byler // white roses and chrysanthemum

pink roses

"You're always daydreaming, quit it and follow the class," whispered Eleven to Mike as he was drawing on his notebook. "I have enough of having to explain everything to you afterwards." He shrugged with a small frown. "I'm always telling you what to do in sciences, so we're even. What is the teacher talking about?" She rolled her eyes. "It's about Werther. He's a guy in a book and he's deeply in love with a girl named Charlotte. At the end he kills himself." Mike hushed her quickly, "Wow, spoiler alert. Thanks." She gently pushed him and he listened to his teacher, kindly daydreaming again.

The feelings he had for Will were so odd. He wanted to know him more - make him a friend, get to know him, hear his voice in a face to face conversation, play video games, watch a movie with him. It was almost like he fell for a friend and not a lover. Maybe, he thought, he would like him better because the first relation between them will be a friendly one. He felt warm, his whole body was burning - his blood was filled with feelings, blocking any sad thought. It was reviving. Feeling like a kid, once again, but he knew that he was getting happy in an innocent, and pure way: thinking about someone.

"So, who's your Charlotte?" Asked Eleven when they were eating in the parc next to the school. Mike choked on his food, taken aback, while Max laughed. "What do you mean?" she said, turning to Eleven. "Well, in the Suffering of young Werther, he truly falls in love with a girl named Charlotte." She said to Max, "The thing is that it's been two weeks since Mike talks less about video games, and he seems to be less focused in school, even when it's science. That's not very him-like, so there must be a girl behind all of that." Max turned around to Mike, a giant smile to her face. "So, you're hiding something from us? You know you can't!" She pinched Mike's cheek and he shook his head.

"I'm not in love, okay? Leave me some space. I may feel some stuff, which is not such a big deal, for someone, but don't worry. It's a small kid's crush or something like that. In a week it'll be over, and science will be my true wife again." Max and Eleven couldn't stay in place, trying to know who she was. "I can't believe you're that serious. Please, you're having feelings and you look like you're not cool with that! Enjoy life." Mike smiled. "How would you feel if I told you I'm going to see this person in a few hours? Will your hearts will be full with gossip?" And that was it. The two girls were filled with passion, they couldn't stay in their seats. "Oh, but I told you that but if I catch one of you following me after school, she's dead!" He showed them his pinky so they could make a promise. "I'll agree to that if you keep us to date. At least tell us a bit - just a bit, of what happened. Promise?" Added Eleven, as she reached Max's and Mike's pinky.

"Promise."

This week, Mike learned from his past mistakes. He waited a bit with El and Max, almost an hour in the library so they could study before the girls go to the arcade and him to his secret place. When he felt like it was time, he hugged them both and left quickly.

It was the start of autumn, inside and outside. The leaves inside Mike's body were slowly turning yellow, just before they fall: Mike's heart was a tree, and the leaves will, at some point, fall for Will.

When he entered the shop, feeling his organs too compressed in his throat, he saw the tall boy talking to Will. The last one was scribbling something on a paper, behind the counter, listening to the older one with little attention. Mike walked slowly inside, wanting to discover this shop again and again, wanting to discover Will's face and hands again and again. "Okay tell me your presentation again. For when is it, Will?" Said the tall boy, almost as if they didn't acknowledged Mike's presence. He guessed that he opened the door too kindly to make any sounds. He felt like an intruder inside somebody's private life, but he couldn't bring himself to stop them in their discussion.