Small Gestures

Quietly walking through the front door, Lyra felt a strong sigh escape her lips. Another day of school, that's all it was, Just another day of school. Nothing eventful worth noting or even worth thinking about. Aside from the unavoidable fact that it was Valentines Day.

Finally taking in her surroundings after the long trudge from school, she noticed Liena relaxing on the couch, greeting her with a smile and patting the spot next to her. She’d rather go upstairs and crawl into bed, but knowing Liena, she would just follow her. So begrudgingly she accepted the invitation and slugged over to the comforter, plopping ungracefully next to her older sister who had a mask of concern. Now there was no escaping the topic.

“If you're waiting to hear how great my day was, I’m afraid you're going to be disappointed.” She tried to explain the worry that Liena obviously had for her was some roundabout way of asking why she didn’t have any chocolate to share. But She didn’t have any, no letter, no love letters, or any tiny candy hearts, not even a single flower. She didn’t need them though, who had time for meaningless pleasantries. Liena gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder, trying to invite her into a hug. But Lyra just shrugged her off, not looking for pity.

“I’m not upset, it's just this whole day, it's pointless.” Lyra ranted leaning back into the couch laying down the other end as Liena sat and listened. “Just mindless hordes buying expensive boxes of chocolates and mass-produced flowers that’ll wither away the day after. Hollow gestures with the sole goal of getting people to hump each other.” She had to give Lupa a bit of credit for that line, granted she would have used a more melodramatic interpretation and colorful words. Lyra did, however, have a better understanding her little sister's condescending worldview a little bit better. Liena just nodded at all her comments, Lyra knew she didn’t agree with any of her words, her sisters interest in those smutty romance novels alone would a testament to her belief in love. she was just playing the part of an understanding sister. Which she did appreciate from time to time.

Though she knew her frustration was as transparent as her attempt at not being annoyed by today. All her comments born of rejection. She would admit that she didn’t fit most teenage standards of being attractive, or that she wasn't particularly the most popular girl in her school. What with being a proud member of the student council, A model student and top of her class on the fast track to getting on the honor roll. She wasn’t unaware that the venturing for better education had a serious effect on one's social life. Not that it affected her personally in the slightest.

Despite that, she did have friends. Such as her fellow board members who seemed to hold a similar standard of quality that she held herself up too. But in honesty it was all so robotic and uninformed, which was effective, it just lacked any kind of kinship that she had with her siblings. So much so that she only knew them by name and nothing else.

The closes she could call an actual friend would be Terry, the daughter of a friend of her mothers and someone you would never expect to be her friend. The girl is a wild woman, no indoor voice, no sense of personal space and who loves to show more skin then any outfit should allow. But despite her outlandish personality she was a talented musician, was practically a savant at the Piano. Though the passion for their friendship mostly came from her aiming for some odd goal of bringing out of some proverbial shell. Despite her it all, Lyra didn’t mind her companionship, she just wished she was less abrasive.

Like just earlier today when Lyra discovered that no one had left a single valentine in her locker, she had kept a calm but disappointed composure. Terry meanwhile decided to vent her frustration for lyra by threatening to kick every crotch within reach for not salivating over her friend. Going on to compliment Lyra’s well-managed hair, amazingly long and perfectly shaven legs and, as she so subtly put it, Lyra’s killer rack. She would appreciate Terry’s passion if it didn’t embarrass her in front of the major student body and having to explain to the principal later why her friend was threatening manhandle someone's genitals.

After all, that commotion and have enough pull with the teachers to avoid Terry getting expelled, shthe wild child offered her to go out tonight. Just hang out and forget about this stupid day. But Lyra declined, she had homework to do, which she could get done within minutes, but just didn’t want to go anywhere. They had said their goodbyes and now Lyra was at home, left to stew in her own sense of self-pity.

She was shaken from her trip down memory lane by a piece of chocolate being poked at her cheek. Liena offering it to her, probably to satiate the pain. She graciously took the candy and not so delicately took a chomp out of half the bar. At least she got chocolate from someone today.

The door flew open with a kick, almost making her choke on the chocolate in her throat. Which would have been a pretty ironic death for today? She watched as Lemy, her little brother, casually walked through the door and threw his backpack on the dining room table, lazily waving at the two of them before walking into the kitchen. Not even noticing her disapproving stare.

She took that moment to get her mind off her problems and tried to imagine if her brother had gotten a little out of today as she did. Her and the others never said it out loud but they were all aware that his unpopularity. The bullying, the crude jokes about his skinny appearance, she had to break up a fight between him and some other boy, which she later discovered he had started.

He might have had an annoying try-hard attitude, even he deserved a little affection for the day, hopefully, that Lina girl gave him a card or something. Her focus had gone from her thoughts to Lemy who had slowly walked back over to the two them. He was oddly quiet and mumbled something under his breath clearly talking to her but couldn’t make it out. Liena patted him on the back and he let out his own heavy sigh and pulled out a single purple flower from behind his back, handing it to Lyra.

“Whats this?”

“Well duh, its a flower.” His voice shaken he tried to almost run after making the snide comment but Liena caught him mid run and pulled him into a hug. As he fruitlessly tried to escape from her vice-like grip. She motioned from him to Lyra, hesitant to say anymore but Liena shook him a little to force it out of him. “Fine!… I… I figured you weren’t going to get much today so… I got you a flower.” He looked to Liena to let go but she stared back telling him to finish. “Happy Valentines.”

She honestly didn’t know what to feel, coming off this long day, this felt almost like a trick. But the longer she looked a simple little flower, the more she felt a deep warmth starting to bloom. Running her thumb along one of the light purple petals, a long green stem to a clean cut at the bottom. She turned to see Liena still holding Lemy in a headlock, her free hand using her phone, holding it up to Lyra. It showed a small webpage explaining what kind of flower it was. Of course, Liena being a botanist knew what kind it was just by looking at it.

The flower was a Purple Irises, a beautiful long flower that was commonly used for perfumes and had been depicted in several famous paintings. A flower with a background of culture and class behind, she was surprised that Lemy would put so much thought into a simple gift. Her eyes suddenly focused on a little-highlighted area of the page that Liena must have intentionally wanted her to see. She suppressed a small laugh. Lyra didn’t believe in having fun at other peoples expense, but for the moment she was willing to go a little out of character.

“I’m touched, but I don't think your ready for that kind of commitment.” She playfully said fiddling with the flower.

Lemy stopped trying to worm out of Liena’s grip for a moment “The hell are you talking about?” Lyra handed Liena the phone who was looked at the details and made a small muffled laugh. Before showing it to Lemy. He squinted at the phone trying to find what was so funny, growing beat red at the comment that said it was a commonly used flower for weddings. “Da-I-I didn’t- I don't want to!-” Before he could explain he felt a soft kiss on his cheek as Lyra rustled his hair a little with a smile, to which he tried to hide his embarrassment under his bandanna.

“But that doesn’t mean you cant ask again later.” On cue Liena lets go of Lemy who made a mad dash for the stairs, only stopping to grab his backpack off the table. She listened intently as he mumbled under breath; climbing the stairs before chuckling at the sound of him slamming their bedroom door.

She smiled, probably the first genuine smile she had today. Looking for a very amused Liena; she was now more than certain that her sister had pre-planned this only to spin in on the Lemy at the last minute. Lyra moved over and gave her Liena a warm hug and she returned it in kind. Finally feeling at ease, her eyes wandered back to the flower. She couldn’t help but smile at it. It was funny how a little gesture like this makes a whole day turn around, maybe she would keep at her desk.

Just as a reminder.