Flowers of Spring

Let's Talk

My lungs felt like they were short-circuiting. The sun coming from the window was bright in my eyes and I was tempted to feel blinded just so that I could have an excuse to look away from Anna.

Her stare didn't let out.

"Your friend ... she said you would come," Anna spoke.

"Did she?" I was still at a loss for words. My senses were nowhere to be found.

Nat did this! I know for sure. She had baited me into coming over to the classroom without any warning.

She could've said something beforehand!

I could've prepared myself instead of looking like someone who had just witnessed a murder. I'm pretty sure my flabbergasted face was reason enough to startle Anna.

"Yes," she pressed her heels down on the floor and made her way to my desk. She grabbed my book with both hands and glanced at it intently. "Your book ... she said you would come to pick it up."

"Oh ... right, yes, I came looking for it."

She stepped forward and wisped closer to me. Me who was still stuck by the door.

"Is it to your liking?"

"Li-liking? Wh-what do you mean?"

My brain thought she asked about herself. Seriously, what's going on with me?

"The book, I mean."

"Yes! It's very good. I find it so intriguing. The narration is simply immaculate."

"Immaculate ... That's a nice word."

Her words only made my demeanor more conservative. I was getting shy while she was talking to me as if we shared our thoughts every day.

"Um ... Anna, why are you here alone?"

"Cleaning duty." She turned and continued cleaning the whiteboard.

"But isn't that a three-person job?"

"As per school rules, yes. But they said they had urgent matters."

It irked me how she said it so lightly.

"You know that's probably not the case ..."

"Perhaps."

"Doesn't it bother you?"

"It doesn't."

As always, she said the least possible. But I wanted her to tell me why. Why did she prefer to do it alone? It almost seemed like she went out of her way to be alone. To do her own things without the help or the burden of anyone else.

The squeaking sound of the whiteboard stopped. I saw her head dropping slowly. She sighed.

"Those two who were assigned to cleaning duty with me have a tendency to slack and gossip. In terms of efficiency, doing the work by myself would be the same as them being here. Perhaps, I'm even more efficient without them."

"Well, would you mind if I helped then?"

"It's not your job to ..."

"I'd still like to help you if you let me."

"Will you share gossip with me?"

"I ... I don't particularly like gossiping. I wouldn't have any gossip to share with you either way."

"Good ... ahem ... very well. I'd appreciate it if you'd help me."

I began by putting my book in my bag and then fixing the desks to the corners of the classroom. From what I could see, Anna had already cleaned the windows and the whiteboard. Sweeping, mopping, and organizing the desks back was all that was left.