Ferry's mind was away from school, his job, and even Thyme's departure. He missed him, of course, but the fact he had hurt May (without even being guilty of it) broke his heart.

Under the moonlight, Parsley was trying to explain to him how to become invisible. Unlike Thyme, Parsley was gentle, always joking and slightly insecure. He was quickly enthusiastic, lost himself in explanations, became calm again, and then turned silent. The fact that he could appear and disappear at will didn't help Ferry.

"You just have to— Just to— concentrate a little and... Puff! You are unseen," he said and disappeared in front of Ferry's eyes.

"Easy for you," said Ferry, trying to focus as much as he could. But his thought always flew to May. He almost suffocated with such concentration.

Parsley felt uneasy, "Let's take a break," he said and sat down on one of the logs in Lavender's garden. Ferry joined him.

"Troubles in love?" he asked.

Ferry nodded.

"You know, sometimes it helps to talk. I may not be the best adviser, but I am a good listener."

Ferry sighed, "It's about May. She thinks I told her secret, but I didn't. And now she's upset with me. She doesn't even want to see me, Parsley," he said, barely breathing.

Parsley seems a little confused, "She told you her secret?!"

"Yes, and it's not even a big deal ... I mean, she's older. So what?"

"Oh, that..." Parsley said looking relieved.

"What else would it be?" Ferry wondered.

"Nothing ... Continue."

"There's nothing to add," he sighed. "I've been going to her house for a few days. She turned off the light in her room every time she heard the pebbles in the window. She didn't go to school. If I could just explain it ... If she knew how I felt about her ..."

"And why don't you tell how you feel for her?"

Ferry looked at him, lost in thought. "Do you think I should?"

"Of course. Some things are too big to be left unsaid."

"A friend recently told me that some things are better to be left unsaid..."

"But then you'll have to live with the question: what if? Wouldn't it be nice to put the doubt away and know what she feels, whether she shares your feelings or not?"

Ferry thought about Parsley's wise words. "Thanks, Parsley. How do you know so much about love? I thought the Amalgams are forbidden to love ..."

Parsley turned sad, "Just because we can't feel desire, that doesn't mean we don't have feelings," he said.

"What about you? Have you ever had feelings for someone?" asked Ferry in a low voice.

Parsley's only eye brightened up. Even his scales began to sparkle under the moonlight. "Of course. She's very important to me."

"Did you tell her how you feel about her? Does she know?"

"Not yet ... In Akna, unions between beings like us are forbidden. But here ... Here, we can live our love in peace..."

"Not really, not even here; If you can live your love, you're among the lucky ones," Ferry said, giving it a thought. He knew that even in the world of humans, not every love was seen with good eyes. Many love stories were forbidden, be it because of age, social class, age, gender, and even money. Somehow, for love one had to fight, no matter the world where love blossomed. And he was going to fight for his.

*Ferry hadn't slept all night after talking to Parsley. He hadn't repeated anything in his mind. He had no plans. He just wanted to talk to May.

On that Saturday morning, the sun was still hesitating before rising at its fullest. The air was cool and moist when Ferry arrived in front of the flower shop. He knew that was the only way he could talk to May since she didn't want to respond to his messages with the pebbles in her window. When he saw Mr. Flower open the store, Ferry took his gathered courage and entered. 

The flower shop was empty at that time of the day. The doorbell rang when he entered and Mr. Flower came from the back storage room. The smile on his face vanished when he saw Ferry.

"Good morning, Mr. Flower," Ferry said half-heartedly. "Did May wake up? I'd like to talk to her ... Please ..." he added, seeing the frown on his face.

"I don't know, Ferry ... She's very upset with you for what you did ..."

"That's why I'm here," Ferry interrupted. "I want to explain. Please ..."

May's father sighed and started up the stairs to May's room. After a few moments, he descended without even glancing at Ferry and entered the storage room again.

Behind him, the stairs slightly squeaked, and May went down. She wore a thick wool cardigan over a thin dress and her hair was falling freely on her back. She seemed to be cold because she wrapped her hands around her body; or maybe that was just her way of keeping him away. Her eyes were sad. And yet, Ferry had never seen her more beautiful. He wished he could hug her, to tell her how much he missed her. How hard were the days when he couldn't see her. Instead, he stood still in front of her, waiting for her to say something.

"You wanted to talk to me," May said in a cold tone.

"Yes..."

"Then, talk," she said just as coldly.

Ferry had never seen her like that before. She was always gentle and kind. But now she seemed really upset with him.

"Here?" he wondered.

May nodded, looking him straight in the eyes.

Ferry took a deep breath. He hadn't imagined he would open his soul to May like that. But if that would make her listen to him, so be it.

"Listen, May," he began in a trembling voice, "I'm sorry about what happened. I want to tell you that it wasn't me..."

"Then who? she asked. It was just the two of us then, wasn't it?"

Ferry wasn't so sure about that anymore. That's how he had thought, at least. But he knew that when he was with May, nobody and nothing mattered.

"I don't know," he said. "But it wasn't me. Believe me, please," he said, taking a step toward her. But May took a step back and the distance between them remained the same.

"Then you told someone. You told someone when you promised you wouldn't tell anyone," she added and her voice broke. "I trusted you, Ferry," she said and a tear fell down her cheek.

"I didn't tell, May, I swear..."

"If I can't trust you, how am I suppose to tell you about--"

But the girl stopped. Then, she turned her back to him and began to sob slowly, her face in his hands. Ferry wanted to be able to hold her in his arms.

"I could never hurt you, May," he softly said. I could never do it because--"

She was still crying, right there, amidst the flowers that for the first time gave Ferry the feeling of dizziness. He felt a knot in his throat. He could barely breathe.

"It's you, May," he softly said. "It's always been you. Do you think I want this? This pain ...? What I feel for you is so beautiful... But it's torture, too. One minute you make me think you might feel something for me ... and the next, you push me away. Why are you doing this? I don't mean anything for you? Am I just a game for you?"

May shook her head no, her back still at him.

"Then what is it?" he asked. "If you're not ready, I can wait. I can wait for a lifetime for you. But you just have to tell me. Tell me how you feel about me ... If you don't feel anything, I'll go. I promise. Just tell me ..."

"You don't understand," she said between sobs.

Ferry went in front of her. This time, May no longer withdrew but remained with her face in her palms. Ferry gently removed her hands from her eyes, and she looked up at him.

"I think you should leave," she said, pulling her hands from his and wiping away her tears.

"But May--" he said, feeling the knot in his throat growing bigger and the air, loaded with the strong smell of flowers, getting heavier.

He then felt May's father hand pressing his shoulder.

"You heard her, Ferry," he said coldly. "I think you'd better go."

*

Storm clouds had landed over the Pride Mansion, too. Mr. Pride had returned from his business trips, and he was soberer and more displeased than usual. He was scolding the servants and anyone who dared to go on his way, although that was not his usual behaviour.

Ferry still had to plant flower beds on the lawn near the mansion. Now, he could hear Mr. Pride arguing with Billy in the basement room. The two shouted at each other, and their voices resonated loud and clear, beyond the thick walls of the mansion.

"I want him out of my house!" Mr. Pride's voice thundered. "Today! Now! I want you to promise me you'll never see this boy again!"

"I can't promise that," Billy's voice sounded louder than his father's. You can't make me!"

"Billy, we have nothing else to discuss on this issue!"

"But what I think doesn't matter? How I feel doesn't matter?"

"Of course it matters. I always gave you everything you ever wanted. It's never enough for you."

"Yes. You always gave me things. Only things. You never cared about how I felt ..."

"You have no idea about the sacrifices I made for you, so you could have what everything..." said Mr. Pride and his voice tremble. "My life has never been happy. And I never complained about it."

"Just because you've never been happy doesn't mean I should be the same!" shouted Billy. "He's the only good thing that ever happened to me, Dad," he said and his voice broke. "Doesn't that matter to you?"

"We don't even know who this boy is, Billy," said Mr. Pride, taking a deep breath. "We don't know what his intentions are. People like us are always targets for those with bad intentions. He could be a thief, a criminal ... He could be anything. Besides, what's going on between you two is wrong ..."

A long pause followed.

"How can love be wrong?" Billy asked and his voice trembled. Then he went out, slamming the door behind him.

After a while, Billy went out with Andrew who was carrying a small bag with the little things he had. The two boys looked troubled as Ferry had never seen them.

"Don't worry," Andrew said, trying to smile. "I'll be fine..."

"Go to Celia," Billy said, breathing quickly, and looking around. "She knows about us."

Andrew nodded. He looked at Billy, then gently put his hand on his neck and brought his head closer to his forehead. Billy put his hand on Andrew's arm, and they stood there for a few moments, their eyes closed. Then, the touch of their hands split and Andrew left the mansion.

*

Ferry was right. In one week, the gossip on May's age ceased. The Spring Fling was coming, and the entire high school was talking only about it. Those who had not yet found partners or had been refused were now turning to other options.

Ferry had lost the chance to invite May to the prom. The girl barely looked at him every time their paths crossed at school. She passed him by as if he wasn't even there, and Ferry's heart was a little more broken with each meeting. The storm clouds that had landed on his life seemed as if they were not going to scatter too soon.

Not even the spring, which had taken over the whole town, could bring him joy. Ben was still busy. Matilda told him that he and Steph had been arguing lately and Ferry thought maybe that was the reason. Steph had already prepared her prom dress, but Ben had not invited her, pretending that he did not like such social gathering. Steph had been crying for a whole day because of it.

Although there was little time left until the Spring Fling, many had not yet found partners for one reason or another. Matilda had turned down Danny and half the football team. Celia had turned down the other half.

But the real storm came when Ferry learned that Billy had invited May to the prom. And she had accepted. May's best friend, Rebecca, had been invited by Andrew, and they were now planning to go out all four on a double date. Of course, when he got the news from Matilda, he didn't believe it, especially since he knew how close Billy and Andrew were. But then, when he saw May in the schoolyard with Billy carrying her schoolbag, the real storm began in his heart.

Matilda, who had noticed his sadness, was trying to be there for him, in her own way, of course."I don't think you should show you care that much," she said as Ferry couldn't take his eyes from May and Billy who were walking in the schoolyard under the blossoming trees. Billy was laughing and gesturing, and May was smiling shyly without looking at him, though.

"But I do care, Matt," Ferry said, feeling his heart aching.

"You know, girls find it boring when a boy is always at their disposal," Matilda said as if she were the greatest relationship expert. "Just like boys, they like to fight for their special one."

"You think so?" asked Ferry, raising an eyebrow.

"Sure," Matilda reinforced her wors. "Instead of complaining and waiting for the smallest sign from her, you'd better show her that she's not that special, that you have other options ..."

"But she is special," insisted Ferry.

Matilda rolled her eyes, "I know, but you don't have to show it every time. You should look more indifferent and you could--"

"What?"

"Invite another girl to the prom..." she softly said.

Ferry took another look at Billy and May. Now, Billy was putting a strand of May's hair behind her ear.

"Maybe you're right," he said.

*

"Will you come to the Spring Fling with me?" asked Ferry in one breath for fear he would change his mind.

She stepped away from the cheerful, loud group that had suddenly ceased to swarm around her and examined him from head to toe with her icy-blue eyes as if she studied a piece of furniture.

Then a grin appeared on Celia's pretty face, "I thought you'd never ask."

Well, Ferry's life is getting more complicated. As if it wasn't already :) What do you think?