Darling of the Wild

Roses, Letters and Lipstick

I was smiling as I closed my locker after I picked up the stem of rose with a piece of paper attached to it. It’s been a week since I started receiving flowers, gifts, letters, or chocolates from an unknown person.

I read what’s written on the paper.

‘I hope this flower made you smile.’

Well, yeah, it did put a smile on my face, but I can’t stop myself from being curious of who’s behind this.

“Another one huh?” Philomena asked looking so fab while leaning in other lockers. She’s wearing pink head band and her pink bag was hanging around her arms. Chantal was standing beside her while hugging her iPad and fixed her eyeglass once.

I nodded before smelling the bloody red rose. I let out a smile before looking at my friends, “Do you have any idea of who might be the person who kept sending me these?”

Philomena fixed her blonde hair before crossing her arms, “I don’t have any idea, but I think your admirer is good looking”

“You haven’t seen him and yet you think he’s good looking?” Chantal scoffed at her.

I pouted before saying, “I do think the same thing!”

Chantal gave me that are-you-being-serious look, “No matter how good looking he is, if your brothers know about this, his face will be unrecognizable” she joked which made me chuckle.

“You know what, I think the reason why he’s being that ‘secret’ admirer because of your brothers. Like the whole school knows how overprotective they are. In my opinion, that guy is witty. He tried to hit with you in a very subtle way. He shows that he likes you by not gaining your brothers’ attention at all.” Philomena explained her idea to us which shows how invested she is in this. She glanced at us like she’s waiting for us to agree with her.

“Nice point” Chantal just agreed with her, “But still be careful, Maia. We still don’t know who he is or if he’s really harmless. Don’t get too carried away with roses and letters.”

I nodded on Chantal’s warning but I just wanted to cherish the things I got from this ‘admirer’ because there are only few times where I receive such things aside from my dad and brothers. This is a harmless appreciation.

“Maia!” I heard the voice of Lewis, one of my brothers, outside the locker room, “Are you there?” he added which made me hide the flower quickly inside my bag.

“Yes, I’m here!” I answered before glancing at Philomena and Chantal who’s just watching me panic.

“Aren’t you eating lunch?” Now, I heard Marcus, twin of Lewis, sounding bored while asking.

“Wait!” I shouted then I asked my friends “Let’s go?”

They just nodded and we all went out of the girl’s locker room. I found my twin older brothers leaning against the railing while waiting for me. I gave them a smile as I walked towards them. Marcus quickly put his arms around my shoulders.

“What took you so long? I’m so hungry” he complained as he gets the iPad from my arms to carry it himself.

“Huh? But you just came” I asked bewildered on why they are blaming me.

Lewis, who is behind us, chuckled. Philomena and Chantal are beside him talking about something else. I just glanced at him, curious what’s funny.

“Oh! Where’s Morgan by the way? Aren’t he eating with us today?” I inquired when I remembered our another brother who’s two years older than Marcus and Lewis.

We started walking towards the cafeteria before Lewis answered me, “He has a meeting with his groupmates about their project. He’ll come after that.”

I just nodded and we all made our way to eat. However, as we take a turn towards the stairs, someone bumped against me which almost made me fall. Good thing that Marcus’ arms is around me that he stopped it from happening. I felt a mild pain in my shoulder.

“Hey, are you okay?” Marcus asked immediately when he noticed how my face changed. I nodded despite feeling a little pain in my body. The guy is as tall as my brothers while I was petite. If it wasn’t for my brother, I might be lying on the floor now.

“Dude! What is your problem?” Lewis irritatingly confronted that guy who bumped me. He seemed like he’s being chased.

Instead of looking apologetic, the guy mirrored the same expression of Lewis and about to run again but he was stopped by my brother by grabbing him in the collar.

“I am talking to you, asshole! Where do you think you’re going?” Lewis is looking so mad that I needed to interfere.

“I’m okay. Let’s just go.” I softly held his arm to calm him down. My family is pretty sensitive when I am hurt or if someone is troubling me. They have short patience in matters like this. I am the only girl in the family since my mom died giving birth to me. That’s why they’re extremely protective.

Lewis glared at the guy before pushing him away. Marcus is just silently watching. Same with Chantal and Philomena.

“Is there a problem here?” we all turned our heads towards the owner of that deep and serious voice. Standing tall at 6 feet is the vice president of the student council, Aiden Sebastian Velasco. He looked clean and nice wearing blue polo tucked inside his black slacks. Few folders are in his arms.

He glanced at me but when he saw me looking at him, he diverted his look towards my brothers.

“Nothing.” Marcus dismissively answered. He held my hand and gently pulled me away to continue our way towards the cafeteria. Lewis ignored Aiden and started walking away but he bumped the guy by force with his shoulders. I took another glance at the vice president of the student council and he’s just looking at us silently showing no emotion on his face.

I felt tension between my brothers and Aiden. Stronger than what’s between them and the guy who hit me with his body. Do they know each other personally? Marcus treat people he hates the way he treated Aiden. I wonder if they fought in the past or had an issue.

When we reached the cafeteria, we chose to sit beside the glass window. Lewis volunteered to get food for everybody. He stood up and left after knowing what we want. Marcus took out his phone and got busy with it. While Chantal, Philomena and I talked.

“It’s really interesting how your brothers get really sensitive and mad whenever someone bothers or hurt you” Philomena commented like one of my brothers isn’t sitting beside me.

Chantal glanced at her, “Aren’t your brothers like that too?”

My friend who has two older brother and one younger one, scoffed, “As if! The only thing they know is to bully me.”

“My brothers were like that too” I told them. Trying to say that I know the feeling and to say that my siblings aren’t always sweet.

“I never bullied you” Marcus protested immediately and put the phone down to give his full attention to me.

I tried to think of the time he annoys me. When I realized he was telling the truth, I stuttered but I don’t want to back down, “W-Well, the others are making fun of me.”

“I’m not part of it. Don’t tarnish my image” he answered back.

I rolled my eyes at him, “As if like you really have a good brotherly image.”

Morgan just shook his head and stayed silent because he knows I’ll never back down and if I felt cornered, I’ll cry.

“Oh, yeah. They are still like other siblings” Chantal remarked, staring at us.

I was about to speak but my fourth oldest brother, Morgan, arrived.

“Hello, everyone! The most good-looking person on earth has arrived!” he cockily declared and sat on the seat beside Marcus “What are you girls talking about? Are talking about boys? Make sure he’s better than me though” then he continues talking nonsense things.

Marcus ignored him while I just gave him a blank stare with the thought, why do I have a brother like this?

Philomena and Chantal made a face before talking about something else. Morgan looked at them waiting for someone to answer him. Well, no one did. His eyes met mine then he grinned at me. He stretched his arms towards me, hitting the face of Marcus along the way, then he pinched my cheeks.

“Maia, my sweet little sister…” I smiled at his first few greetings despite of the pain of his hands squeezing my face, “… why are you so ugly though?” he added in a bewildered tone. My smile faded away along with his question. I tried to remove his hands over me, but he just pinched me harder. Philomena and Chantal’s chuckled can be heard on the sight of me and Morgan fighting. This brother is top one on pissing and bullying me.

“Ouch!” I complained. “Marcus, help!” I called out, but Morgan quickly pushed Marcus away using his hip then his butt.

“What the hell!” Marcus exclaimed, disgusted on our brother. He tried to help me out again, but Morgan continued moving him away with his ass. This is the same move I see him doing in basketball when he’s playing with my brothers.

We definitely look stupid and funny. I know we gained the attention of the students from the nearby table. Morgan was pinching my cheeks while twerking to keep Marcus away. I stopped removing his hands on my cheeks and covered and hid my face instead. This is so humiliating. Morgan is really embarrassing. My two best friends are just laughing and enjoying what’s happening. Didn’t even made a move to help.

“What are you guys doing?” Lewis voice made me removed my hands on my face. My face lit up when he slapped Morgan’s butt after putting down the tray of our food. “How old are you, huh?” then he gave him another hit on the back of his head which my annoying brother just replied with a laugh.

Finally, my cheeks are free. I rub my palm over them because it’s kinda itchy and aching. I glared at Morgan. “You are so ugly and annoying!” I irritatingly blurted out.

Marcus, Lewis, Morgan, Philomena, and Chantal glanced at me and all broke into a laugh.

I stopped glaring and become confuse on why they are laughing at me, “Why?”

“Your cheeks are so red” Chantal commented. I put my hand over my face quickly, “Really?”

“You look like a tomato” Philomena added and chuckled.

I grabbed my compact mirror from my bag to see myself and they were right. Because of the pinch, my cheeks are bright red now. I tried to rub and massage it but there’s no use. 

Morgan’s laugh was the loudest and irritating. I glared at him again.

He scoffed, “Tomato? I think he look like Annabelle” his remark made me more irritated. I grabbed one of my lipsticks from my bag then I throw it towards him with all my might.

However, Morgan got fast reflexes which helps him avoid it and made my throw hit another innocent person.

“OH MY GOODNESS” I exclaimed and stood up in panic with my hands covering my mouth.

The guy who received the hit touched the back of his head before he looked towards us. My eyes grew in shock when I saw who it was.

It was the vice president of student council which my brother ignored a while ago!