We <3 Plants

It was almost sunset, and the sky was painted in shades of pink, red, and orange. Magnolia sped her pace as she neared the Conservatory, as if the glass panes pulled her towards them. It began to grow chilly as the night neared, and she drew the collar of her coat tightly around her exposed neck. She reached the doors to the glass house and opened them in a rush, excited to explore her new school's Conservatory. Shutting the doors in a hushed hurry, she turned, wide-eyed at the vast assortment of greenery and at the warmth the building seemed to radiate. With a large grin, she shrugged off her coat and began her exploration. Plants were nothing new to her, she'd grown up working in a greenhouse everyday, even began to grow small fruits and flowers from her hair when she was four. In a way, the Conservatory seemed like a safe haven to her, and she let a sigh of relief out, as if she'd been holding her breath since she'd walked into the schools doors. Sure, she had brought a few of her favorite house plants with her when she'd moved, but there was something different about being surrounded by the green leaves and colorful flowers. The smell of dirt and life enveloped her, and Magnolia took in a deep breath through her nose, letting the smell absorb into her lungs. She walked to the nearest potted plant, an ivy, and dug her fingers deep in the dirt, smiling when the roots entangled her fingers, as if giving her a hug. "
"Hey there little friend." Magnolia cooed to the ivy as its long vines twisted up her arm and gave a little squeeze.

This place held a lot of memories for her. Good and bad. Well, mostly bad. Actually, entirely bad. Her only memory here was when she'd gotten dragged into someone else's love confession and ended up getting a concussion. It was a long story. The point was, this was one of the first times she'd been back here since then, and she couldn't remember how or why. Just at some point in the day, somehow, she'd gone from her bed in Dorm 101 to lying face-down in a fern. Red light filtered through the glass of the greenhouse. The whole day had lapsed by and she hadn't even noticed.

Fuck.

There were a few hazy memories stringing it all together, but nothing that could piece together the whole puzzle.

She crawled up onto her knees, brushing the soil out of her face (with a silent apology toward the crumpled looking fern), and mentally chalked it up to daylight savings. With a small groan, her limbs not wanting to cooperate with the rest of her body, she ran her fingers through her hair and glanced around, blinking the blurriness from her eyes. The whole conservatory seemed to swivel around her. Evelyn swallowed her nausea, and with all the coordination a drunk could muster, somehow managed to crawl onto her feet without eating pavement. That was a good first step, right?

Evelyn took another step and the floor lurched up to meet her.

Long story short, she ended up tumbling into a clump of hydrangeas.

She just stared up at the ceiling, sprawled across the ground, flower petals brushing across her face like raindrops. The earth beneath spun like a carousel. I don't really need to stand, Evelyn though to herself, patting her clothes for a flask. At the very least, she'd been sober enough to throw on her school uniform, but somewhere along the way she'd lost her blazer, and after a minute of fumbling around, she realized she'd put on her button-up inside out. How does that even happen...?

Evelyn let her head fall back to the ground in defeat with a low groan. Her eyes fluttered close. I can just sleep here tonight. It's already getting dark.

Another voice made her eyes shoot back open.

"Hey there little friend."

Evelyn felt her throat seize up. She sat up, propping herself up on an elbow, and glanced around. In the aisle across from her, half-hidden behind a row of plants, shrubs, and flowers, was a girl with gray-green hair staring lovingly down at a... vine? She closed her eyes and shook her head. I've had too much to drink... That'd be stupid.

It was better not to be seen. Her gift let her totter around so far without being noticed, but if she made too much of a racket, the effect would break. The last thing she needed was to be noticed trampling over all the flowers.

Alright... she thought to herself, biting her bottom lip. I just have to sneak away and... She started to grab at plant stalks, crawling up into a half-crouch, and—"OW!"

A thorn dug into her palm and Evelyn went falling back into the flowers, making the whole bush rustle. Fuck.

So much for stealth.

Suddenly, there was a rustling in the bushes behind her. Magnolia's head snapped up, like a deer in the headlights, and her whole body went stiff. The plant wrapped around her wrist retreated, sensing Mag's flight or fight reaction and wanting to take no part in it. She withdrew her hand and stiffly turned around, quietly as possible. The girl willed her breath to be silent, even though her heart was beating a million miles a hour. It could just be a wild animal... Maggie thought, as she slowly made her way around the table separating her from whatever was on the other side of the table. With one hand gripping the table behind her, she stuck her free hand into a rose bush, some stray vines curling around her knuckles, the thorns pushing themselves outward from her pale flesh. With a quick tug, the vines sprung loose from the bush and finished winding around her wrist.

Honestly, this meager weapon wouldn't help protect the girl from any sort of danger. God knows she could never swing a fist at anyone, much less some defenseless animal. The last-minute weapon made her feel a little more at ease though, and so she found new confidence and started to stride around the corner, nearly tripping over the brunette girl lying in the floor. She looked awful, as if someone had thrown her around. Instantly Magnolia dropped to her knees, a few feet away from the girl.

"Oh my God, are you okay? What happened to you?!" She reached a hand out, and stopped midway. Don't touch her, you don't know her like that.... She thought to herself, her brow knitted together in a look of concern and confusion. The girl's white shirt was covered in dirt, and inside out. Her hair was in a state of extreme disarray from falling all over the plants. Twigs and petals and a few individual flowers littered the brunette girls hair, making her look as though she was a wilding that ran through the woods and never showered. The appearance of the girl and her state spiked a panic in Magnolia, and long fern frond unfurled from her hair like a large feather. Magnolia hardly seemed to notice, her focus pinpointed on the peculiar girl.

Maybe she wouldn't notice. Maybe she was deaf. Maybe she'd get scared and bolt out the door without investigating. Maybe she'd just pretend she didn't hear. Maybe. Evelyn clung to that last shred of hope like a lifeline. Going through the last seven hours in a bush wasn't so bad, but getting swept up in a conversation like this? Ugh, that thought gave her more of a headache than the alcohol. She held her breath, watching as the girl dropped back out of sight, listening as the footsteps round the corner, and...

Shit. Just like that, her hopes were dashed. Evelyn squinted up at her through unfocused eyes, watching the girl fuss, offer a hand, and then retract it before the action could even register in her head. What was she supposed to say? How was she supposed to explain this? "I-I-I'm..." Her stuttering trailed off into nothingness. Evelyn tilted her head as a green frond sprouted and unfurled out from the other girl's hair. She blinked. She blinked again. After a strained stretch of silence, she realized she'd been staring. Evelyn ripped her her gaze away with a flush of red across her cheeks like she'd just walked in on someone changing. "...f-f-fine. I-I'm, uh, fine." Her gaze wandered over the ground. "Um." Shouldn't she say something else? "A-Are you okay?"

. . .

Of course she was okay. She wasn't the one lying in a bush with her shirt turned inside out.

I'm so stupid.

The girl stuttered, and Magnolia knew exactly what was wrong with her. She was drunk, the smell of her breath alone could tell her that much. Her parents hadn't been heavy drinkers, but every now and again they would have some wine, or maybe a beer. On Christmas Eve, everyone ate dinner at the dining room table and Magnolia was allowed half a glass of wine. She knew the smell, and she'd seen plenty enough movies to know the signs. Instead of being angry though, she only felt sorry for the poor girl in the dirt. Some how she felt as though the girl needed help, and her primal instincts took over.

Maggie watched as the girl blinked, starring hard at the right side of her head. Something interesting must have been going on, because the girl blush a deep crimson as though she'd seen a man in the nude.  She reached a hand up and felt the familiar feather-like foliage of a fern. With a quick jerk of her wrist, Mags pulled the frond out, twisting the stem between her fingers. It hurt about as much as pulling a hair from your head. Looking at the girl with her moss green eyes, Magnolia tilted her head.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just something that... Uh... Happens sometimes." She answered, unsure of how to answer the girl in a way that wouldn't confuse her too badly.

It was starting to get late, and the temperature was dropping quickly since the sun had set. Magnolia knew she couldn't just leave this girl out her by herself. This time when she offered her hand to the stranger, she didn't pull it away. The rose thorns had slipped away from her wrist, and had begun to wilt in a pile on the floor. "Can I help you get back to your dorm. It'll be getting cold soon, and I can't stand to leave you out here alone." Maggie said, her hand still outstretched towards the girl. Her shining greens eyes screamed with innocence as she smiled softly at the girl.

Remembering her manners that she'd completely forgotten, the girl added in "I'm Magnolia by the way. Don't worry about tell me your name, just focus on where your dorm is." She said this in a hush tone, hoping not to give the girl a headache.

Um... Yeah. It happened to everyone. Right. She shouldn't have been surprised at that kind of thing anymore. She'd been a student here for years, but every person she met felt stranger than the last. Evelyn glanced back up at her, almost flinching as she reached up to yank the piece of foliage out of her scalp. As long as she said she was okay, then it was okay, she guessed. With a small breath, Evelyn couldn't help but relieved for the quick save. Was that just tact, or had she just misunderstood? Either way, she felt like she'd avoided another blunder. Not that you could do much worse in the position she was in right now.

Evelyn stared up at her hand. Thorny stalks, wrapped around her arm like a bracelet, uncoiled, drooped, and fell to the floor in a withering heap. Magnolia. Like... the flower? Things were starting to make a bit more sense. After blinking away the confusion, with another glance at the rose thorns to confirm she wasn't just imagining it, she tentatively reached out and clasped the girl's hand. "Um..." For a moment, she contemplating refusing the offer. This was fine. Getting chaperoned back to her dorm would be embarrassing. She didn't need help, and eventually she'd be able to regain her bearings on her own. But she'd already grabbed the girl's hand, and it was better to fall asleep on her own bed than spend the night in a bush for the landscaper to find. "Winter. O-One zzzero one."

She'd said not to worry about it, but it felt wrong not to give her name after Magnolia had given hers. "E-Evelyn. My n-name's Evelyn." Chances were that she wouldn't remember it anyways. "Um... S-S-Sorry for t-this..."

Magnolia helped Evelyn into a sitting position, her hand tight on the drunken girls. The last thing she wanted to do was let her slip back into the floor. "Don't worry about it. I'm actually glad I found you and not a teacher or something." The green-haired girl said, shrugging slightly. It was true, she was glad she had found Evelyn, but not because she was worried about her getting caught. In all honesty, Maggie was lonely at this new school. She hadn't grown up around other children, and so her social skills were a little off. It would be some sort of miracle if Evelyn woke up tomorrow and remembered Mags kindness, and maybe even befriended her. At this point, she would take any friends she could get. At home she'd had her mother, father, and their King Charles Spaniel. Here, she had no one but herself and her cell phone that was like a life-link to her home back in Florida. Magnolia had come to this school to be independent though, to branch away from her parents. That's exactly what she intended to do.
"Hopefully we can get you across campus without anyone noticing us. If anyone stops us to talk, I'll tell them you were over in my dorm studying and you're not feeling too well." She leaned over and grabbed her coat from the rack she'd placed it one, and threw it around Evelyn's shoulders, trying to mask the girls dirty and inside out white shirt. The attempt was half successful, and after a few adjustments, Maggie decided it was as good as it was gonna get. Without another thought, Magnolia took the girls arm and threw it over her shoulder so she could help Evelyn stand. She didn't weigh as much as Mags thought she would, so that was a plus.  "It's nice to meet you Evelyn, even under the circumstances." The green eyed girl smiled as the two started to make their way towards the door.
She quickly reached for the handle to the sliding door, her other hand gripping Evelyn's arm. With a quick jerk, Maggie threw aside the door, and half walked half drug the drunken girl into the chilly night.

Just sitting up made her feel like she was on a rollercoaster. There was a sudden surge of nausea and dizziness, like all the blood had rushed out of her head, lights dancing in her vision and a thin piercing sound just on the edge of hearing reverberating through her head. It felt like somebody was drilling screws into her skull. Evelyn gave a silent nod, swallowing the bile rising in her throat. A teacher was the last thing she needed. Especially the Headmaster... After everything she'd done with her son, she still hadn't really met him. The occasional assembly or announcement over the school intercom didn't count. One of these days, she'd been expecting (and quietly dreading) the inevitable meet-the-folks episode you saw in every movie and sitcom. It never ended up coming.

Agh. Drinking this much just made her think of Jace. Evelyn shook the thoughts out of her head and let out a low breath, barely noticing as Magnolia draped the coat around her shoulders. Okay. You can do this. Baby steps. She could walk. It didn't turn out so well last time, but this time she had a crutch. If she couldn't make it to her dorm like this, she wasn't making it to her dorm at all. Not unless Magnolia wanted to wheel her over in one of the wheelbarrows.

Actually, that's not a bad idea... Anything sounded better than walking right now.

One knee. Evelyn floundered around on the ground, making the bush rustle and clumsily grabbing at Magnolia's hand, but somehow, some way, she managed to pull herself into a low crouch.

Her knees felt like jelly. Her body felt like it was made of lead. Lifting herself up into a standing position felt less like moving around on her own power and more like she was getting jerked along like a marionette, with Magnolia as the puppet master. Evelyn couldn't complain though. After a minute of fumbling, clumsy grasping, and flustered breathing, she'd managed to stand... and immediately slumped against Magnolia like a crutch, with her arm draped around her shoulders. "Ughhh..." she muttered. Her head felt too heavy for her neck, and she couldn't help but droop as they began to shuffle toward the doors, step by tiny staggering step. It felt like she was dozing off between paces, but that might've just been her vision glazing over as they haphazardly wobbled their way out toward the greenhouse. "Y-Yeah... N-Nice t-to m-m-meet you too..." she murmured. I think. It was either a blessing she'd been found or a set-up for humiliation. Knowing her luck, she wasn't about to hold her breath. "T-Thanks for... w-well, yeah... Ag-again, r-r-really..." She couldn't sense any bad intent from the girl. Magnolia was just being a Good Samaritan. Evelyn couldn't help but be skeptical though. Every lucky break seemed to be met with three hard realist slaps to the face.

Once they'd gotten that far, the first milestone in their long journey back to the Winter dorms, Magnolia flung open the door and Evelyn was assaulted by a chilly breath of air that stung at her cheeks. Cold air flooded into the conservatory, and it struck her now that this was the point of no return. There wasn't any lying back down or backing out. Both of them were in it for the long haul, for better or worse. Evelyn sucked in air through her teeth, bracing herself against the chill, and forced herself forward into the night. She liked to think that she was keeping up, but if she was being honest with herself, it was Magnolia doing most of the heavy lifting. It felt like walking on a moving deck with shackles around her ankles, except if she fell, she'd be dragging her savior down with her into the mud. "S-S-Sorry f-for this..."

Almost instantly after opening the Conservatory door, Magnolia wished she'd had her jacket. The cold wind bit into her immediately, chilling her to the bone. It was if her white blouse had been made of tissue paper. Picked the perfect day for a skirt, did you... The girl thought as she reached behind her and pulled the glass paned door shut. Now it was just her, and Evelyn against the cold Autumn night. Luck would have it that a light drizzle began to come down, pricking Magnolia's exposed legs like freezing needles. She sighed, and turned to Evelyn. The poor girl head was hung, and she clung desperately to Maggie, her life link to Dorm 101. Without a second though, Magnolia pulled the hood on her jacket over Evelyn's head, and trudged forward. She could tell it was going to be a long walk back to the dorms, and she wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.
About halfway through their miserable trek, Magnolia was soaked. Her shirt clung to her torso, her hair to her neck, and with every step she took, her black ballet flats made an awful suckling noise as if Maggie was pulling her foot from a thick mud puddle. Evelyn, who had been quiet most of the trip, muttered an apology to the girl. Magnolia felt such pity for the girl. She probably felt so bad for dragging Maggie out in this kind of weather, but Mags didn't mind.
"Don't apologize. I'm sure anyone would have helped you." She said, stumbling a little bit more of the way with Evelyn at her side. Maggie wish in that moment that she had built just a little bit more muscle working in her parents greenhouse, maybe then she could have just piggy backed Evelyn the whole way. Her whole body ached in protest, begging her to stop where she was and leave the girl in the rain, but that's not the kind of person Magnolia was. The two made there way across a corner, and there, looming in the distance was the Winterdorm. Thank God! She thought, her spirits lifting. It was as if a new energy overcame her, and she trudged on with restored stamina. She looked over at Evelyn, who's eyes were still to the ground. "Just a few more steps until we make it to your dorm!" Maggie said, the excitement in her voice overwhelming.

A light and steady drizzle washed over the school campus, thrumming against the concrete and turning brushing against her skin like soft cold kisses. Did it have to be raining? A pang of guilt shot through her as Magnolia pulled the hood over her head. Neither of them were dressed for this weather, but of course, she had to be the drunk idiot stumbling around in another girl's jacket. Droplets collected in Magnolia's hair, and before long, her blouse was plastered to her skin. It made her feel like a burden, and it didn't help that she could barely walk on her own. Evelyn was little more than dead weight draped over her shoulders.

Even with her jacket, it felt like the cold cut right through her. She didn't want to imagine how much worse it was for Magnolia. Would she be alright? Did she need to change? Where was her dorm? Her mouth opened to ask, but the words never left her throat. Something stopped her, embarrassment maybe, and Evelyn just let her gaze fall back to the ground. Still, after everything she'd done for her... Evelyn had to return the favor. Somehow. Any way she could.

She couldn't say exactly how long it took, but the girl's voice broke her out of her stupor. Evelyn raised her head, giving a small breath of relief at the dorm building looming ahead of them. Finally... For both of their sakes, she tried her best to pick up the pace for their final stretch, but she couldn't tell if it made any difference. After what felt like an eternity of trudging through the cold and rain, they reached the building and entered a long empty corridor, sheltered from the elements. Chilly, but it felt like a sauna after their walk.

The hall was lined with doors, and mercifully, 101 was the very first one on the left. Her legs were numb. Evelyn stumbled forward, untangling herself from Magnolia, and slumped against the wall with a sigh. The hood slipped off her head. "I-I'm... S-S-Sorry..." she breathed, her teeth almost chattering. "D-Do you... um... Do you n-n-need t-to come in? Or... w-want... Or... Um... I-If you n-n-need an-anything..."

Fuck.

None of this was turning out right.

Evelyn just let her words trail off and didn't look up at her.

Her head was swimming, but after a short minute to regain her composure, Evelyn stood up (mostly) straight again, pressing her hand against the wall for support. Keys. Fuck. Right. Her key. She patted her shirt. It was right there where it always was; a hard thin shape pressed against her chest. The metal felt like ice through the fabric of her shirt. Her breast pocket. Purses were a pain, and there weren't many other pockets in the women's school uniform, so she wasn't exactly left with many options.

Evelyn fumbled around for the pocket opening, but her fingers only brushed against the turned out seams of her button-up.

Her entire body seized up, a short jolt of panic racing up her spine, and for a second, time stood still.

...

SHIT!

No, no, no, no, no. Not now. Not here. Not with her standing right there. Evelyn tried to keep her internal groan of anguish from showing on her face.

My fucking shirt is inside out...

For the second time since she'd woken up, that same thought crossed her mind.

How did that even happen?

They neared the dorms, and hope flooded through the Spring girl. I'll be warm and dry and curled up in my bed soon. She thought, a large, goofy grin stretching across her face. Suddenly, Evelyn picked up the pace and the two seemed to burst through the door. It was noticeably warmer in the building, but still not warm enough to Magnolia's liking. Her hair dripped and droplets of water ran down her spine, making her teeth chatter and she stood there, wrapping her arms around herself. It didn't help that her wet white shirt clung to her. The poor girl was soaked down to her pink bra. The Winter girl detangled her arms from Magnolia's and slumped against the wall beside her dorm. Knees knocking together, Magnolia followed suit and slide to the ground across from Evelyn's room. The Spring dorms were still another walk through the rain, and she wanted to warm up just a tad before she sprinted the rest of the way home. Honestly, her frozen legs wouldn't have taken her far.

Luckily, Evelyn offered her a chance to come in her dorm. Magnolia lifted her head, and met Evelyn's gaze. For the first time she noticed how deep blue the Winter girl's. Honestly, they were purple. Magnolia caught herself starring for just a moment to long, and looked away. She pondered the girl's offer for a moment. You should probably go in and rest for a moment before you try and get to your house. It's a long and cold walk... The idea of simply walking anywhere, much less in this rain and cold made Magnolia cringe. She smiled at Evelyn.

"Would you mind, if I came in for just a moment. I have to walk to the Spring dorm and I just need to rest." The Spring girl explained, wringing out her hair onto the tile floor. She didn't care, it was only water, it would dry. She watched patiently as Evelyn stood, legs shaky, but altogether solid. The girl reached up for what looked like her boob, but turned out to be her shirt pocket. Evelyn stiffened, as if realizing she'd left it in another pair of pants. Magnolia inwardly sighed, hoping she wouldn't have to carry the girl to her dorm. Of course she wouldn't mind the drunk girl crashing on her futon, but the walk there would sap whatever energy Magnolia still possessed.

It seemed as fate was on her side though, because Evelyn produced the key in record speed, and it was as if she'd never started to panic in the first place. Bracing her hands on her knees, Magnolia stood, black dots dancing before her vision. God, she was tired and cold and ready to just sink into bed. Reaching down to her feet, she slipped off her flats, and her thigh highs, leaving them at the door so that she wouldn't track any mud into the room. "Sorry if I drip water on the floor." She said, her whole body shaking now at the lack of shoes. The tile beneath her feet was cold as ice and as soon as her feet had touched the linoleum, any shred of warmth she had held flew out the window. Patiently waiting for Evelyn, she secretly hoped the drunk girl could unlock her own door.

Fuckfuckfuckfuck.

This couldn't be happening, could it?

Evelyn's fingers pinched the key through her shirt, just wishing she could rip it right out, but she couldn't. Why...? Why did she have to open her mouth? It would've been fine if she was alone, but now that she'd went and made the effort, Magnolia was just sitting there, staring at her. She could feel her eyes burning into her back. Expectant. Fuck.

"Um... N-No pr-prob-blem..." she mumbled, turning away and continuing to fumble with her front pocket, as if she'd managed to just slip it through the fabric if she played with it enough. Fuck. Evelyn wanted to slap herself across the face. Once for being stupid, second for wishing that she'd never said anything in the first place. Magnolia had helped her up, given her jacket, and walked her through the rain to get to her dorm. She'd wanted to help, so this was the least she could do.

But did it have to be like this?

Evelyn faced away, hunching her shoulders to block Magnolia's view. She could only pray her gift would work its magic now and distract her. Her fingers reached over and popped open a button as discretely as possible. Dear Lord... If God could strike her dead right now, she wouldn't complain. Don't notice, don't notice, don't notice...

Gulping, she slipped a hand into her shirt, reaching into where the key was nestled, and pulled it out in one fluid motion. Fear rising up into the back of her throat, she glanced at Magnolia over her shoulder. The other girl looked as if she hadn't noticed anything. Evelyn relaxed her shoulders with a small breath. Thank God... Her gift had its perks after all.

Without another word, Evelyn staggered toward the door, clumsily grabbing at the doorknob. Would Kimply and Ethan be asleep? It would be awkward enough explaining where she'd been when she could barely walk, but with Magnolia here too? She leaned her head against the door, chewing her lip, and fumbled with the key.

Long story short, she missed. A lot. But after a few shameful attempts, Evelyn managed to insert the key into the lock, and after fumbling at the doorknob, she was finally able to push it open. The crrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeak of the door hinge sounded loud enough to wake the whole school, but there was only darkness on the other side. She finally let herself breathe and pushed the door open all the way, almost tripping as she tottered her way inside.

"Um... S-So this i-is it..."

She glanced over her shoulder to where Magnolia was standing and froze. Magnolia was shivering in the hallway, drenched to the bone, but that wasn't what made her stop dead and forget to breathe. Her shoes were gone, so were her thigh highs, and the rain had soaked through her white blouse to make it almost transparent.

Evelyn turned her head away to hide her blush, giving an awkward breathy laugh. "D-D-D-Don't worry about it... Ehehe..." As if trying to run away from the embarrassment, she shuffled out into the living space she shared with her three other roommates, dragging her hand along the wall until her fingers bumped into the light switch. She flicked it on and rested against the wall, her gaze dropped to the floor.

What now?

"Um..." This wasn't exactly the first time she'd been put into this situation, but with Lotte, it'd been different. She'd known Lotte. Magnolia was practically a stranger. "D-Do you h-h-have other c-c-clothes...?" No, obviously not. Did it look like she had other clothes? With a small start, she realized she still had Magnolia's jacket draped across her shoulders. Evelyn took in a quick breath. Her eyes flicked up to meet hers, blue against green. "Um..." They were around the same height. "W-Well, I-I have cl-clothes y-y-you could we-wear..." The words almost choked in her throat, but she couldn't let her just sit around in those, right...? Besides, she'd get water everywhere. "And... um, th-there's the shower, i-i-if you... want..."

Oh God, this was terrible. She wasn't made for hospitality like this. Couldn't someone else be the host? Kimp? Ethan? Evelyn couldn't look at her for long. Her gaze lowered away from hers and focused on her bare legs, and then the ground. Just... Calm down. This was normal, right? Right?

...Right?

"Myroom'soverthere..." she mumbled, barely audible, gesturing to one of the doors with a small jerk of her head.

Magnolia waited patiently for Evelyn to open the door. Please don't tell me she forgot her key... Evelyn seemed to fumble around with her shirt, and Maggie watched intently, wondering if they would ever get the door open.

Suddenly, she lost her train of thought, her mind directing her to pay more closely attention to the hallway. It was long with doors lining the sides. Obviously the school had many other students, who seemed to be asleep. How late was it?

Maggie's thoughts focused on the time and she automatically felt her skirt pockets for her phone. Water had begun to pool around her feet, lightly dripping from the seams of her uniform skirt. Her cellphone was no where to be found Must have left it at the dorm... Well, it would have been ruined by now. She thought. It was true though, her cell phone would have been soaked beyond repair by now.

The creak of hinges snapped her out of her trance and she realized where she was once more. The girl thought nothing of her lost train of thought, but instead of warmth, and waited until Evelyn was in her dorm room to follow suit. It seemed as if her roommates were asleep, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.  

Inside it was about 10 degrees warmer than the hallway and Maggie sighed with sweet relief. She stood awkwardly in beside the door, her wet feet resting on a door mat. The room looked just like the inside of her dorm, except more lived-in. There was a few wrappers here and there and a garbage can that look liked it needed to be emptied but besides those few things the place was clean.

Maggie looked at Evelyn, who's eyes were downcast to the floor. Something interesting down there? She thought with a smirk, meeting the girl's eyes when she'd finally looked up. The blonde girl offered her clothes, which was odd. Maggie figured she'd warm up for a moment, then be on her way. She could just zip her jacket around her and be warm enough to make it home... Hopefully.

"Oh it's fine, really. I can just wear my jacket home, but thank you." She said, declining the kind offer of clothing. But oh, did that shower sound nice. Should she actually shower in this stranger's house though? Magnolia could tell she made Evelyn uncomfortable, but if she was showering she didn't really have to talk to her. She could hand her skirt and bra up, and just wear the jacket home. Of course, after a warm shower. It would be the easiest way to get heated up before her trek home anyways.

Evelyn muttered something under her breath about a room, then pointed to a closed door. That must be her bedroom. Duh, Mags. She mentally smacked herself on the forehead and walked over to the door. "I honestly can just hang my clothes up to dry a little and if you don't mind, maybe shower really quick? I just need to warm up, if that's oaky with you. I would hate to intrude." Maggie said, blushing just a tad.

The idea of showering in Evelyn's bathroom was a little weird, but maybe the girl would be asleep by the time she was done and she could just sneak out of the dorm. Perhaps even Evelyn would wake up with a raging hang over and wouldn't quite remember what had happened tonight.

Right, right, right. No clothes then. That was easier on her. It meant that after this, there'd be nothing connecting the two of them and giving her an excuse to find her again after this night was over. Evelyn couldn't help but wonder if it was a stupid offer though. Maybe that was too awkward... She'd just wanted to help, and she looked miserable in those soaked clothes, but maybe... Agh, now she was fretting over this too much. Evelyn shook the thoughts out of her head with a quiet sigh.

After that, Evelyn had been expecting her to reject her other offer too, but she seemed all-too-glad to accept. Evelyn blinked, gave a small awkward smile, and then gave an even more awkward shake of her head. "N-No, no, t-t-that's t-t-totally fine... O-Of course y-y-you can." Now she'd said too much. Fuck. Fuck. Just talking to another person twisted her insides into knots like she was getting interrogated. "Um, well... Um..." She picked the dripping jacket off her shoulders and held it out to her, not looking her in the eyes. "T-The shower is... w-w-well..." She didn't need to finish, did she? All the dorms were built the same. She knew where it was. Hopefully. "Y-Yeah..."

Evelyn refused to meet Maggie's eyes. For some reason, this small detail bothered the girl. She hoped she hadn't asked to much of her new friend. Could she even call her a friend? The Winter girl didn't seem to fond of her, but for some reason Magnolia wanted to call her a friend. Some persistent nagging feeling inside told her that she wanted to know Evelyn better than just helping carry her home on a rainy Autumn night. Shaking her head slightly, she took the jacket from Evelyn and smiled, the warm kindness radiating in her mossy green eyes. Without a second thought, she walked to the dorm that Ev had identified as hers, and turned the knob.

Flicking on the lights, the room was flooded in a fluorescent white glow. On Evelyn's bed was a hug teddy bear, obnoxiously bigger than both the girls. It's fake fur was worn, as if it had been slept with for a while, possibly even a handful of years. On the far side of the wall, next to the window was a fish tank. Evelyn didn't come off as a nurturing type, so pet fish definitely fit her personality. It didn't seem out of place as all, and without thinking Maggie walked over to it, gazing into the miniature ecosystem to browse her fish décor and selection. A single blue betta fish swam longingly around the tank, occasionally pausing to brush relax against the bottom. Lonely fish for a lonely girl. Maggie thought, focusing her attention elsewhere. The whole idea of Evelyn alone every night drinking it up with her betta fish made the Spring girl upset.

This room most certainly belonged to the violet eyed girl though, seeing as almost every free surface was covered in beer bottles. Magnolia frowned, turning away from the dresser whose top was covered in brown bottles, some dusty and others clean, but altogether empty. Why does she drink so much? The Spring girl thought, shaking her head once more.

Magnolia had seen enough, and turned away from the dresser, closing in on the door to the bathroom. She almost moaned with the thought of a warm shower, and quickly cleared the space between her and the slightly ajar door. Pushing it open, she made her way inside, flicking on the light as she closed the door. Quickly stripped down to her birthday suit, she laid her clothes across the towel rack, and turned the shower on. Of course, the door was left unlocked. You just don't lock doors in homes that don't belong to you. Finally, the shower had heated to an almost scalding temperature, steam filling the small bathroom. Maggie jumped into the stall, pulling the curtain closed behind her. The water was deliciously warm and Mags almost melted joyously in the inviting heat. Her hands and feet began to thaw, and her cheeks flush from the warmth. Quickly shampooing her hair she began to hum to herself, happy for the first time since she'd stepped into the rain.