Pilgrims on a Long Journey

[Hudson Worth]

Hudson stood in the corridor unsure what to do. He was looking for someone he didn't know. "Anyone know Harley T-su-ji?" He asked as a bunch of older students walked by. He wasn't sure really who this person was but he had a yellow rose to give them and he was determined to do so.

 

[Harley Tsuji]

Harley was very seriously considering bunking off her next class. Sure, she and Odette had agreed on something of a truce, but that didn't mean someone anonymous couldn't coincidentally refer to her with a few choice adjectives on the dungeon ladies room wall. Hypothetically. Of course. Somebody who wasn't Harley. She whistled to herself as she made her way down the hall, startled to hear a somewhat clumsy pronunciation of her name. Whipping around expecting to see an angry prefect, Harley was surprised to see a younger student instead. Right. The rose thing. "It's Tsu-ji." She corrected, tapping the boy on the shoulder. "You got a rose for me?"

 

[Hudson Worth]

Hudson turned when he felt a finger on his shoulder. He was surprised to say the least. "Oh! Right right sorry, Sue-gi?" He asked again as he fumbled through his bucket to pull out a yellow rose. "I'm terrible with names, I'll forget once I leave you. But here, yellow rose for Harley, for you," Hudson said feeling a blush coming up on his cheeks. He felt bad for getting the girl's name wrong, but he wouldn't ever talk to her otherwise.

Hey Harley!

[The message contains no text, but a drawing of two figures riding on the back of a fire-breathing dragon.]

Love
Hayley

 

[Harley Tsuji]

Harley rolled her eyes. "TSU-ji. It's a common name." She glanced over the boy. "And you're in my sister's house, so you'd better not mess up her name to her face." It felt strange, being at the same school as Zoe again. All of Harley's protective instincts over her quirky sister were back in spades. The name issue addressed, Harley turned her attention to the rose, which she took from the boy happily, opening the card. Her smile broadened brightly as she saw the message's contents. "Aww, I love Hayley." She smiled, closing the card. "Thanks, kiddo!" She said with a jaunty wave, heading downstairs, her aim changed from writing mean things about Odette to finding Hayley. (And hey, maybe they could write mean things about Odette together)

 

[Hudson Worth]

Hudson felt his blood boil under the skin of his face. It wasn't anger more of embarrassment for continually getting the name wrong for this girl. He hadn't meant. "Right, sorry, tsu-ji," he mumbled trying to get the name as close as possible but he hoped his mumbles covered any sign he said it wrong again. He blushed more thinking that this girl had a sister in his year. He didn't know who that was, there seemed to be so many faces in his year he could hardly remember all the names for the people in his own house and year let alone the other houses. He nodded as the girl said her thanks and was glad she at least like the rose. He watched as she trotted off down the hallway before continuing his deliveries wondering how much time he had before his next class started.