Where White Lilies Bloom | Ch. 2

Instructions

Walking down the street is like walking in a graveyard, neighbors just stare in silence while I do. Why? I’m not sure. Maybe it’s because how I dress or act? My optimism and attitude shows I am quite friendly, yet no one tries to talk to me. I have these thoughts as I walk and I accidentally bump into someone. ​“Hey! Watch where you’re going, idiot,” they proceed to flip me off. ​“Oh! I-I’m sorry,” I examine them closely and conclude they’re a guy, “sir. I wasn’t paying attention.” ​“Well, you should, lady,” He tips his hat, “Stay safe I guess.” The guy walks in one direction and I walk in the other, an interesting interaction. I don’t mind it at all, but I can’t help blaming myself for it. I get over the feeling of guilt quickly once I’m on Lumi’s doorstep. I was leaning in to knock on the door until it opened causing me to fall forward. ​“OH MY GOD, I-IM SO SORRY NYX,” their hands wrap around me, lifting me up, “I didn’t expect you to come so early, I’m sorry,” they pull me into a quick hug and quickly pull away and I recovered fine, but my head was throbbing. ​“I’m fine, don’t worry!” I quickly stand and view who is in front of me. Lumi, my best friend. She was wearing her usual jewelry, but I noticed her wearing the paperclip earrings I had given her a few days ago. That made me smile, she noticed and smiled back. I blushed. ​“So, Nyx, how’s your day been so far?” Lumi locks her door and starts walking down the street, I follow close behind. ​“Nothing. I just bumped into a guy earlier today, How about you?” I ask. ​Lumi let out a sigh, “I practicing drawing this morning but I’m not so proud of myself,” She digs into her messenger bag and pulls out one of my old sketchbooks I’d given her. She turned a couple of pages until she stopped and showed me a drawing on the page. She slightly urges me to take the sketchbook from her hand, so I do. It was one of my older drawings combined with hers. It was sort of like a background with eyes and all kinds of creepy things, until it intervened with color. I enjoyed drawing in black and white, but Lumi is the opposite, she loves to add color. All the eye splotches had specks of different colors, cobwebs had strings of different colored lights hanging with them, and instead of a blank space in the middle, a person stands with a black outline with multiple colors bursting around them. ​“I don’t think it quite what I was aiming for,” Lumi slumps in disappointment, “I shouldn’t have shown you this.” ​I stare at the drawing in awe, “What are you talking about, this is amazing!” I exclaim. ​ Lumi blushes, surprised I gave her a compliment, “Wait, you don’t think it looks bad?” ​“Of course not! This looks amazing, why are you not proud of this?” I asked confused. ​“I just thought I had ruined your drawings. I really wanted to collaborate with you, but I feel like I just made it worse,” Lumi held her arms close to her body, but I gently pulled on her hand to hold in mine. ​“Lumi,” I say with a gentle voice, “you did not ruin this drawing, the color makes the drawing pop more and I love it.” Lumi smiles slightly. “Y’know, it’s kind of like us! I am the black and white drawing, but you added the color to my life.” Lumi just stares at me with surprised but gentle look. ​“Oh...” I hear her whisper. ​I flinch and realized what I had said, “T-That’s not what I meant! I just mean you are a special person in my life- no that just makes it worse!” I grunt with embarrassment, that was not what I was trying to say! ​“Oh Nyx, you are a full of poetry, aren’t you?” Lumi teases with a smirk on her face. ​“I was not intending to,” I smile, “So it’s you turn to pick a place to explore right?” Lumi nods with a wide smile on her face, she loves picking our next abandoned place. I can’t help but smile with her, “So what were you thinking?” “I have the perfect place in mind, it’s somewhere in the woods,” Lumi paused for a minute, perhaps trying to remember where the building was. She then stares at me, “Oh geez, don’t worry I know where the place is!” ​“Right, unlike last time?” I joke. Lumi has been lost once in these woods, she doesn’t talk about it much, but I always bring it up. ​Lumi points at me out of frustration, “It was a onetime thing!” She blushed. [ ⬇️ Continues in Notes and Credits ! ⬇️ ]