Another Chance

He remembers

"Um...excuse me. Was someone here?" I ask the nurse standing beside my bed. "No,why do you ask?" She says and continues her work. I look at the green roses kept beside me bed and am amazed by the soil stuck to the roots.

It's beautiful and even though I checked numerous times,there were no cards to be found. Who could it be from? I pick them up and hold onto it with difficulty while balancing the bag on my shoulder.

"Let's go!" Tamara shouts bringing me back and I see eight smiling faces looking at me. They hate this place as much as I do and would do anything to avoid coming here. They said it gave them thoughts and that stayed for a while. "Let's go!" I say and fuel the enthusiasm. We walk out and today is my last day of freedom,I had to join school tomorrow.

"Sofim. Rest very well and from tomorrow let's avoid getting hurt. We have to graduate together you know," Samantha says. "That's right. Who will  help us with math? I mean why does that subject even exist?" This was Clare. "You should have left it then. What's the point in complaining now? You cannot help it." And this was Nareep. "I suck at that subject!" I point out and it was the truth. No matter how hard I tried,I could never do mathematics and chemistry. I hate them.
"Umm...you are better than us and that is all we need!" Sam says even though she is someone who does not even take that subject. "Anyways,come to school tomorrow. We really miss you," Kiera says and they nod in unison. "Okay." They head off to school while I go back home.

This rose keeps bugging me and rather slowly I feel it. The realm of memories extending itself to me and I feel it wrap me in. I let it. Bad choice!

"Your birthday is about to arrive right?  What do you want as a gift?" "Wow,look who remembered my birthday. It's an honour," I tease him and do a bow. "Please. I do remember it. Now what do you want?" He asks and I think. For real. "I don't know. I don't want anything actually. Maybe...forget it," I say and leave but he is persistent.
"Ill  give you a red rose," he says and I cannot say whether it was serious or a joke. I open my mouth to say something but then close it,realising that it was probably inappropriate.
"What?" He asks. "I was thinking about roses," I say honestly. "What about them?" "Well,I exactly don't like roses but then there's one which I like,"I say and he looks at me with a confused expression. " I like a particular type and it is rare or rather it is difficult to find it in the state. You need to hybrid it if you want them," I say and he nods asking me to continue. "The green coloured ones. They are not  grown in here but you can," I say.
"Oh. I bet you saw read it somewhere," he says. "Nah! I heard about it and when I searched about it,they really do exists." "Alright. You and your wierd thinking." "I know right."

"Maybe,it was him,but why would he? I thought we had nothing left to say anything," I mummer. "That's impossible!" I say and head into the house. I am told to rest and this is more of a threat than an advice. Mothers'.

  I find myself reminiscing again. I hate this. "Alright. Where is my gift?" He says and extends his hand. I thought he probably forgot and was thinking of taking it back. He remembered. "Let's go. I'll give it to you in class," I say and we head into the class. No one was there. Awkward. "Here." "Thanks. It's beautiful,"he says and takes it away. "So anyway..."

We had talked for sometime and he had said that if I would win the upcoming shot-put than he would give me a reward. I had found that amusing but did not mention anything,fearing it might get interpreted in a wrong manner. "Alright. Let's see," I had said. "You'll blow the shot away. They are nothing compared to you," he said and I laughed. It was not true though. I was genuinely nervous for this.

"Come on Sofim!"  "God!" I had nearly fallen with the shot when that unexpected cheer had come when I was ready for in my stance. I nearly lost it. But then I won and it was decided that he would be giving me chocolate the next day. "I was excited," I say out loud. "Darn that chocolate! It makes it harder now," I say and close my eyes to take a nap but sleep is far away.

"He is here," Lana says a little too loudly and if it wasn't for my incapability to blush,my face would have had a different shade of colour right now. We were standing outside Kiera's class and talking,basking in the sun.

"Well, I sure don't have a bouquet for the welcome that you are anticipating," I say with as much sarcasm as my being could muster that moment. She rolls her eyes and before he can reach us,I cup my face in my hands, clearly not wanting to do anything with him but then,it does not go as expected.
I feel a light knock on my forehead as I open my eyes and I let my hands fall to my sides. He was looking at me despite there being others. This was awkward and I frowned. What happens next,leaves me wondering the rest of the day.
He bends down and takes my hands,balled into fists,into his and says," Let's go. I brought it." I raise an eyebrow and try to break away but then he is the one who reacts first and pulls me inside the classroom behind him. Only when we are inside,does he leave my hand. I wait and he says,"Here."

When he places that huge bar of chocolate on my extended hand,do I let my guard down or rather up, whatever. "Um...wait. I cannot take this,you can share among your friends and others. It will be uncomfortable for me. I agreed only because I thought that it was something small and unnoticeable but then this something else. But not this," I say and place it back into his hands.

"Please. This is not for free. You have earned it and think of it as the only way I can repay that stand," he says and nearly wins me but I was not backing away so fast.
"No. I am not accepting this. And I had no idea that I made that stand for a reward in return," I point out. He has bad choice of words and this is always getting him in trouble. "I didn't mean it like that. Just, I felt like I had to something for you and this was the only chance thrown at me so I took it."
"Alright. Remember,I never asked for to!" I say and leave with him and we end up talking about normal stuffs.

"It was indeed a beautiful moment," I wispher and then I am falling asleep but then a memory pokes it's way to my mind.

The door creeks open and I am expecting Jake to walk in but then it was some one unexpected. Nate. My eyes felt droopy and  it feels like a dream. He is closer now but I know that he does not know that I am half awake because of my eyes. He has something with him and when he is close enough,I see it. Green roses!

Shit! He remembers.

I have not been this wide awake in a while and it feels new but with something familiar. I could ask him right now but then he was probably at school and plus,I don't have his number. I never needed it.
I would ask him next time but when was that.

Jake:Hi
Me:what?
Jake: where are you?
Me:home.
Jake:so what are you doing?
Me: I am about to sleep why?
Jake: Okay
Me: you should be studying right now
Jake:I am on leave so
Me: why
Jake:it's boring. I have no friends remember?
Me: oh I forgot about that
Jake: are you coming to school tomorrow?
Me:yeah
Jake: okay

"Alright. Time to sleep now." "Let's sleep Sofim. You need to rest."

"Sofim!!!"

************