The Ghost of Amara

Chapter 2: Dandelion

Lavanea's pov.

"Hey sweetie, may I talk to you for a moment?"

"Yes mom, sure! " She beamed and followed her mother to their veranda.

Her mom turned around and held her arms tenderly. With all the sun and the shine of the spring during March to May, the eyes of her mother emitted a glow that no child would not want to miss.

"I'm so proud of you my flower" heart bursting at the seams, she almost cried if not for the last word her mother never used to call her.

"Your flower? But-"

"Look at the time, hear that? " Her mom touched her cheek interrupting her.

"Time? what?" Confused as she was, she then heard a distinct shrilling sound coming from a distance.

"Shite!" She jolted awake from her almost too realistic dream.

Heart beating like a drum, she touched her cheeks where she then felt a wetness to it. Oh, she cried.

Stupid longing. Stupid ache for validation! Stupid heart for yearning acknowledgement!

"Oh God, I'm going to be late!" I was supposed to have woken up an hour and a half ago. No wonder my dream is like that. Shite! I have a long quiz today in one of my major subject Pharmacology!

Good thing I already made a cute cut out coupons of notes serving as my flashcard for review. The bad thing is, I spent so much time making and writing them that I still haven't reviewed it.

My fault actually. I spent the time convincing myself last night that watching t****k videos in between my "study" break is okay and healthy for my brain, kudos to t****k for also giving that advice. I didn't even notice it was already 2:00 am in the morning if not for a scary video I came across that I decided to sleep.

Grabbing my bath towel from its rack, I hurried into the bathroom to take a bath. After finishing, I didn't have much time to dry them completely so I just dried what I could and vigorously dried my hair with the towel acting like a chainsaw in my head.

I applied hair gel in my hair and comb it into a neat bun. I also put hair pins in there just to be safe. In my face, I only put sunscreen and moisturizer and then, done! I'm going to do the rest when I arrive in the school. For now, my goal is to get there as soon as I can, get coffee in costco, and then go to the library for quick review.

Seems like a solid plan. With that thought, I grabbed my pink tote bag and shove my books in there as well as my assortment of pens, highlighters, and pencils. I looked at my Pharmacology book and at my tote bag.

Ain't no way its gonna fit. Oh well, I'll just take my flashcards with me then since it has my notes right? And oh! These two stacks of folders for my project in biology as well. Its due later so I can't afford to leave it here or else I'll get disowned for failing a subject.

Grabbing all my flashcards and hugging my folders, I almost went out the door of my room but then I remembered my water tumbler so I got that too.

When I got to the kitchen, I scouted the shelves for any bagel in sight- finding none. I pulled out a drawer using my pinkie and find that its all candies and chocolates.

"Oh for pete's sake! Even energy bar's gone!"

"Don't you have a bag? Why are you carrying all your stuff like that?" I whipped my head around and saw my father starting to make his coffee.

"Umm its full" I half-grinned, half grimaced showing him my cute pink tote bag.

"Is that a flashcard? You did study the night before did you?" My father asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yes! I totally did!" I totally hadn't. I internally cringe with that thought.

He just hummed and turned his back to me making his coffee.

"You should have printed your reviewer just like your sister did" He suggested. Right.

"Yes, I should have. I have to go dad, gonna be late if not!" I ran away from the kitchen like dad just set my bum on fire.

Maybe he literally would if he knew I haven't study a word in my flashcards.

* * *

"Hello, may I have one large americano please, with two pumps of syrup" I grinned to the barista.

God, I haven't expected this place to be so well-packed today!

Turning my head around, the sight of a man tapping his toes, a lady anxiously checking her wrist watch, and another man from the back who seemed like he just got out of bed and was forced to even be here- made me focus my eyes back around the counter.

I tried counting the beans in the shelf while the awkward jeering sound of the receipt machine do its thing.

"Here you go, we'll call your number when your order is ready"

I grabbed the receipt and sat down on the nearby couch. Glancing at the digital clock attached to the far left corner of the cafe, I noticed that I only have an hour before class would begin.

As if hearing my thoughts, silly me, of course it would! -my feet began dancing in patterns on the floor.

"Iced americano to-go for order number 118!" I stood erect faster than my brain could process causing my environment to sway.

As I grabbed my order from the counter, I did a thorough scan of the cafe to see if I still have a place to put my things in and study.

None. So I made a quick decision and headed for the door.

Are drinks even allowed in the library? As far as I know, no? BUT, a classmate of mine did say its allowed so long as its not a food. So I can definitely bring this in right? Maybe I'll just have to hide the drink inside my tote bad once I'm there and then sip from it, like what Marco did when he brought his milktea in the library.

Yes, yes. That would work.

I hurriedly half-run, half-walk my way to the library building almost squeezing my coffee in between my hand while still trying to sip on the caffeinated drink.

Opening the victorian-styled library, I opt not to linger once again on the beauty of its structure like I usually do once this heavy oak door swing open to reveal the masterpiece inside.

"Do you think he'll like it when I wear my hair down just like this? " I discreetly went behind the two students who had just finished logging in the library portal guarded by the marshall of this place.

"Yes, yes he will! You look fantastic!" The two swivelled around and stared at me, I smiled at the girl for her question and she nodded back in thanks. Quickly departing from them once we reached a corner, the two girls giggled away their amusement at my expense.

Oh hey! Hahaha would you look at that, I have 30 minutes more to review! I took a big slurp of my coffee in celebration as I turn a corner, and immediately, I felt the strong bitter burn of the coffee going down my throat. Gosh, this was far better than father's coff-

I crashed to a tall figure in black. Comically, the cup of my coffee did a squished-and-bounced motion before deciding to spill half of its content on me, and on my flashcards to which I am holding in my pinkie.

"Oh shite! " I hurriedly tried to pick them up with few of them I have to pat to atleast save it from being completely torn. No use though, the notes were already unrecognizable due to the ink and highlighter mixing.

"Oh no, its soaked! " I looked up to atleast try and make the culprit somewhat guilty of what has transpired. I was blown away by the sight though.

A long pair of tower of sleek black slack with a tucked-in navy blue polo donning a black blazer hugging a frame of a solid lean form of a man. My eyes then met a pair of sharp cold grey eyes, they are a mixture of steel- unyielding and sharp, yet calm in a way how a lion observes before pouncing. His jaw- God his jaw! What made my heart pound like its dying though is his presence, the way he carries himself feels like a living reincarnate of Lord Voldemort from Harry Potter back when he was young.

"Who even taught you that bringing a coffee to a library is okay? " His voice, its unhurried yet resonant. A clash of a silent command and nonchalance. Who the heck is this guy?

"Well I... I um" I feel like there's something choking my throat thus preventing it from saying coherent words. Why does it feel hot all of the sudden? I can even feel moisture in my palms!

I was shaken out of my reverie though when this piece of hotness just stepped over my ruined flashcards and my coffee soaked self in the floor.

How rude! But handsome.

Still rude though, but he's handsome.

Darn it. What am I supposed to do with this now? I held one of the ruined flashcards in eye view. f**k! I can't even read a thing, this just looks like an art of splattered colors in canvas.

Hahaha who am I kidding? It looks like all my flashcards were ruined. I laughed hysterically again. The worst ones are the flashcards that went in the puddle.

I sniffed, and another splat of liquid fell in to my flashcards. Then another, and another.

I turned my blurry eyesight around before gathering all my things that is still in the floor.

I wiped a tear off my left cheek. While doing so, the damn river just keep flowing.

Good thing though my tote bag was spared. Yeah, good thing.

Standing on my shaky legs, I looked down on the mess I made in the floor. To leave now would buy me time to review.

Who am I kidding though? With what notes am I gonna do that? I'll just clean this mess instead and spare me the trouble of having to deal with detention.

Wow. A whole night of effort and just like that- poof! It's gone! Hahaha I guess my reviewer did want some coffee too, and how nice of that gentleman to give aid.

* * *

I stared glaring at my score sheet saying 0/100.

The paper in my hand swayed and fold when a gust of wind from a passerby walks by the door out of our classroom. Yet, I still stared unmoving and seemingly unfocused.

"Hey Levane, you coming? " I looked at where Aki stood. She was staring at me with worry in her eyes.

"Yeah, uhh... I'll just have to go in the bathroom real quick and I'll follow y'all there" I carefully folded the paper into two and neatly tuck it in my bag.

"Relax Levane, if this is about your score there's no use moping about it. I failed it too" My other friend Keith, scoffed and laughed dismissively.

"Yeah, yeah, sure" I forced my face to stretch a smile. Aki just put her hand on my shoulder in understanding and grabbed Keith to go to the cafeteria.

I hastily went out of the room in the opposite direction, and made my way to the bathroom.

Once in there, I checked the first stall I saw and find it empty.

As I sit down the pristine toilet seat, its cold feel in my bum a stark contrast to the heat in my eyes starting to accumulate.

Right then and there I allowed the dam to burst.

Damnn. Why did I put my reviewer in that damn flashcards again instead of just doing it in my notebook? Hahaha right, its cute!

So darn cute its now an added decoration in the trash! Funny how my meticulous designing of that thing just earned me a zero.

Oh! Oh! It's all thanks to that guy! He's handsome and seemed so nice to remind what a constant failure I am.

I giggled. Of course I blame him.

Its his fault at all that someone is dumb enough to bring a drink in the library and have it flying on the floor.

I lowered my head as I feel a choking feeling in my throat begging to let out.

I sobbed. Mom and dad will be SO disappointed. It's like I just validated their expectation of me- to which in itself is quite low.

I can already hear and see it now. Their expression of pity and my father shaking his head trying to hide his disappointment.

I always wondered why he even bothered hiding it from me. I was literally born, and grown up a constant disappointment to their perfect selves. What else is new?

I knew I wasn't as accomplished and as intelligent as my siblings. I already accepted it as a fact.

But darn it would be a lie if I say it doesn't hurt. Because it did. It does.

Silence is more painful when observed rather than shouted. It has this way of looming in your head you can pretend to ignore yet you just know its there. Crazy.

Over a failed quiz right? hahaha