Red Flower

Georgina came to their classroom after she left Marga on the ground floor. There was a noise right and left, but didn't give a damn and walked towards her desk. But the last person she wants to meet is sitting beside her, and he's in the middle of a conversation with another woman. She only glances at them for a few seconds and sits down—burying her face in the table. Many unanswered questions are running through her mind, but she's already tired of speaking a word.

"Are you free later, babe?" She heard Giovanni asking the woman in front of him.

"Of course, we don't have a club activity today. Where do you want to go?"

"Anywhere can do, so... Let's skip classes after lunch."

"H-huh? V-van, we can wait until the class hour is over." The woman's voice trembles.

"It's fine. No one will try to stop us. I know a safe way out." Giovanni laugh.

'Skip class again? No one will stop them?' Georgina's ears twitched at those words that came out of his mouth. She grits her teeth and slams both hands on the table, which makes the atmosphere silent. All their gazes turn to them while she stares in front, full of anger.

"You have the guts to talk about those shits even though I am here?" She said, turning her gaze beside her. "Does a punishment to clean the comfort room for a week, not enough? It looks like you wish for something heavier."

Giovanni chuckle. "I forgot you still exist. All I know is you're good at vanishing out of nowhere."

They both glare at each other, but Georgina bites her lower lip and almost wounds herself because of how tight she clenches both fists. She knows those words have a deep meaning. A deafening silence continues to linger. No one tries to make a noise—they only focus in their direction as the tension arises.

"Yes, indeed." She answers with confidence. "Now, Mr. Javier, tell me, until when do I need to scold you before you learn a lesson?"

"Until you got tired and didn't meddle with my business again, Ms. Alvarez." A smirk escapes his lips as that gaze feels like dragging her soul into the abyss.

"I warn you again. It'll be the last time. Attend all your classes."

"What if I don't want?"

"Let's see each other at the Guidance Office and bring your parents."

He's about to speak when the front door slams open. There they saw both Marga and Joshua, who looked like they were in a middle of a minor argument. Marga's face looks annoyed while Joshua gives a playful smile. Behind them are Maila and Janna, who carry a lot of booklets.

"Argh! Go away. You're annoying. Shut your mouth. I don't want to know the history of this school." Marga protested and looked around.

Her eyes widened as soon as she saw Georgina and Giovanni facing each other with a heavy dark aura surrounding them.

"Classmates, Mr. Ocson told us to self-study and use those booklets as a reference for today's activity," Maila said, distributing all the booklets to them.

Georgina rolls her eyes and sits properly—moves the chair away from him. A few seconds passed, and Marga walked towards the empty chair behind her. No words came out of her mouth, but both looked back and forth between the two people in front.

"Hello. I'm Margarette Martinez, Georgina's cousin. I transferred here, and I heard a lot about you." She said when Giovanni turned his look to her.

She's about to lend her right hand for a handshake, but Georgina slaps it away—gives her a death glare. It made her jolted, so she laughed it off and sat down instead.

***

It's already a lunch break. Many students are inside the cafeteria, but since Georgina tries hard to avoid Marga, they go to the rooftop to eat. She's with Maila and Janna this time. There is some part on the rooftop where the sun rays won't come, so they stay there and eat comfortably without thinking about how hot this afternoon is. Janna and Maila brought their lunch boxes, but Georgina only bought a piece of chocolate-filled croissant and apple juice. The sky is not clear, and some bunches of clouds form while a couple of birds fly from the west to the east direction.

"Gina, is it true Marga is your cousin? What genes do you have? All of you look beautiful," Maila said.

"You're not in a pleasant state, right? It's too obvious." Janna adds before she drinks an orange juice.

"Let's not talk to someone who is not here,"

The two talked about the recent scenes, especially with Giovanni Javier, who continues to cause a lot of murmurs. On the other side, Georgina listened to them blabber anything and focused on the food in front. Not until the rooftop door slammed open. They looked at the door with wide-open eyes. But only to see Giovanni and a woman who hides behind him. An awkward deafening silence echoes between them as they stare at each other. A few seconds passed, and she looked away.

"I told you, the President went here before," she heard the woman whisper to him, though they heard her.

Giovanni chuckle. "Why I'm always seeing your face wherever I go?"

"I'm asking the same question myself, Mr. Javier," she said, stand up and picks her bag. "It looks like I will adjust for you again, but if I let you pass here... What do you think the other will say?"

"How do I know?" He put his hands inside his pocket and stared at her. "Ms. President is biased? Unfair? Not following her own rule? Insane? Or she's just stupid?"

Georgina stares back at him. "Either way, all of it is true. Do whatever you want. It's not like I have the guts to take you down. I'll go ahead."

She walked passed by them and heard him laugh until the door close. 'I'm insane!' Those kinds of words were long-drawn-out inside her head. Earlier, while Maila and Janna keep talking about him, she realizes something unusual. Giovanni's now and in the past is different, it's not new knowledge, but as the day passed, she noticed one thing. He's the same kindhearted person despite those rude behaviors. Words and actions can lie, but not his eyes. It's cold and emotionless, but whenever you pay close attention. It's still warm.

Instead of walking back to their room, she stops by the locker room to get her history book for the next subject. She feels astounded the moment she opens the locker. There's a single red rose inside. It's a red rose. There's a card on its body, so she picks it up and reads.

To Georgina Alvarez,

They say a single rose means love at first sight. It's not a lie, though. The beauty of these flowers reminds me of you, so smile a lot.

P.S. I'm sorry.

She looks left and right to see if there's some suspicious person, but only a few students are around the area. No one looked suspicious, though. She shrugs her head and gets the history book. As far as she knows, St. Luke High School students know her as a bitter one who's never a fan of such a love story, so who might it be? The one who has the guts to give such affection. The last time she receives flowers is from Van. After that, she never accepts gifts from other people or entertains them. Besides, those last words she'd read.

'I'm sorry?'

It's weird for an admirer to emphasize he's sorry. Maybe, it's only a prank since there are still a lot of students who have a grudge against her.

In the middle of her deep thoughts, she almost jumps in shock when someone touches her shoulder out of nowhere. She turned back and saw Marga gasping for air as if she'd sprint from the rooftop to the second floor of the building.

"Gosh. I found you at last." She said, trying to calm herself. "Hey, Georgina Alvarez, if you don't like to tour me, then at least don't let some weirdo do the job for you."

She frowns at Marga's words. "What are you talking about?"

"What? You ask me some ridiculous questions. What's his name again? Joseph? Josem? Josu?"

"It's Joshua Rodriguez, Ms. Runner. You run fast than a member of track and field." Both heads turn behind Marga, where Joshua came from upstairs panting too. He holds both knees as support, and sweat falls from his temple.

"Joshua? What are the two of you doing? Hide and seek?" Georgina asks in disbelief.

"What's with the tone, you heartless cousin? I can't believe you let someone tour me in this school. Tell him to stop right now." Marga pointed her index finger at Joshua.

"Why would I? He's not a bad person. It's his job as a Vice-President of the Student Council, isn't it?"

"Argh! It's not what I expected to happen. Both of you are so weird. I'm not even doing a single thing but, argh!"

Marga rolled her eyes and walked towards the ladies' comfort room. It was the first time she saw her get frustrated because of one person. Well, Joshua is the type of person she hated the most. His stubborn and never let his job slide. Georgina chuckles and taps his shoulder with a smirk on her face.