Library. Plan. Possibility. Escape.
All of these words swam in front of Cynthia Trinity’s eyes as she read the frantic texts from Harley to their group chat.
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Harley: It’s a stupid idea, I know, but in this situation, we don’t have much choice. I’ll tell you all about it next time we meet.
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Estelle: is there a reason you can’t tell us here?
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Harley: Multiple, actually. Just meet us in the library tomorrow and I’ll tell you everything, I promise.
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Dio: Why the library?
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There were more texts after, but Cynthia put her phone down, not bothered enough to read the rest. Most of the time, Harley had good reasons for everything. It’s what makes him able to lie his way out of potential trouble with ease, something Cynthia had seen multiple times.
But enough of that. Her phone was ringing, and judging by the ringtone, it was her fiancé, Tristan.
Cynthia picked up the phone. “Hey Tris!”
“Cynthia! I’m having trouble with some of my plants. Is it alright if you help me out?”
“Of course! What seems to be the problem?”
“God, you sound like a secretary.”
They laughed.
Cynthia spoke. “For real. Anyways, which plant do you need help with?”
“I got this new plant, and I genuinely don’t know how to take care of it.”165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAdhR0FbVim
“Don’t you know a lot about plants?”
“Not this one.”
“How’d you find it?”
“Dio said he knew a great plant provider.”
“Dionysius did that?! Who on Neo-Earth could he know that could get you a plant you’ve never seen before? You’re, like, the plant dictionary.”
“Honestly, I don’t know. That guy’s a wonder sometimes.”
“You can say that again. So what are you trying to do with the plant? Look up the care routine? Send it to a lab?”
“If I sent it to a lab, they’d probably kill it in seconds.”
“Oh, and all of a sudden you’re the pinnacle of responsibility for plants.”
“Hey, just saying. Care to come over in a bit and help me out?”
“Sure.”
“See you there!”
Cynthia sighed as she put the phone down. She was going to make a trip to the Newman apartment.
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Tristan opened the apartment door shortly after she knocked. Tristan smiled warmly. “Come in!”
She walked in, and as usual, the apartment was empty. It seemed like Tristan’s parents were always out partying.
“They insist they’re good parents.” Tristan had told her. “Say that since they pay the bills, which they only do because they have to, they’re automatically parenting me. Well, do they buy food? No. Do they buy furniture? No.”
“And even when they are home,” He continued. “It’s late as hell, and they’re super drunk. They’ll always have some kind of beer in their hands, yelling and laughing about something that happened at the party. And I always go straight to them, asking ‘Can you please give me some money?’ or something like that, and they don’t even notice me. Then I go to sleep, wake up the next morning, and they’re gone. They seem to care more about each other than they do me. And honestly, I can’t blame them. I’m only here because I’m mandatory, you know?”165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHuWF5yk2UP
The sad part was that Tristan wasn’t the only person she knew with neglective parents. Dio’s had just up and left when he was old enough to go to school, leaving him to provide the financial abilities to keep the apartment as well as other necessities. The only time he didn’t live alone was every other month, when Harley switched from the Swanson’s apartment to his. When Dionysius had finally told his friends about his financial struggle, they all decided to pitch in and help him. It wasn’t much, but it meant the world to him.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCeJmcdsKiH
“Tris is lucky.” She remembered Dionysius saying to her. “At least his parents pay the bills. The things I had to do just to avoid being homeless, man. But you guys helped me through, and I honestly can’t thank you guys enough for it.”165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv8fCAujNaR
Estelle’s dad is still around, but he’s not the most caring parent on the market. He pays the bills and buys the food, yes, but he doesn’t even seem to notice her half the time.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYkXi3NTvHP
Cynthia seemed to notice that Estelle had always viewed Harley as an older brother. Whenever she had nightmares at sleepovers, Harley was the first one she’d call. At every graduation since they’d met, Harley would always attend. Estelle had told her once that he always seemed to understand her, but didn’t elaborate.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFvrRGgwBY
She had never known much about Harley’s past. Dionysius had introduced him to the group 2 years ago, and at that point he was living with Millie. Harley had mentioned on occasion that he was orphaned when he was young, but that was it. Nothing about adoptive parents, or why they weren’t there.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTSeRVMfWUz
Still, Cynthia thought to herself. Something’s off about him, and I know symptoms of PTSD when I see them. If there was a way we could help him…165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5b41WZpr61
“Cynthia!”165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCswLEiMI3K
She zoned back in to see Tristan standing in front of her. “The plant?”165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1mha97MU1g
“Oh. Uh, yeah.” She said, following Tristan into his bedroom.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBvFZcMlSYk
Bedroom was hardly a good word for it. Plant sanctuary fit perfectly. Vines led themselves down the walls of the room, forming vein-like patterns on the floor. Glowing bulbs stuck out from the vines, illuminating a gentle green color. A beanbag sat on the corner, surrounded by various glowing potted plants. In the area where a bed should have been rested a flowerbed that contained a bush full of glorious flowers, different colors glowing to form a rainbow on the fuzzy green carpet. Cynthia had pointed out the irony of it to Tristan years ago, making both of them laugh now as they looked at the bush.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOYxtWb1O3x
“Have you showed Dio yet?”165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvbFUe5A1x
He shook his head. “I never got the chance to invite him over.” He looked over to her. “Should I?”165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjueukLglZ9
“He would love it.”165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEK49bhA5sT
Tristan started to fiddle with his clothes. “Would he, though?”165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrTvXvXhH8
“Tris, I know that boy more than you think. He’s absolutely head over heels for you. He would love it if you took him to a museum of the origin of dirt.”165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4RYFtzWqHu
He laughed. “You have a point there.”
“So…the plant?”
“Oh!” He led her into his closet and opened a small cabinet. Inside it was a plant just beginning to sprout. It glowed bright white, its small delicate petals not even an inch long.
“This looks like every other plant,” Cynthia said.
“That’s what I thought!” Tristan replied. “But then…” He reached in a small container next to the plant and pulled out a salt shaker. Before Cynthia could call him crazy, he sprinkled salt onto the plant.
To Cynthia’s amazement, it grew. The plant was suddenly a bit taller, its petals expanding. The glow started to fade from white to a deep red.
Before it could get past a shade of light pink, Tristan stopped pouring the salt. Just like that, the mysterious plant had stopped growing. After a long period of silence, Cynthia finally spoke.
“Okay, what the hell was that?”
“Wish I knew, Cindy. It makes no sense. Plants aren’t supposed to do that. Most involve a special routine, but they grow. This only grows when I pour salt on it. I’m willing to bet that if I never even touched it, it would stay in that condition probably forever. I don’t even know if I can—“
Before Tristan could finish what he was saying, sirens went off outside. He looked at Cynthia, panic in his eyes. “Exile.”
She blinked. “I thought you don’t go to those anymore.”165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELmt3grva8
“Judging from what Harley texted us,” He closed the cabinet and led Cynthia out of the room. “I think this is gonna be important.”
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