My Words Are Law

Can we be friends? (1)

"Amaryllis... Hello."

She lifted her head from the ground to return the greeting, but stopped short after discovering the identity of the stranger. The corners of her mouth fell for a moment. She should've known... He's the only one who utters her name like that.  

"Need help?"

What kind of situation is this..?

Did they not leave separately after the usual scheduled project meeting? He can't be following her..? She cleared her throat, hoping it would serve a smooth transition from her awkward pause.

"...I'm f-" However, she had only managed to begin when a sudden gust of wind blew past them, blowing her hair and the pieces of paper she was picking up in different directions.

"Ack!- Wait- No..!" She proceeded to run after them in haste, yelping and tripping along the way while ignoring Chryses, who leisurely followed after her. The sun was high up in the sky, and she was starting to sweat after a few minutes, but she endured the heat and made the trouble of retrieving the papers on her own while fixing her hair that had become a mess. Later on, she finally managed to get everything... but one.

"...No?" He repeated her refusal with a questioning tone. The pair looked at the last paper stuck between the leaves of a tall tree in silence, Amaryllis, looking visibly troubled by the dilemma.

There weren't many students passing in the walkway near the east gate, so it was more or less deserted at this time, especially since it was almost lunch. Asking someone other than Chryses for help is impossible. And she's not confident she could climb the tree without breaking her neck, so she stood there motionless while thinking of another solution.

"By the time you get back from borrowing a ladder at the janitor's office, that paper will have been carried away by the wind again," Chryses spoke in a light tone, but he could very well be laughing at her. Amaryllis caught the serene smile on his face before grudgingly shifting her focus back to the paper. He could always read her thoughts so well that it's scary... 

Regardless, she has to get it no matter what. The deadline for the requirement is 10 minutes away. If she were to reprint the page, their school library would probably be the nearest place to do it. However, it will take at least five minutes to reach the library and an additional ten minutes to run to the faculty office. She won't make it in time! She shifted her weight to the other foot as she stared at the paper while mulling about her options.

What to do..?

Frankly, Amaryllis is the one at fault this time. If she had not forgotten to print it yesterday, or at least early this morning, she would not have had any issues. Adding to her forgetfulness, today is the scheduled brainstorming with Chryses for Mr. Rowan's class, which further delayed her. While she was busy thinking useless thoughts, the wind had picked up its pace once more, shaking the tree branches.

"Ah, Ahh-!" Fortunately, the paper stayed stuck, but her panicked face and the arm that stretched out to reach it as if she was being abandoned by a lover wasn't able to console her fragile self-esteem. The wind was definitely playing her just now...

"Well... It's good that it didn't get blown away." Chryses remarked, still maintaining the serene smile on his face. 

I want to disappear... Amaryllis could only wish mutely through the awkward silence that ensued.

Finally, while struggling to look impassive, she fixed her posture and mechanically turned her body towards him. She has no choice. "I don't want to force you, so... Please help me at your own volition.."

His head tilted towards her, eyes rolling down to stare at the woman before sighing incredulously. Nonetheless, he removed his bag and handed it to Amaryllis. "Can you hold it for me for a while?"