heart sinking.

celia rocha. twenty three. sort of fond of flowers.

[isabellerivers]

“Not all of them! It’s a good half and half with elderly and people who are trying too hard to be hipster. Just fake it ‘til you make it,” she said with a nod, quoting something her sister would always tell her. Isabelle kept the smile on her face, absolutely adoring the vases and everything else in the shop. “I gotta; I’m the only one who’s willing to go shopping with my brother.”

[celiarochas]

“Then I don’t fall under either category -- at least not that I know of. Does that actually work?” Celia over-prepared for everything. She had no idea if faking it was a viable option or just an expression. “Does he not have good taste himself?”

[aydenkwon]

“Working. I was going to take a nap because I knew I’d have the night off and wanted to actually sleep during the night for a change, but now It’s too late.”

[celiarochas]

“You slept so you could get more sleep later? I hope you understand what you did wrong here.”

[willxrosen-blog]

“Really? That’s got to be interesting to listen to. Or not, I guess. You’re used to it. Where in the States were you from?”

[celiarochas]

“American accents are easily the least interesting. Massachusetts. So we went from New England to...current England. Or real England? Whichever makes more sense.”

[isabellerivers]

“A lot of people don’t realize how easy social media is,” Isabelle responded with a shrug as her eyes scanned the shop, taking in all the flowers. “Just don’t look like you’re trying too hard, that’s my advice.” Izzy gasped at the snowman vases, her eyes practically sparkling. “Oh my god!! They’re so cute. I want it, for sure.”

[celiarochas]

“Most of those people are probably elderly, but thanks for trying to make me feel better. I always try too hard but as long as I make it seem like I’m not, it’ll be okay?” Celia couldn’t help smiling at her reaction. The festive vases were her idea, though they were the only thing she had thought of to get the flower shop more business during the winter. “I’m glad you have good taste.”

[aydenkwon]

“I did set an alarm, it just didn’t wake me up. I guess I was really tired.”

[celiarochas]

“You guess? What were you doing up until naptime?”

[willxrosen-blog]

“Ah, I got you. So you’re pretty much as English as the rest of us.”

[celiarochas]

“I like to think so, but most don’t. At least I’ve lost the accent long ago -- it’s just my parents who’ll always sound American.”

[isabellerivers]

“That’s exactly how you do it. Most people can’t tell the difference between being genuine and not when there’s a screen inbetween it all. Nope, just post pictures of your flowers… but edit it a little to make it look appealing. Like with the brightness and contrast and such,” Izzy told her, listing things off the top of her head as she waited. “Just whatever looks good to you… don’t use filters, though.”

[celiarochas]

“Yeah?? I’m more of an expert than I realised. Hopefully I can fool everyone into thinking I’m chipper. I’ll probably spend ten minutes on every post, but that’d be unavoidable even if I knew what I was doing.” Celia finished putting the roses together and grabbed one of their new snowman vases. “Is this okay? Vases are included but sometimes people want to use their own.”

[aydenkwon]

“I just woke up from an eight hour nap. Now what am I supposed to do for the rest of the night?”

[celiarochas]

“What were you expecting when you fell asleep without setting an alarm?”

[tristancarter]

“Oh. Okay, that’s better then- well, not better that we suck but… We can work on it, yeah? That’s cool, though. I’ve never really been much food with flowers, it was always my nana’s type of thing. I would try to help and suddenly her garden would become a plant morgue.”

[celiarochas]

“I’m strangely comfortable with sucking at the humour thing. At least you have the green thumb gene in you somewhere...or, you know, not. But that’s okay. It would be pretty boring if everyone was good at the same things.”

[bristolgdi]

“Wow….. That’s definitely something. It’s possible, yeah. But to miss out on the sale? That’s a bit sad.”

[celiarochas]

“I think people just don’t associate flowers with winter -- except for poinsettias, but you can get those at any market around the holidays. So I may have made a miscalculation with how much the whole sale thing would help us out.”

[unlucky4leafclover-blog1]

“well, i wouldn’t do that for a stranger.”

[celiarochas]

“in all honesty, i may just be excited to pick a flower, no matter who it’s for. they’re my weakness in every form.”

[willxrosen-blog]

“Are you American?”

[celiarochas]

“Technically. My parents are very American, is the main thing. I haven’t lived in America since I was ten.”

[leoxsantos]

“I uh – huh, point taken there. Still, isn’t there more on the table than just turkey? Like that green been stuff and mashed potatoes. Shite, I love mashed potatoes. — crap, I need to get it in with your family then. Food-based holidays sound like heaven.” 

[celiarochas]

“It depends on the family. Cranberry sauce is a standard but we never have it because it’s actually gross? My family is more into mashed potatoes with sweet potatoes just for the occasion and a variety of vegetables. Oh, and bread rolls. You have a year, hop to it.”

[tristancarter]

“You’re not! I swear, I didn’t think that you’re. I thought we were playing a joke, and you look older than nineteen so I thought that by saying I was a teenager it would go along with it and… I’m really sorry if I offended you. Did you want to be a florist?”

[celiarochas]

“Woah, slow down there. I was joking. We both suck at joking, then, don’t feel bad. Well, sort of. For now. I have a degree in Environmental Biology and you don’t actually need any formal training to be a florist.”

[isabellerivers]

“Hit me with it. Really? It’s not that easy. You just gotta be peppy and stuff. It’s so much easier than doing it in real life, because in real life it takes more energy, yanno? Just start with Instagram. All you do is post photos and offers and deals and money saving things like that. Then I’ll have a bouquet of those.”

[celiarochas]

“Yeah...pep has never been my strong suit. Can I fake it with a lot of exclamation points? Should I just post photos of the flowers or do I have to make fancy graphics? I’ve looked at the Instagrams for other small businesses in the area and they’re all so nice. Oh! Sure thing.” Celia turned away to go do the flowers things before glancing back over her shoulder. “Keep talking, I’m listening.”

[tristancarter]

“Well, I certainly appreciate it. At least you have the excuse of being old and out of touch, I’m supposed to be at the height of this slang business. I’m pathetic at being a teenage apparently.”

[celiarochas]

“You’re welcome...but you were supposed to say I’m not old. I would have even accepted a ‘you don’t look a day over fifty!’ I was never good at it either and now I work at a flower shop. So see, dreams do come true.”

[isabellerivers]

“Maybe you should spread it out on like, Facebook or Instagram or something. Be like, don’t wanna buy food? Buy flowers! Roses. Okay, best color for the best smell? Or do  they all smell the same?”

[celiarochas]

“Want to hear something embarrassing? I’m really bad with social media. I’ve been wanting to set something up for the shop, but I’d have to hand it off to someone else and that’s almost worse than me giving it a shot and doing a terrible job. I like old garden roses the best.”