Chapter 85: Chapter 85

Chapter 85

Courtship

"So, what is your question?" Iries asked him.

He smiled first, looked at Leighden, and said, "Can I court you?"

Leighden's eyes almost widened at her question. Some are joking weakly.

"1 minute to answer," Iries said and started running the clock.

She looks at their colleagues. She also smiles and that smile disappears immediately.

Hours pass before she can answer and all she does is glance and smile.

"30 seconds left."

She took a deep breath to have the courage to answer Draek's question, she moved a little to gather courage.

It seemed like a blow to her to answer Draek's question. Inside her, she could feel the spark of love as if butterflies and various kinds of flying insects were flying. The throbbing of her chest grew stronger with each passing moment.

"10 seconds."

Everyone is looking forward to her answer. They follow Leighden’s backward counting of time. She only had five seconds to answer Draek's question.

“3 seconds, 2 seconds—”

"Yes," she answered immediately to cut off what Iries was saying. Time was running out and everyone was stunned by her answer. Even she herself wouldn’t have thought she could answer Draek’s question.

To make Draek clear and confident, he asked, "Did you agree?"

She smiled and nodded, saying, "Yes."

Because of that, Draek's smile widened as if he was very happy with Leighden's answer.

Soon their companions shouted. Iries slapped Leighden's shoulder steadily while still squealing. She pulls away so as not to bruise her arm.

It looks like their bellies are wrapped in butterflies.

"You two are crazy!" Iries exclaimed once patting Leighden's arm again.

They laughed and laughed and soon they stopped as well.

"I'm sleepy," Pershey said softly. "I need to sleep," she added.

"Pershey needs to sleep guys," Leighden said.

"The game isn't over yet," Iries replied while holding the bottle and she was ready to spin again.

"She needs to rest," Caleb said and stood up. "Our beauty queen can't stay awake," he added. Iries just agreed. In fact they are already drowsy but they just keep from falling asleep while playing.

"What time is it?" Caleb asked. His cellphone was in his pants pocket and he didn't have time to pull it out to find out the time.

Iries pressed the power button to turn on the cellphone.

"11:00 PM," she replied.

After Iries tells the time, Caleb approaches Pershey to lead her to the stand.

Pershey stood up, said, "I can handle myself."

"I'll take you to your own tent," he said.

She also agreed since she did not know which of the tents was her tent.

And that's what happened. Caleb led her to her tent.

They were in front of her tent and there Pershey sat for a while. The towel lay on the sand where she was sitting. Caleb also laid a towel on the sand and sat down next to her as well. Pershey looked up and pondered.

The two of them were just quiet but Caleb wanted to talk. His mouth wanted to spill but he didn’t know how to start speaking.

He just picked up his cellphone and checked the time. He looked in the direction Pershey was looking. At that moment, as they were both looking at the sky, a shooting star passed by.

Pershey was ecstatic and even pointed out where the shooting star had gone.

"Did you see?" she asked as her hand pointed to the sky. "Did you see the shooting star?" she asked again, she looked at Caleb.

Caleb nodded as he smiled, saying, "I saw it."

Pershey was even more excited as she looked at him. A sweet smile draws to her lips.

She looked back at the sky while the smile was still there.

"It's beautiful," she praised the sky that the stars give life to.

"Yes, you're beautiful," Caleb said softly which he heard. Because of that, she looked at Caleb as if she was reading what Caleb's eyes indicated.

"You wish?" she asked. Caleb nodded in response. "What did you ask for?" she asked again.

Caleb tilted his head and looked at the cellphone.

He smiled sweetly, he said, “To be your future,” and the time dropped to 11:11 PM. Pershey noticed that, so she smiled.

"I'm going to sleep," she said and stood up. She took a towel and shook it.

"Goodnight, Shey."

"Goodnight too, Caleb."

She entered the tent and closed it. Caleb returned to rest.

"Did you see?" Fricks asked.

“Yes, we saw.”

|| • On the next day • ||

Pershey was busy stacking books inside the library. Many students were inside and quietly reading.

While she was busy, an elementary student approached. If you look at the child, he is only eight years old. He is carrying a rose. Pershey did not notice him immediately because she was busy with what she was doing and she did not immediately see the child.

She was sitting in the librarian seat. The librarian was absent, so she was the first to take care of the library since she also didn't do anything.

"Miss beautiful," the boy called softly and calmly, so she grabbed Pershey's attention.

"Yes, kid?"

"Flower for you," he said, handing her a rose. Pershey accepted that and couldn't help but smile. She noticed the sticky notes on the stem of the rose.

‘It’s just your smile that makes my day better.’

She even smiled especially because of the message written. She looked back at the child.

"Who did it come from?"

The boy smiled, he replied, "The man will be waiting for you."

She almost laughed at what the boy said, so she just laid her hand on the boy's head.

"Thank you," she said. The child left and went out of the library. She was left smiling as she looked at the rose. She smelled it and it was fragrant. The smile that was even sweeter than chocolate could not be erased from her lips.

She first lowered the rose on the desk and picked up the book. She opened it and focused her attention on it.

Later, while she was reading, another child, a girl, came in with a rose. As before, she did not notice the child entering and approaching her because she was busy with what she was reading.

"Miss bueaty queen," the girl called softly, so she immediately looked at her. Before the child could speak, she smiled at once.

"Yes, beautiful young lady?"

She did not notice the rose the child was carrying because it was hidden behind the child.

"Flower for you," she said then handed the rose to Pershey. She took it again and drew a smile on her lips again.

"Who did it come from?" Zshe asked while looking at the rose. She noticed the sticky note again.

‘My love is free, but only for you.’

Her smile widened even more after she read the content of the message. She looked at the child.

"Who did it come from?" she asked again.

The girl smiled, saying,

"The man seems to be waiting for you."

She just squeezed the child's cheek while smiling.

"Thanks for the rose."

The child also left and was she left smiling again as she looked at the rose. She is already holding two roses. She wonders who the roses came from.

She almost laughed softly as she lowered the roses on the desk. She took a deep breath and picked up the book again. She turned her attention back to what she was reading.

Five minutes later, another child entered. He was carrying another rose. As usual, Pershey didn't notice him right away. The boy approached her and tapped her to notice her.

Pershey looked at him and smiled again. He already knew what was going to happen.

"Yes, kid?"

"Flower for you," the boy said and handed her a rose. Pershey refrains from laughing at what is happening. She picked up the rose and as usual it also had a sticky note.

‘You look better every time you smile, you smile again and I will melt.’

She laughed softly at what she had read.

"Who did it come from?" she asked.

"The man will be waiting for you," the boy replied and left.

She couldn’t hide the spark she felt. That was the first time that had happened to her, so she felt so happy.

She was looking at the three roses she was holding and a smile was reaching her ears.

She didn't know, Caleb was just sitting along with the students. He was holding the guitar.

He started to move the string, so he became distracted. Because of that, Pershey noticed him and still couldn't believe it.

Caleb was not looking at her but at the guitar.

"I never gone with the wind, just let it flow ..."

She smiled and so did the students inside. No one disobeys him. Pershey just stared as he sang the song ‘Crazier’ by Taylor Swift.

He sang softly, so she could feel what the song meant.

Everyone inside the library are watching him. His voice is so sweet that it nourishes the hearts of those who watch and listen to him.

"... but you came along and you change everything ..."

She sings the song silently in her mind only. She admitted to herself that the butterflies were flying in her stomach again. The smile never left her lips especially when she heard Caleb's melodious singing.

“... you make me crazier, crazier, crazier...”