English Class
Blooming Flowers
English has always been my favorite subject. If I were to boast about anything school related, I would claim English as the subject I excel in. Writing is my way of escaping reality. It allows me to have my own world yet be completely honest with myself.
“You will be having four major projects in this class,” announced Mrs. Lewis
Almost the whole class let out a disappointed “aw,” with a few exceptions including Wonwoo and I.
“But two of those will be with a partner. I'll be discussing that for today but before I proceed, I'll let you pick your partner now.”
I contemplated on who to pick as my partner. It's granted only Wonwoo and Jackson will be willing to work with me.
“Jackson, let's be partners.”
I was shocked by Mei. She sneaked in late to class, as always.
“Oh, sure,” Jackson easily agreed
“I guess you're stuck with me,” I joked with Wonwoo
“I guess so,” he replied.
Wonwoo always seems calm and collected. I wanted to somehow shake his inner peace for the sake of it.
“For the projects with partners, the two of you must pick two books that have been turned into films. You will write reports on the books, and then asses and compare the films to it,”
“Yes! Movies,” rejoiced Jackson
“The first partner project is due by the end of the month. The second will be due the following month. I suggest you start on it now. By the end of the class period, submit a list of your chosen books in my office. Write it on a one fourth sheet with your names,” she instructed, “You may go to the library for the rest of the class period.”
We waited for Mrs. Lewis to leave the room before packing.
“Let's go Jackson,” I heard Mei
Jackson grabbed me and Wonwoo by the shoulder.
“I'll be going first,” he said
“Good luck,” I told him
He gave me a thumbs up as he left the room.
“Lovely Rose, I actually have a book in mind already,” Wonwoo started
“Could it be?” I scanned him from head to toe, “You're a bookworm!”
“I confess,” he chuckled
The first time Wonwoo chuckles, I'm the only one around to witness it. It's nice seeing a different side to him.
“Let's hear it,”
“Me Before You.”
That's a romance book, I thought.
“I really like it and I would love to report on it, but only if it is fine with you,”
“It's a great suggestion. I've never read it but I did see the movie because of Lily,”
“Funny,” he paused, “I've read it but I haven't watched the movie,”
“Any more suggestions?”
“You can pick the second one,”
“How about Of Mice and Men?”
“A classic,”
“I'm sure most people in our class will choose the more popular books like The Great Gatsby, the Harry Potter Series, Divergent, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, etc.,”
“How?”
“I basically grew up with most of them. I know their interests by now,”
“That's amazing,”
“It's nothing,”
“I think it's amazing that you basically grew up with these people. I don't have that with anyone. And, at the same time, I am curious,”
“About what?” I asked while trying to find paper to write on
“Here,” he handed me an already cut out one fourth sheet of paper
“Thanks. You were saying,”
“I want to know what that feels like, having someone that's a childhood friend who knows me well,”
“But they don't know me well,”
“That part, I don't get,” he looked lost, “How could they not know you after all these years?”
“Most people like to look at book covers and judge it by that. Done,” I looked up at him.
He was staring at me intently that I felt my heart race incredibly fast.
“Let's submit our list now,” I stood up.
It was never that easy for me to open up to anyone, but Lovely Rose makes me feel like it is safe to show my true self. It's only been one day since we've met but I feel more at ease with her than anyone new I've met.
“Most people like to look at book covers and judge it by that. Done.”
She sounded so lonely. I couldn't help but stare at her. How is it that someone like her could be an outsider?
“Let's submit our list now,” she told me.
I followed her quietly to Mrs. Lewis' office. I didn't know what else to talk about.
“You really are the quiet type,” she commented
“I'm sorry,”
“No, it's fine. Everyone is different,”
“I hope it doesn't make you uncomfortable,”
“Every quiet person has someone they're open to. I hope I become that person for you. We will be working together after all.”
How was she so straightforward?
“Let's go in.”
I opened the door for her to enter first.
“You two are fast,” Mrs. Lewis commented
“Here you go, Mrs. Lewis,” Lovely Rose handed in the paper
“Since you are the first pair, you will be able to do the books you've chosen,”
“Thank you,” we chorused and bowed
“You may go now.”
Silence fell on Lovely Rose and me again as we walked in the hallway.
“So,” she started, “What's your last class for the day?”
“It's PE,”
“You don't sound too happy about that,” she laughed a little
“I don't really like sports,”
“I like watching but not playing,”
“What about you? What's your class?”
“PE too. I have it with Mr. Berry,”
“Oh, me too,”
“Cool. We all have PE together,”
“All?”
“You, me, Lily, JB, and Marcos.”
There was something in the way she said Marcos' name.
“How about Jackson?”
“I didn't get to ask him,”
“Let's hope he does,”
“Yeah.”
I could feel us losing momentum in our conversation, but I didn't want it to end.
“Where do you want to go now?”
“How about the gym? We can wait there until it's our class time,”
“Let's go.”
The walk from the school's main building to the gym is quite a distance. It tired me and Lovely Rose out.
“I feel like an old woman every time I walk here,” she was panting
“Tired before PE even starts,” I joked
“Exactly,” she laughed
“Let's go have a seat.”
There was an ongoing class but we were allowed to sit on the bleachers. Since it was the first day, it was still orientation. The PE teacher was explaining what to expect for the whole semester. I noticed a few boys looking our way, specifically at Lovely Rose who was busy on her phone going through instagram.
“Lovely Rose,” I slightly nudged her
“Huh?” she looked at me
“Do you know those guys?”
I subtly looked at the ones that kept stealing glances at her. She looked at them briefly before staring at her phone again.
“That's Nigel and his minions,”
“Nigel?”
“He's the sole reason why Daisy Grace hates my guts now,”
“So there is bad blood between you two,”
“She thinks I stole Nigel from her but I didn't. Why would I? He's such a jerk,”
“Sorry to hear that.”
My interest in Lovely Rose kept increasing as the day was passing. It seems like there is so much to know.
“Lovely Rose, can I ask you another question?”
“Sure, go ahead,” she looked me straight in the eyes this time
“Marcos and you,” I slowly started, “Is there really nothing going on?”
“Wonwoo, I like you,” she smiled, “You're brave.”
She looked down on her phone again. Was she going to ignore me? I watched her exit instagram to go to her photos folder.
“This is Marcos and I when we were just good friends.”
She showed me a photo of Marcos and her making goofy faces, but what got my attention was their position. From what I've observed, Marcos is taller than Lovely Rose by at least four inches. He was behind her, with his upper body slightly forward and his right arm around her by the shoulder area. That's basically like a back hug. He already looks like he was claiming her.
“And this,” she searched for another photo, “is us as a couple.”
Anyone could tell that it looks like the sparks were gone between the two. Marcos seemed aloof and cold.
“We were better off as friends, but we ruined it by getting in a relationship. Maybe Marcos was just fascinated by the chase, I'll never know. I don't ever want to doubt the feelings he had for me. It doesn't make sense to me that it wasn't genuine. Marcos is a nice person. I still believe that, but us as a couple doesn't work. Rather than regrets about the relationship not working, I regret losing the friendship we shared. I grew up wanting a big brother. It's not a kink, okay. Don't get me wrong,” she was so defensive, “So like, I always wanted a good guy friend. A guy best friend. It's cliché, right? But I had to go fall in love with him,”
“I am sorry,” I apologized for opening a wound of hers, “And thank you for sharing this with me,”
“You are my friend now, Wonwoo. I should be able to share it with you.”
Lovely Rose opened up so easily to me that it makes me wonder how others could view her as a bad girl. She's sincere and as Lily would say, a “softie.”
“I hope you will share with me too,” she added, “When you're ready,”
“I will. I hope we continue to share these kind of things with each other in the future.”
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