He stared ather for a long moment and Amber realized she did not even know hisname. Amber knew that even if she was acquainted with him, hisappearances wherever she went in the immense high school wouldstill disturb her.
“But Igot it especially for you,” he informed her.
“Uh,thanks, really, but, um,” she tried and knew she soundedunintelligent.
“I knowit’s kind of wilted and stuff but I don’t really have a lot ofmoney. I still wanted to get you something though because I reallylike you,” he went on to explain with his arm still extended tooffer her the floppy rose.
“That’sreally sweet and everything but I don’t even know you and it’s kindof weird,” Amber finally admitted.
She tried toshrink back away from him but her locker prevented an escape.Students crowded the hallway but were uninterested in the scene asclass would be starting in a few minutes. Class trumped aconversation between two strangers, especially since tardiness wasmet with detention and no one wanted detention on a Friday.
“Well myname is Russell and I really like you,” Russell admitted with ascuffling of his shoes.
“Um, wellthat’s nice but I’m not interested in boys right now,” Amber vainlyattempted to make him leave.
“Oh, butI still want you to have the rose. Maybe you’ll change your mind ina few months or something and we can hang out,” Russellinsisted.
He thrust therose towards her again, his grip tight on the stem. Amber wouldhave felt sorry for him if he had not been hiding around her forthe past few months. It seemed that whenever she turned around hewas there. Even if she was in the library when her teacher hadbooked it specifically for a class, he was sitting there a few feetaway just staring at her. It was nightmarish.
“That’sokay, really. Besides class is about to start and I don’t think itwould survive in my bag or locker or anything,” Amber quicklyuttered and looked for an escape route.
There was none.She was pressed against the lockers as he took up all the room infront of her. Unless she was willing to push him out of the way,she was trapped. Besides, pushing him out of the way would be rudeand she figured that despite his scrawny frame, he might try tograb her or something.
“Hey man,the girl doesn’t want the rose, just leave her alone,” anothervoice entered the conversation.
Amber turnedswiftly to the sound of the new voice and stared at the other boywho was suddenly at her side. He was a bit taller that Russell andhad thick dark hair with deep brown eyes.
“Who theheck are you?” Russell asked with vehemence in hisvoice.
Amber hopedthey would not break out into a yelling match or worse some kind ofphysical altercation. She had always wished for two boys to fightover her when she was younger but now that it could become areality, she wondered at her sanity.
“I’ve gotthe locker beside her. For one, you’re blocking it and class isgoing to start. For two, I’ve seen you creeping around behind herand it’s not cool,” the new boy said as he crossed his arms overhis chest.
Amberrecognized him and wondered how she had been so blind as to notnotice him before. Between school work, socializing with new andold friends alike and Russell (as she now knew he was called)stalking her, she figured she did not have the mental capability tonotice a new face right beside her.
“I’m notcreeping around behind her,” Russell denied with ascowl.
Amber wonderedif she could slide along the lockers and escape that way. Sheglanced to the open space on her right and deemed the idea afailure. Her backpack would likely get caught on the locks hangingfrom the lockers and she would be stuck.
“Even ifyou’re not stalking her, she doesn’t want the rose and you’re goingto make us all late for class. Just go away,” Amber’s lockerneighbour commanded and even made the shooing motions with hishand.
Russell glaredat him the grumbled something under his breath. He gave Amber afinal fleeting look before turning on his heel and stomping away.Amber let out a breath she had not realized she had been holdingand turned to look at her locker neighbour.
“Thanksfor that, he wouldn’t leave,” Amber uttered with asmile.
His face lostthe angry edge it had before and Amber noticed he had a chiselledjaw with a smidgen of black stubble across his cheeks and chin. Hisnose was a bit narrow for his sculpted cheeks but he was cute.
“Noproblem. I wasn’t lying when I said I noticed him creeping aroundyou. He might be weird but he has good taste. I mean, not that it’sa good thing that he has good taste. Let’s start over and forget Isaid all that. My name’s Greg, what’s yours?”
Part 2:February 11th
Back ingrade nine, I tried to give Amber a rose for Valentine’s Day. Sherejected it and some other guy told me to go away. I don’t know whohe was but over the next few years he started hanging out with hermore and more. Because of him,I couldn’t get close to Amber. He was the whole reason she keptrejecting me. Over and over I’d ask her out: to dances, to themovies, to dinner, to go ice skating but she said no every time. Itwasn’t fair.
She dated otherguys, why couldn’t she give me a chance just once? Then she starteddating him. Gregory Michelson, the guy who told me to go away, thestraight-A student who just happened to be on the soccer team inthe spring and the hockey team in the winter. I hated him then andI hate him now. He took her from me and I’ll get him back thisyear.
***
Amber huffedand tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. It was past 11PMand she was technically supposed to be on her way home butpaperwork had her sitting at the nurses’ station still fillingthings in. She heard the bell signalling someone needed assistanceand waited a moment before another nurse went to answer thecall.
Besides thequick steps of the other nurse and the whispering chatter of thetwo nurses behind her it was silent. A cough broke through thestill air and Amber knew it was from
