FRANKIE
Iwrestled with myself about heading over to Bubba’s after school or having him come back to my place. Tutoring would have to be today or it would have to wait until Friday. I had work on Wednesday and Thursday. But he usually had games on Friday, so that would be tricky.
Mathieu:I look forward to having all of these meetings dealt with this week. The program liaisons have arranged a meal this evening for all of us in the area. It’s almost ninety minutes away.
I wanted to pout with him, but there were more exchange students in the greater metroplex area. It made more sense for Mathieu and his host family to go to them than the other way around.
Me:Try to get some sleep tonight. I work tomorrow and Thursday after school.
Mathieu:You said. Your friends? Are things still uncomfortable?
Uncomfortable. That was a word. I shrugged, not that Mathieu could see me. I headed out to my car as I turned my answer over in my head. Hitting the crossbar to open the door with my hip, I typed in a quick response.
Me:Working on it. Sorry about lunch.
Jake hadn’t said a word about it during AP Euro, which was probably because Mr. G had been present for the whole hour. The fact Jake had been trying to intimidate Mathieu hadn’t been lost on me. Nor had Mathieu’s refusal to back down.
The whole thing made my stomach jitter. Being angry with them for how they treated me was one thing. But I refused to let them treat Mathieu that way. Ilikedhim and they needed to deal with it. I was prepared to face off with them on this subject if necessary.
What I wasn’t prepared for was the rose sitting on top of my car or Coop and Bubba standing side-by-side and staring at it.
Mathieu:They care, ma poupée. I suspect they care more than they have told you. Do not be so hard on them.
The message had me blinking almost as much as the presence of the flowers. The door opened behind me and Jake came to a hard halt next to me. I hadn’t even realized he was following me.
Coop spotted us and held up his hands. “I didn’t do it.”
“Neither did I,” Bubba said slowly. “Wish I had.”
I clicked the screen off on my phone as I closed the distance to where the purple rose sat. It was definitely purple and beautiful. It also smelled fantastic. Despite the steamy temperature and the fact, it was parked on the hot roof of my car, the vase was still cool.
There was a note on the side of it and Jake took hold of the vase, balancing it. We might need to discuss the hovering, but I pushed that aside for now. Though, admittedly, the idea I was avoiding dealing with it made me pause. Why was I letting them still get away with stuff?
“Is it from Frenchy?” Jake asked, yanking my attention back to the present.
“Mathieu,” I corrected him.
“Whatever. Is it from him?”
“I don’t know, I haven’t opened it yet.” Still, the butterflies in my stomach were thrilled at the idea. Someone had left me a rose. Mathieu hadn’t said anything about it, but maybe that was the point. It was supposed to be a surprise.
The note inside was typed.
Lavender roses signify mystery,enchantment, and attraction at first sight. You enchanted me from the beginning. I hope you enjoy a little mystery. You deserve far more.
That was it.
“No one signed it,” Jake said before he glanced at me. Maybe it was from Mathieu. I’d send him a thank you later.
I reached for the rose and Jake’s frown turned fierce. For a split-second, I worried he wouldn’t surrender the vase but he handed it over.
“It doesn’t say who it’s from?” Coop asked. Jake had scanned the card, no way had he missed it from where he stood.
With that in mind, I shook my head and handed the card over. “No, but it’s really sweet.”
Coop and Bubba wore twin frowns as they scanned the note.
“I don’t like it,” Jake admitted and I elbowed him to get him to back up a step.
