Realization

"That's all for today." The teacher announced and the bell went off. "Don't forget to submit your assignments tomorrow."

"Yes– ma'am." The students chorused dully as they packed their books into their bags; throwing the atmosphere in quite a rumpus. Mrs. Ford glanced at them for the last time before walking of the class.

The long school day has finally ended with all it's drama and chaos.

Lucretia shoved the last book into her bag and sprang up from her seat, throwing her bag over her shoulders. "So what's going to happen Luc?" Mimie questioned as she stood up on her feet together with Crystal but Lucretia was in quite a daze staring at Philip's direction. School hours has come to an end but she has not seen much of Philip the whole day. Not even after the incident in the Principal's office. He neither left the class nor spoke to anyone. Not even her, Lucretia. She knew well he might be feeling guilty about everything but she couldn't think of anyway to make him feel better than to keep her distance as it has always been for the past month.

"Hey Luc?" Jayden tapped her, bringing her back from her daze. "Do you want to talk to him?" He queried. Lucretia slowly glanced at Philip once again then to Jayden. "I don't think so." she muttered dully with a faint smile and strolled off, taking the lead.

Jayden, Mimie and Crystal deftly shoved their bags over their shoulders and hurried after her.

"Why don't you guys talk things out?" Crystal mumbled as they trod out of the door.

Philip swiftly glanced at their backs as they rounded the corner to the busy corridor and turned back to packing his books. Just then, Mike and Eugene walked up to him and Mike sighed, settling on Philip's table whiles Eugene stood beside him. "How long have you planned on being like this?" Mike uttered. "Come on man– It's not like you planned everything. Besides, she should know the person who helped brought down that damn video from the internet. Who would know? You guys might probably let out your true feelings for each other. What do you say? Huh?" He tried to cheer him up but ended up provoking him.

Philip glanced coldly at Mike and without another word, picked up his bag and trod off. Eugene looked at Mike with a soft sigh and slightly shook his head.

"What?" Mike queried but Eugene ignored him and staggered off after Philip. Mike scoffed and went after them. "Come on guys– it's not like I said something bad..." His voice faded out of the almost empty class.

*****

Lucretia and her friends walked through the corridors to the hallway with both Mimie and Crystal trying to convince her to talk to Philip and also let him know of her plans of transferring schools.

"What do you know, it might make him feel at ease and better." Crystal highlighted but Lucretia ignored and kept walking on.

Mimie scoffed and hurriedly moved ahead of her; blocking her path with her arms wide opened as if to hug her. Lucretia instantly stopped in her tracks, folding her arms. Jayden and Crystal instinctively also stopped right beside her. "What are you doing Mimie?" Lucretia questioned.

"Blocking you of course. What else does it look like?"

Lucretia was about to say something to get her out of the way when she heard someone called her name over Mimie's shoulders. She swiftly glanced at the direction of the voice and grasped. "Dad–" She muttered in a surprised state, walking pass Mimie who on the other hand deftly turned to have a look.

"You're still here?" They heard Lucretia say as she neared her father who had a brown envelop in hand. Without waiting for another second, Jayden, Mimie and Crystal also joined them.

"Good evening sir." They chorused.

"Good evening, how are you kids doing?"

"Fine Sir." Crystal replied with a smile. "We will be going then." She glanced at Lucretia, touching her left hand for a brief seconds.

"Alright." Lucretia nodded. "Will call you guys when I get home."

Jayden, Mimie and Crystal smiled with a nod and sauntered off; waving her. Lucretia also waved back and they left. She sent her gaze back to her father with a soft smile on her lips. "So what did the Principal say?" She asked and her father draped his hand around her shoulder.

"Well..." He muttered, guiding her out of the school building.

At that moment, Philip and his friends sauntered in from the corridors to the hallway and saw Lucretia and her father walking out of the building. He paused in his tracks, quite surprised as he found it very strange for her father to pick her up. "Could this be about Daisy meeting the disciplinary committee." He grumbled mentally to himself.

He was still with his thoughts when Eugene nudged him, "Why are we stopping?" He queried sceptically, snapping Philip out of his thoughts.

"Nothing." He hastily replied and strolled off.

Lucretia and her father walked into the compound, heading towards the car with the latter's hand still draped around the daughter's shoulder. "So did you plan to meet the committee as the Principal said?"

"No dear, I told him to cancel it. You will soon be transferring anyway so I don't think it's necessary. Moreover, my daughter finally got her name cleared." He ruffled Lucretia's hair with a soft smile on his lips. "And that's the good thing."

By that time, they have gotten to the car. He unlocked it and strolled over to the driver's side; placing the brown envelop in his hands on the back seat whiles Lucretia opened the passenger's side and settled in. After a few seconds, they drove off.

Philip also trod out with his friends and headed for the bus stop.

*****

It's been exactly a week now since the incident happened and also the day that has been arranged for Lucretia to transfer schools but Philip and herself had not yet said anything to each other. No special happenings at school either. Except students pointing fingers at Daisy and also talking about her. Some even ignore or instantly leaves a place whenever she gets there which she hates the most. She had wanted to transfer schools but her father stood against it.

Lucretia checked the clock hanging on the wall and it was already 8am. She was really going to miss her flight if she doesn't hurry. She folded the last cloth into her traveling bag and sprang up, picking up the bag. She shuffled over to her study table and placed the bag beside it.

She sent her eyes lurking around the almost empty room and sighed. "I'm really going to miss this room." she grumbled mentally to herself. Just then, her mother's voice intruded. "You going to be late Luc–" She shouted.

"Alright mum–" She answered, "I will be down soon." She checked around and when she was sure she hadn't left anything, she shoved her pink mini bag over her shoulders and dragged her traveling bag; leaving the room.

She glided down the stairs to meet her mother at the end of the stairs, wearing a bright smile. "Are you sure you don't want to go and bid a final goodbye to your friends at school?"

"Yes mum..." She smiled. "I don't want to make it hard for them."

"Alright dear, I understand." She brushed her hands through her hair. "But tell me, were you able to talk to Philip?"

Lucretia felt silent for a brief seconds and sighed. "No mum.." she muttered. "But I think it's best this way." She faked a smile which was obvious to her mother. "It's okay dear." Mrs. Angelica drew her daughter into a hug.

Just then, her father walked in from the bedroom. "Can we go now?" He rushed out.

"Coming dear." Mrs. Angelica mumbled draping her hand around her daughter and they strolled out with Lucretia pulling her traveling bag after her.

******

The bell had already rang and lessons had long began but Philip was not bothered. He sat on a bench on the rooftop in deep thoughts. After lots of thinking, he finally decided to make his true feelings known to Lucretia. "Yes, I think this is the time." he muttered.

"Time for what?" a voice queried behind him. He deftly turned only to see Jayden standing a few distance away from him. "Why are you sitting here when you're suppose to be in class?" He strolled over to him.

"Well..." He stuttered, "Anyway, how did you find me here?"

"Let's say I was just following you." He smiled, "Tell me, what made you come up here whiles classes are in section?" He raised a quizzical eyebrow.

Philip stared at him for a second and sighed, "I was thinking."

"About Lucretia?" Jayden snapped in, taking Philip by surprise. "How did you know?" He asked and Jayden smiled. "So what did you decide to do?" he ignored Philip's initial question.

"To tell her how I really feel about her."

Jayden stared at him for a brief seconds and sighed, "You finally got to your sense huh? But tell you the truth, it's too late now."

"What do you mean?" Philip mumbled sceptically.

"Maybe, if you had spoken to her earlier on, you would have known that she was going to transfer back to Australia. What even says the time?" He glanced at his wrist watch. "She might probably be on the plane by no...."

Jayden didn't even end his statement that Philip rushed off, leaving him at the rooftop. "Good luck buddy!" he shouted after him.