Chapter Text
She’s gotten flowers before. All pretty girls get flowers.
Baby’s breath for her communion. A bouquet of tulips after her dance recital. Dandelions (with a handful of grass) from her younger brother.
But this is the first time that Chrissy’s ever gotten a flower from someone that wasn’t a family member. And at school!
By the end of sixth grade Chrissy Cunningham is really starting to blossom into what some might call a lovely young girl.
Her cheeks still rounded from baby weight that create an cherubic like smile when she finds appropriate. Her hair, while more red-tinted than her mother would like, holds soft curls that bounce with each step. Years of dance and now cheerleading have created a flow to her movements whether she’s aware of them or not.
People notice Chrissy. Boys notice Chrissy.
At a newly turned twelve-years-old this is better than receiving all A’s on her report card (but that happens too).
Her locker, number 321 in the English wing of Hawkins middle school, has been overrun by the gentle smell of spring.
Lilacs to be exact. The light purple contrasting with the green metal almost absurdly, but there placed on top of her worn copy of The Outsiders are three lilacs. Stems cut with purpose and tied with a neat white ribbon.
“Look whose got a secret admirer!” Jennifer Mitchell coos next to her.
Chrissy blushes as she brings the flowers to her nose. The scent comforting and warm.
“It’s not even your birthday.” Another girl, Heather Holloway, notes with a lifted brow.
Chrissy shrugs, “Maybe they’re just being nice.”
Jennifer snorts and elbows Chrissy’s ribs. “Bet he saw you at the talent show. Your herkie was perfect.”
Chrissy’s lips twitch and she forces a smile. It was far from perfect if Laura had anything to say about it. Plus it seemed her skirt was getting tight again.
“I was so nervous that I barely remember talking to anyone.”
Heather nods, “I just about stayed in the bathroom for the entire time before I went on.” A groan and she continues, “Thank God because it was that horrible slamming and screaming group.”
Jennifer laughs as she collects her books. “Right? They thought they were so tough, but everyone hated them. They had some dumb name too.”
Chrissy mumbles, “Corroded Coffin”, but it’s drowned out by the school bell. She waves to the other girls before walking to her last class of the day. Her mind working to replay last week’s talent show.
She remembers the band. A group of older boys wearing some makeup around their eyes in scary looking shirts. One of them had spoken to her, after her cheer routine Chrissy’s mind supplies.
Fuzzy on the details, but there was a boy with large brown eyes and a buzzed haircut. She thought it made him look skinner than he already was. All lanky arms and legs, like when her brother Connor stretches out his Silly Putty too far.
Had he given her a compliment? Chrissy’s brow furrows as she sits down and tries to listen to Mr. Clarke’s lecture on spacial dimensions.
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Chrissy hides the lilacs from her mother's prying gaze and questioning mouth. She's allowed some secrets, too.
Pressing the flowers into the pages of one of her journals like Granny taught her. Wax paper to protect the delicate petals before closing the pages and resting a heavier book on top.
Her elementary school encyclopedia is out of date anyway and she's sure not to miss it. Besides in a month, her lilacs will be ready for a more permeant storage in her scrapbook.
She doesn’t get any more secret flowers for the next two years of middle school.
Well, besides the Valentine’s Day roses that Jason Carver sends her in eighth grade.
Which in turn sends the junior varsity cheer squad into a tizzy. Jennifer drools over the flowers with an eagerness that Chrissy can only hope to match when Jason asked her to the graduation dance. Her mother, as predicted, has picked out a light pink dress for the occasion.
“The Carvers are a lovely family, aren’t they Phillip?” Laura doesn’t wait for her father to respond before adding, “I’d take some extra care these next few weeks, hmm? Want to make the right impression on what kind of girl you are Christine.”
At fourteen, Chrissy is starting to discover that she really has no idea about anything at all; least of all herself.
Laura is the only older female figure she has (Granny only visits for holidays and birthdays. Besides she’s old), so at her mother’s urging no more sweets after dinner. No more bread with dinner or lunch. It becomes routine and something that Chrissy comes to recognize as a means to obtain her mother’s love and attention. The small smiles and light caresses of her cheek when Laura finds that Chrissy’s dress not only fits, it’s loose.
“Better to tighten it up than let out some threads!”
Jason arrives with a corsage of tiny daisies surrounding a few sweetheart roses (light pink to match her dress).
Laura coos as Chrissy pin’s on the boutonniere (baby’s breath and a matching rose) onto Jason’s chest. Her father takes blurry pictures and Connor rolls his eyes before adjusting his seat to watch the TV.
Chrissy finds that her wrist strap itches the entire night and her stomach cramps whenever Jason offers to get her some more food. A polite smile as she declines, for however will she dance?
Heather compliments her dress and hair (curled into a chignon). Jennifer asks through gritted teeth if Chrissy and Jason are “going steady”?
A noncommittal hum while Chrissy sips on too sweet punch. “My mom likes him.”
Jason gives her a real kiss after the dance and while there are no fireworks, Chrissy’s heart pounds in her ears and her cheeks go pink.
He really is a gentleman and smiles so his teeth shine in the moonlight as he walks her back to her front door. Another quick peck on her cheek and she thinks it’s nice to be wanted.
It’s not until halfway through her sophomore year that she’s gifted with flowers once again, right after her first (public) fight with Jason in the cafeteria.