We observed the rest of the gallery seemingly disturbed. None of us wanted to discuss the elephant in the room. Did Hyacinth dislike me? I didn't even know her, though. We had just met the other day.

The weather seemed to exhibit what my mind was feeling at the moment.

As soon as we left to head back to the dorms, we were all struck by a significant gust of wind—it nearly knocked Poppy down. Gazing up at the sky, I noticed how dark and menacing the clouds had become. We all rushed to get safely indoors as soon as possible.

"Shall we play monopoly in our room this time?" Iris suggested.

We typically had game nights every Friday evening. It was a way to destress and have a little fun in our chaotic school lives. Iris and Tulip roomed together, so it would be a lot easier to just go to their room today.

We scrambled inside the dorms, making somewhat of a ruckus.

"Good heavens! What's going on out there?" Mrs. Marigold asked with worry.

"It's very windy," I replied, "Poppy says there's going to be a storm."

"Oh my... let me check the weather forecast and I'll notify the staff immediately if it's dangerous."

She then scurried off behind her desk and tapped away at her computer. We all gave each other concerned looks as we headed towards Iris's and Tulip's room.

The four of us played a few games together, losing track of time. Checking the clock, I quickly noticed how late it was. "I think I'm gonna call it a night ladies," I said as I stood up from the floor. The fatigue of this week had caught up to me and I was starting to feel it hit me like a ton of bricks.

Poppy told me she would stay to play one more round. I wish I had enough energy left but just couldn't keep my eyes open anymore. We said our goodnights and I picked up my cup and left for my room. We had a curfew at eleven o'clock on Fridays and ten-thirty was slowly creeping up. I was also eager to see Angel. I saw him earlier today, but I still couldn't help but miss him.

I held the ceramic cup to my chest and fondly smiled to myself. It was as if I had been struck by cupid himself.

Suddenly, I heard voices coming from one of the empty corridors. Trying not to be nosy, I quietly attempted to pass on through without hearing in on their conversation. However, the *chismosa part of me wanted to know what was going on.

As I crept up against one of the walls where they could not see me, I honed in on my hearing in order to clearly listen. When I heard whose voice it was, my knees nearly buckled.

"Repeat what you just said," Hyacinth demanded.

Who in the world could she possibly be talking to like that? What was going on? My heart raced. I knew I should have left the moment I heard it was her. But for whatever reason, I wouldn't move.

The other person was quiet. Hyacinth said, "Well?"

Then my heart plummeted to the core of the Earth.

"Camellia means nothing to me. She is nothing."

It was Angel. His voice was high-pitched—not his. My body had moved on its own and I was now standing on the far end of the corridor where Hyacinth's eyes met mine. With her phone in her hand, she smirked.

Angel immediately snapped his head in my direction. His face twisted in horror as he realized I had heard what he said.

I did not cry. I did not say a word. The only thing my mind could think of to do at that moment was run away. I ran out of the hallway and out of the dorms. Mrs. Margold called out to me but I did not listen. My head was spinning.

I didn't know exactly where I was running to but I ran for as long as my legs could carry me. As soon as I reached the garden, I made my way to one of the gazebos and sat down, out of breath. Then I realized I had dropped my cup.

°°°

I gently lifted my head from the table I was sitting on within the gazebo. Perhaps there was a reason why Angel had said what he did, but hearing those words come out of his mouth still hurt me. I didn't know how long I had been sitting here. I didn't care.

Was this what heartbreak felt like?

It was probably best if I go back inside. Poppy had been right after all. It started to drizzle a while ago and there was now a steady downpour. I stood at the edge of the gazebo and watched as the rain fell onto the flowers a few feet in front of me. It was almost as if they were crying.

I looked to the side and sighed. Luckily, there was a basket with a few umbrellas beside the table. They were donated by the alumni of this school. Rich schools, I silently scoffed.

Nothing, however, could make me feel better at the moment. It was dark and it was raining. Leaving the gazebo with one of the umbrellas in my hand, lightning suddenly struck something behind me. It was so loud and frightening that I jumped, running back towards the dormitory. The weather was worsening by the second.

The umbrella had blocked my view as I made my way up the stairs of the building, so I did not see Magnolia standing just outside the front entrance. She caught me by surprise.

But what really took my breath away was her expression. She was somber. Out of my entire time here, I had never seen Magnolia feature any expression other than satisfaction when something bad happened to me.

My immediate response was, "Magnolia? Where's Angel?"

Her eyes fell onto mine. "He went out looking for you."

This was an answer I was not expecting. Without another word, I quickly turned back around and ran off to find him. If something were to happen to him, I would not forgive myself. I had been careless.

The weather was unkind. There was a battle in the heavens above as flashes of lightning made its presence known. Thunder roared across the sky and shook the Earth below it. The wind continually played a game of push and pull against my umbrella. This did not trouble me, however. Trying not to let it win, I persevered through it and did not let it move me.

From head to toe, I had been completely drenched. The water was as cold as ice, so I worried about how Angel must be feeling. In his weakened state, he could easily get sick. This made me quicken my pace.

I fought against the raging wind and uneven rainfall as I called out to him. "Angel!" I screamed. "Angel!"

I continued to call out his name until my voice went hoarse and I could no longer feel my throat. Then, from afar, I could see a lifeless body lying on the cold, wet ground. Tears streamed down my face, mixing with the rain. I immediately took off in a sprint.

I fell to my knees and placed the tattered umbrella above him. Just beyond Angel was a smoking tree. It was where the lightning had struck when I ran off earlier. It seemed like the shock had hit him and he must have collapsed. He was not responsive as I shook him and called out his name. Not knowing what to do, I looked around for a sign of help. It was apparent to me that no one would come.

As if compelled by some external force of nature, I threw the umbrella to the side, picked Angel off of the ground, and placed him onto my back so that I could easily carry him. I attempted to stand up but almost toppled over with him. Taking in a deep breath, I mustered up all the force within me and stood up.

I adjusted him on my back and his head fell onto my shoulder. Once he was situated and secure, I began to make my long journey back to the dorms. Nothing, I meant absolutely nothing, would stop me from getting Angel back to safety.

After what felt like an eternity, I finally came upon the stairs of the dorms. The weight of him and I nearly made me fall when I suddenly felt a firm grip take hold of me. Magnolia took Angel off of my back and held him in her arms. She was extremely strong.

We then rushed inside and found Mrs. Marigold pacing behind her desk. She nearly fainted when she saw us, placing a hand over her chest dramatically. I was later told that she had sent out a search party for us but to no avail. They weren't very good at their job.

It was now two in the morning and I was starting to doze off. I waited patiently outside my room as Magnolia attended to Angel. The sound of the door opening had snapped me out of it. Magnolia quietly motioned for me to come in.

As I entered, my eyes quickly went to Angel, who silently laid on his bed. He had a damp towel over his forehead and his eyes were closed. "How is he?" I asked in a hushed voice.

"He has a small fever. I gave him some medicine so he should be feeling a bit better."

My eyes softened as I stared at him. He was so frail—so sickly. "Make sure you change his towel once and a while. I cannot stay in these rooms—I am not allowed," Magnolia stated.

I nodded and she promptly left. Sitting down on the floor beside his bed, I gently placed my head onto it. His long eyelashes fluttered as he slowly blinked open. I shifted, sitting up straight.

His eyes met mine. "I'm sorry," he said weakly.

As I gingerly placed my hand onto his face, I smiled. "There's nothing to apologize for."

Angel leaned into my touch and shook his head. "I didn't mean what I said. Hyacinth blackmailed me. She has a photo of me not wearing my wig."

It all made sense. Hyacinth was a snake. However, she was the last thing on my mind. I told him we would figure things out once he recovered and not to worry about it.

"Now rest," I crooned.

He gave me a small smile and closed his eyes. After a moment, when he was sound asleep, I stood up to wet the towel with cold water. Humming to myself in front of a bucket of water, something caught the corner of my eye. Sitting on my desk was my cup, out of its brown paper prison. Its colors were as vibrant as ever.

My heart was full again as I realized that Angel had picked up my cup and placed it there.

━━━━
a/n
*chismosa - a Spanish term for someone who likes to be nosy