Flowers Still Bloom

8

Cherry Cola - Kuwada

The next morning was the same as the last, regarding the early time I had to get up for school.

The stillness of the house astounded me as I laid silently in my bed, expecting to hear the pattering of my father quietly getting ready for work.

Even as I strained my ears, the sound never came.

No matter my father's stoic and cold mannerisms, I couldn't help but miss the space that he had taken up in the house, relieving it of even the smallest bit of emptiness.

I dragged myself ungracefully out of bed, refusing to look to my vanity to see what a nightmare of knots and curls that my hair would be.

Stepping into the bathroom, I quickly showered and did my morning routine, doing everything in my power to tame my unruly curls with every hair product I owned.

After I was satisfied with my hair's appearance, I made my way to my closet to pick out my clothes for the day.

From my variety of skirts, I chose a simple white silk one that just reached mid thigh.

Choosing a plain white sweater to match, I admired my monochrome outfit in the full length mirror.

——-

I then made my way to my vanity, where I twisted my unruly hair into a large messy bun atop my head, allowing strands to fall alongside my face to frame it messily.

Wrapping a matching white silk ribbon around my hair, I tied the ends into a small bow.

Once I was satisfied with my appearance I raced downstairs, grabbing a granola bar and shoving it in my backpack to eat once I got to school.

Shouting a quick goodbye to Lila, I made my way out to where my bike laid.

The ride to school was the same as the day before. I noted that I would soon be needing to wear a coat on my daily rides, as the air was becoming colder with each passing day.

Once I made it to school I quickly locked my bike onto the bike rack and joined the crowd as they streamed into the double doors of the school, allowing the flow of the other kids to carry me to where my locker was located.

A smile brought itself to my lips as I realized it was only my second day as a high school student, and yet the routine already had a sense of normalcy to it.

As I was unpacking my backpack, I heard the crowded hall hush once more, whispers and murmurs passing from friend to friend.

I looked up to see the boy I saw in first period yesterday. Roman, the one who was friends with Halian.

He was tall, and despite not being broad or overly muscular, his well-built stature was enough to intimidate anyone.

A pair of black boots adorned his feet, with a pair of plain black jeans and a grey shirt to match.

My eyes found their way to his face once more, allowing myself to get a full view of the boy's features.

The line of his jaw was square and sharp, accentuating his prominent cheekbones and intimidating eyes which were a shade of brown so deep that they could pass as black.

His brown hair and tan skin pulled my attention, warning the rest of his cold features.

I soon realized that I was staring for way too long for it to be normal, and immediately snapped my eyes to the ground, a deep red blush painting itself on my cheeks.

What's wrong with you, I scolded myself internally, lightly pinching my arm. You're acting creepy.

I didn't look up again until all of the chatter started up again at full volume, alerting me to the fact that Roman had left the hallway.