The atmosphere at Haul's Academy was charged like a storm about to break. Rossie with bags under her eyes from lack of sleep, lay awake in her dorm room, her mind wandering with thoughts of Michael.
His laugh in history class was infectious, like sunlight cutting through fog, and it kept her awake when she really needed to study for exams. Instead of solving equations, it was his smile that filled her head.
She clutched the moonflower she'd found in the hidden garden two nights ago, its petals warm against her palm.
The Midnight Gardener had told her it craved truths
"Tell it more, and it'll shine brighter."
The garden was still a great surprise to rossie , how could such a secret beautiful place hang behind a rusty gate, filled with jasmine and moonflowers glowing like stars.
The Gardener, always mysterious in their long coat and wide-brimmed hat, had teased out her confession: she loved Michael but was too afraid to tell him.
They had vanished with a cryptic promise: "Come back tomorrow night." But tonight, restlessness drove Rossie somewhere else because she was desperate to find an answer so fast to the puzzle in her heart.
•••••••
•••••••
•••••••
A rumor had been swirling in the cafeteria that the old library had a mirror showing your destined love or your greatest loss.
How true is this ? She said to herself , well I'm going to try it out.
Curiosity won out. Past midnight, she slipped inside the library, her sneakers making almost no sound on the creaky floor.
She'd heard the mirror was hidden behind a shelf, cracked and cursed
with a warning from a librarian named tania who had seen only her own face in it and then mysteriously disappeared.
"Here goes nothing," Rossie whispered to herself, navigating the stacks with the moonflower's glow seeping through her pocket.
Then she found a bookcase that felt wrong to her , too smooth and with a shove, it revealed a narrow alcove.
Lo ; there it stood: the tall cracked mirror, its silver frame wood and faded rose petals
"Show me who I'm meant to love and be with forever," she said, her voice trembling.
The glass shifted, and the first face she saw wasn't Michael's ! So who did she see?... it was the Midnight Gardener's!
Their jawline seemed to catch an impossible glow, and Rossie's heart raced shocked but she summoned courage a bit.
Why did that feel so significant? Then the image changed, showing Michael laughing with Angel ; her rival their hands intertwined.
Her stomach dropped. Was this her future?
"No way!" she muttered, stumbling back.
The moonflower burned in her pocket. Angela had been spreading false news and twisting things around and the mirror was feeding her fears. Doubt flooded in just as tania had warned.
••••••
She left the library desperately for the garden. The rusty gate creaked open, and there was the Gardener, glowing lantern in hand.
"Back so soon?" they ( the gardener ) asked with a teasing smile. "What's bothering you, Rossie?"
"The mirror," she gasped. "It showed you first, then Michael with… someone else. What does it mean?" waiting impatiently for an answer.
"The mirror can be tricky , though it reflects what you truly feel but can be altered when fear sets in.
What did you really ask?"
"Who I'm meant to love," Rossie admitted, feeling her cheeks flush. "It showed you first. Why?"
"That's because you're scared of what you feel for both Michael and for yourself,"
they said,
leaning closer, the scent of jasmine wrapping around them.
"What's the truth that's keeping you up at night?"
With the moonflower pulsing in her pocket, Rossie finally let it out.
"I love Michael, but I'm terrified he won't love me back. Like… when my parents split. I thought I wasn't enough."
The confession felt heavy and raw, lighting up the garden in violet. "And you make me feel something different, something brave, but I don't know why."
The Gardener smiled gently. "That's your starting point. I'm here to help you seek the truth and not be the answer.
Love isn't just one face in a mirror." They handed her a sprig of jasmine
Now rossie , go back and ask the mirror again this time, without fear and anxiety " as the gardener swifts away leaving rossie rooted on the spot.
She was so confused as she dragged her feet leaving the garden.
As they stood in the courtyard, the tension between Rossie and Michael began to dissolve. Rossie couldn't believe how freeing it felt to finally voice her feelings.
"I like you," she said, her heart racing. "I've been scared to say it, but it's true."
Michael blinked, his smile softening. "I like you too. I thought you didn't care."
Rossie's breath hitched in surprise. "Really? I thought you thought I was avoiding you."
"Not at all," he replied with a chuckle. "I just figured you were too busy with your friends. Plus, the rumors... they made it complicated."
Rossie nodded, feeling a rush of frustration. "Angela's always had something to say. It was easier to hide than confront it."
"Let them talk," Michael said, stepping closer, a playful glint in his eyes. "What matters is us not their words."
She hesitated, then added, "But what if they don't understand? I don't want to deal with the gossip."
"Honestly?" Michael said, leaning against the wall casually, "I've learned that people will talk no matter what.
We just have to focus on what feels right for us."
Rossie felt a warmth spread through her. "You're right. It's hard to remember that sometimes."
"Hey," he said, gently tilting her chin up so their eyes met, "I'm here for you. Let's figure this out together."
Rossie smiled, her nerves settled a bit while trying to forget what she saw in the mirror. "What if we just ignore them?
I want to hang out more so we get to know each other better."
"Definitely," Michael said enthusiastically. "How about we grab some ice cream after school tomorrow?"
"Sounds perfect," she replied, her heart fluttering. "But only if you promise to share me your favorite flavor." they both laughed
"Okay, but you have to try mine too ; double chocolate!"
"Deal!" Rossie said, feeling her worries slip away for a while.
"I can't wait to see your face when I prove that cookie dough is better."
As they continued to banter, they both felt the electric spark of connection growing stronger.
This was just the beginning, and the thrill of what lay ahead made Rossie bubble with anticipation.