Page 49 of Roman and the Hopeless Romantic
Roman
The cheerleaders burst into the classroom for the third time during the day. They’d interrupted homeroom twice and now Chem.
Such was the way at Gulf City High on Valentine’s Day when every eye was on the people walking around with chocolate roses clutched in their hands.
Roman wished Cassie went to their school so he could send one to her. That would set the school buzzing. Because the elusive Roman Sullivan never sent roses to anyone.
Charlotte leaned over to kiss Jesse when a red-headed underclassman placed a rose on her desk before moving to Roman’s where she set two.
Roman groaned. It was the fourth and fifth rose he’d received. Two had been unsigned, one was from the head cheerleader he’d once had a hookup thing with.
He opened the tiny card attached to the first.
Hope you like chocolate. Hoping for a rose from you. <3
- Tricia Garret
The underclassman who’d just put it there. She finished passing out the roses and looked back at him, waiting for him to say something.
“Uh, thanks, Trish.” He gave her a lopsided smile.
Red flooded her cheeks, and she ran from the room.
Hadley bumped Roman’s shoulder. “I think you just made the poor girl’s day.”
Roman sighed. “She doesn’t know me.”
“That’s the point. If she did, no way she’d have her little crush.”
“I think that was an insult, but I’ll let you have it.” He’d been lab partners with Hadley since Jesse ditched him to fall head over heels for Charlotte. Not that he was complaining. Hadley made class a lot more entertaining.
“Who is the other one from?” Hadley tried to steal it, and Roman swatted her hand away.
“This morning needs to be over.” He opened the card.
Roses are red.
Violets are blue.
Roman Sullivan is kinda coo.
“Coo isn’t even a word.” He searched for a name but there was none.
“Guess whoever sent it is just awesome enough to make up their own words.”
He turned to look at her, but she refused to meet his eyes. “This one is from you.”
She snatched the rose. “Okay, fine. I wanted to make sure I got a chocolate fix today and would have looked pathetic sending it to myself. So, I bought it after school yesterday hoping you’d get it in Chem.”
“Wow.” He couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re a ridiculous person.”
She pulled the foil off the rose. “Yes, but a ridiculous person who now has chocolate.”
“How did you not get any roses today? Half the school is in love with you.”
She shrugged. “Correction. Half the school is terrified of me.”
He couldn’t refute that. Being friends with Hadley was like living on a roller coaster, lots of highs but also scary free falls. He couldn’t imagine what dating her was like.
