Meet me by the water fountain at noon
x
your secret admirer.
Said the folded note somebody had left at my desk. I looked at it and folded it again, walking towards the bin and throwing it inside. A secret admirer was bullshit, and nobody was going to use that same old trick with me.
Every year in valentines day, there was a funny one sending those notes to silly girls. I would watch them during recess approach the site where they were told and being encountered by the usual bullies in school and coincidentally being bullied. Not me. I was not going to be a victim of bullying and I was going to stay away from the site my "secret admirer" had told me to go.
I was attentive during the whole day, feeling paranoid, I kept my distance from the play area, and from the water fountain where at noon I was meant to meet "the admirer".
Funnily enough, I did not share the story with my friends, I had convinced them to stay away from our usual site on the day, and to see the older guys playing rugby. I had said they were hot and my silly girl-friends wishing to see some abs and hairy dudes followed me as sheep would follow their shepherd.
The day continued, and I kept seeing my watch, it wasn't noon yet, and I felt I had to peek on the site to see if I actually had a secret admirer. I was curious to know, I imagined the possibility. I looked at it from the window in my classroom when it was time, and as I figured, there was no-one.
Now, part of me felt disappointed there wasn't anybody in there, I wanted to be right at least about the bullies, but the usual suspects were talking, and happily joking with each other at the back of the classroom, and as far as I know, they were not bullying anybody that day. Maybe this year was different.
The teacher continued with her lesson, and a bit later was interrupted by seniors carrying with them a lot of roses. It was the usual fundraising for their graduation party. The seniors had started selling the flowers weeks before Valentine's day, and many kids with boyfriends, girlfriends or close friends would buy. It could be sent to any grade or "any" crush they had. I had never received a rose. My friends were always broke, and I also hadn't send any roses as I didn't like or care enough about anyone.
The seniors would name an individual, then they would raise their hands and they would approach them with the flowers. This year everybody was being called, I guess as I we grew up we had more pocket money and people had more chance to buy and support the elders. Not me though.
"Anne Marie" I heard them say and I froze, I looked around and then I rose my hand, they approached me with five roses, and I took them surprised. They all had different colours, and were different than the ones everyone was receiving.
Four were from my friends, and the last one was from the secret admirer. I laughed it off, and then said thank you to my friends, I figured it was all them, and I brushed it off. Then the seniors finished, and one of them came back as the teacher began to speak again.
"Sorry, I forgot to give a letter!" said the guy, he approached me and gave it to me, then he left, I was the only one with a letter. I blushed as everyone was staring at me. The person sat behind me started bugging me to read it, and soon everybody was involved in my mess.
"Read it!" they were all chanting. I started laughing by the nervousness and the peer pressure and I stood up confidently.
"Hi Anne, I knew you were intelligent enough not to meet me at the water fountain at noon, but what about meeting outside after school?
I think you're cool, even though you're not a fridge... You are cool cool, and I don't see why not to meet someone *also* cool like me.
X
Your secret admirer"
I observed the note was a bit cringe and cheesy at the same time. I also sensed some sweetness from the person behind the whole thing. The teacher told me to sit down and continued with her lesson, while everyone chatted away about my romantic life.
Anne Marie, the fifteen-year-old who had never been involved in any type of drama, I was usually called a "sassy" and "cool" individual, but I never cared, maybe this year the bullies had decided to top-up their game to trick me, and I was going to face them. I was determined to see who it was.
By the end of the class, I was feeling angry, if this was a joke and people laughed I was going to break some noses, it wasn't the first time I did it, nor it was not going to be the last.
I walked towards the entrance and everybody else in the class too, they were curious to see how the whole thing developed, and I was ready to defend myself. When I got there there was actually a guy standing there.
"You came" he said. I looked at my surroundings and everybody else was perplex, I started laughing and then slapped him.
"You are so silly Simon" and then I approached him and kissed him, the people wanted a good show, and I gave it to them, Simon looked at me afterwards and he was happy, I thought it was all a joke but he actually held my hand.
"I guess you feel the same Anne Marie" said Simon as he approached me again for a second kiss, I was very confused and didn't know what to say but yes, hell yes.
Maybe tomorrow I will figure out things.
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