swung open, the bell ringing at the rushed movement. Hyde paid no mind as someone marched their way past the listening pit and up to the counter.
"Excuse me!" Someone called out to him.
Hyde turned around and saw a woman he had never seen before, staring up at him with determined eyes.
"Who owns this place?" She asked not very nicely.
"I do," Hyde answered after looking her up and down. It didn't seem like she was from around here, judging by how tightly she hugged her coat close to her body, her ponytail revealing her reddened ears that hung shiny earrings.
The girl looked him up and down and she cleared her throat awkwardly.
"Of course you are," she mumbled whilst shaking her head. "I'm Jackie," Her hand extended towards him, but he didn't move. "I'm the owner of the shop next door."
Hyde took her hand cautiously, it was like ice. So she was the one who bought the space next door and was going to be the end of his peace. This was the person who had the audacity to not follow the proper steps and give him the opportunity to annoy the hell out of her before she moved in? He didn’t like this one bit.
"There is no shop next door."
Jackie rolled her eyes. "Well not yet, which is why the movers are moving everything from that big truck outside."
Her face suddenly shone a bit with excitement as a small smile appeared on her lips. "Soon, this place of yours will be the neighbor of the prettiest flower shop in this dingy town."
Not a flower shop... Hyde groaned inwardly, he didn't care for them— the prissy outer looks, the sticky smelling aroma, the way the industry catered to tricking suckers into buying them to prove they care. It would definitely ruin the atmosphere he had tried so hard to keep around here.
It annoyed him even more.
"You know, this place doesn't need a flower shop. If you really wanted a crowd, you should've opened up a bar or a fromagerie— that's a cheese shop."
"I know what a fromagerie is," She spat at him.
"I didn't say you didn't," Hyde smirked, watching Jackie's brow twitch in irritation. Maybe this day wouldn't be a total bust after all.
"Look," Jackie tried to shake off this guy's attitude. "I didn't come here for business advice from the likes of you."
"Then why did you come here? To ruin my peaceful day? Because you already did that."
Hyde's anger was starting to boil, why did she come here? Why did she have to come to this dumb town, to this space— into his space? He was doing just fine having to navigate this mediocre adult hell on his own, he didn't need any change.
The girl in front of him pouted angrily, clamping her mouth shut. Her face was turning a light pink color, and it made Hyde want to laugh. He wondered how far he could push her before she exploded.
"I came here because I want you to turn down your awful music!"
"Awful?!” Hyde seriously couldn’t believe his ears. “I'll have you know Zeppelin is the best there is!"
"Then you clearly have no taste!" She yelled back at him, her attitude getting worse by the minute.
At first it was funny, but now Hyde was starting to get angrier himself.
"Well get used to it neighbor, 'cause this is the best it's gonna get!" Hyde turned back around to the stereo, turning the volume a few notches higher. “So get used to it!”
He wasn't going to let some stranger come in and tell him how to run his store.
"Ugh! You are such an asshole!"!" Jackie growled at him, her voice barely rising above the music. “Enjoy the view!” She yelled sarcastically, turning back around on her heel and stomping out the door.
Hyde couldn't help but smirk, his little battle won. He didn't need someone trying to change bits of his life.
He didn’t need any change.
Especially from pretty strangers.
Hyde didn’t see the next door shop owner for the rest of the day, only hearing the even more muffled talking and the continued evidence of moving from the other side of the wall. Jackie had told him to enjoy the view, and he didn’t quite know what she meant until closing.
The moving van had blocked his El Camino in the parking lot.
At first he growled to himself in anger, but quickly realized that a few words and maybe a threat would get the truck moved. Hyde tried talking to the movers, but the only thing they told him was—
“Sorry kid, the lady gave us a ten if we took our time, and she’ll double it if we’re not done by dark as long as we don’t move the truck! Isn’t that mighty nice of her?”
Hyde gritted his teeth and gave a short nod in response.
Yeah, mighty nice.
It wasn’t until well past closing time did the truck finally back out of the small parking lot, freeing Hyde from his prison. Before he headed back to his car, he peered into the next door window. He could see a faint glow of a few candles, and a face illuminated in the dark as Jackie tried to write something down on a clipboard.
His presence must’ve been overbearing, because her eyes shot up to his in anger. Jackie stuck her tongue out at him, obviously still angry about what transpired earlier. Hyde couldn’t care less, at least he didn’t have to work in the dark.
Hyde saluted her, and her glare only got stronger. Once more, Hyde smirked at her, watching Jackie’s nose scrunch up by candlelight. There was nothing left in the parking lot when he left, save for a white Lincoln parked in front of Jackie’s store. He let himself smile freely on his way back home, his sour mood suddenly gone.
Yeah, today wasn’t complete a bust.
Jackie hadn’t shown her face for the next few days. She must’ve been reeling herself in after their little meet and greet. He knew she was still around though, the white Lincoln never leaving the spot it was left in. Everyday the car sat in its exact spot, never moving, but that didn’t mean there was never movement.
Hyde could feel the vibrations in the floor of the familiar scraping of furniture and the hard clicking of shoes walking around. Every once in a while there was a thud against the wall, but nothing like it was the day she moved in. He didn’t hear her gasps of excitement, nor her suggestions of furniture placement.
It was beginning to get quiet again.
A little too quiet.
That was when Hyde decided to start playing his music again, not exactly as loud as it was at the beginning of the week, but definitely something to fill the eerie noises of the ghost next door. It was strange, but Hyde kind of missed their banter. It was the most fun he’s had during actual working hours, but then he remembered how bossy, demanding, and loud she was and was glad she stayed on her side of the wall. He remembered he didn’t need anything new.
Work was work and it needed to stay that way if he wanted to get through it. Right, today was purely for work. Hyde decided to do all the things he had dreaded doing and usually left for his friends to do when they were feeling “helpful”.
He had to stop thinking about the shrill thing next door and keep his head straight.
A bit after lunch time, the bell rang, and Hyde was intent on ignoring it. It's not rocket science, you come in, look around, find what you need, pay and get out. Thank God this is a record store and not some kind of service place, he wouldn't have the patience to help every single person with some kind of problem that could be solved by rubbing two brain cells together.
"Ahem," a female voice cleared her throat to get his attention.
Hyde turned around and saw the owner of the shop next to his— that damn flower shop. She did look different this time, letting her shiny hair flow, a deep purple dress hugging her features in all the right places, her legs hidden by thick leggings and knee high boots. He tried not to stare, but it was almost like she was a different person, especially when she smiled so friendly it made his stomach sick.
"Hi," she started, walking up to the counter, "Jackie, remember?"
"Yeah, I remember."
"Oh you do?" Her smile grew brighter, and for some reason Hyde felt embarrassed. It wasn't unnatural to remember someone's name when they introduced themselves, especially the way she did.
"Yeah, I remember you barging in here and calling me an asshole."
Jackie laughed sweetly and waved him off, his confusion growing. "Yeah I remember that too. Well, I just came over to apologize," her tone became soft and sweet with that word. "It wasn't fair of me to ask you to turn your music down, just because I was having a really stressful move-in."
Hyde bit the inside of his cheek and tried to divert his gaze. She was staring at him with her big doll-like eyes and it was making him cringe with guilt. Maybe he was being a dick just for the sake of being one, and even he can recall the chaotic week trying to get Grooves ready for opening. However, unlike him, judging from the lack of visitors, it seemed like Jackie was doing it all by herself.
"Anyways," She caught his attention once more, "I wanted to give you something, as a way to say sorry for being such a bitch, you know?"
Jackie's smile dissolved to a small pout extending her arms a bouquet that contained a variety of flowers. It wasn't Hyde's style at all.
He waved his hand in front of himself dismissively, before she could properly hand it to him. "Ah, no, that's alright."
He watched Jackie's eyes grow wide with worry. "You won't accept my flowers? I picked these out especially for you..." Her gaze drooped and her pout became more prominent.
It made Hyde's gut twist. It was also making him look like an asshole in front of the few customers hovering in the store for the second time this week. He slyly watched as some of them leaned their heads to the side just to get a glimpse of the beauty at the counter.
Hyde pushed out a defeated sigh, he wasn't going to be able to reject this girl, was he? He reached his arms out and took the bouquet from Jackie, who looked up at him with hope.
"Uh, thanks. They're beautiful?" He'd never really used that word before, but it seemed to make Jackie shine.
"Of course they are! I supply only the best!" She leaned forward to tuck some leaves in, getting a little too close to Hyde. "By the way, I don't think I got your name."
Oh, right. Hyde was so busy with trying to push her buttons yesterday that he didn't even bother with introductions.
"Hyde."
"Hyde?" She asked, a brow raised. "What kind of a name is Hyde?"
"My last name." Hyde could feel his nerves being poked, but she gave him a gift so he was doing his best to be zen.
"Oh, so I'm not good enough to know your first name?"
Hyde felt that familiar pain in his gut again and rolled his eyes. "It's Steven."
"Steven..." Jackie said wistfully, her smile reappearing. "Yeah, I like that name way better than Hyde. I can call you that, right?"
"I'd rather you didn't."
"And I would rather have peace and quiet at my store," Jackie poked his shoulder jokingly with a giggle, "but apparently I can't get that either."
The twist in his gut twisted harder, but his face kept stoic. "Alright, blasting the tunes the other day wasn't cool."
"No, it wasn't," Jackie agreed smugly. "But neither was me telling you to turn your tunes down. I just really wanted a smooth move-in...”
Hyde watched the shine fade away from her eyes, and he wasn't sure which was worse: Jackie calling herself a bitch, or that he made the other day even harder for her than it already was.
"Look, about the other day... sorry, alright?"
"Thank you, Hyde."
"Steven," He corrected her.
What the hell was wrong with him?
Hyde was beginning to think he had nearly lost his mind, but for some reason he just didn't want her pouting anymore. He thought about changing his mind about letting her call him that, but Jackie's smile returned tenfold. Since he didn't want to feel like an asshole again, he left it alone.
"Well, thank you, Steven."
Was it too late to take it back? The way she said his name sent a shiver down his spine.
Jackie turned around to gaze at the dreary, dark, record shop. Yup, it was totally this guy's style— in other words, Steven had no style. Where were the colors? The glitter? The suave?! Sure the 70s ended only a few months ago, but disco doesn't die, baby.
She noticed a few more eyes on her, a group of glum looking guys who clearly preferred dark colors to Jackie's pastels.
Dark, this whole place was dark. Good thing Jackie was here.
She spun around, her dress twirling, and pointed at the flowers in Steven's hands. "You know, this place could use a spruce of color," She watched his eyes roll, and it made her giggle, "So make sure you put those somewhere you can see them."
"I know the perfect spot." He smirked sarcastically.
"And not the trash can," A light chuckle and a shake of Hyde's head told Jackie that she hit the nail right on the head. "I'm serious!"
His eyes snapped up to hers, not that she could actually tell, he wore his damn shades indoors, who does that?
"I picked these flowers for you and you especially." It was true, be it for a secret reason, but she definitely had him in mind when arranging the bouquet. "So I'll be disappointed if you let its beauty go to waste."
Hyde didn't like the sound of that.
"Flowers die, Jackie." He reminded her, and immediately felt like he put his foot in his mouth when her face softened.
Jackie didn't let his sentiment get to her, because she knew that lesson better than anyone.
Flowers die.
Love is conditional.
And good things don't last forever.
But she still smiled. "Flowers may die, but the message doesn't." Hyde's blank expression didn't waver, which is good, Jackie didn't want him thinking there was something more to her. There wasn't.
Jackie shook the dark thoughts from her head. Yeah, that's what this place was, dark. She was just a regular girl with insanely good looks, trying to run a shop. And this guy was screwing it up for her.
"Well, I better get going. There's still so much to do!" She clapped her hands together, determined to snap herself out of it. "Enjoy the message," Jackie gestured to the flowers. She gave him another one of her sweet smiles. "Bye, Steven."
Hyde watched Jackie stride away, her hair bouncing and her hips swaying. He couldn't help but keep his eyes on her, there was something mesmerizing about the way she walked. There was also something annoying about how the air didn’t have its signature thick scent, instead it smelt of roses.
And strangely, he didn’t hate it.
There was a quick whistle from some guy in the store, and Jackie turned her head to meet his eyes. Whoever he was, he was totally enthralled with her, Jackie could tell. This was who she was supposed to be, the attention grabber, the prettiest girl in the room, the one every girl wanted to be and every guy wanted to be with.
This was who she was supposed to be, not who she was before.
She thanked the guy for reminding her in the form of a wink and a smile. And just as swiftly as she came, she was gone. Jackie let the smile fall from her face and let her thoughts roam free.
She thought about Steven Hyde— what a scruffy, angry, guy! Firstly, who the hell rejects a gift from a beautiful girl, and secondly, what kind of guy puts up such a wall?
Oh yeah, she was going to have fun exposing all the cracks in his "cool guy" facade.
Jackie walked into her shop, it was much warmer than it was the other day, her breath no longer showing in the air. The other day had been a complete disaster. First, the moving truck gets lost, which she almost couldn’t blame them for, this town was in the middle of nowhere! Then she finds out the electric company didn’t get the notice that this space was in use, so the inside was absolutely freezing! And last, but not least, the rudest person she had ever met wouldn’t stop playing that loud, awful music! It was a nightmare, trying to give instructions while the worst noise ever is bleeding through your walls!
Well two could play at that game.
Sure Steven had his “music”, but Jackie had her charm. With sudden vigor, Jackie made something especially for him. It was something he wouldn’t expect, something he wouldn’t understand, and would be something that only she would get the pleasure of knowing.
No one could resist her charm, and she absolutely played him like a fiddle.
God, it felt good!
Jackie took a look around her cluttered space. It was a wide open area, a bit bigger than the record store next door, with an adjacent open room with windows covering the ceiling, and a bigger storage room in the back. The area used to be an art gallery or something, she wasn’t really listening on the phone.
She might not have known what this place was before it was hers, but she did know that she wasn’t leaving until she set out what she came here to do. There wasn’t enough loud music, cold weather, or curly haired grumps in the world that could stop her. If it meant she had to play nice with the neighbor boy to keep everything going smoothly, then so be it. Jackie had no words left for him, that bouquet had everything in it she wanted to say.
Her eyes glazed over every box, crate, bag, and bucket scattered around the room. Despite how much she had already done, there was still so much left to do. The sooner she opened, the sooner business could start, the closer she’d be to her goal. There was no room for failure, Jackie had to make it work. After all, this was the only place in town available for rent with enough space to set up.
Jackie had to make it work.
There was no other place to go.
Despite Hyde’s determination that this day was going to be for work, he couldn’t get Jackie out of his head. Sure, he was thinking about her before, but that was the loud annoying Jackie. The Jackie that had introduced herself to him today was her complete opposite, all smiles, giggling with glee, and eyes that seemed to stare deep into his.
Which one was the real her?
Then there was the strange bouquet. What was up with that? Hyde didn’t have an answer for it, and the more he thought about it, the more he found himself in a daze staring at it.
Ugh. Flowers were not his thing, especially these— he had to get them far away from him as quickly as possible.
Hyde decided to close early, no special reason, just didn’t feel like working. He couldn’t focus with all these distractions. Before leaving he looked into Jackie’s shop, just like he had done a few days earlier. There was Jackie, bending over a table, practically laying on it. She was preoccupied with some papers and a calculator, typing numbers away hastily.
Again, Hyde couldn’t move his eyes away.
When the door to his place closed, Jackie’s head looked up from her task. She smiled and waved at him. Her eyes lowered and her smile grew wider, she dropped her pencil and pointed at him. Hyde didn’t even notice what she was pointing at until he dropped his gaze down, her bouquet in clear view in his hand. For some reason, he hid it from her— which was stupid since she was the one who gave it to him in the first place.
Despite Jackie behind thick glass, he could practically hear her giggling. He shook his head and scowled as her silent laughter burned his ears. Hyde traveled to his car, same as before— thinking about all that transpired that day.
Hyde made his way home, stepping through the open sliding glass door to the kitchen.
"Oh Steven, what a beautiful bouquet! Are those for me?" Kitty asked with a giddy smile, her hands over her heart, practically jumping with joy.
Hyde glanced down at the flowers in his hands. Flowers weren't his thing at all, they were just a gift that dies, but the girl next door had said she picked these especially for him. He wasn't exactly sure what her deal was, but it was a nice gesture nonetheless.
He didn't mind sharing them with Mrs. Forman.
Eric turned in his seat to look at him, his face going pale. "Wait, what day is it? Is today something special? I didn't forget my Mom's birthday again, did I?"
Kitty glared at her son, eliciting a grin from Hyde.
"Nah, just a gift from the new shop next to Grooves."
Kitty bounced over to get a closer look at the beautiful arrangement. She took a small sniff, "How sweet! Well, aren't they just the prettiest flowers you've ever seen?"
You should've seen the girl who gave them to me. Hyde stopped that kind of thinking, sure that chick was hot, but she was rude, bossy, and confusing. Who the hell calls you can asshole and then gives you flowers?
"I don't know, Mom," Eric interjected, getting a closer look at the bouquet. "It seems like Hyde got on their bad side." He chuckled and went to look for a vase.
Hyde felt a chill down his spine, he hadn't told anyone about the rude encounter from the other day. "How the hell did you know that?"
Eric just pointed at the bouquet. Hyde flipped the arrangement around in his hands, looking for a note with hateful words on them that he might've missed. But all he saw were the same flowers he had been sneaking glances at all day. No note, no written swears, no threats of disrespect— just flowers.
The bouquet was taken from him and placed in a fancy looking vase on top of the kitchen counter. Eric smiled at the confusion on Hyde's face and went to point out certain flowers, "Geraniums, they mean stupidity." Hyde's face twisted again, egging Eric on.
Eric continued to dissect the different buds, "Buttercups, they're saying you're childish!" Another laugh escaped him as he went on, "Meadowsweet— uselessness, Yellow Carnations— disdain, Orange Lilies— hatred?!"
Eric shook his head with a big smile, and patted Hyde’s shoulder before giving the verdict, "Whoa man, this dude does not like you at all!"
Kitty clapped her hands excitedly. "Eric, where did you learn such niche information!"
Hyde put his hand out to get Eric to stop talking. "Yeah, how the hell do you know all that sissy crap?"
Eric shrugged. "Donna took me to the arboretum and they gave us a booklet full of flower meanings."
"And you actually memorized them?"
"Look, man, it was either that or have Donna accuse me of sending her a mean message the next time I try to be sweet and give her flowers."
"Just don't give her flowers," Hyde spat angrily. He felt like he was losing his mind. Flowers this and Bouquet that, this was all Jackie's fault.
Eric watched as his mother gazed at the flowers with newfound wonder. "I never thought such a colorful bouquet would have such... colorful language."
"Yep," Eric added, "It seems like Hyde was his natural, colorful, self and made a bad first impression."
They both looked to Hyde expectantly, waiting for his answer.
"Shut up," he grumbled.
Eric pumped his fists in the air. "I knew it! Oh my God, this is great! I gotta go tell Donna that Hyde got told off by a bunch of flowers!" He raced out the glass kitchen door, heading towards his girlfriend's house.
Hyde shook his head angrily and took a seat at the kitchen table, trying to look anywhere but at the so-called peace offering Jackie gave him. He was so caught up in her sweet words, he didn't even notice that she was pulling him into a trap.
Jackie had sweet-talked him, batted long her lashes, pouted her pretty face, and Hyde fell for it. She was giving him a giant fuck you to his face— one he actually accepted. He accepted it with a big fucking smile, and she giggled with him— no, at him, when they talked.
Hyde would've thought it was funny if he wasn't so pissed at being fooled right now. He felt someone patting his shoulders and turned to see Kitty trying to comfort him.
"Now Steven, don't look so glum." She laughed, her attention being pulled by those damn flowers again. "Something so beautiful can't be bad for you!" She gave him an extra pat and a kiss on the head before walking off into the living room.
"I beg to differ," Hyde said out loud to an empty room.
The glass door opened again, and Eric stepped through. He was wearing a big shit-eating grin that annoyed Hyde even more.
"Well, what'd she say? Did she say you were a good boy and offer to take you to the arbertarium again?"
"She said you probably deserved it."
Hyde let out a chuckle, "Yeah, maybe I did."
He took another look at the flowers he was trying so hard to ignore, he hated to admit it, but they did look nice. They still weren't his thing, but not even he could deny Jackie knew what she was doing. And Hyde had no doubt she knew exactly what she was doing.
"Well, it's probably over now," Hyde added. He got to ruin her peaceful move-in, she gave him a fuck you , so that should be the end of it.
Eric took a seat on the other side of Hyde, taking notice of the way he gazed at the flowers on the counter. "Well, I have a feeling it's far from over."
Hyde looked at Eric, who was pointing at the bouquet, with a raised brow.
"See those yellow ones that look like puff balls?" Hyde nodded. "Those are Tansies. They're a declaration of war."
Hyde felt a sense of excitement start his heart up. A declaration of war? He leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and smirked.
This should be fun.