It was a bright and sunny day on the morning of our departure. Although, it was still a bit chilly because winter was only barely starting to come to an end. Spring was just around the corner.

Third years were scattered all around the front entrance of the school. We were all assigned the same bus with our classmates, so lucky for me,  I would be on the same bus as Angel. I had made it my mission to snag a seat next to him. He had been gone by the time I woke up this morning so I wasn't able to ask him then.

Everyone lined up to get onto the bus. I was afraid that someone would have already taken the seat beside Angel. I anxiously waited for it to be my turn. Tulip and Iris were nowhere to be seen yet and Poppy was located on a different bus. Knowing Tulip, she probably slept in.

It was finally my turn to get on. My eyes took in the entirety of the people in their seats, scanning for Angel. Then I saw him sitting on the outer seat at the very back. It didn't look like anyone was sitting next to him! I booked it straight down the aisle.

"Angel!" I cheered. His eyes met mine and he smiled. This was it! I would finally spend more time with hi-

My face contorted once I saw who was sitting at the window seat. Magnolia's eyes were like two small fires. I took a step back and nervously chuckled as I sat at the two open seats in front of him.

I let out an exasperated sigh and slumped down in my seat. Angel must have found this all very amusing because he would not stop snickering.

"I call window seat!" I heard Tulip's distinguishable voice boom from the front of the bus. Her hair was in complete disarray but that didn't seem to bother her.

"Hey! I'm surprised you didn't take the window side, Camellia." Tulip slithered her way through my seats and plopped herself down beside me.

"I-I get car sick!" I lied.

Iris sighed as she sat in the seats beside Angel's. "Sorry, we were late. Sleeping beauty over there would not get up."

"It's like the crack of dawn! How do you expect me to get up at this ungodly hour?!"

I laughed as she jumped to her feet to yell at Iris.

"At least you got here before we left," Angel said, "that's all that matters."

Tulip nodded, turned back to face Angel and said, "Totally, my mother would've killed me if I didn't make it to the charity trip. It's all she ever talks about."

"Wasn't your mom an alumni of Lunacrest?" I inquired. She had mentioned something about it before during lunch a long time ago.

"Yup! She always nags about how high school was the best time of her life. Barf." Tulip then imitated throwing up.

We all laughed. I wondered what this trip would hold for us. Perhaps we would all become closer. The beach could help us learn more about one another. Or it could potentially help us build up the courage to say what we've been wanting to for a long time.

°°°

The bus ride wasn't anything particularly special. Tulip had drooled all over my shoulder and was now trying to make it up to me by buying a bag of chips at the tourist shop located inside the hotel.

"I'll get you whichever one you'd like! How about honey butter chips!"

"Tulip, that's the ones you like," Iris retorted.

"I-It's fine, really! I don't mind being drooled on," I had unconsciously said. Angel scoffed. I lightly shoved him with my elbow.

Tulip ended up buying herself the chips and some brownies to share during our hour of free time later this evening. Right now we had time to walk around the hotel because the teachers had given us a few minutes to set our things into our rooms. We were all rooming with the same people we roomed with back at school. So Angel and I would be sleeping in the same hotel room. For some reason, it made me anxious. I didn't know why, it wasn't any different than back at school, yet I still got butterflies the moment we were left alone.

Well, almost alone.

Magnolia had thrown Angel's luggage onto one of the beds. Each room had two queen-sized beds and balconies.

"Rich schools sure are something, huh?" Angel sneered.

I opened the balcony door and a breeze filled with salty, cold air hit my nostrils. The sea was just beyond reach. It seemed neverending from here.

"Isn't it lovely?" I told him as I walked out to fully breathe in the wonderous aroma.

He stood beside me. "I haven't been to the beach in ages."

As I looked at him, his eyes seemed to desire something. They were longing, almost. I was happy, not because we were on this charity trip, but because I could stand beside him like this and just silently stare at the ocean together.

I then gazed down at his hand that rested on the rail. As if entranced, I reached for it. I wanted to feel his warmth again—to hold his hand in mine.

"Young Lunacrest, should I place your toothpaste in the bathroom?"

I flinched, pulling my hand back down to my side. The temperature levels rose to my head. Angel turned and walked towards Magnolia. They started up a discussion on something that I could not hear. What am I thinking?! I'm insane for nearly having done that!

My feelings for him were becoming too strong, to a point where I didn't know what to do with myself.

After having composed myself, I walked back inside the room and closed the balcony door. Right as I did, Magnolia left the room.

"Will she be sleeping in a different room?" I asked him.

He nodded. "The school arranged for her to have her own room. It would be weird to keep her here."

Just then, a question popped into my mind. "Why does she have to follow you around everywhere?"

Angel feverishly scratched his head. "Gah, sorry, this stupid wig makes my head itchy as fuck. But to answer your question, Magnolia was assigned to me before I entered high school. By my mother."

Those words struck me. Then when Angel said that his mother was always watching him, did he mean that it was Magnolia watching him? It made me angry. All this time, I thought she was on his side. But turns out she was a traitor.

"I'll never forget the first day I met her. Well, it's not a day I like to remember," Angel started, "It was a few days before I had to move into Lunacrest. My mother was angry. Since that morning, she had been fighting with me because I had told her that I didn't want to go to that school. At that point, she hadn't become physical. But there was something I said that changed that. She yelled, 'What's wrong with you?! Why can't you just be a grateful daughter and do what you're told?!' And something inside of me just snapped. Ripping off my wig, I yelled back, 'All I've ever wanted is to be seen!'"

He turned his face away from mine. What was he feeling? I took a few steps closer to him—he was so close yet so far away.

"My mother slapped me so hard that I fell to the ground. I was in shock because it happened so fast. The stinging sensation was unforgettable—she had left her handprint on my cheek. Her voice was flat as she told me, 'Don't ever talk to me like that ever again. Now put your wig back on, you look filthy with short hair.'"

Angel was silent for a moment—lost in thought. She's such a vile woman. I wasn't sure what I would do if I ever met her, but it probably wouldn't end well.

He turned to me again and walked towards the sliding doors of the balcony. "Then Magnolia appeared, seemingly out from the shadows. I gazed up at her and her face was as expressionless as it could get. My mother introduced her as someone who would be reporting back everything I did at school to her. For a while, I was terrified of her. But as time went on, I got used to Magnolia always being there."

"Magnolia is very strange, isn't she?" I tried to make Angel's mood shift. He smirked.

"I don't despise her," he stated, "but I don't like her either."

I nodded. The first time I had met Magnolia, I had asked her if something was wrong. She'd simply said yes. However, I truly wondered what she implied that day. For now—and probably forever—Magnolia would remain an enigma.

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