Dandelion - 1. Dandelion

Dandelion swept into the room. His black coat swayed with every step that he took. Everybody stopped talking. And people looked at him. Dandelion nodded cheerfully and smiled a playful smile.

"I’m terribly late. I’m so sorry," he said, looking from one to the other.

Neither of the party guests responded, however. They turned back to their conversations at once.

Dandelion’s face hardened. His face showed a pout. Jayden Robinson finally approached him.

"Have you been invited?" Jayden asked with a wicked smile.

"I certainly won’t miss your birthday party," Dandelion said, still pouting a bit.

"I didn’t invite you for a particular reason," Jayden said drily. "You ruined my last birthday party with your eccentric demeanour. Tell me, have you forgotten, Dandelion?"

Dandelion just smiled.

"I was the first to come and the last to go," he said. "You had lots of fun with me being around."

Jayden looked him up and down. A few of the guests watched them furtively. Jayden smiled at them politely until they turned their eyes away.

"They are so downright uptight," Dandelion said. "I don’t understand why you invited them and left me out instead."

"Those men are in a position to further my career. I have a reputation to lose with you around, Dandelion," Jayden said coldly.

"Too late anyway," Dandelion said with an arrogant smile. "Your servant, this moron, he let me in. I showed him last year’s invitation card. The man did not check the date, apparently. I dare say you should dismiss him."

Jayden nodded at a couple gazing at them. They nodded back and then turned their eyes away.

"Elliot Moore, director of a bank," Jayden said in a low voice and a self-contended smile.

Dandelion gave a laugh.

"So this has become of you. You’re a people pleaser. I can’t believe it. I once adored you."

Jayden once again smiled and nodded at his guests before he turned back to Dandelion.

"You are mistaken. You adored just an image. An image that you created yourself. You never took the trouble to really get to know me," he said in a cold and sober voice.

Dandelion frowned and his smile disappeared.

"You’re a god-damned liar," Dandelion replied.

Jayden reached out and touched Dandelion’s elbow.

"I’ll show you out," he said very kindly.

Dandelion looked entirely perplexed for a second. His face hardened. Then he turned around abruptly.

"I’ll find my way out," he said in a cold voice. And then Dandelion swept out of the room.

Jayden looked after him until the door fell shut. He turned back to his guests and cast an amiable smile. Finally, Jayden approached Elliot Moore and the director’s overdressed wife.

　
~~**~~
　

Outside, Dandelion stood in the empty street. It was dark and it started to rain. Dandelion wrapped his coat tightly around himself because of the drizzle and the cold autumn wind. He bit his lip and again he frowned. Almost absent-mindedly, he watched a stray cat on the pavement. The cat turned its head to Dandelion and shot him a cold and hateful look. They measured each other. And then the cat hissed. Dandelion winced. Abruptly, he turned away and hurried down the street.

　
~~**~~
　

A week passed by. On Sunday afternoon, a carriage stopped at the city’s most frequented park. The door opened and Jayden Robinson helped a young lady climb out. He offered his arm to the plain looking woman. The woman smiled at Jayden happily and Jayden politely returned her smile. They walked arm in arm and entered the park. They walked slowly, halting every few minutes. They greeted people and people greeted them back. People whispered secretly when they had passed by the couple. A man had noticed Jayden’s elegant look. He told his wife that Jayden was wealthy. And the woman said she found it was very touching that Jayden was so attentive to his young wife. Wasn’t her name Victoria? Charlotte, her husband said. His wife shrugged and gave a brief laugh. Whatever her name was...No one really cared. But she was sure Jayden’s young wife was eight month pregnant. Her husband shrugged, and they moved on and soon had forgotten about the encounter.

~~**~~
　

Dandelion watched them from the distance. He sat on a bench with a book in his hands. He was dressed in his coat, and a scarf was wrapped around his neck. Dandelion felt cold despite the warm autumn sun. But he did not move and he ignored the cold. Dandelion watched Jayden and his wife walking slowly. They moved into his direction, but had not yet seen him.

Jayden suddenly straightened and gazed at Dandelion. Dandelion lowered his eyes and pretended to read. From under his lashes, he watched the couple. Jayden spoke to his wife and made a sign with his hand, apparently trying to convince his wife to turn around and go back. But Emily, which was his wife’s true name, ignored Jayden’s endeavours and moved on quickly. Jayden hesitated, but finally he followed her. Dandelion narrowed his eyes as they moved directly towards him. He was saved from the embarrassing encounter by a young man sitting down next to him.

"Hello Dandelion," the young man greeted him with a smile.

"My name is Timothy Barnes," Dandelion said as he turned his eyes to him.

The blond man looked at Dandelion with utter surprise.

"Why so? I know you under this name," he said with an innocent look.

"This name was given to me one summer evening and for a particular reason," Dandelion said icily. "That summer has passed and with it the reason. I won’t listen to that name anymore. Please, bear this in mind, Jonathan."

"You’re in a bad mood. Don’t put me in a bad mood also," Jonathan said. He pretended to frown, yet he smiled heartily.

"Look," Jonathan said. "Jayden and his wife Abigail."

"Emily," Dandelion said drily.

"Anyway," Jonathan said. "I have not yet seen Jayden in a while. But I heard that he had married a girl called Abigail."

"Yes," Dandelion said, closing his book. "He married nine months ago. He met Emily on his birthday party."

"Oh, I see," Jonathan said. "I remember the party. But I do not remember the girl."

"Anyway," Dandelion said, watching Jayden out of the corner of his eye.

Emily had turned to her husband. Jayden spoke to her and Jayden repeatedly offered his arm. Finally, Emily took it. Without looking back, they walked down the path. And despite Emily obviously protesting, Jayden constantly fastened his steps.

Jonathan laughed aloud at the scene.

"It seems to me that Jayden is on the run. I didn’t know he was a coward."

Dandelion shrugged.

"People change over time. Some for the worse and some for the better."

Dandelion and Jonathan exchanged a brief look. Dandelion rose to his feet. Jonathan looked up to him.

"Where are you going, Dandelion? Pardon me, Timothy Barnes?" he asked.

"I’ll take a step forward and not a step back," Dandelion said thoughtfully.

"A wise decision," Jonathan said as he also stood. "How about we have dinner together?"

Dandelion looked at Jonathan pensively.

"Anyway, why not," he said, more to himself than to Jonathan. He nodded briefly and put his book in his pocket.

　
~~**~~