Red Tulips Mean I Love You

Maiko had been acting very strange today.

Kiyoko wasn't sure what the issue was. All day, her best friend had seemed nervous. Maiko wouldn't look her in the eye when they talked, yet whenever Kiyoko snuck a glance in class she could see her staring at her. When she caught Maiko (which was only twice, to be honest, as she was much more concerned with focusing on her studies), she would promptly turn away with pale pink flooding her cheeks.

The hall monitor had tried to ask her what was going on in the hallway during what time they had between their second and third classes that morning, but her attempt proved to be fruitless. That conversation had gone something like this:

"Maiko, are you alright? You seem very distressed today. Did I do something to alarm you, perhaps?" She asked, concerned.

Her friend's violet eyes widened and darted to the side. "W-what!? N-no ya idiot, 'm fine! You didn't do nothin' wrong okay!!?"

"So then what is wrong? You're being incredibly confusing and I just want to help-"

"Goddamnit, I'm FINE! DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT!!" And with a crimson face, the biker had turned on her heels and fled the scene, like a puppy with its tail tucked between its legs.

Kiyoko had yelled after her to not run in the hallway, but Maiko had gotten away before her mouth could cooperate with her brain.

She could not, for the life of herself, put her finger on it. Her friend had said she didn't do anything wrong, but Maiko's accent had come out stronger and she'd raised her volume, which often happened when she was upset or flustered. But how would Kiyoko herself cause that to happen? All she did was ask how she felt!

For the rest of the day, pondering the answer to what seemed like a simple question made her mind spin. She didn't get to talk to Maiko in between any of her other classes either, which upset her deeply. Was Maiko lying? Did she not want to spend anymore time together? But they'd been soul sisters for months now! If anything, Kiyoko hoped she would have trusted her enough to explain her reaction that morning!

Maybe I should've just kept my mouth shut, she thought glumly, standing at her locker and gathering her homework that afternoon. Classes had ended, and the biker girl still hadn't spoken another word to the disciplinarian. She must have gotten on one of Maiko's rather sensitive nerves.

She shut the locker door and turned to walk back to her dorm room, head bowed down and tears forming in her ruby red eyes. Usually, she and Maiko would head off to one of their rooms to study together or talk about their day, but that certainly wasn't going happen today.

"Kiyo, wait!"

Maiko...?

Kiyoko tilted her head back up only to be met with several little red objects shoved into her face and Maiko talking a mile a minute.

"I'm sorry I didn't talk to you all day I've been a nervous fuckin' wreck and please don't tell me I made you cry, I hate it when you cry and yeah I just wanted ta give these ta you so sorry if they're really shitty I had 'em in my locker all day and uh well I really really like you so I'm gonna GO NOW YOU CAN JUST READ TH' NOTE N TALK TO ME LATER OR WHATEVER OKAY BYE!!!"

Rushed footsteps faded away. Kiyoko didn't move for a few minutes, ignoring the few stragglers left in the hallway.

What was that all about? Why wouldn't she like me? I thought we'd been best friends this whole time already!

Now she was even more confused. She certainly hadn't been expecting to get what she now identified to be a bouquet of flowers shoved in her face with Maiko speeding through an explanation so fast she could hardly understand her. Were these supposed to be friendship flowers? Was their friendship official now? Kiyoko had never had a friend before Maiko; she didn't understand how this worked.