Chapter 2: Encounters outside the Greenhouse

The next morning came a little sooner than I had hoped. The sun glared at me through the small opening of the cave. Holding my arm over my eyes, I thought about skipping my class this morning, but it was Herbology. I blinked a few times to clear the crust, and untangle a few leaves from my chaotic strands. A strong wind whistled through the entrance, unsettling some of the dust, and I took that as my cue.

Reluctantly, I pulled myself off of the hard stone ground, and fixed my dress. A dull forest green, with sheer sleeves. The dress was torn and littered with stray leaves. Most would be horrified and want to change; I wasn't. My dorm was in the opposite direction of my destination, and though I kept spare clothes there for the illusion of inhabiting the room, I wouldn't have time to change anyway.

Professor Eldritch was quite the character. If you ever got to meet her, you'd gather the extent of her weirdness immediately. She was an elderly human woman, and she knew every fact about every plant, tree, bush, or herb you could possibly think of. All stashed in her quirky brain. She made Herbology what it was, the best class I'd had in four years. I looked forward to Mondays with Eldritch, and she had a soft spot for me too. Nymphs were carefree creatures by nature, and my love for her specialty was enough for her, I guess.

In the forest, there are no rules, no judgment. Food is grown, money isn't important, and herbs help heal and protect. Nymphs tend to flow with the forest and its creatures. The societal standards in a modern and diversely entangled world…not so much.

However, with the forest's abundance dwindling, more and more nymphs fled to the small towns and cities that were on its edges. My parents ushered me into the academy with the promise of living a better life, a stable life, and I obliged. For reasons of my own choosing, of course.

Eldritch greeted me when I made it to the garden's entrance, and I tossed my bag on the ground, making my way to the greenhouse. It was the beginning of the year, and the cool morning air was whispering against my bare skin.

I loved it and embraced it. Letting it flow about my outstretched arms before heading inside with the rest of the class. Since Herbology was an elective, this class was more diverse than others, and it was comforting.

We spent the class potting and replanting a few new rose bushes. It was therapeutic and relaxing. There were a few conversations happening amongst students, and Eldritch was going off on tangents about different species of roses. I couldn't help the happiness I felt when I was tending to nature. It was instinctual, primal to a nymph. Why would I deny myself something that brings me pleasure?

I placed my bag over my shoulder when class ended and headed through the greenhouse doors. I didn't have another class until the middle of the day, so I decided to trek the hiking path that connected the edge of the garden to the forest's edge.

It wasn't a long walk, a pretty creek ran alongside it, and I wanted to practice some of my abilities. As I made my way toward the path, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around cautiously and had to lift my head to see who had touched me. When my eyes finally made it to the person's face, I saw a smirking Coop. I managed a small smile and asked him what he wanted.

"I just happened to be by the garden and saw you, and recognized you, from your dress. So I wanted to say hi." He was rubbing the back of his neck and almost looked nervous, but he quickly plastered a blinding grin onto his face.

"Oh, well, hi? I guess." Confusion and a tingling feeling pricked at my skin.

"Was that all?" I spoke, not trying to come off rude. We'd never once interacted outside of a class setting, so what could he possibly want now?

That seemed to catch him off guard, but he simply laughed and swept his hair out of his face.

"Well, can't I want to make new friends? What's your name, little nymph?"

With those words, I was the one caught off guard. It's not that I didn't have friends. Hell, nymphs are social creatures by nature. I was friendly with everyone, just not when I was tired. I specifically didn't want to befriend him or anyone of his friends.

Not be rude towards them, it was just not beneficial to engage in any form of relationship. That would get dangerous and complicated. His specialty revolved around the one thing that I sought to avoid. Love. With Coop and his friends, indifference would be my greatest weapon.

"You want to make friends just as much as I want to avoid making friends, arrow boy." The smile on my face wavered when I saw a cocky grin appear on his face.

"Oh c'mon, you're friendly with everyone you meet, but not me? Oh why, little nymph, would you wound me so?" He was swaying dramatically, keeping one eye on my face to gauge my reaction.

I want to say that I kept a stoic expression, but I couldn't. I laughed. It was difficult not to be charmed by him. So. Damn. Difficult.

"So you know me enough to know I'm friendly with everyone, but you don't know my name? I find that hard to believe." I pressed my hand to my heart and backed away a little bit. I was too close to him. He stepped forward to close the distance.

"Maybe, I know your name, but maybe I want to hear it from you." He held his hand out and I caught what he wanted. I took his hand in mine and shook it.

"Oakley. Pleasure to meet you." I didn't think a smile could get any bigger on his face, but it did.

"Cooper, trust me, the pleasure is mine." He took my hand up to his face and placed a kiss. I scoffed at his response and pulled my hand away..

"I would tell you to take a hike, but that's what I'm about to do, and I don't want you following me. So, with that, bye, Cooper." I gave him a small smile and made my way into the forest.

I looked back when I got a little past the tree line, and saw the goofiest expression on his face. It was brief because he turned around. I kept peeking behind me to make sure that no one, well, a certain annoying someone, was following me.