Monday back at school was exactly how Monday sounded to anyone who mentioned it.

Miserable. Uncertain. Wary.

Their Sunday didn't end the way they expected. The last hour before they went their different ways, the boys confessed to Raine what they did while Erica was plotting ways to kill Bree.
Her protective instinct for Elijah grew after he told her what he kept from everyone. It also cemented their bond. He trusted her and was taking another chance at opening his heart. She knew hurting him will be a hard no, doing that to him will not only kill her but hurt her new friends also. Erica has become close to them and understood why they all stuck to each other. They protect and care for each other. 
She was once an outsider looking in at them. Rumors are made with them, idol-worshipping, and invasion of privacy at times. Photos were posted of the group over Instagram and Facebook whether it was in class, team practice, or normal day-to-day, it was crazy. Now that she was now in the circle and in a relationship with Elijah, she will surely protect him and her new friends with all she got.

Needing that connection with him now, Erica reached onto her lap and held onto his hand that was idly placed on her thigh. Her light squeeze pulled his attention from the class teacher to her. "What's wrong?" he whispered taking in her intense look.

Boldly she closed the distance between them and placed a quick kiss on his lips. "Nothing," she returned and placed her head on his shoulder. Her eyes closed in bliss when she felt his lips on her forehead then the gentle tug of her loose braid. "You've been in another world since I told you everything," he said loud enough for her to hear. It wasn't a question but the gentle push in his calm tone told her he wanted to know why she was quiet.

"I'm promising mih self not to hurt you," she returned.

"I'm doing the same."

The two stayed in silence listening to their Literature teacher, staying in their own world while oblivious to the quick glances they were receiving from classmates. They learned to ignore it all. It was only them in the relationship, not the outsiders who wanted front row seats to it and probably foreseeing their breakup in their minds. The new couple was ready for the rumors to be started and do childish things to get them to go against each other. 

Petty cunts, Erica told him when he warned her of what is to come while dating him. 

"Plus I wanna kill yuh ex for hurting you," Erica grumbled.

"Easy there, my island flower," Elijah returned softly, stifling a laugh. His girl was fierce.

                                                                                  *******

Lunch hour came by quickly and the table the friends sat at was filled with amusement and unease. Raine had her eye on the three boys who showered her with 'I'm sorry gifts and a promise to apologize to Travis. That's if the poor guy showed up. No one has seen him the entire morning and if any student did see him, talk would have spread throughout the school. The result of a beating from two trained boxers and a hothead would garner attention.

"Maybe he's at home. We can go apologize to him there. We didn't mean to hurt him... that bad. It's just...." Alec started.

"You were crying, Raine. We hate seeing you cry," Elijah pressed.

"He hurt you. He hurt our sister," Harem ended for all three of them. Raine heaved a heavy sigh and met all five guys' gazes then the girls on either side of her. Erica and Ayanna gave her a shrug saying, 'They're right.' The boys all wore apologetic looks but she knew if any other guy was to hurt her again the same will happen all over again. "I appreciate the love and protection you have for me guys but three on one was too much. Thanks for having my back. If he..."

"WHOA!"

"The fuck happened to you, Donners?"

"Who did you pissed off, freak?"

"I don't think that glasses will help you. You can nearly see out of that eye."

The curious and taunting shouts from the student body stopped her mid-sentence. The boys lowered their heads and focused intently on their meal before them, even the two who had no part in the beating of Travis.

"Oh god," Raine groaned pinching the bridge of her nose. In her peripheral, left and right she spotted the girls trying to get a look at him while she kept her head straight not wanting to see. Ayanna and Erica aren't the best at being subtle. 

"Ah geez!"

"The fuck!"

The exclamation of the two girls brought some attention to their table. "You guys," she hissed not wanting to see the damage on him. Her heart was racing, not in fear but in anxiety and hurt. She was still bruised from his onslaught last Friday and stupidly still had feelings for him. The need to rush to him was there. She wanted to make sure he was alright but he told her to stay away To leave him be.

"He took his prepped lunch and left. Didn't you stop it?" Ayanna asked confused. Raine didn't answer, heck she couldn't.

"I-I'll be back," she said distractedly to them and rushed out the door.

Her friends back at the table watched her empty seat. They were all thinking the same. She won't be letting Travis go anytime soon.

                                                                               *******

Calling herself all kinds of stupid, Raine searched the halls for him, spotting at the last moment when he turned the corner. He was heading to the back of the school. There were a few covered lunch tables out there for an option not much kids used. Running to meet up with him, his words resonated in her head while her own conscience was guiding her towards him. A conflicting mind is never a good thing, especially in this upcoming situation. Thankful of the sneakers she chose to wear with her Korean-styled school uniform, she was able to meet up with Travis when he took his seat. Approaching him silently, she saw the purple-hued bruise on his jaw and the darkness at the corner of his eye. 

"Travis?"

Raine froze when he visibly flinched and stopped his actions of setting up his laptop. He said nothing. 

"They confessed to me yesterday of what they did to you last Friday."

Nothing.

He simply carried on with setting up his laptop and kept his head down. Raine didn't dare get closer in fear of him lashing out. Her heart sank and tears burned her eyes after that thought. She feared the guy she fell for and that wasn't a good thing. 

"I wanted you to know that my feelings for you are.... are... I'm supposed to say was but I can't," she began. Swallowing the lump in her throat she shifted uneasily on her feet. "My feelings for you are genuine and I'm sorry for invading your personal space. As... As promised I will leave you be. Ummm.... also... I... they... the boys apologizes for retaliating last Friday. They're very protective of us, we are truly sorry and will stay out of your way. If you press charges or ask for compensation, they are ready to accept it. I'm sorry, Travis." Raine wanted to tell him that his access to everything she made possible will still be there but somehow felt it's better to let it go. She didn't want him to feel obligated to return a favor or whatever to her. She had to make a clean break no matter how much it hurt. 

Silly isn't it. Suffering heartache over a guy you haven't even kissed, Raine glumly thought.

"Travis?"

"It's alright," he said softly. 

Not knowing what she was waiting on, Raine stayed in her spot watching him work. She loved watching him work and seeing how focused he gets into whatever topic he was interested in. That was one of the things that drew her to him. When he's not a grump, she loved the way he respected the teachers and was helpful to those who weren't good in academics. Overall she has always been drawn to him. 

"Do you really like me?" he asked with his eyes still on his laptop. Raine stepped closer, thinking his question was an opening. 

"Yes. I do."

"I'm sorry that you do. A waste of your time and energy," he returned coldly. Raine's breathing hitched, you can hear the unexpected sob formed in her throat. That was it. The last nail in the coffin of her dreams of him. When she thought she will maybe, just maybe have another shot at him, he give her a subtle yet hurtful brush off.

"Y-yes. I see that now. Good luck with your research. I hope you find the one you wish to pursue," she countered with her head held high. Turning on her heels, Raine walked with all the pride she had left and made her way back to her friends.

There goes her dream of being with her first and only high school love.

                                                                                   ********

Removing his trembling hands from below the table where he hid them while delivering the last blow, Travis took a deep shuddering breath. He felt like fucking crap. The only girl who genuinely cared about him just walked away from him. It was all his fault. With such a high IQ he was so gullible.  It took a beating for him to realize he was duped and the damage was already done. He had no choice to push her away completely. 

The food box he accepted in the school cafeteria caught his attention. After so many insults she still cared about his well-being. It felt.... good but undeserving.

"Totally undeserving," he muttered to himself. Dealing with the unease and anxiety, his appetite vanished but when he opened the food box as a second thought, the large serving of vegetarian lasagna brought it right back. A small smile tugged at his lips. She even knew how little he ate meat. If his self-esteem was high, he would have thought he gained a fan, probably a stalker.

"You're so pathetic, Donners." The taunting voice of Natalie made him nauseous. Repacking his lunch and his bag quickly, he didn't even look to see what way the bitch of a sidekick was coming from. 

"You do know that's charity right? Food from a rich daddy's girl. Didn't you learn your lesson from last time?" she continued. This time she was closer than before. 

"Come off it, Nat. I did what you two asked. You tricked me. You said she was the one playing me for a fool," he grounded out. Turning to her, she finally saw his condition, the shock registered on her face first then that sneer she always sport took home on her face. 

"I wonder who became her white knight. Fucking goody too shoes assholes. This is a good look, Donners. Makes you look tough. Got your ass beat by who?"

Travis knew she was fishing for new ammunition for whatever crap she and Bree were concocting. He was already part of some plan to hurt Raine, he couldn't hurt her anymore. He was so stupid and still filled with anger that he believed Bree's lies. Raine will hate him and he will accept it. 
Ignoring her snide remarks about him and his bad luck with the last high society girl, he took the long way around the school to make it to the library. Natalie stopped after ten minutes of pestering him and went off to God knows where. 
Entering the library, he kept his head down, not wanting the two librarians to see him. He was near his designated desk when the head librarian approached him. When she saw him, she simply gave him a pitiful smile then ushered him to his table. Mrs. Sinclair has been the head librarian for years at Spencer High. She has witnessed a lot between students and created a bond of books with a few of them. This year she was presently witnessing pure heartbreak and unknown kindness. 

"It's good to see that you're eating. You need to take care of yourself more, dear," she told him. 

Travis gave her an agreeing nod and for the second time, he unpacked his bag. His brows furrowed in realization. "You don't allow anyone else to eat in here but you allow me to do so," he said bluntly. 

This is what she liked about this young man. He wasn't afraid to speak his mind but sometimes he can be oblivious to the happenings around him. "A few are allowed to do so. I came to tell you, we've received some new books. The ones I told you about a week ago?"

"The latest modern medicine? Those will help me prepare for freshman year at college," he said excitedly.

"So you decided on a field to pursue in Medicine? You've studied each science text we've brought in but the past school year you've narrowed it down to medicine." Mrs. Sinclair admired Travis's perseverance but he failed to notice the world around him. Especially a certain brunette whose heart revolved around him. She wondered if he noticed that all new books in sciences were only for his use. No other student checks them out, nor requests them. Mr. Johnson confided in her it was all Raine's doing, she wanted Travis to get all the help he needed.

"N-Not as yet," he answered a bit unsure of himself.

"Are you alright, dear?"

"I'm fine. Just a little off," he replied quietly.

"You should eat. It's probably that. I will be in my office if you need me. The books are in the reference section. Enjoy, sweetheart."

Travis tried to eat and focus on the latest topic that caught his attention but he couldn't. Something was brewing and what he did to Raine will be part of it. She will be embarrassed by whatever those two witches have up their sleeves. Shame came over him. Raine was being herself, her sweet caring self towards him.

Maybe he can stop it or better yet warn her. 

And tell her what?

He didn't know what they were doing but some warning will help the blow of what's to come.

                                                                                      ********

"Something happened." 

Both Erica and Ayanna were seated on the bleachers under a large umbrella, spectating Elijah's soccer practice. Raine left during her last block of the school day with the excuse of not feeling well. They all wanted to push her in questioning but they sensed that they shouldn't. When she returned to the lunch hall, her eyes were red along with the sadness she carried. No matter how she tried to smile at their silly talk, they all sensed her change in demeanor. 

"She's punishing herself over that guy. He doesn't deserve her," Ayanna said with frustration coating her voice. 

Erica was quietly going over Raine's predicament and also Ayanna's. They both were having guy problems while she was in a novel-worthy romance. Simple girl caught the eye of a rich Instagram star, a total fanfic book right there. 

"She believes in love. In de most painful an' wholesome way," Erica muttered. 

"Why does love have to be so painful?"

"Talkin' bout your scene or Raine's," Erica countered. Ayanna blushed and placed her focus intently on the practice match. 

"I saw him with a girl when I was leaving the office. She was all over him and he simply allowed it." The last part was a painful whisper. Squeezing her fingers to counterbalance the lancing pain in her heart, Ayanna tried to banish the images of that girl's arms around Mischa's neck as he smiled down at her. When she walked past them, she held her head high, clutching her books close to her chest trying to ignore the jealousy that was burning her heart. The worst thing she had to witness was the one thing she didn't want to see. Him kissing another girl. She understood that they weren't in a relationship and he called their kiss a mistake. Who was she to be jealous of? She isn't interested in a relationship anyway, he can kiss any girl he wants. 

"Fuck!" She cursed after thinking over everything she was going through and comparing her situation with Raine's. Little similarities but she now understood why her friend went through the lengths for Travis, no matter how much hurt she went through. 

"Yup."

Ayanna scowled Erica's way, miffed at her friend's knack for in-depth observation of everyone around her. 

"Yuh better off without him right? Both allyuh don't want a relationship, right? If he hooks up wid some gyul then it's okay," Erica said playing devil's advocate.

"Y-Yeah. He can hook up with whoever he wants," she said firmly. On the inside, she was screaming no to the top of her lungs. 

"So if he bring she around yuh, yuh won't mind."

Ayanna couldn't answer. She simply shrugged her shoulders and attempted to change the subject by planning another girl's weekend. "Not this weekend. Elijah wanna go out both Friday an' Saturday. Boy crazy, yes," Erica said with a silly smile on her face. 

"That's cute."

Erica was now distracted thanks to Elijah breaking away from his team and jogging towards them. "Hey, girls," he greeted. Giving Ayanna a small wave, he then offered his hand to Erica and smoothly pulled her from her seat and now had her wrapped around his body. Turning away politely as the two kissed and whispered sweet nothings to each other, Ayanna felt that yearning of having someone's affections like Erica had with Elijah.

No, just finish high school then college, relationships can come after, she reminded herself. It can wait.

"Yaya. I'm heading to the lockers. Do you want to wait with Erica till I'm finished or do you want to head home?" The concerned tone in which Elijah spoke to her, told her that Erica voiced her concerns with him. What did she do to have such good friends?

"Ummm.... I'll wait. I don't feel like being alone right now," she answered giving them both a small smile.

"I can talk to him," Elijah offered on the Mischa issue.

"Don't. Who am I to stop his high school experience?" she returned with another small smile. 

Elijah and Erica both gave her concerned looks before nodding their heads in agreement. With a wistful smile on her face, she looked on as Elijah gave Erica a playful kiss and smack her bum before placing her back on her feet. They were so cute together. You can always see either of them simply looking at each other with glazed eyes and silly grins on their faces. They are always together and simply enjoying each other's company. Simple bliss. 

What if... Ayanna thought to herself. What if.

                                                                                     ******

"Yuh did know about Mischa and Ayanna?" Erica asked while trying to get rid of the ice cream on her lips. Elijah chuckled and playfully licked the rich chocolate from her lips, earning him a kiss with both of them laughing at their silliness. 

"Yeah. He came to H and me, freaking out about it. Before we had time to ask him about her, he already talked himself out of pursuing anything with her or any other girl. We all notice how they both are possessive of each other but Yaya hides it better," he answered. The two were at the town park, enjoying the evening sun while indulging in ice cream while they talked. Erica had her legs over his lap while he held her close, wrapping his arms around her tightly. 

"I feel bad."

"Why, baby?" he asked tipping her head back to look at her face.

Erica closed the small distance between their lips and pulled him into a slow kiss, loving the taste of his caramel ice cream on his lips and tongue. The groan that escaped him made her feel proud, knowing it was she who caused that. How lucky was she to gain his attention and be happy with him? "If we continue this, we'll be locked up for public indecency," he teased. His sweet breath tickled her lips, making her laugh softly. 

"Not sorry at all."

"I know you won't be," he laughed kissing her lips chastely then head. "Now tell me why you feel bad."

"I feel bad 'cause we happy together and Ayanna an' dem sad. Well, Harem finding he self out of that funk but Ayanna..."

Elijah sighed and kissed her temple. "When I asked you out, that evening the blowup between Selby and Harem happened. I felt guilty for finally coming out of my own funk and he was just hurt. I told him how I felt and you know what he said?"

"Wah?" she asked truly wanting to know.

"He said..." Elijah began after taking a quick lick of her ice cream. Her nose wrinkled adorably in mock annoyance which only gained her another of his sweet kisses. "He said, he doesn't mind and I shouldn't stop my healing because he got dealt a bad hand in love. He sees our new relationship as proof of happiness after heartbreak."

"Shit. That's smart," Erica muttered. A laugh escaped him once more, he couldn't stop looking at his new girlfriend. She was a great addition to their group and the source of his happiness also the healing of his heart. 

"Yeah, it is. The best we can do is be there for her. Mischa made his decision it's only fair that we respect it."

"You right," Erica countered. 

"Let's go for a walk. I don't want our time to end yet."

"Neither me."

Kissing her lips slowly, Elijah groaned in pure pleasure by feeling her lips against his and having her body against his. He was sure in his heart and mind that Erica was his and only his. He can feel it. Everything his brothers explained when they realized their high school girlfriends was their future. It's still early in their relationship to say she's the one but he can't deny the signs and feelings. Elijah couldn't wait to continue the journey Erica and himself has begun. 

She got to her feet and placed a soft kiss on his lips before standing upright. He couldn't help but admire her simple attire and still looked beyond gorgeous. 

"Wah?"

"You're beautiful," he simply answered. 

Erica's cheeks heated by the compliment. She admitted to him that it was only her father and friends who complimented her so it felt weird yet really good when he do so. 

Standing to his full height, he threw his arm around her and began their walk.

This is what he wanted and he received it with open hands.

His Erica. 

His Island Flower.