Covent Garden Flowers, Saturday

[crimson_sister]

There were still plenty of bonsai trees at the back, but the front of the shop was filled with brightly coloured flowers. Not quite Lucille's taste in colour, but they were nice enough to make flower arrangements with, so that was what she did.

Trying to get temporary teenagers to spend money on flowers they might not normally buy didn't seem fair - this from a woman who had murdered her housekeeper for money - so she had no offer in the window today, just an especially large and colourful arrangement.

[Open]

Comments

[somethingwithturquoise]

Well, you were in luck that morning, Lucille, because there actually was a teenager who was looking to spend money on flowers she might not normally buy!

Though when she came in, Summer was a bit distracted by how the person working at the shop did not seem to match with all the bright and colorful flowers on display.

"Oh, wow," she said. "That's a look."

[crimson_sister]

Lucille looked at her, smiling. Was that Summer?

"Thank you," she said. "I must say the same to you."

It seemed a reasonable response.

"Can I help you?"

[somethingwithturquoise]

Summer's eyes squinted a little, not really sure if that was meant to be a regular compliment or a totally backhanded one, suddenly questioning literally everything she'd put on that morning, but whatever, it didn't matter, she actually came in here with a goal in mind and actually, this whole goth vibe could be exactly the thing she needed.

"Yes, actually," she said, pulling herself up importantly now that they were getting to brass tacks. "I really think you can. You see, I need flowers." Duh, Summer. "Like, funeral flowers. For someone's dead Nana. They need to say, 'Hey, like, I know we just met and stuff, but I'm really sorry for your loss, that must totally suck, but I'm here if you need anyone.'

"Please keep in mind," she added these next details as if they would be the utmost importance when choosing such an arrangement, "that he is very cute and has a varsity letter jacket."

Obviously things that needed to be considered in any funeral floral arrangement, right?

[crimson_sister]

Lucille had no idea what a varsity letter jacket was, but she did know about funeral flowers. For a cute boy's grandmother though?

"White, then, and perhaps something pink. What about white lilies and pink roses?"

[somethingwithturquoise]

"Really?" Summer seemed surprised by this suggestion. "White and pink? Not something all...y'know...black and dark and macabre?"

That was literally all she was expecting from this woman, tbh.

But she was thinking about it, and how she did like pink, and, based solely on the amount of pink in the closet of the place she was staying at this weekend, she was thinking that maybe she needed to make it sort of her signature color (you needed to have a signature color, right, to be popular? Like, so people remembered you and stuff?), so that could be beneficial, and she nodded a little.

"Okay," she said, "maybe. But what would you do if you also wanted to add a small element of 'oh, and sorry I made you cry about it in class' to it, too?"

Which, okay, technically you could argue that Eleanor made him cry about it, but the fact that he had showed that he had a sensitive side that he wasn't afraid of, and Summer felt that was a rare spark in his archetype that was worth exploring.

[crimson_sister]

"That is not to everyone's taste," Lucille said.

It was to her taste, of course.

"I think white and pink would do that well. They are gentle and pure colours, after all."

She smiled.

[somethingwithturquoise]

"But also kind of...girly," Summer pointed out, clearly giving this all very deep and careful consideration. "Because, you know, he is a boy. Who plays sports. Also, it could read as romantic, pink and white..."

Which, yes, was an underlying factor, but it should be a hint, not at the forefront. Navigating this level of high school social politics as a freshman was extremely risky business. She couldn't chance ruining it and demolishing her entire career before it even really began, after all...

[crimson_sister]

Lucille, coming from a time where pink wasn't seen as excessively girly, said:

"All flowers have the potential to be romantic. But perhaps go with only white then, although I am not sure that is what I would usually suggest when an elderly person has just passed."

She paused.

"We do have a lot of bonsai trees too."

[somethingwithturquoise]

Summer considered all of this, brow furrowed, frown deep, and then she shook her head. This was getting way too complicated and try-hard, and literally all the magazines said you couldn't try too hard, boys could smell it on you like a cheap perfume...

"Okay," she said, with a tone of finality, of conviction. "Here's what we're going to do. We're going to get your most basic, standard, run-of-the-mill funeral piece, like one of those wreaths, only we're going to add a few hot pink roses to it. That's my signature color."

Officially as of literally just then.

"And we'll include a card that says, 'Sorry for your loss. XO, S."

Because people who signed their correspondence with just an initial were cool.

"S.S.? No. Just S. There aren't actually a lot of other girls with S names here, I don't think. And not 'Sorry for your loss.' 'Deepest condolances."

Ohemgee, perfection.

Summer, you brilliant bee-yoch.

[crimson_sister]

Lucille offered a polite smile, hiding a more amused one.

"I will arrange the flowers for you then. A wreath takes a little longer than a bouquet, it will be ready this afternoon."

Would Summer want to be reminded of this on Monday?

[somethingwithturquoise]

"That sounds perfect," Summer said, smiling easily with her confidence in this scheme renewed. Even if it didn't work as intended, who would give her crap for sending flowers for a dead grandparent, seriously? Jerks, that's who! "Thanks."