The rooftop was bathed in sunlight, the kind that wasn't warm and inviting but sharp and relentless. It was the first week of March, yet the heat clung to the air like a stubborn guest. The sky was painfully bright, so much so that squinting didn't help.
"God, why is it so hot today? It's only March!"
The voice startled me—not because it was loud, but because it wasn't familiar. It was soft, almost melodic, with a slightly boyish undertone, like a mischievous bird chirping in the wrong season. I turned toward the sound, and there she was: tall, almost my height, her figure casting a faint shadow against the sunlit tiles. She was a classmate, that much I knew, but her name escaped me.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, my irritation spilling into my tone. Lunchtime on the rooftop was supposed to be my time, a quiet retreat from the chaos of the school. No one ever came up here no one but me.
She gave me an exaggerated "duh" expression. "To do what you're doing here. Duh."
Fair enough. The rooftop wasn't my private sanctuary, though it often felt like it. Still, it was rare to see anyone else up here during lunch. I shrugged, turned back to my sandwich, and scrolled aimlessly through my phone.
But she wasn't done.
"You know, I got dumped today," she announced, her voice too casual for the weight of her words.
I didn't respond. Why would I? This wasn't my problem. But she kept talking as if I were her personal diary.
"I really liked him, you know? We were good friends, and I just had to go and ruin it by confessing my stupid feelings."
God, why was she unloading all this on me? I stared at my phone, pretending I wasn't hearing any of it. But she didn't seem to care.
"I think we can't even be friends anymore. I'm so dumb," she added, her voice cracking just slightly.
Why is she venting to me? I wondered, chewing my sandwich in silence. She kept talking, spilling her heartbreak like it was the most natural thing in the world to do in front of a stranger. Finally, I couldn't help but break my silence. "Do I know you?"
She froze, then threw her hands up dramatically. "Aster! Seriously? You don't remember me?"
I winced. Great, now I had a headache. She knows my name. It's gonna be a bad day.
"How do you know my name?" I asked, trying to mask my irritation.
Her face twisted into something between anger and disbelief. "I'm Jasmine! Remember? We went to the same kindergarten!" [ author note: her first appearance was on the The smell of jasmine flower part 1 ]
Oh. That weird dumb girl. Suddenly, it clicked. She used to sit next to me, but we never really talked. Back then, she was as much of an outcast as I was. But now? Now she looked different—confident, even. Popular, maybe.
"Right," I muttered. "Jasmine."
She beamed as if I'd just handed her an award. "See? You remember!"
"Barely," I said, biting into my sandwich.
"Well, where were we, Aster?" she asked, leaning in like we were in the middle of a deep conversation.
"You were saying you got dumped," I reminded her, my tone flat. "And for the record, Jasmine, we were never friends."
Her smile faltered, just for a second. "We used to sit together, though."
"That was assigned seating dummy," I replied. "We didn't exactly have a choice."
She sighed dramatically, crossing her arms. "You're still the same, Aster. Smart, reserved, and alone. Also kind of a narcissist. And definitely arrogant."
She wasn't wrong, but I didn't dignify her observation with a response.
Then, out of nowhere, she asked, "Aster, wanna go out with me?"
"No," I said, without even looking up.
She laughed, as if my rejection was the punchline of some inside joke. "God, Aster, can't you at least comfort me? I'm having a really bad day here!"
"Excuse me, Miss Jasmine," I said, feigning politeness. "I didn't even remember your name ten minutes ago. Why would I comfort you dummy!?"
Her eyes sparkled mischievously. "Aster, you're calling me 'dummy,' just like in kindergarten. Do you remember Rose?" [ creator: Aster fall in love with Rose in The smell of jasmine flower part 2]
The name hit me like a gust of cold wind. Rose. The girl I'd fallen for in middle school, the one who'd broken my heart before high school even began. "How do you know about Rose?"
"We were in the same class, Aster," she said with a teasing smile. "You and Rose were all anyone talked about back then."
Oh, right. She was in my class back then. I'd completely forgotten because my entire world revolved around Rose.
Jasmine grinned, leaning in closer. "How's your heart, little loverboy?"
I clenched my jaw, trying not to react. Rose had broken up with me just before high school started-publicly, no less. It was humiliating. And heartbreaking for real!
"I'm mature now," I said, trying to sound unaffected. "Besides, who's talking? You literally got dumped today."
She laughed, throwing her head back like I'd just told the funniest joke in the world. Her laughter was infectious, and before I knew it, I was laughing too.
The faint smell of jasmine flowers wafted through the air, carried by the breeze from the rooftop garden. The bell rang, cutting through the moment.
Jasmine stood up, brushing crumbs off her skirt. "Well, I got dumped twice today, Aster."
I raised an eyebrow. "Twice?"
She smiled, her expression somewhere between teasing and sincere. "Yeah. Once by him, and once by you. You're such a mean person, Aster."
I shrugged, finishing the last bite of my sandwich. "I know."
She turned to leave, her steps light but deliberate. Just before disappearing down the stairs, she called out, "See you tomorrow, Aster!"
The smell of jasmine lingered long after she was gone.