It was 201x. Lucas Garcia was finishing his lecture on Asian Politics. It was a beautiful day outside, birds are singing, flowers are blooming, on days like these, people like him should go out and appreciate nature as it is. Being a stressed educator, he couldn't really find the time to relax and sit back. Deadlines here, deadlines there. At a young age of 23, it was really astonishing how Lucas got to graduate at such an early age, thanks to his brilliant mind. "Class dismissed." He told his students, signaling the end of the period. After everyone left, being the last one to leave the classroom, he locked the door, and went straight ahead to the faculty room. While walking, he has noticed a familiar sight across his vision. It was his former student, Olivia Reyes, an 18 year old senior. Olivia had a fair tone, almond-shaped eyes with soft black hair. She wasn't much of a petite, nor was she really chubby. She was somewhere in-between. Lucas, however, has a similar body type with Olivia. Although being a man with looks that can be described as "cute" or "adorable", he didn't have the ideal body. He was around the same height as Olivia, since he was pretty short himself, but not too short wherein he gets mistaken for a kid. About 5'4", to be exact. He wanted to talk to Olivia again, but he couldn't find the courage to. They walked past each other, with Olivia seeming to hurry to go somewhere else. As Lucas got in to the room, and placed his things, he went outside to grasp some fresh air, which is something he hasn't done in quite a while. As he was walking around the school's campus, he has noticed a certain flower. It was an alstroemeria, or commonly known by the public as "the lily of friendship". The thought of Olivia quickly went into his head. He remembers all those times she would give him those flowers, as a sign of their strong friendship. The days of his youth began to resurge as he reminisced the day he and Olivia were together, like the best of friends.
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Lucas was 20. A fresh graduate from the best university the country had to offer, it was a bit unusual seeing him being nervous, but the students just allowed him to adjust. After all, he was a newbie, and it was alright for him to be nervous for the first few months of the academic year. There, he met Olivia, a timid 15 year old who would sometimes participate in his class. At first, they weren't really close, but as the days passed by, Olivia started to help him calm down, and eventually, they started talking. It was only around 3 months in when they were already as close as two peas in a pod. It turned out that they had a lot of interests they share in common: they both loved drawing, they watch some type of anime, and they love the drama with what's going on in the politic world. "Hey Sir! If you were to choose a sailor scout, who would it be and why?" He chuckled, and said "Well, I would love to be Sailor Mercury! She's smart, and she's really tech-y, which is something that I love." "Woah! That's awesome!" Lucas smiled. "What about you, Oli?" Olivia thought for a moment. "I'd be Sailor Moon! Not just because she's a pretty princess, but because she's such a wonderful hero! Also, because she is also annoying like me. BUT I AM NOT MUCH OF A CRYBABY LIKE HER!" They both laughed. "Man! I wish we could always have time to do this, and nerd out you know?" "Me too, Oli. Me too." Olivia gave a faint smile, and it soon turned into a frown. Tears were forming in her eyes. She doesn't want this to end. Fear was obvious in her eyes. Lucas has became conscious of her mannerisms, and questioned it.
"Oli, is there something wrong? Are you alright?"
"Sir, I have something to ask of you."
"What is it?"
"What if, one day, this just all stopped? Like, it just ended? What if we end up in arguments instead of happy chats? What if people misinterpret our friendship as something more sinister?"
Lucas thought for a moment. He really didn't want this to end either. The thought of being distant with his own best friend scares him. But, being the bigger person, he had to say something. "Oli, this isn't going to end. If we do ever end up in an argument, I know that there will be a way for us to fix this. And, who cares about what they think? As long as we're not hurting them, there shouldn't be any problem." As soon as he finished his sentence, Olivia already had tears falling down. "To be honest, I don't want this to end! I never had a genuine best friend that I can look up to as my brother figure. You are the reason why I became happy again. After all this time, you are the reason why I'm still thriving to continue my education. And I really would wanna thank you so much for that. I- I don't know how to repay you, Sir." That was the first time Lucas has ever heard of a person thanking him for his actions. It touched him deeply. He hugged Olivia, and comforted her. "No. I should be the one thanking you. If it weren't for your efforts, I would have still been that introvert newbie everyone likes to gossip about. I'm really grateful that I've met you, Oli. Thank you so much. I promise, and I bet you, that we would still be the best of friends by the end of your journey here." Olivia giggled a bit. "Are you sure about that?" "Of course I am!"
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glass shards
Short StoryA friendship developed over the course of a year, with promises to never betray each other's side. A short story with the vibes of the classic 1925 story, "Dead Stars" by Paz Marquez Benitez. -- COPYRIGHT: "glass shards", including all chapters ass...