SOPHIA WRIGHT

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"Sophia Wright, I love you!" I woke up and sat up. That scene kept playing on my mind and I couldn't forget about it. My best friend loves me... He does. How am I supposed to react?! I was really suprised. I got out of bed and looked at my alarm clock. It was one in the morning and I wanted to have some fresh air. I opened my window and closed my eyes while feeling the cool breeze hit me. When I opened my eyes, I spotted Florence looking at me from his window right across mine. How can I avoid him now? Truth is, I've been avoiding him and it's been two weeks since the Music Festival. I was the champion but my mind was too preoccupied with what happened between Florence and I.

"Hey.", he greeted and I waved my hand in reply.

"How are you?", he asked. Now we're conversing like we're complete strangers!

"I'm doing fine. Thanks for asking.", I replied. He just smiled at me and said,

"You shoud head back to sleep. It's pretty late. Good night.", he said as he closed his window leaving me behind. I just stared at his window. Did he just shut me out? I wondered and somehow my chest was a little hurt.

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"Morning!", a classmate of mine greeted me.

"Good morning.", I greeted back.

"Hey Sophia, can you help me with this assignment?", my classmate asked.

"Sure. Let's see...", I replied as I scanned my classmate's notebook. I saw Florence enter from the corner of my eye and I gazed back to the notebook.

"Place it there...and there...so you'll have square root of 4 as the answer.", I said.

"Wow! I never knew you were good in math.", my classmate said. Wait were you teasing me??

"Studying helps a lot.", I replied.

"Thanks for helping me Sophia.", my classmate thanked me.

"No problem. Tell me if you need anything else.", I replied and my classmate nodded. I took my notebook out and I didn't have the strength to even take a glimpse of Florence. Instead, I just sat there like an idiot.

"Alright. Winter break is coming and I won't let you go off the hook.", our teacher announced. The uproar of my classmates echoed the room.

"Now, now. It's really simle though. I just want you to write an essay about how your Christmas went. Nothing more. You can do that, can't you?", our teacher asked but my classmates kept complaining.

"Keep complaining but don't come running to me if anything happens to this.", our teacher said as he raised his class record and waved it back and forth. All eyes followed the motion of the class record and our teacher then slammed it on the table.

"Got anymore questions?", our teacher asked but my classmates agreed anyway and just kept silent.

"Good.", our teacher said. The bell rang and it was time for first period. Hours ticked by and before I knew it, it was already dismissal.

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FLORENCE JOHNSON

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Sophia and I haven't had a conversation for the whole day. I felt really lonely. She's really avoiding me. I took my backpack and I headed straight home.

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SOPHIA WRIGHT

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"Oh. What brings you here?", Ken asked. I unconciously found myself inside the music room on the sixth floor.

"I came here without thinking.", I replied.

"I see.", Ken replied and then continued, "what's wrong?", he asked.

"Florence confessed to me.", I replied.

"He finally did, huh?", Ken said. I didn't know what he meant but I just kept silent.

"What do I do?", I asked.

"Remember, you still haven't answered me.", Ken said as he approached me. I looked at him as I remembered about his confession. I totally forgot about it.

"So? Do you have an answer already?", Ken asked. What do I do? I don't want to make another mistake. I don't want things to end up like with Brandon before. Florence... what do I do? Think Sophia. Think! I also don't want to hurt Ken. He's been a friend to me. But... I don't know if I'll be happy with him.

"So?", Ken asked.

"I'm sorry.", I replied. Ken stepped back.

"Oh. I see. It's okay.", Ken said as I heard a painful laugh coming from him.

"Ken...", I said.

"Don't worry. I'm absolutely fine.", Ken said as he slowly walked right beside me and towards the exit.

"I have to go. See you tomorrow, Sophia.", Ken said as he parted. I was left all alone inside the music room. The smell of wood, the white curtains flying as the wind made contact. The golden orange rays of the sun lit the whole room. There were things covered by a white sheet and an old grand piano beside me. Tears were starting to come out from my eyes and were slowly going down my face. I was really confused. I didn't know what to do anymore. Did I make the right decision? Was I right in rejecting Ken's confession? Am I still being blind? Florence... please tell me... what is love?! Then a flashback of what Florence did to me when I asked the same question. The warmth of his lips came back to me. My heart began to race as I held on to the memory I couldn't forget. Is this love? I asked myself that question. Who do I love? I didn't know the answer. I wasn't even sure what love was. Really... Why do I fell so confused? Why do I feel a little hurt? Why am I crying?... This is all so new to me...

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FLORENCE JOHNSON

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I sat inside my room staring at my window; wondering what she was doing right now. Is she home now? I guess she must have been shocked when I confessed. I can tell she's avoiding me. It hurts. Will our friendship just end like this? No... I don't want this. I stood up and faced my window covered by the curtains. Should I open my window? I want to see her. But then I decided to not open my window. There I lay on my bed and slept the hurt away.

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"Good morning Big brother!", Michael greeted. I shouldn't show him that I'm hurt.

"Good morning!", I greeted. I smelled something delicious. It obviously wasn't Michael. I rushed towards the kitchen but it wasn't the person I was expecting.

"Aunt Zelda?!", I exclaimed in shock. What was she doing here?

"Oh, is that a way to greet someone who's cooking breakfast for you?", Aunt Zelda asked.

"I'm sorry. What brings you here?", I asked while I sat and ate breakfast.

"Florence, I came to bring you and Michael with me to London.", she said. Time stopped. I stopped eating and I heard Michael's happy voice. She is here to bring Michael and I to London with her? No. Why?

"Why?", I asked.

"Your uncle thinks that both of you might not be doing well ever since she passed away. So, we decided to take you guys in.", Aunt Zelda replied. I stood up and I banged my hands on the table. Both of them looked at me in shock.

"Why? Don't decide like you guys are our parents! Don't treat us like animals!", I yelled. I ran outside my house, rode on my bicycle, and drove away. Why all of a sudden? I don't want to go. More importantly, I don't want to leave Sophia. A tear surprusingly came out and streamed down from my eye. I stopped beside a tree and wiped my eye. From the distance, I saw Sophia walking alone. She had this sad expression on her face. My chest hurts. I want to go and hug her and whisper how much I love her and that I will never leave her. I want to tell her that I want to protect her and be by her side whenever and wherever. But she's so far away... far away from me... I wish she was near me. I took a deep breath and continued to drive my way to school.  Parking my bicycle on the parking lot, I took my bag and entered the building. Ken called me.

"Yo!", Ken called out. I spotted him leaning against my locker.

"Morning.", I greeted with a cold expression on my face. I remembered Sophia telling me that he also confessed to her.

"We need to talk.", Ken said as he went out of the building. What did he want to talk about? I followed him outside wondering what it was that he wanted to talk about.

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SOPHIA WRIGHT

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The bells tinkled and I was greeted with a warm good morning.

"Good morning!", I greeted back.

"Don't you have class?", Jordan asked.

"I don't feel like going.", I replied. My happy faced expression turned into a painful one which gave away the reason why I came here.

"I see. Follow me.", Jordan said as he led me to his room. I sat on his chair and he sat on his bed right across me.

"So tell me what's wrong.", Jordan said.

"Actually, Florence confessed to me.", I replied. Jordan made a surprised expression.

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JORDAN

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So he already confessed, huh? Man. I really have to finish it right away.

"Really? What did you say? Don't tell me that you rejected him.", I asked.

"No, I didn't! I was just... surprised that it made me speechless. I didn't know what to do.", Sophia replied. I could see through her confused expression.

"Jordan, can I ask you something?", Sophia asked.

"Sure.", I replied. At first she was silent. It was as if she was looking for the right words to say. Then she looked at me with confused eyes.

"What is love?", she asked.

"Well, that's tough.", I replied and Sophia was sad.

"I asked Florence the same question.", Sophia said.

"And what did he do?", I asked.

"He kissed me on my forhead.", Sophia replied. Oh? I see now.

"Tell me, do you want him to be with you always?", I asked and Sophia nodded.

"Do you feel weird sometimes when he's with you? You know, that confusing feeling you get when someone you know is with you.", I asked again and she nodded. I see. So she does love him back. She's cute. She is just innocent.

"This is all so new to me. I didn't know when this even started. Hey Jordan, please tell me... is this love?", Sophia asked.

"If he leaves you one day, would you be able to bare it?", I asked her back but she just remained silent.

"There's your answer.", I said and I continued, "Let's go. You still have school.", I said and both of us went out of my room.

"Hey.", Sophia called me.

"Hmm?", I wondered.

"Thanks for talking to me.", Sophia thanked me. I smiled and I patted her head.

"No worries. You have to tell him how you feel. Be honest to him like how he was with you.", I replied and she nodded. She walked out of the shop and my grandpa looked at me.

"You know, you should be saying those things to yourself.", he said. I just smiled and said,

"Nah. Looks like I don't have a chance. But though, can I wait for 100 more years?", I joked and he laughed.

"Well, you have to eat your broccoli first if you want to wait that long.", he replied and I laughed. Love can really be unfair sometimes.