1 Short Story 1: Lonely Flower (PART I)

I was just walking home from school when I saw her. She's surrounded by beautiful flowers, she was just sitting there, under the big tall tree. Letting the wind blow her long shiny black hair, she has a pointy nose, pinkish kissable lips, reddish cheeks, and perfectly round face. At that moment, she was the most stunning woman in my eyes. I didn't realize how long I was staring at her until she stood up and walked away from the tree until I couldn't see her silhouette anymore. I just stared at her vanishing back in awe, thinking that she's the most beautiful girl that I have ever seen.

Ever since that day, I'm taking the same route just to see her, and every day she's doing the same thing, just reading her book and staring in the same direction as if she's waiting for someone to appear right in front of her. She looked so sad and it makes me want to hug her and comfort her.

Some people might think that I'm being creepy staring at her every day and not talking to her, but I don't care what they say to me, as long as I can see her every day, my day will be complete. I'm asking for something else, this is enough for me.

~~~~

[School Cafeteria]

"Dude, are you listening?" I looked at the person who's talking to me. My friend, Jacob Montoya, we've been together since elementary school.

"Of course he's not listening." That's my other friend, Erik Gaul, the first time I met him was when we started middle school. These two are the only ones that I'm close to, the reason is, 'I'm not a sociable person'.

Some say that I'm the type of person that is very hard to approach, but I don't mind those kinds of rumors, as long as she won't think that way of me, then I'm fine.

"Tsk! Dude! I've been talking here for the whole time and you're not listening to me?! Your friend, who's very handsome and loved by many girls IS TALKING TO YOU!" I just rolled my eyes when I heard him say that. One thing that really annoys me about Jacob is the fact that he's a narcissist. Jacob would always say that he's handsome and all the girls love him; well, to tell the truth, I do agree that he's handsome and some girls do have a crush on him but that doesn't that mean he should always brag about his looks and popularity every day, it's really annoying and it's really tiring me out.

"Bro, let him be, he's daydreaming about the girl he has a crush on." I turned my head to Erik's direction. I arched my left brow in curiosity. How on earth did he know about me daydreaming about the girl I like? "It's obvious." He said, answering my unspoken question. "Only a dumb person like our dear friend over here would not notice it." He added while looking at Jacob, and Jacob looked offended by what he said.

"H-hey you're not being nice to me Erik!" He said and slammed his hands on the table. Erik just shrugged it off and did not bother to respond to Jacob. "Dude! Is Erik saying the truth?!" Jacob asked filled with curiosity in his eyes. To me, it looked like it was sparkling and it's blinding my eyes. To answer Jacob's question, I just nodded in response which made Jacob squeal like a girl seeing her crush walking by.

"Tsk! Bro! Stop it! It's hurting my ears," I said in annoyance.

"Can't help it! This is the first time that you had an interest in a girl. I even almost thought that you're a broken shoe and will not continue your family bloodline!" Broken shoe? Did he really think that I'm gay just because I don't show any interest in girls in the years of my existence?

"I thought so too, I was even planning to keep my distance away from you if you admitted that you are a broken shoe." My jaw dropped when I heard Erik said that. This guy! Seriously! Between Erik and Jacob, Erik should not think that way about me, after all, Erik is not crazy like Jacob is.

"Ugh..." That's all I can say, I'm very speechless by what I just heard from two of my closest friends.

"Sooooo...." I looked at Jacob with boredom plastered in my face. "Who's the unlucky girl? I mean the lucky girl." I couldn't respond right away because I don't even know her name.

Because of my long silence, it looks like I caught Erik's attention. "Not telling us?" Jacob asks again.

"I can't."

"Huh? Why won't you tell us? Come on it's not like I'm gonna steal her away from you! In fact, I want to say my thanks to her, because of her you're not turning into a broken shoe!" My lips twitched in annoyance by what Jacob just said. My hands are itching to punch his face now, he just couldn't stop himself from spouting nonsense.

"I really can't," I said and buried my face in my hands that have been itching to punch Jacob's face.

"And why is that?" Erik asks filled with more curiosity in his face as he drinks his water.

"Because I don't even know her name." Because I'm so embarrassed, I had to say it in a low voice enough for the two of them to hear.

Erik spits the water he had drunk and almost choke while Jacob laughs out loud and slamming his left hand on the table over and over not caring about other people staring at him thinking that he's crazy.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha! What's this? Love at first sight?! What a cliché story, bro!" Jacob said continuing his laughter which made me blush super red in embarrassment.

I looked at Erik as if asking him to stop our dear friend from laughing so loudly, but to my disappointment, Erik laughed alongside Jacob, it's not loud as Jacob's, but I know that this made my face red as a tomato because of the embarrassment.

I was really thankful when the bell rang so that I could no longer hear my two friends laughing at my face.

~~~~

[After School]

"Tell me again why are the two of you coming with me in this direction?" I asked in annoyance. Ever since the last bell rang, Erik and Jacob were waiting outside of my classroom and they have been following me since then. "As far as I know the direction to your house is not this way."

"Well, the fastest way to get to your house is in the other direction. We're just curious why were you taking this route to your house when the road on the other side is already fixed." Erik said but it's really obvious that his words are filled with his mischievousness.

"Are you taking this route because your crush is around here?" I saw smirk plastered in Jacob's face. His words made me blush really bad which caused both of them to laugh. Now, I'm regretting having a friend like Erik and Jacob, they are the worst!

For the whole time, Erik and Jacob tease over and over again; I even told to stop, but they won't listen. They are making me crazy!

The teasing only stopped when someone called Jacob's name. The three of us turned our heads towards the owner of that sweet voice.

When I saw who's the owner of that sweet voice, I froze unable to move, I felt like the time has stopped moving after seeing her angelic face. I only came back to reality when I heard Jacob's voice.

"Guys this is my cousin Lana, and Lana this is my friends Erik and Nathan." Only Erik said hello to her and I just stood there smiling awkwardly.

To think that I had a crush on Jacob's cousin... can't help but think that the world is so small.

Jacob and Lana talk to each other for a while and bid goodbyes. I felt sad when she left, but at the same time, I was thankful. I also notice that Erik was observing me the whole time Lana was here.

"Is she the one who you had a crush on?" I almost tripped when Erik ask that question. Is it really that obvious? Am I that obvious? Sometimes I wonder if he can read other people's minds.

Jacob heard what Erik just asked and turn his head in my direction. The two of them saw that I almost tripped and it made their suspicion rise.

"I... yes," I said. There's no point in denying the truth because they will find out about me having a crush on Jacob's cousin sooner or later anyway, after all, they know too much about me.

I guess Jacob was so shocked that it took him for a while to recover from my sudden confession.

"W-wait! Really? Are you serious?" Jacob asks filled with amusement in his eyes. I'm really bad at hiding secrets huh?

"Tsk! Don't make me repeat myself over and over. Bro! Can't you see that I'm red as a tomato right now? I'm so embarrassed!" I angrily shouted at them but they just laugh at me. I hate them. I hate them so much.

"Sorry bro, it's just fun to tease you. I can't believe that you're like a girl when it comes to this topic." I can't help but agree with his statement.

"God, why did you give me such friends?" I mumbled to myself.