Lily

Lily didn’t feel much like a flower – more like a thorn. “Sure, lilies don’t have thorns,” she told herself, “but that’s me anyway.”

In middle school, she was tall and gangly, with braces and zits. Classmates called her “giraffe” or “stork.” Lily would look in the mirror with tears streaming down her cheeks, wondering, “Why do I have to look so different?”

As an only child of an engineering professor and an author, Lily didn’t really know how to relate to her classmates. She tried to fit in by attending a dance, but none of the boys gave her a second glance. She approached a group of girls, saying to one, “I really love your dress.” The girl sneered and turned her back, ignoring her as if she didn’t exist. Not wanting her parents to see her crying, she walked home rather than calling them. She slammed the front door so they would know she was home and went to her room.

By the time her mom asked through the door, “How was the dance?” she was calm enough to say, “The decorations were nice. I’m tired. Goodnight, Mom.”

Lily thought when she got to high school, things would change, especially after she got her braces off and her acne started clearing up, but by then, she was so used to being a wall flower, that she couldn’t just “snap out of it” and become outgoing. She poured her frustrations into her art classes. That’s when she met Janet, who was just as overlooked. Janet was into pottery while Lily liked drawing and painting, but the two of them became best friends, watching movies together, playing board games, discussing their ideal boys and the rude girls who seemed to attract them.

Lily knew by then that she would pursuit an art major. Janet was planning to marry someone stable and have babies. The two talked and texted regularly when Lily first went to college, but like most distant relationships, their communications became fewer and farther in between.

Lily was leaned up against a tree in front of Old Main one warm, spring day of her freshman year. She was drawing a picture of a boat sailing into the horizon with colored pencils, when a shadow blocked her sketchbook. A voice said, “That’s really good. Would you mind if I sit and watch you draw?” Lily shaded her eyes and discovered that the voice belonged to that of a very handsome dark-haired young man.

She said, “Sure, go ahead,” pointing to the grass next to her. She tried to play it cool, continuing to draw and letting him do the talking, but he was just staring at her. When it got awkward, she said, “My name is Lily. Who are you?”

His smile was disarming, and his voice was smooth and confident. “I’m Grayson. You can call me Gray. You’re as lovely as the flower you’re named after.”

Lily felt her cheeks burn with heat. She wasn’t used to being fawned over. It made her feel special.

Grayson said, “You’re an art major, aren’t you?”

Lily nodded and asked, “What about you?”

“Make a guess,” Gray said, smirking playfully.

“Um,” Lily looked at his nice clothing and well-kept hair. “Political Science?”

Gray laughed good-naturedly and shook his head, making Lily blush again. “I’m a business major. My dad owns a chain of retail stores, so I’m learning all about how to run them when he retires. He insisted.” Gray shrugged and made eye contact. His deep brown eyes implored, “I would like to take you out this evening. Are you available?”

Lily was sure she must have heard that wrong. “M-me…and y-you? T-tonight?” she stammered.

“Y-yes, b-beautiful g-girl,” he mocked, flashing his perfect teeth. He probably hadn’t even needed braces. “Meet me at the fountain at 7:00. I’ll take you to dinner. We’ll keep it casual. See you then, Lily-flower.” Then, he sprinted off across the lawn. He didn’t even wait for her answer. He knew she was into him.

Grayson treated Lily like a princess that evening. As they entered the sports bar he chose, he opened the door for her. They sat in a booth facing each other. He listened intently to everything she said and laughed when she told him about the silly antics of her roommate. He talked about taking over his father’s business. He didn’t seem at all flustered at the prospect but rather excited. As they were leaving, he put his hand on the small of her back. Lily felt electricity shoot through her body. Then his hand slipped lower, briefly caressing her right buttock. She gasped at the excitement her body felt and the audacity of the move. Is this how people act on a first date? She supposed it was.

As they returned to his car, he held her hand. He opened the door for her and ran around to the driver’s side. Before starting the engine, he said, “Lily, I don’t want the night to end. Will you come to my place?”

Lily was naïve, but she wasn’t dumb. She knew what he was expecting. The thought intrigued her, but she didn’t want to jump into it so quickly. “I won’t go to a guy’s place on a first date. Besides, don’t you have roommates?”

Gray shrugged. “I have one, but he spends most nights at his fiancée’s place.”

Lily shook her head. “Not tonight.”

“Tomorrow? I’ll be dreaming of you.” He raised his eyebrows. “I can take you to heaven.” She shook her head again. He pleaded, “At least give me your number.”

“Fine, but don’t call in the middle of the night.”

“I promise,” Grayson whipped his phone out and quickly put Lily in as a contact and handed her the phone. She entered her number, he started his Nissan, and he took her back to campus.

It didn’t take long for Lily to give in to Gray’s carnal desires. She wondered if all girls feel different after having sex for the first time. A month of meeting almost every night and Lily was late for her cycle. She wondered how Grayson would take it. That night, after they made love, she asked, “Gray, what would you say if I told you I might be pregnant?” Gray jumped out of bed and scowled. “I told you to get on the pill. How can you do this to me? I have a future to think of.” His volume was increasing, frightening her. “What the hell, Lil?” His face was getting red, and he yelled at full voice, “Get out, now!”

Lily grabbed her clothes and barely got into them, leaving as quickly as she could. She couldn’t stop the tears now. She could hardly breathe. As she was walking across campus, she heard a man say, “Honey, trust me, he isn’t worth it. No man I’ve met is, and I’m gay, so I’m an authority.”

Between shuddering breaths, she said, “He made me feel beautiful.” She didn’t know why she trusted this stranger, but she put her head on his shoulder and let it all out.

He held her shoulders, and said, “You are beautiful, Lily. Have you looked in the mirror? You should be a model.”

“Wait, how do you know my name?”

“We had English Lit together first semester. I’m Scott. Remember, the professor kept ignoring me, so I told him if he had been Poe, he would have said, ‘Quoth the raven, never mind.’”

“Oh, that was you? That was priceless!”

Scott put his arm around Lily’s shoulder and said, “We’re going out. I won’t take no for an answer.”

“But, I’m a mess.”

“Don’t worry, I can clean you up. I have makeup. Come over to the gay side. I’ll be your guide.”

Lily laughed and said, “I think you may be just the breath of fresh air I need tonight.”

Scott waved his right hand dismissively. “Of course, darling, I’m always fresh!”

Lily wasn’t pregnant, but she got out of what could have been a damaging relationship, and she got a new best friend.

Years passed. Lily became a model as Scott had suggested. She had developed a strong following of patrons buying her artwork.

Janet called out of the blue, saying that she was married to a plumber, expecting their second child. Lily could tell she was happy. Janet begged, “You have to come to the reunion. Remember that bully, Monica? She’s overweight, unhappy, twice divorced, and working at that dingy diner on 10th Street.”

Lily surprised herself by saying, “I’d love to see you, but I don’t need the approval of those other people.”

Lily had blossomed.

Thank you for reading. The inspiration for this story came from the story of the ugly duckling.