Angel Full of Flowers

❁ 23 ❁

"Alright, everyone! Make a single file line! We will be heading down to the beach. There you will receive your items to pick up any type of trash you find. If you find needles or any other hazardous items, report it to your nearest supervisor."

Each class would go to clean up the beach at different time slots. Ours happened to be during the middle of the day when the sun was at its peak. That wasn't what weighed on my mind, however.

Earlier this morning, as I was heading back to my room from breakfast, Poppy had pulled me aside.

"Camellia!"

Before I could open the door to my room, Poppy appeared beside me and was gasping for air. "Poppy? What's the matter?"

She stood up straight and looked me in the eyes--something she rarely ever did. Then Poppy looked from side to side, assuring that no one was around. I remained confused.

She clasped my hands and whispered, "Guess what!"

I gave her a sheepish grin. "What?"

"I've decided to confess my feelings to Angel tonight!"

I was speechless. She shook my hands and called out my name.

"W-Wha-?"

"You zoned out there for a moment, are you okay?"

"Y-Yes! I'm good! O-Oh, Poppy, I'll be cheering for you!" I smiled wryly.

She gave me a content smile back. "Thanks, Camellia. I'll see you later, make sure to wear lots of sunscreen!"

Poppy waved off to me and I returned the gesture. I immediately went inside my room and slammed the door shut. This was a disaster. I didn't know whether if I should let Angel know or not.

Dear mamá,

What should I do?! My friend is going to be heartbroken and there's nothing I can do about it. And it's wrong. She's being made to believe that Angel is a girl. But it's not his fault, it's no one's fault! Well, except his mother's. I don't know what to do...

Please, send me a sign, something, anything!

With love,
Camellia

And here I was. Walking down towards the beach with the rest of my classmates. Angel and Iris were discussing something behind me while Tulip talked my ear off beside me. Unfortunately, I had not been paying attention to anything she was saying. The moral dilemma of whether I should tell Angel was gnawing at my insides.

Unknowingly, we had already made it to the beach and were handed a grabber tool and a white, biodegradable trash bag.

Our supervisor took out her megaphone again and announced, "Now that everyone has their materials, you may go off in groups of three or more and scour the shoreline. Don't go off too far! Come back and report to me at two o'clock or once you've filled your bags!"

Everyone did as they were told and split off. Iris, Tulip, Angel, and I headed towards the far end of the beach. We assumed there would be more trash to pick up in places that held trees and plants.

"I see a bunch of trash over there!" Iris motioned with her hand and we all turned to see where she was talking about.

Trash aligned the walkway just beyond some benches. We all ran towards that area and spent a few good minutes picking off the litter from the ground. After a while, Angel told us he would be going to the bathroom.

The blazing sun pricked my skin. Sweat droplets started to form on the temples of my head and my upper lip. I took my shirt and wiped it away. This was more like torture than charity work. The only thing that kept me going was the fact that this trash wouldn't make its way into the ocean, where it could harm its ecosystem.