Angel Full of Flowers

❁ 15 ❁

Soon, the trees with orange-colored leaves became bare. Snow had replaced what was once a beautiful garden and winter was just around the corner.

My first semester at the Lunacrest Girls Academy had gone by quicker than I would've imagined. It was the last week of school before winter break and final exams were the only thing that preoccupied my mind.

Angel, however, seemed to have no trouble in acing every subject. Sometimes, I wish his genius would rub off onto me.

"Gah, I'm so tired! I can't wait to go home," Tulip whined. She placed her chin onto the palm of her hand and sighed.

Iris stretched in her seat as she let out a small exhale of amusement. "I'm excited to eat my mother's famous Pork Vindaloo. You guys have to try it someday!"

I smiled. "That sounds delicious, Iris. Anything with pork is good in my book!"

Tulip nodded as Angel made his way to us. "I'm looking forward to going home as well," he said as he gently placed a hand on my desk, "holidays are my favorite time of the year."

It was an obvious lie. Closely observing his features, I found his smile would tend to waver. With a deep inhale, I stood up from my seat and announced, "Let's go grab Poppy and head to lunch!"

Everyone turned to me and complied. Since the day of his performance, I have tried my hardest to do everything I could for Angel's sake. It wasn't so much that I pitied him, rather, I wanted him to feel just a strand of normalcy. Had I grown emotionally attached to Angel? I wasn't entirely sure. However, I was certain of one thing—he was my friend, and I would do anything and everything for my friends.

Poppy had seemed to be as worn out as all of us. The dark circles under her eyes popped out against the paleness of her skin.

"How do you think you guys did on the math test?" She asked, her voice uncertain. I could tell that she probably thought she didn't do so well.

Tulip replied, "I studied all night for that test! So when I got to class, I was half asleep." She sighed.

Iris giggled. "I think I did fine. It was difficult but not impossible."

I nodded in agreement with Iris. Angel seemed rather distant the entire time we spoke. Something had been bothering him and I had a few guesses as to what it could be. I gave him a light nudge with my elbow. He gazed up at me and I smiled. Angel forced a smile back.

My heart wavered. That wasn't the smile I wanted to see.

When exams for the day were over, I headed directly towards the art workshop located in the basement of the gym. As I made my way inside, I found Zinnia practicing basketball by herself. The door behind me slammed shut, which made her whip her head quickly towards me. Once she saw who it was, she eagerly waved.

Running up to her, I inquired, "What are you doing here?"

"I like to play alone sometimes to clear my head. Exams suck," she said as she tossed the ball to me. I immediately caught it and laughed.

I passed it back to her. "Yeah. Exams aren't my favorite thing in the world either."

She walked towards me and raised an eyebrow. "What brings you in here?"

I looked around the gym in search of the stairs that led down to the basement. Once found, I motioned towards it, "I'm going to get some art supplies."

Zinnia thought it was strange that I would be going to get art supplies during exam week but didn't question it. "Alright, I'm gonna call it a day. In case I don't see you before winter break, happy holidays!"