Chapter 7: Roses and Rollercoasters
1067 Words
There are moments you never expect to live things that feel like scenes stolen straight out of a romance drama. That morning was one of them.
I walked into class like I always did,tired, slightly late, and hoping the lecturer hadn’t arrived yet. But today, something was different. The moment I stepped through the door, the energy shifted.
Eyes turned. Murmurs rippled. Then I saw it.
Right there, on my usual seat where I always dropped my bag without thinking...was a beautiful bouquet. Large, vibrant, wrapped in soft gold paper with a white satin ribbon tied neatly at the base. The flowers were roses. Red and white. My favorite colors.
I blinked twice, unsure if I was hallucinating. But no. They were real.
On top of the bouquet sat a small cream-colored envelope with bold, elegant handwriting on the front.
ZORA.
My name. In ink. In a way that made it feel like it wasn’t just anyone who wrote it but someone who knew me, or at least wanted to.
“Oh my God,” Clara gasped from behind me, nudging Becky. “Zora, someone’s got a secret admirer!”
“Ah-ahn, see packaging o,” Becky whispered, half-joking but clearly impressed.
I didn’t say anything. I didn’t even sit down. I just stood there, my hand hovering awkwardly over the bouquet.
My cheeks were burning.
People began to murmur louder.
“Who sent it?”
“Check the note!”
“Zora, you better share that gist.”
I finally picked up the bouquet and slid into my seat. Slowly, carefully, I opened the envelope. No name. No number. Just one sentence:
🌹“For the girl who made yesterday unforgettable.”🌹
I pressed the note to my chest for a second, hiding my smile.
I knew who it was.
After lectures, I stepped out, still slightly dazed from everything. The flowers were in my bag now, and their scent followed me like a soft perfume. The afternoon sun was bright, and I just wanted to get back to the hostel but of course, he was there.
Leaning against his sleek black car like a scene from a K-drama, sunglasses on, phone in hand, one leg crossed over the other like he had no business in the world.
He looked up the moment I stepped outside.
“You like the flowers?” he asked, casually, like he hadn’t just hijacked my entire day with that gesture.
I raised a brow and tried to keep a straight face. “Maybe.”
He chuckled. “A ‘maybe’ means yes.”
I rolled my eyes, walking toward him with my hands in my pockets.
“You’ve got a bold way of saying hi.”
“I figured I had to make up for yesterday’s ending,” he replied.
I tilted my head. “And today’s beginning.”
He opened the passenger door. “So... since classes are done, how about lunch? I know a place.”
I hesitated. I wasn’t alone I had come out with Clara and Tina but before I could come up with an excuse, Clara caught on.
“Oh, Zora,” she said, grabbing Tina’s arm, “we’ll go meet up with Kevin and the others at the field as usual.”
“Yeah, yeah. We’ll be fine,” Tina added, both of them smiling suspiciously.
Traitors.
They disappeared before I could protest.
I sighed and looked at him. “You’re lucky I skipped breakfast.”
He smirked. “Then let’s fix that.”
He took me to an amusement park. I didn’t even know one existed close to campus, but apparently he had connections. We got in for free or maybe he paid and I didn’t notice. Either way, I was impressed.
The air smelled like popcorn and candy. Kids were laughing, couples were holding hands, and music floated from speakers overhead.
It felt like being transported into another world. A lighter one.
“Let’s play,” he said, dragging me toward a row of game booths.
We played everything. He insisted on competing in basketball shots...I lost, miserably. He won me a giant stuffed teddy bear at the ring toss. I got cotton candy stuck in my hair. He laughed and picked it out.
There were rides, but I was terrified of heights. He said he’d protect me. I still screamed like a banshee on the Ferris wheel, and he said my voice was cute. Liar.
We ate hot dogs and shared a slushy two straws in one cup. He kept looking at me over the rim of his straw, smirking like he was reading my mind.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I finally asked.
“Because you’re... refreshing,” he replied.
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t hide the smile.
We talked. About school. About our dreams. Business major and planning to launch a tech brand with some of his friends. I told him I was still figuring things out.
“You’re different from most girls I know,” he said.
“How?”
“You don’t chase attention. But you have it anyway.”
He had a way of saying things that stuck to my skin long after he said them. He wasn’t overly smooth or pushy. Just calm. Confident. Like someone used to getting what he wanted...but respectful about it.
As the sun dipped, we sat near the carousel and watched the lights come on one by one.
“Today was fun,” I said, hugging the teddy bear he won for me.
He nodded. “I like being around you, Zora.”
“You barely know me.”
“I’m trying to fix that.”
I bit my lip, pretending to focus on the carousel horses.
we headed back.
Before he dropped me off, I noticed he got a call. He answered with a serious tone, speaking in business lingo “Yes, I’ll review the deck… Let me check with Tunde before signing off… We can present it next Friday.”
I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but it gave me a glimpse into another side of him.
He wasn’t just “some guy.” He was building something. Focused. Smart. Ambitious.
And he noticed me.
By the time we pulled up near the hostel gate, my heart was warm. Nervous. Excited.
I stepped out, said goodbye, and turned toward the building.
- Writer
