Sorry, it’s not as happy as I said it would be.:( I’m not really in the mood to write happy stories right now.

===

“Well?”

Amanda looked up at the grinning face above her. Ordinarily, she would’ve smiled back at the brown-haired Alvin. This time though, she didn’t. Instead, she played with the stem of the rose in her hands.

“What’s wrong?” Alvin said, his smile fading. He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I thought roses are your favorite.”

“I like them, thanks. It’s just that…” Amanda cleared her throat. “Well…”

“Did something happen?”

“No, it’s just…” Amanda cleared her throat again. “What’s the deal between you and Katrina?” She said in a rush, as though she wanted to say it to get it over and done with, and that’s what she was feeling.

“Me and…” Alvin blinked, and then his grin re-appeared, wider than ever. “There’s nothing going on between us, Amanda. You know that, don’t you?”

“If I did, would I be asking now?” Amanda said. She tried to keep her lower lip from trembling, and she succeeded. Barely.

“Oh, come on, Amanda, don’t be jealous,” Alvin scoffed. “What made you think there’s something going on between us, anyway?”

“People have been talking…” Amanda mumbled.

“Since when did you care about what people thought? That’s not the Manda I know and love.”

Ordinarily, Amanda would have been pleased to hear Alvin saying he loves her, but not now. “Well… You spend more time with her than you do with your guy friends,” “And me”, she added in her mind.

“That’s because she’s a friend. Come on, Manda. We’ve been best friends since we were in kindergarten. What am I supposed to do, leave her now just because we’re together?”

“Just because?”

“You know that’s not what I mean,” Alvin said impatiently.  

“Then what do you mean?”

“Amanda, I love you. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have gone after you. You know that. If I wanted to be with her, then I would’ve a long time ago.”

“Exactly,” Amanda murmured, too softly.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Don’t you see, Alvin? Katrina’s in love with you, and I think she has been for the longest time.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“I’m not. One look in her eyes, and I knew. I thought at first she was just protective of you and that’s why she didn’t seem to like me when you introduced us, but now… She loves you, Alvin. And I think at the back of your mind, you know that too.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Alvin repeated. “How can I know that? And besides, that can’t be true. We’re buddies.”

“Really, Alvin?” Amanda gave him a sad smile. “I might not have said anything before now, but just because I kept silent doesn’t mean that I haven’t noticed what’s going on.” She took a deep breath. “I’ve also seen the way you looked at her at times, Alvin. I think that in some way, you also do love her.”

“What?!” Alvin yelped. “Sure, I love her, but not in that way.”

“Yes, in that way,” Amanda mimicked him. “I guess I should know where I stand. After all, I was the one who got in between the two of you. If I didn’t enter the scene, you two probably would’ve hooked up sooner or later. No, please don’t interrupt,” she said, holding up a hand when Alvin opened his mouth. “Let me finish, because this will probably be the only time that I would be saying this. Maybe the reason why I was brought here was to make you two realize what you feel for each other…”

“Amanda,” Alvin practically pleaded, “I love you.”

“I know, Alvin, but who do you love more: me or her?” Amanda waited, but his only response was to bow down his head. “I see.”

“Amanda…”

“Alvin, I don’t know what’s going on in your head, but I do know one thing: that if I stayed here, three people would end up hurting. I already am right now, but at least we can stop this before it gets any deeper.”

“Amanda, please…”

“I know, Alvin. I know. I just… I think we have to get away from each other, for a short time. That way, you can sort through what you really feel, and I… I can try and find out who I am in the picture. If you went for her, I’ll understand. Believe me, I will. It’s going to hurt like heck, but I’m not going to force myself where I’m not wanted. If it’s me you choose, well… I’ll just be here waiting for you to come, alright. Take care of yourself now.” She turned, and started walking away.

“Oh, and Alvin?”

Alvin lifted his head, his face pale, and looked at her. “Yeah?” He managed to whisper.

“Tulips.”

“Sorry, what?”

“My favorites are tulips. It’s Katrina who loves roses.”