Tahira in Bloom

by Heron, Farah

  I was about to tell her about my call with Nilusha when Gia’s phone rang. She glanced at it. “Oh, I need to take this. We can chat later, right? I’ve been trying to find a salon around here that does hair-bond-building treatments, and this is the first one to actually return my call.”

  I nodded.

  Gia was on the phone looking for hairstylists until dinner, while I kept up my floral sculpture research. I had a lot to learn, but I was ready for the challenge.

  After dinner, the three of us sat around the low table in the yard, sipping the chai my aunt had helped me make and listening to Juniper tell us about her day.

  “I went to the library before work because my interlibrary loan came in, and Mrs. McLaughlin tried to get me to start a teen book club with Addison in September, but I’m not subjecting myself to that.”

  “With Addison? Oh, wait, is Mrs. McLaughlin related to her?”

  June nodded. “Her mother.”

  Oh. The clone of Addison I saw at Hyacinth’s.

  “I don’t even think Addison wants to do this book club,” Juniper continued, “but her mother thinks she needs more extracurriculars or something for her university application. I get enough flak for being a weirdo book nerd at school; why ask for more? People are still making cracks about back when I used to . . .” She frowned, shaking her head. “Never mind that. But then Mrs. McLaughlin mentioned that Leanne came in to check out the first Silverborn book, which is weird because I didn’t know Leanne read urban fantasy. Do you know Silverborn? It’s my favorite series. Anyway, isn’t it going against some librarian rule to tell me what Leanne is reading? That’s another reason I said no to the book club thing. Mrs. McLaughlin has no sense of privacy. Not that a book club is some confidential meeting or anything . . . but sometimes talking about books does feel like therapy, you know?”

  “Maybe Leanne could do a book club with you,” Gia said. She was sitting on the sofa next to me, while June was across from us.

  I shook my head at Gia. “Leanne was really patronizing when I met her,” I said. “I don’t think it would be great for Juniper to work with someone like that.” I’d promised to keep an eye out for people harassing Juniper.

  Juniper shook her head. “No, Leanne’s fine. She’s just . . .” She sighed. “Leanne’s not really into books. She’s going away for university in September, anyway. She got a scholarship and everything. Thank God Mrs. McLaughlin didn’t bring up me doing the Bloom with Addison again because—”

  “Hang on, Juniper,” I interrupted. “Can I cut in?”

  Juniper grinned. “Of course. Otherwise I’ll keep going on forever. Mom said I talk so much because Row never did. Did you know he didn’t talk until he was almost three? He had to go to speech therapy in Niagara and everything. I’m not telling some deep dark secret here or anything; everyone knows. Everyone knows everything about everyone in Bakewell.” She grimaced, taking a home-baked cookie from a tin she’d brought out with her. “Sorry. I did it again, didn’t I? You were saying?”

  My phone buzzed with a text. “One second, Juniper.” I put my cup down and checked the screen. It was my sister.

  Samaya: I heard half your convo with Mom earlier. You okay?

  Tahira: I’m good. Just dealing with a setback. Can we talk later? I’m in the middle of something.

  Samaya: No worries. Try not to let the tiger mom get to you. She really needs to lay off sometimes.

  Tahira: Congrats on getting the math camp position! Let’s FaceTime soon.

  Samaya: TY! Later!

  What had I been saying? “So, Juniper, I was just wondering . . . I saw your brother making this flower thing yesterday . . . why aren’t you doing the floral competition with him and Leanne?”

  She shrugged. “I can’t.”

  Gia snorted. “They’re stupid if they don’t want you.”

  “They do want her,” I said. “Rowan told me he asked you.”

  Juniper shrugged but was clearly uncomfortable. “I . . . I don’t want to be on Rowan and Leanne’s team.”

  Just as I suspected—she wasn’t objecting to entering the Bloom, just to being on a team with Rowan. She might be willing to be on my team. But—ugh. Did I really want to sign up for all this Johnston family drama?

  I remembered Nilusha’s words—I must reach for this connection. “Wouldn’t it be cool if the three of us were on a team together?” I tried to look like I’d just thought of the idea.

  Gia laughed. Like, seriously, laughed loudly. Should I have told her this plan alone first?

  I bit my lips. I was pretty sure I knew why I hadn’t tried harder to tell her about this earlier. It was the same reason why I didn’t tell her about coming to Bakewell until that day at Graffiti Alley—I thought she’d point out how ridiculous it was for me to even think this was going to help me.

  I couldn’t be insecure about this—if I wanted to enter the Bloom, I had to own this decision. “Seriously,” I said. “It could be fun.”

  “No,” Gia said, putting her cup down. “You and I know nothing about flower arranging. And you’re allergic to flowers!”

  Juniper poured herself more tea. “I thought you hated flowers, anyway?”

  I tilted my head. “Yeah, but you love them. This will be a way to enter the Bloom without having to work with Addison, or the Crab Apple Tree and his Perky Smug Sidekick.”

  A loud throat-clearing sound startled me. A male one. “Damn it,” I said. “He’s behind me, isn’t he?”

  “Yes, along with his Perky Smug Sidekick!” a female voice said, sounding, well, perky. I turned . . . and yup. Rowan and Leanne. The Grump and the Sunshine Girl themselves. His shirt today may have been the worst yet—bright purple, with a daisy riding a motorcycle that said PETAL TO THE METAL. Leanne’s was less vibrant—muted blue and orange bunnies. He was carrying a couple of small pots of plants, which he immediately took to his greenhouse.

  “Hey, Junebug,” Leanne said, sitting next to Juniper on the sofa. “How’s it going?”

  Juniper frowned but didn’t say anything.

  Gia grinned. “Ah! You’re Leanne, aren’t you! I love putting a face to a name! I’m Gia—Tahira’s best friend. Love your hair. Those waves natural?”

  Leanne nodded. “More work than it’s worth, if you ask me.” She ran her hand through her hair. “We’re just dropping off some dahlias for Row’s new garden bed; then I’m going to smoke him at Grand Theft Auto. You should come play, too, Junebug. Let’s show your brother that girls can loot and hijack with the rest of them.” Leanne grinned at me. “Hey, nice to see you again! You get the shit out of your shoes?” Her eyes twinkled.

  I rolled my eyes. “I was just . . .” I was trying to think of a way to relocate this conversation when Rowan reappeared and squeezed next to Juniper on the sofa. This guy was like a zit on my chin—always popping up when I wanted it the least.

  I fully expected a scowl or glare from him. But his expression was all caring concern for his sister.

  “Leanne, June doesn’t like people calling her Junebug,” he scolded his friend.

  Leanne looked hurt. Or fake hurt. It was hard to tell with her. “But I gave her that name myself when we were kids! You don’t mind, do you?” She pouted at Juniper.

  Juniper took another cookie and mumbled something about it being fine.

  Leanne was laying it on a little thick, and I couldn’t tell if she was being sweet, or mocking Juniper. There was just something I found so . . . off about Leanne. She was supposedly academically brilliant, but she had the personality of a goofball frat boy. An outgoing, cheerful frat boy. I shook my head. “I can’t understand how you and Rowan are friends,” I said to her. “You’re nothing alike.”

  Rowan grunted a sound of displeasure, but Leanne’s head fell back as she laughed. “Row’s my brother. We grew up in this garden together.”

  I guess if they knew each other that long, it made sense. I mean, Samaya and I were nothing alike, either. Although we weren’t really friends. />
  “And you never dated?” Gia asked, seemingly still considering shipping Rowan and Leanne.

  Leanne shook her head. “I think he’s the only person in our grade of any gender I’ve never considered dating.” She grinned. “I’m pansexual.”

  “Cool,” Gia said. “You’ll have to introduce me to some singles around here.”

  I frowned at Gia. “Just because she’s pansexual doesn’t mean she knows everyone dateable in town.”

  Leanne shrugged. “That’s generally true, but in my case I actually do. What are you—”

  “Did I hear you ask June to do the Bloom with you?” Rowan interrupted, looking at me.

  “We were talking about it,” I said.

  “I expressly told you that my sister doesn’t want to enter the Bloom,” he said.

  I raised a brow. “Maybe she just doesn’t want to enter with you?”

  He shook his head. “Why would she want to be on your team over mine? She barely knows you.”

  Gia frowned. “Why don’t you just ask Juniper what she wants? She’s right here.”

  I exhaled. Gia was right. My focus on getting to Christopher Chan was making me as bad as everyone else. “I’m sorry. The truth is I need to enter the Bloom for totally selfish reasons, and . . .” I turned to Juniper. “Juniper, I don’t think I can do it without your help.”

  “Of course,” Rowan said, jaw clenching. “It’s all about you and your influencing. June, you don’t have to work with her.”

  “Wait, Row.” Juniper’s brows were knitted together with concern. “What’s the story, Tahira? Why do you need to enter?”

  Juniper was kind of growing on me. She wasn’t naive, just very earnest and not too cool to show real enthusiasm, which was refreshing. She was considerate, too. If she and I were alone, I would totally have told her the whole story of why I needed to enter the Bloom, and why it wasn’t just about my “influencing.”

  But we weren’t alone—and I didn’t feel much like telling Grumpy and the Sunshine Girl about my failures right now, even if they weren’t my fault. I told the shorter version of why I wanted to enter. “This designer I’m really into will be at the Grand Floral Cup. It would be cool to meet him if we win.”

  “Ooh,” Gia said. “Who is it?”

  “Christopher Chan.”

  Gia’s eyes widened. “Shut. Up. You’re not serious, are you?”

  I nodded.

  Gia’s spine straightened. “I’m coming, too. Where do we sign up?”

  “We still need another,” I said. “Teams can be three or four people. That’s why I asked Juniper.”

  Rowan shook his head, looking annoyed. “You’re talking about June like she’s not even here again. And I’m literally going to school for landscape architecture and want to make connections in New York for my future career. I’m not just looking to fangirl some fashion designer.” He turned to Juniper. “If you’re going to join a Bloom team, join mine, not hers.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him. “Fashion is going to be my career. This isn’t just a hobby for me, either.”

  “But I’m her actual brother! You? You’ve been nothing but judgmental and self-absorbed since you got to this town, like, four seconds ago. Why would you think that would compel any of us to do you a favor?”

  That was it. I did not have to sit here and put up with this. I was just about to stand and tell Gia to forget all these people—we’d find someone else in this flower town who could help without a side of nastiness—when Leanne snorted.

  “To be honest, I think both of y’all have good reasons to enter, but it doesn’t matter what I think; it matters what Junebug thinks. Why don’t y’all put it on pause and let her decide.” She smiled at Juniper. “Who you gonna help? Your brother and me, or Donatella Versace here?”

  Juniper blinked. Then blinked again. Her bottom lip trembled.

  Shit. We’d made her uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable. I felt terrible. This wasn’t what I’d set out to do tonight. Here I was thinking Juniper was cool and we could be friends, and now I was taking advantage of her just like everyone else did.

  I gave her a reassuring smile. “You know what, Juniper? It’s totally okay. You don’t have to do it. I’ll find another way.”

  Everyone was silent for a few seconds.

  Leanne suddenly sighed, and I don’t know . . . something . . . passed over her face. Guilt? Regret? She turned to Rowan. “Did I tell you that Daphne is clearing her one-foot fences again?”

  What? Where the hell did that come from? Who was Daphne?

  Gia snorted. “You people need to have one conversation at a time.”

  Rowan seemed as surprised as Gia and I were at Leanne’s odd statement. “What does your rabbit have to do with anything?”

  Leanne shrugged, pushing her hair over her shoulder. “Everything. After her last agility show, she didn’t seem that into jumping anymore. Fred’s still gung ho, but Daphne would just sit there while he hopped over the little fences. But for the last week or so, she’s been jumping again as if nothing was wrong. Drama queen.”

  “Still not seeing the relevance here . . . ,” Rowan said.

  She gave him an incredulous look. “Don’t you remember? There’s an agility show in Bellville the same weekend as the Bakewell Flower Festival. I said I’d be on your Bloom team again because I didn’t think Daphne wanted to do another show, and I didn’t want to drive over three hours just for Fred. But now I think Daphne will do it.” She grinned. “She’s always been more high maintenance than her sister, but man, her jumps are legendary. She could be a champion, if she’d stop with the tantrums.”

  Gia raised a brow. “Her sister?”

  “Fred’s a girl. I know better than to have rabbits of opposite genders.”

  “But you said you’d be on my Bloom team!” Rowan was clearly irritated at his friend.

  Leanne tilted her head toward him. “You know the rabbits come first.”

  Juniper nodded. “You’ve been training them for so long.”

  “Look, Rowan,” Leanne said. “I was totally going to stay on your Bloom team and skip Bellville. I made a commitment to you. But now that this opportunity has fallen from the sky, we can all be happy. Daphne and Fred can advance their standings, and you can be on a team with these two.” She indicated Gia and me. “Both you and Tahira have a good reason to enter, and June doesn’t have to.” She smiled at Juniper. “Or she can join y’all if she changes her mind. It can be up to June, no pressure from any of us.”

  Rowan’s head jerked back. “I’m not entering with these two! There is no way they’ll take the Bloom seriously! It’ll all be selfies and thirst traps, and I’ll be left doing all the work. Not to mention they don’t know a thing about flowers and—”

  “Rowan,” Leanne interrupted. “You taught half our team last year. You can teach them! This way everyone can stop fighting over your sister. You and the fashionista could be a great pair—you could win and have the chance to hobnob with the glitterati. Or the planterati, at least. What do you say?” She was looking at me now. “Rowan’s a champion, you know. And he’s a great teacher.”

  I sighed. I’d already seen how good he was with flowers. Rowan and I together could win. If we could manage to avoid head-to-head combat.

  Juniper answered before I could. “I can help you train them, Row. It won’t be that bad—I’ll be a referee if you need it.” She had a determined look on her face.

  Rowan did not look impressed. He sat silently, nostrils flaring a few seconds, then turned to me and Gia. “Fine. Don’t flake out on us. And no city-splaining my flower knowledge. Tourists always assume I don’t know what I’m talking about at the nursery.”

  Juniper snorted. “That’s just idiots who think Black boys only care about basketball and not flowers and gardens.”

  I shook my head. “I would never do that. You’re the expert here. I’ll bow to your knowledge.”

  “Yay!” Gia clapped her hands. “This will be so epic. Is
there a hashtag for the competition? I’m going to document our whole process. #GiaLearnsFlowers. Maybe I should approach florists to be, like, a sponsor or something?”

  Leanne shook her head. “Sponsorships are against the rules.”

  “Ah, well. But when we win, I’m sure the sponsors will line up to talk to me,” Gia said.

  “We might not win,” Rowan said, frowning at us.

  Leanne grinned. “With both Johnstons teaching, you’ve got a great chance.”

  I exhaled. The Plan had to come first. And Leanne was right. This was my strongest chance of getting to New York. “Fine. I’m in.”

  Gia clapped again. “Yay. I’m excited. Let’s do this. #GiaAndTahiraInTheBloom!”

  10

  LESSON ONE: TRY NOT TO KILL EACH OTHER

  We ended up staying on the patio pretty late while we planned our strategy, since the Bloom was just over six weeks away. We decided to meet one or two nights a week for the next three weeks starting on Friday, so Rowan and Juniper could teach Gia and me everything we needed to know to be on a Bloom team. I insisted we start from the beginning—I wanted to learn everything I could about floral design before jumping into floral sculpture. I would be at my best if I started from the basics—you need to learn to stitch a seam before making a dress.

  By the time Gia and I said good night and went back to the tiny house, I was really stoked about this plan. I guess my enthusiasm was a little intense, because Matteo had to tell me to calm myself three times when we talked after I climbed up into bed.

  “Easy, baby. Take a breath. You’re talking faster than I can think.”

  I laughed. “I just want to make sure I do it right, you know? They gave me a list of YouTube flower designers to follow and some books of their grandmother’s. Rowan’s going to bring some, like, dying plants from the nursery for us to practice with, and—”

  “I thought you were working with the girl, what was her name . . . Jupiter?”

  “Juniper.”

  “What kind of name is that, anyway?”

  “It’s a tree. Rowan’s on the team, too. His team came in second last year, so we’re lucky to have him.”