Roller Coaster Ride

Valentines Day

Being devoid of any emotion is more harmful than it is helpful. It's better to love and get hurt than to never experience love at all. Love gives life. A garden without the warmth of the sun is a garden of dead flowers.

Levi doesn't remember the last time he's been in love. He doesn't even know if he's ever been in love. Not that he actually wants to experience romance, he thinks it's cheap drama.

People see him as a cold-hearted grumpy man. Well... he surely was grumpy, but he was also only another human who had emotions; it was just buried deep down inside him that he nearly forgot he still had some.

Most of the student body—and some of the faculty—were terrified of Maria High School's infamous janitor, Levi "Mr. Clean" Ackerman. Mainly because rumors about him claimed he was once a notorious thug widely-known for his expert street fighting abilities. The rumors weren't wrong though.

However, everyone comes with a heavy emotional baggage, it's just a matter of finding someone who's willing to unpack with you. And it was her. It was her who barged in Levi's heart without even knocking on the walls that guarded it.

As the sun dipped below the horizon to fall asleep, the fleeting colors of dusk began to fade away. Another school day has come to an end. By this time, Levi was sure everyone else had headed home, and it was time for him to do so as well. The raven-haired man gathered his personal belongings after he had just finished mopping the floor on the third story of the building.

He was walking down the stairs with his backpack hanging off his left shoulder, humming a tune he heard from a TV commercial. Momentarily stopping to a halt, he heard the singing voice of a woman. It was coming from the arts classroom.

Earlier today, the grumpy janitor did remember overhearing a conversation among the students. They were talking about the new art teacher who just started working here three days ago. They were also making a few inappropriate comments about the said teacher, so he naturally assumed the subject of their nasty remarks was a woman.

Ripping away from his thoughts, Levi decided to inform her of the school's rule regarding staying late within the campus premises. He headed for the open door of the arts room, only for his eyes to lit up with adoration.

She was more beautiful than the easing sound of her voice. Her face to his eyes was all the beauty a woman can possess, not only for her features, but for the twinkle in her eyes that reflected her kind soul.

Her crow's feet spoke of a happy life, and the deep creases in her cheeks told of a girl who gave away smiles like they were gifts. "Oh hi, may I help you with something, sir?"

There was a knot in the grey-eyed man's throat which seemed impossible to swallow. He was blown away by her beauty that he only managed to stutter a pathetic reply. "N-no. It's past 6, all students and staff should be home by now."