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The air was warm in the courtyard, just the smallest hint of a breeze flitting through lush, green trees that hung overhead.
Senior year was coming to an end. College applications had been sent and accepted, yearbooks were being signed, and everybody was saying their goodbyes.
Alex had considered himself lucky to be going to the same college as Tod. They’d have stayed in the same town regardless, but still.
George was going upstate for college, but Tod made sure he’d be visiting with a pinky promise. Alex didn’t say it, but he could tell that Tod was sad about the fact his brother was leaving, even if it was just two hours away.
Billy applied to two different colleges and had been accepted to both, so now he had to make a choice. Tod not so subtly tried to convince him to go with theirs, but Alex told him the choice was his.
That left Carter. Alex no longer bickered with him in French class or yelled at him during gym. They were actually friends.
Carter was going to the same college that Alex and Tod planned on going to. His ex-girlfriend, Terry, was going out of state. Alex knew that out of all of them, he and Carter were closest to her. Alex thought she was pretty nice, even when Carter was still being a dick.
Clear, a girl who he had met this spring, was going out of state as well. Alex didn’t even remember how they met, but he doesn’t regret it at all.
Being friends with Carter meant that his lunch table arrangements had changed as well. Tod had stopped shooting Alex suspicious glances anytime Carter sat with them, and Billy — bless his poor heart — had finally stopped questioning if Carter was pranking them when he smiled or laughed without following it up with an insult, or a shove.
They still bickered, of course.
All of them. Tod and Carter usually were the driving force, while Billy chimed in every once and a while. Alex and George watched with sarcastic comments every few minutes.
The sharpness was all gone, though. They had become some sort of clique, one that nobody really knew how it came to be. They didn’t bother questioning it.
This was how Alex found himself in the middle of an unnecessarily loud, stupid conversation about birthday presents in the middle of May, when he should be thinking about finals.
George was the one who started it. Surprisingly.
“I was thinking flowers, yeah? You think that’ll be good?” He asked. He was talking about his girlfriend, Kendra. He wanted to get her flowers for her birthday, which was at the end of May. His question was mostly directed towards Carter, who was basically the only other person here who had any actual experience with a girl.
“You should get her a teddy bear too.” Billy said, taking a bite out of an apple he definitely didn’t take from Tod’s tray.
“Why?” George squinted, looking at him.
“Girls like that.” He shrugged. Carter snorted, taking a sip from his water.
“Billy. Have you ever actually bought anyone anything?” Tod asked, grinning.
“That isn’t the point, Tod! It’s cute. Romantic. Thoughtful. She’ll probably like it.” He shrugged. Tod rolled his eyes.
“It’s generic.” Alex cut in, his voice flat.
Billy’s head whipped around so fast his stupid baseball cap almost flew off. Tod laughed while readjusting it for him.
“Wow. Thanks, Mr. Gift Giver. What would you want someone to get you?” Billy asked. Alex squinted and tilted his head.
“I don’t know, something I’d actually use. A book. Maybe a record.” He said.
“That’s boring. Besides, you do use stuffed animals.” Tod huffed. Billy and Alex both chose to ignore him this time. Nobody actually asked for books on their birthday, right? Nobody but Clear, maybe.
“What about flowers? People like flowers. You into that sorta thing, Alex?” He asked, smiling.
Alex’s gaze drifted away, towards the table. Carter sat up a little straighter, noticing the change in his demeanor.
“I wouldn’t know.” Alex answered, his voice just a bit quieter now. His plastic spork stabbed into the less than stellar slice of pizza he was blessed with this lunch period.
“What do you mean you ‘wouldn’t know,’ Alex?” George asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I’ve never gotten flowers before.” Alex said. The idea sounded a little nice, but what would he even do with them? Keep them in a vase on his dresser until they wilt — or longer? That sounded stupid but at the same time, he wanted it.
Billy’s face twisted, confusion evident in it. Even he had gotten flowers before. It was for some Little League thing in the seventh grade, but still. “Never? Not even once?”
Alex shrugged.
“Maybe I should’ve been sending bouquets over this whole time. Sorry, Alex.” Tod grinned, his tone light and teasing like always.
“I don’t know if I’d want flowers from you. You’d probably cheap out and get plastic ones.” Alex rolled his eyes. George smiled. If Alex had asked, Tod probably would’ve gotten him actual ones. They were close like that.
“You know me so well.” Tod snickered, poking him in the arm.
Carter finally cleared his throat. Alex should’ve known he was about to say something stupid based on the way he smirked. That same stupid smirk that came onto his face anytime he was ready to tease someone. Alex hated the fact he didn’t dislike it as much as he probably should’ve.
“Wait. You seriously haven’t gotten flowers before? I expected Tod to have given you at least one bouquet.” Carter grinned. His tone practically oozed lazy sarcasm and mock innocence. Tod and Alex’s answers came quickly.
“From him, seriously?”
“Nope!” Tod said, smiling.
Alex turned towards him, betrayal evident on his face. Billy choked a little on his chocolate milk. George rolled his eyes.
“You answered too fast, dude.” Alex said.
“You answered just as fast.” Tod defended himself the best he could. Alex raised an eyebrow as Billy spoke again.
“If that is true, I feel bad for you.” He commented, referring to the fact that Alex has supposedly never gotten flowers in his life.
“Shut up, Billy.” Alex said, shaking his head.
The group got back to trying to help George with gift decisions. Billy stuck with his teddy bear idea. Alex recommended perfume, and Tod recommended a bracelet or necklace.
Everyone contributed but Carter. He just sat there, occasionally taking a bite out of a pizza slice. His eyebrows were knit together closely on his face. He did it whenever he was thinking.
For some reason, that was more suspicious to Alex than anything ever had been.
On Saturday morning, Alex woke up to the intrusive sound of the doorbell. Loud and wiry. Definitely not a fun way to start what should’ve been a late morning. It was only 8:23, afterall.
He wandered down the stairs in slippers, pajama pants, and an old Nike shirt that hung off one shoulder. His hair was anything but neat, sticking up in every direction but the desired one.
He had assumed that his parents ordered a package. Or that Tod had come over far too early, his arms full of comic books and junk food that shouldn’t be consumed before noon.
What he wasn’t expecting was Carter Horton with a sunflower bouquet in hand.
Alex blinked once, then twice, then rubbed at one eye as Carter’s mouth twitched up the slightest bit.
“You look like you just woke up.”
“I did.”
“Sucks. Anyway, here. Thought I’d drop something off, or whatever.” Carter said, shoving the bouquet forward.
It wasn’t really as neat as other bouquets were. The wrapping paper that Carter had clearly done himself was a bit wrinkled, ripped in one spot just slightly. One stem was bent. The flowers themselves were bright, cheery, and Alex’s heart skipped a beat looking at them.
It was perfect. At least to Alex.
“Sunflowers?” Alex squinted, opening the door wider.
“They reminded me of you. Kinda tall, unusually bright at the stupidest times, and hard to look away from once you notice them.” Carter said, scratching the back of his neck.
Now Alex had known just how much Carter paid attention to him. He knew when Alex would smile at silly times during French lectures, usually from something stupid Tod did. He had probably noticed when Alex would doze off in the middle of class as well.
“Seriously?” Alex smiled faintly, reaching for them. He took them slowly, like they’d disintegrate if he was too rough.
“It’s not a big deal.” Carter brushed him off.
“You didn’t have to do this, Carter.”
“I know that. I wanted to.”
Alex stayed silent for a moment after that, just staring at the bouquet. He held the flowers closer to his chest, before glancing up.
“You want any coffee?” He asked. Carter straightened up a bit at that, nodding. Alex let him inside, the door clicking shut behind them.
Carter made his coffee like he’d been in this kitchen a million times before, while Alex not so subtly searched for a vase to house his first bouquet.