"Guilty as charged. But, honestly, forget-me-nots are also my sister's favorite flower. She always said she hoped that one day, someone special would give her a bouquet of them." His voice softened, a hint of nostalgia in his words.
Something about his words made Rahiya pause. There was a weight behind them, a quiet sadness she couldn't ignore. She hesitated but let her curiosity win. "You have a sister? How old is she?"
"Yeah, she's our youngest sibling, she's about your age," he said with a bright smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "But I don't get to spend time with her anymore—she's with her family now."
"What do you mean?"
The florist tilted his head, as if confused by his own words. Then, realization flickered across his face. "Oh," he chuckled lightly, "We were orphans. She was adopted by a nice family." His voice softened again. "Looking back, it was nicer when we were together at the orphanage. But I know she's living her best life now."
Rahiya felt a pang of sympathy. "What's her name? Maybe I know her."
He raised a brow. "You ask for her name but not mine?" He pouted playfully before laughing at Rahiya's unimpressed expression.
"Her name is Naenia," he finally said.
"Then what about you?"
"Samael," he answered with a soft smile. "My name is Samael."
~~~
"What is this?" Wyndel asked, his brows furrowed as he stared at the single pink rose Rahiya handed him.
"A rose. Are you blind?" Rahiya scoffed, rolling her eyes.
"What gives?" Zandro asked, taking the flower from her hand before smelling its scent.
"I don't know," she muttered, unwilling to admit she wanted to thank them—for everything.
"Why pink? That's too girly for us." Wyndel wrinkled his nose as he reached for the flower, but before he could take it, Rahiya yanked it back.
"Fine, I'll just throw it in the trash, then." She turned slightly, pretending to toss it away.
"No! No! No!" Wyndel yelped, snatching the rose from her hand. "Ow!" He winced as a thorn pricked his finger.
Zandro let out a snicker. "That's what you get for being dumb." Wyndel shot him a glare but he ignored it and turned to Rahiya with a soft smile. "Thanks…I never thought someone would give me flowers."
"Liar. You get them all the time from girls at school," Rahiya scoffed, rolling her eyes before walking ahead of them.
Zandro chuckled, glancing at the rose in his hand. "Still, it's different coming from you."
Wyndel nodded, smiling to himself as he carefully held his rose.
Rahiya didn't look back, but she felt their eyes on her, and for some reason, it made her heart feel lighter.
Samael had helped her pick the flowers. At first, she hesitated, unsure if pink roses were the right choice, like what Wyndel just said that it is girlish for boys like them.
But when Samael told her that pink roses symbolize gratitude, she changed her mind.
And now, seeing the way Wyndel and Zandro reacted—even if they teased her—she knew she had made the right choice.
In fact, flowers had changed her mind.
She loved them now.
~~~
"Miss Verlice, please, not again." Mr. Ortega sighed, rubbing his forehead as if dealing with her drained the last bit of patience he had left. "We want students like him in our school. Our principal wants to let him stay. So please, can you stop encouraging others to bully him?" His voice was calm, but firm.
Rahiya clenched her jaw, her fingers tightening into fists at her sides. She hated being called into the faculty office, hated being lectured like a child—especially by some amateur teacher who thought he understood everything.
Rahiya scoffed, arms crossed. "Why don't you stop them?"
Mr. Ortega exhaled sharply through his nose, his expression flat. "It's been almost a hundred times, Rahiya. A hundred times you've either been involved or at the center of this mess. And for a hundred times, we've tried to stop it." His deadpan stare bore into her.
He was so done with her.
Rahiya rolled her eyes. "Mr. Ortega, I already stopped. What's the harm?"
"The harm," he said, his tone like steel, "Is that you started it. And now, you have to end it." He leaned forward slightly. "Or do you want me to call your parents?"
Rahiya stiffened. Her glare sharpened. "You wouldn't."
Mr. Ortega smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Try me."
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The air between them grew thick with tension.
"You really want to experience what he's been through, huh?" she finally muttered, voice low with irritation.
To her surprise, Mr. Ortega just chuckled. "Don't threaten me, little missy." His smirk didn't waver. "I've been there."
She scoffed, tearing her gaze away from him. She couldn't understand why this teacher wasn't afraid of her. Most people were—especially when they knew who her family was.
"As if I'd actually do it," she whispered under her breath.
To her annoyance, Mr. Ortega heard her.
"Oh, little missy, you will do it," he said casually, pulling out his phone and dialing a number.
Rahiya's eyes widened in alarm. "Wait!" she blurted, and he paused, raising a brow at her. She gritted her teeth, swallowing her pride. "Fine! I'll do it, okay?"
Mr. Ortega smirked, satisfied. "Well then, our meeting ends here." He waved dismissively, leaning back in his chair.
Rahiya turned on her heel and stormed out of the office. She wanted to slam the door, to show her irritation, but she held back. The last thing she needed was another reason to deal with him again.
As she walked down the hallway, frustration clawed at her mind. 'How the hell am I supposed to stop them?' If she directly told people to back off, it would look like she cared. And Rahiya Verlice didn't care—at all.
Just thinking about it gave her a headache.
But then, something caught her eye. A flower, peeking out from the window of a nearby classroom. It reminded her of Samael.
She paused, staring at it.
Maybe he could help.
Just like he helped her pick the perfect flowers for Wyndel and Zandro.