“Do you think this is a bit much?”
Stella’s flatmate peered into the spare room. She wasn’t sure how Stella had managed to fill it with so many plants, but they at least seemed to be thriving.
“You said you wanted an indoor garden.”
“True.” The pair of them had spent the summer enviously looking onto the lush private garden directly below their flat. Only residents of the Arbitas Building, like Tim, were allowed in apparently, the guard had told them.
“Just be careful okay?” Stella was only half-listening as she idly watered the plants. Following the breakup she had really thrown herself into botany. Watching hours and hours of tutorials on youtube, these technicolour babies were her pride and joy. Beautiful peonies, lavenders, roses had all thrived under her care.
There was one plant however, that she did not grow in the spare room. She grew this small, innocuous flower in a carefully sealed box in her wardrobe, tenderly handling it with gloves and a mask when she could.
Gruntsweed, as it was known on the horticulture forums, was known for two things.
Resembling tall grass
Being an extremely high level irritant, causing anyone who touched it to quickly gain an extremely painful and itchy rash.
“Don’t go on the balcony tonight” Stella called out.”I’m growing night jasmine and it’s very sensitive!” Her flatmate replied “okay” but Stella wasn’t listening. She checked the weather report. Windy, as promised. Having sampled the pollen levels, she carefully placed the gruntsweed on the balcony.
It may not work, she told herself. But she couldn’t help but smile.
She whispered to herself.
“Who’s in it for the long haul now Tim?”
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