"I'm the best of them all, since I did it so my friend didn't get fat and ugly!" He answered, smiling.
"Right..." I answered, smiling.
"Now, seriously! What are we doing today? I don't want to spend another day off doing nothing," Andressa complained.
"I know what we can do!" I said excited.
"As long as it isn't trying to find out who's sending you those roses..." Lucas said, shrugging.
"I still don't know what you have again the rose guy," I said, shrugging.
"Well, I know," Fernando said, laughing.
In my opinion Lucas is the rose guy and is angry I think it's André.
"I thought you were convinced it was André," Andressa said.
"I am, but you never know," I answered, shrugging. " But let's get to the point. Tonight, we're setting up a club," I finished excited.
I'm a genius!
"A club?" Fernando asked disbelieving, still lying on the couch.
"Where did you get that from?" Andressa asked, shocked.
"I like it!" Vitor said, a huge, evil smile.
I bet he was plotting something against an innocent girl.
"But I'm talking about a club with DJ, lights, bar, and all that," I said, imagining the whole thing again.
"I'm sorry, but where are you thinking of setting this up, Paula?" Lucas asked me, hand on his chin, looking thoughtful.
"Well, in your bedroom. Where else?" I answered, shrugging.
"I sleep where you decided to drink all night?" Fernando asked, raising his head from the couch, looking unhappy.
"You can sleep in the lounge, right there where you are now. What matters is that we'll have finally have a party around here," Vitor said, still smiling.
"Party!" I said excitedly.
What? Just because I'm one of the quiet ones in the group doesn't mean I don't like to party once in a while.
"And where are you getting a DJ?" Andressa asked, suspicious.
"I'm on it. There's a boy two years younger than us that pretends to be DJ during holidays. At least, that's what I've heard," Lucas said, shrugging.
"Don't help them, Lucas, or we won't be able to get that absurd idea out their heads," Fernando said.
"But it's a good idea," my friend said, with a suspicious smile.
What was Lucas planning?
"Perfect! Let's get started. Party!" Vitor said, jumping around.
"Just one thing...don't invite the whole school, please. It's a select club!" I asked.
"What kind of selection?" Andressa asked, suspicious.
"The kind where there's only nice, beautiful people," I answered, shrugging.
I described it as best as I could to my friend, without being prejudiced, telling them I don't want those annoying people and stuck-up girls. It's not possible that they didn't understand!
"We can start setting it up right now. Andressa, you're responsible for the decorations and all that. Fernando, you're in charge of security and invites. Paula, you have music selection. Lucas, you have food, and making sure Paula only chooses good songs. I'm finding a DJ," Vitor said, excited.
"Decorations? I'm really not good at that," Andressa said.
"Of course you are. You're the one that decorated our room. And it's awesome," I answered.
I can't wait to see what she comes up with!
"What do you mean, security?" Fernando said, thoughtful.
"We have to make sure the teachers don't find out, besides if you don’t have an invitation you can’t come in," Vitor said.
"Right. I'll make the invitations and then I'll think of security, and you can bet the teachers won't show up," Fernando said, winking before leaving.
"Are you sure he can handle security by himself?" I asked, unsure.
"Fernando, besides being smart, it's better than the both of us when we're talking about parties," Lucas said, smiling.
"Right, then I'll get started on the music! Any preference?" I asked.
"Don't forget some slow songs so I can hook up, and some fast songs to I show I’m a born dancer," Vitor said with that arrogant smile.
"He’s so conceited!" I heard Lucas complaining.
"You're only realizing it now?" I asked, laughing. " I'm going to the library to find some cool songs."
"Library?" Andressa asked, suspicious.
"On the computer. Where's else would I find cool songs?" I asked.
"I'll find you later?" Lucas asked me.
"Of course. If you need help, let me know. And don't forget so get some yummy stuff!"
"You thought I wouldn't?" He asked me, raising an eyebrow.
"If we're depending on your taste? Probably," I said laughing. "Get strawberry and chocolate too. Specially the two together," I answered, smiling.
Strawberry covered in chocolate is very good!
On my way to the library I saw something I didn't like, Vitor would say I provoked it, but I didn't! It's not my fault something in my brain made me take the long way around to the library instead of the normal one. I just wanted to take a walk and ended up at the back of the school. This wouldn't be a problem if people were normal
Not that people are freaks, but you know what I'm saying, no couples sticking their tongues in each other's mouths and their hands under shirts behind the school, and, specially, no cigarettes.
Cigarettes should be a bad thing! Fine...it is bad, but it should be worse so that no one would even think about doing it, or better, it should never have existed. Who was the irresponsible that invented nicotine?
Right, I'm done complaining. My anger has burned itself out – my anger of nicotine, let me be clear. After all, people have the option not to smoke, they're just dumb enough to choose the wrong option. Because, let's be honest, smoking doesn't bring you anything.
It was with those thoughts in mind that I tried to quickly leave the place where I was and found out I never should've been there, but unfortunately my ex-friend – is there such a thing as an ex-friend? – Bruno, saw me at the same time as I saw him, even with me trying disguise myself pulling my hair on my face so he wouldn't recognize me.
According to Fernando that doesn't work, since guys recognize women easily from the back, since usually they're looking at their ass. I wonder if it's true or if he was just teasing me.
Anyhow, Bruno saw me and it wasn't pleasant at all seeing someone I used to care for blowing out that awful smelly smoke. I'm going to name him Chimney. Only I can't say that near the others or else the nickname will spread to the whole school. But maybe with a nickname like that, he'd quit smoking...
That's when I finally saw – not that I was really paying attention to what Bruno does or does not do – but there was a red rose. Red! It would be a real coincidence that he had a red rose in his hand, specially one that was identical to the ones that I'd been getting. And don't tell me all roses look the same, because they don't!
Are Bruno and André conspiring? Or, worse, is Bruno blackmailing André into sending me the roses? It wouldn't be that crazy, since he's tried to blackmail Vitor into stop being my friend – of course, that's when we started being friends. I wouldn't doubt it that he'd do something similar with André.
Speaking of it, until today I'm not sure what ended Bruno and Vitor's fight, all I know is none of them speak about it and when I ask Lucas or Fernando they hedge and then change the subject.
My God...who hears me would think I've given up on the idea that it's André who's been sending me roses, but, let's be honest here, now that the list has grown, and since I haven’t hung out with André a lot after that disaster – and by that I mean forced kiss – I simply have to consider that maybe it isn't him.
I looked like a retard staring at Bruno's hand. His friends might have some doubts about what I was looking at, but I promise it was the rose and not the cigarette or anything else the filthy minds of Bruno's friends come up with.
I realized when Bruno noticed exactly what I was looking at and took a step in my direction.
"Paula..." I saw his lips moving, but I couldn't hear his voice because of the noise around us.
And me? I obviously ran off to the library. I wasn't sticking around to see if he was going to confess to being the admirer, even if I'm curious to know. Having an admirer is risking having someone like Bruno sending you flowers... I don't want to have an admirer anymore, if there even is an admirer. It could as well be a maniac warning me he'll kill me, there's always that possibility.
But there's still the question: what was Bruno doing with a rose in his hand? He never liked flowers, besides he has a stupid nose and can't smell beautiful and subtle smells like the perfume of flowers, so don't come tell me that he was smelling the roses or I won't be able to stop laughing.
I stayed in the library some time, and I only realized I'd spent too much time there when Vitor showed up with a huge smile on his face.
"Red, I don't know where you got the club idea from, but I love it," he said with that evil smile.
"Vitor, don't make me regret this, please," I asked.
But what could you expect from Vitor with that smile on his face?
"I'm not up to anything. I just came bearing gifts," he said, smiling wider.
A gift from Vitor? I better run because it must be a bomb!
"I made that one myself," he said, giving me a chocolate-covered strawberry.
"You made this?" I asked, doubtful (obviously, after the strawberry was safely in my hands).
"Fine, Lucas did it, but I brought it safely to the library," he answered, smiling.
"How many strawberries did Lucas give you so you'd bring this one?" I asked suspiciously-
Vitor doesn't do favors like this. Specially when there's chocolate. If the strawberry arrived safely is because he got at least two out of it.
"I can't believe you'd think I’d blackmail one of my best friends. Lucas is like a brother to me, I'd never..." he started to sputter.
"How many, Vitor?" I asked, looking at him with my best suspicious look.
"Fine, it was four, but only because he wanted, I charged three," he answered, shrugging. "He gave me an extra one so I wouldn't give you the other present, but I think you deserve to know."
"Know what?" I asked, curious.
What was Lucas hiding?
"That you're still being stalked," he said, pulling a mussed rose out of his pants' back pocket.
How does someone put a rose in his pocket? Doesn't he know the poor rose has a life? Imagine how much the poor thing suffered chocking to death inside crazy Vitor's pocket!
"Lucas send the rose?" I asked suspicious.
"Lucas? Of course not! Lucas isn't the one sending the roses," Vitor said, pouting.
"Just to be sure," I answered, shrugging.
"Lucas wouldn't send roses," Vitor said, also shrugging.
"The roses show up where I am, how did that one end up with Lucas?" I asked, even more suspicious.
Stopping to think about it, I was being stalked, and whoever it was, always knew where I was. Why was it different this time?
"A first year girl delivered it. Said someone told her to do it," Vitor said, thoughtful.
"And you didn't try to find out who it was?" I asked, aghast.
"As far as I understood, Lucas got to three different people, one asked the other who asked the other and so forth, but in the end he gave up because he was busy with the things for the party."
"No one knows? How does no one know? Impossible!" I complained.
"I thought that too, so I tried to figure out, but I gave up. The freshmen don't know anyone, and that makes things difficult. Freshmen!"
"Show me the girl that delivered it and I'll get to the bottom of it right now," I said, decided.
"Forget it, Paulie. It won't work. Besides, you're busy with the music."
"I'm done!" I answered quickly.
"And you said you were sure that it was André that sending the flowers," he tried to convince me.
Why is Vitor trying to convince me I won't find my stupid admirer? Is he hiding something? I bet he's trying to help Lucas hide his secret. Because, with all of this, it's pretty obvious Lucas is the one that send the rose.
"I was... I am... But what if I'm wrong?" I asked.
"We'll find out eventually. After all, what's the fun in being a secret admirer forever? At some point he'll have to tell you who he is," Vitor shrugged.
"And in the meantime I'll just die of curiosity?" I pouted.
"In the meantime you dream that Lucas is sending you flowers," he answered laughing.
As if I’d think about Lucas like that!
"You know what? Go see about the guests, I have to finish here," I answered, ignoring Vitor.
"You're dismissing me like that?" He asked, pretending to be offended. "And for your information, the party should start at seven and I've finished with my part."
What? I know he was pretending. Vitor doesn't get offended to easily.
I ignored him again and went to look at the rose. When I took a good look at it, I noticed there was a mark on the petals, looking like someone had written on the rose.
"Vitor!" I called, alarmed.
"Now you want me...sends me away and then..." he started dramatically.
"There's something written here," I said, pointing to the rose.
"You must be tripping, Red," he said lightly.
"I'm serious! Look!" I said, shoving the rose in his direction.
It took two minutes for Vitor to decide if he believed me or not and look at the rose. Only when I almost poked him in the eye with the rose was he convinced and looked at the rose in my hand,.
"I don't believe it! There really is something written here," he said, alarmed.
I wanted to yell I told you so!, but I held it together.
"Can you read it?" I asked, excited.
"No, but someone should," he said, running off, and obviously I had to run after him.
"Wait!" Was the only thing I yelled while following him through the hallways.
We went down several hallways until we found Lucas.
"Lucas, I know you're kind of blind and near-sighted, but can you read this?" he asked, pointing at the rose.
"I'm neither blind nor dumb. Vitor, that's a rose, there's nothing written on it," Lucas shrugged.
"Yes there is, Lucas!" I said, trying to see Lucas's face while Vitor blocked my sight.
"Let me see," he asked, taking the flower. There's no way someone wrote here," he said, impressed, seconds after examining the rose.
"Can you read it or not?" Vitor asked, looking more anxious than me.
"Lots... Something... Reds... There's no way to read this," he complained, a little annoyed.
"We need the nerd. Where's Fernando?" Vitor asked, taking the flower from Lucas's hand. "If anyone can read this, I bet it's him."
"He must be in the lounge," Lucas answered, shrugging.
"Let's go," Vitor said, pulling me along.
"Paula, aren't you going to get ready?" Lucas asked before Vitor dragged me away.
"What time is it?" I asked, desperate.
"Oh, I’d forgotten, I went to the library to tell you it's after five," Vitor answered, shrugging.
"What? And you're only telling me now?" I asked, desperate, ready to run to my room.
"Wait. We have to find out what's written here," he said, pulling me to the opposite side of my room.
I hate it when Vitor is curious about something.
We ran through the halls until we found Fernando, who was distracted talking with Andressa.
"I'm going to butt in," Vitor said, "Fernando, I need your services," he said, dragging me closer to the wonder couple.
"Services?" Fernando asked, confused.
"Read!" Vitor said, pushing the rose to my friend.
"Vitor, buddy, I'm sorry to tell you this but roses aren't like pieces of paper where you write stuff," Andressa said, with the best talking-to-a-child voice.
"Andressa, my
dear friend, that rose has something written on it and I want to know what it is," Vitor said with a condescending tone.
"What did he smoke?" Andressa asked.
"Whatever it was, Lucas and I smoked it too," I said.
"You guys partied and didn't call me? Not cool!"
"We haven't yet...it's serious. Just look!" Vitor said, showing the rose to both of them.
After the couple looked closely at the rose for long seconds, I started to get impatient.
"There really is something here," Andressa said, amazed.
"What?" I asked, curious.
"Sometimes.. Sometimes they are re... Sometimes they’re red, but they’re always roses," Fernando read.
Oh, my God! Finally a note and I have idea what it means!
Chapter 7: Shall We Dance?
What does it mean? Is it a riddle? Does it mean anything?
Sometimes they're red, but they're always roses.
I sat on my bed looking at that flower until the girls came out of the shower and pushed me into it.
I know the club idea was mine, but now I don't care about any of it. I just want to know what this means and how they were able to write in the rose's petals.
After some time in the shower just thinking about the damn rose, I finally decided to forget about it and get ready, after all, I had a party to go to.
"Do you know the mysterious DJ Vitor found?" Andressa asked, curious.
"It's probably one of his crazy friends," I answered, shrugging.
"Or someone who’s never heard music before. From Vitor you can expect anything," Andressa said.
"Can you believe he blackmailed Lucas into giving him chocolate covered strawberries today?" I asked, appalled.
"Chocolate covered strawberries? Where?" Ana asked hungrily.
"Lucas was making some for the club," I answered.
"Yay! I love chocolate covered strawberries," Andressa said, excited.
"Who doesn't?" I asked smiling.
It didn't take long for us to get ready, that is, to get ready to drive our friends crazy, specially Andressa who had a plunging neckline down to her bellybutton.
It’s true, I'm not exaggerating, she was gorgeous. She had to be, she was my friend, right? But she was wearing clothes that didn't leave much to the boys’ imagination, if you know what I mean.
Hated Secret Admirer Page 11
