For the first time since I'd started high school, I found myself excited for lunch on a Wednesday morning. The reason for my excitement: the fact that I was finally apart of a club.
I was so excited that the minute the lunch bell rang, I said a quick goodbye to my friends before running off in the direction of the old science lab the gardening club met in.
"Before, you were practically begging for us to stay back with you," Mercy said with an amused expression on her face before we parted ways. "Now you're literally bouncing up and down waiting so that you can rush off to your club."
"I'm sorry!" I apologized, forcing myself to stop bouncing with excitement.
"It's fine; I was only teasing you!" Mercy assured me, "I'm glad you're finally a part of a club."
"Our little Ximena is growing up!" Elaine chimed in, wiping away a fake tear. She definitely fit in with the drama club.
I was filled with a rush of excitement as I walked into the old lab that served as the gardening club's club room. I instantly felt at home as I took in the surrounding greenery that seemed to cover every surface.
This time, only Travis was there, sitting in the same spot he had been the first time I had come. This time, he was eating a sandwich, his eyes staring ahead as if he was in deep contemplation.
"Hey, Travis!" I said cheerfully, making him jump from surprise. He stared at me as if trying to remember who I was, recognition slowly dawning on his face. "Ximena, right?"
I nodded, "You seem at home with the plants."
He shrugged, "Plants make good companions; they aren't judgey and are quiet." He said the last part as if he wanted to let me know that he thought I was anything but quiet.
I smiled apologetically, trying not to let his icy attitude get to me, "Okay, I'll leave you alone."
I sat cross legged on the floor by a bed of tulips, admiring their vibrant colors. Unsure of what else to do, I played with the ends of my hair, wrapping them around my fingers, and then unwinding them before repeating the process. When were Hazel and Lilly going to come?
From his corner, I heard Travis sigh and then some movement. I was surprised when he lowered himself next to me, a hesitant smile on his face. "Uh... I..."
I waited patiently as he struggled to come up with the words to whatever he wanted to say to me.
"What's your favorite plant?" He asked suddenly.
Oh... that was a question which I could easily answer, "I love cherry blossoms. They're so beautiful when they're in full bloom. I feel like they're the epitome of spring." They were also so romantic, but I kept that thought to myself.
Travis smiled; this time it was a genuine smile that reached his eyes, "I've always liked evergreens- especially pine- I love how they stay green even in the winter."
"Evergreens are really pretty all year round," I agreed with a nod.
There was some awkward silence between the two of us before Travis spoke again. "I'm sorry if I seemed a bit rude when you first came in a couple of minutes ago. It's just... I know it's no excuse but I'm not a very open person and was caught off guard by your greeting."
"It's okay!" I said, "I'm sorry I scared you."
He shook his head, "It's just that I'm a freshman and you're a junior. I guess I feel kinda small around you- like a little kid. Even Hazel and Lily, they're both sophomores so..."
"Oh," realization dawned upon me, "I'm sorry, I didn't think of that. If it helps, I don't think that you're a little kid."
"Thanks," he said with a smile, "I guess when I saw you admiring those tulips, I realized that you're a fellow plant lover and perhaps I should try to get to know you more."
"Wait, so are we friends now?" I asked with a grin.
"Uh... friends is a bit too much... for now we'll go with acquaintances."
I laughed, "Sure! It's a pleasure to be your acquaintance, Travis."
"You two seem to have hit off pretty well!" Hazel said as she and Lily entered the room. Her hair was done in two elaborate braids today and I couldn't help but compare her hairstyle to my plain hair that I had left untouched.
I had to stop comparing myself to her.
"Uh sure," Travis said, quickly standing up as if another second beside me would kill him. He pushed his glasses back up on his nose with one finger, "Why are you two late anyways?"
"I took Ximena's ideas from last week to consideration, and already put one into action," Hazel replied with a grin. "Vice Principal Saito already gave us permission to hold a plant sale next month!"
"Oh wow," I said, thoroughly impressed, "You work fast."
"As for the article in the newspaper, you'll be able to ask your friend to help with that, right?" Lily asked.
I nodded, "Yeah, Mercy is a talented writer; I think she'd be a great help in boosting this club's publicity."
"And since I'm apart of the photography club as well, I'll make sure to capture some great shots of our plants to go alongside the article," Hazel added in. "And one of the other club members, Luka, has already volunteered to help out!"
My heart skipped a beat, "Luka?" So he was already making his move to get closer to Hazel... part of me was happy for him but at the same time I felt hurt and jealous. Once again I wished I was Hazel or someone who was prettier or more likable. If I was someone else, would Luka ever consider liking me?
"You okay?" Hazel asked, a look of concern passing over her features as she noticed a change in my mood.
I pasted a smile on my face, "Oh, sorry, I just got lost in thought. I was surprised that Luka is gonna help you out; he's my best friend after all." I didn't know why I had felt the need to mention the fact that Luka was my best friend. Perhaps I wanted to let Hazel know that I was closer to him than she was, which was stupid.
Ugh, why was I acting like this?
Hazel didn't seem to notice the fact that I was trying so hard to keep my emotions in check. She only smiled, "Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Luka talks about you a lot. You guys seem like good friends."
So Luka liked telling other people about me... I wasn't sure how to feel about that. The old me would've felt elated, but knowing that all we'd ever be was friends made me feel kind of resigned and numb inside.
I forced myself to stop thinking so negatively. I was in the gardening club, a place where Luka didn't exist. I had to stop thinking about him, had to forget the feelings I once had for him. He was nothing but a friend- a best friend.
I smiled, "Let's discuss our plans for the plant sale then. We need to use all the time we can get so that everything runs smoothly a month from now."
Lily smiled, "I like how you think Ximena! We really needed someone like you in our club." Travis and Hazel voiced their agreement.
Oh, if only they knew how things really were in my head...
YOU ARE READING
Spring's Unexpected Love
RomanceLove can be found in the most unexpected places. Ximena has been crushing on her friend, Luka, for a while now and plans on confessing to him. She plans everything down to the smallest detail only for everything to be ruined when he reveals that he...