For You in Full Blossom

I hope you'll like my story,

For You in Full Blossom

“Sakura, have you joined any clubs yet?” Cherry asked with a touch of concern for her friend. It was the start of a new school year in Saint Serenus Academy and as mandated by their rules and regulation, every student is obligated to join one school club recognized by the school.

“I can’t even choose. What do you think Cherry?”

“Beats me! It was your fault you didn’t joined any clubs on time! You were always eager to go home early to sleep or watch the television you never even thought about looking for a club that would accept you!”

“You’re so heartless Cherry! Is that how you treat your friend?”

“Call me all you want, at least I am responsible you know!”

“Ouch, take you for hurting me further Cherry,” Sakura replied with a sarcastic tone.

“Okay already, I have a list of clubs who aren’t filled in yet.”

“Wow thanks Cherry you’re the best!” Sakura exclaimed as she jumped in front of her friend almost both of them ending up falling from the staircase behind them.

“Okay already you can stop harassing my body Sakura!” Cherry replied as she stared at the overjoyed Sakura as she rubbed her face along her breast. They are friends but there would always be exceptions.

“Oh, sorry about that,” she answered by jumping away from Cherry relieving her breast of unwanted stimulation.

“Okay, here are the vacant clubs: the cooking club, necromancy club, black magic club, occultist club, paranormal-”

“I would really appreciate it if you took some clubs that aren’t weird!” Sakura shouted as she walked away towards the Science room, where Cherry’s club meeting would be held.

“How about cooking?”

“As if I could cook.”

“Okay I wasn’t offending you or anything don’t get angry at me Sakura! Anyway, the Gardener’s club is also open, how about that for a change,” Cherry responded to her friends query as she dashed inside the room, leaving Sakura in the dark.

“Well, as if I have a choice with the clubs I have in mind. I’d rather water flowers that go to occult stuff, that isn’t me in the first place.”

She walked across two building just to reach the former Biology lab, now the office of the Gardener’s club. The creaking door and the cracked window signified the reason why the lab was transferred in the first place. She worries for her safety now it fear of getting herself killed by entering a room which looks like it's about to be demolished.

And thank the Lord she did entered for the sign posted on top of the door fell the moment she entered at the exact position she was standing at earlier.

“Wow, finally a member!”

“Huh?” Sakura reacted in shock. “Excuse me, you mean I’m the first to apply in your club?”

“Yup, that seems to be the case,” the man replied as he faced Sakura.

If she wasn’t wearing eye glasses she would have swore her eyes would have fell down from its sockets. He was so handsome, it was only a shame she looks effeminate. “Who cares about looking effeminate if he looks so hot anyway?” she asked herself.

“Oh, I’m sorry, where were my manners? I’m James by the way, founder of the Gardener’s club,” he introduced his self as he stretched his hand, offering a hand shake to Sakura.

“Oh, I’m Sakura,” she blissfully reacted as she gave her shaking hand to clasp with his. James’ hand was bigger than hers, soft for a man’s hand and definitely warm to touch.

“I’m really in need of members, would you mind if you’d give your application to me?”

“Of course I will!” Sakura answered without hesitation or even pausing to think for a minute. She wasn’t able to do so; any woman in front of James might even lose coherent mental status.

She hates plants, weeds, watering them and most of all: worms. She would be willing to take this entire ordeal just to be with such a hot president. It wasn’t everyday such a once in a lifetime chance to be close to a man like James. Being single for seventeen years may have affected her mind works and chooses vanity over practicality.

“I’m really grateful you signed up,” James responded as he smiled at Sakura after giving her application form.

“No biggie! So, shall we see each other tomorrow?” Sakura daringly asked to James. She can’t wait to be near and all alone with James. Call her a flirt for all she cares; being with a man like him is enough for her.

“Of course, let’s meet at 6 a.m. at the quadrangle, we’ll plant first before we water all the plants in school,” he answered, followed by a wink by his right eye.

She wanted to react with her early morning regimen. For the sake of James she’ll bear anything. She rushed to go all the way back home to eat, rest and set five alarm clocks to make sure she’d wake up early tomorrow. She’s notorious for being late and this was her preemptive plan A. her plan B was also finished. The order was by all means possible to wake her up with Sakura told her mother about. She never got the chance to share her good luck streak today to Cherry for she got sleepy and went to sleep early, forgetting to call her in the process.

It was a good sleep she felt the next day. If only if not a 5:45 a.m. image was created by the clock’s hand did she thought of her activity, her first activity at the club and with James was to be done. She never ate breakfast. Al she did was take a bath, finish clean her uniform and bit a large portion of bread and saved in her mouth so she could eat while she was running.

If a second more was wasted she wouldn’t have made it on time.

“Good…morning…” Sakura greeted James with a well noted trace of fatigue and panting.

“Good morning as well Sakura. Shall we start?” James asked.

Sakura never got the opportunity to rest. They dug and planted seeds of different plants, watered the entire school with only the both of them and last but not least were their weeding process for every tree at school. It drained the life out of Sakura, literally. The look on her face made her haggard; just like the condition of a plant deprived of water for a month; dry and wasted.

“Thank you for your help Sakura,” James stated as he took out his towel and wiped out Sakura’s sweat, stress and feet away. “Come under the shade of this Cherry tree.”

It was her little form of stress relief. This energized her further turning her alive and kicking from her flaccid and ridiculously weak state. If she could get as close as she is now she wouldn’t mind doing this routine care every day. She forgot to use her brain and ended up resting her head at James’ shoulder.

The scene was a rip off from a romantic movie. Unfortunately this wasn’t applicable for newly acquainted colleagues. As both scoured for an answer it was James who thought of something first.

“Let’s see each other again tomorrow other Sakura? Same time, see ya!” James stated as he left for his first period class. He gave Sakura a little token of appreciation, a kiss on the cheek, leaving the poor girl more confused.

Sakura must admit; being with James was heaven but the cost of being with him was hell and too much demanding. The sacrifice was worth it anyway it her point of view so she tolerated her abrupt adjustment to sleep pattern and early morning regimens. It would be plant care during her morning time with James and planning at afternoon after classes. They are planning to their population for by record it is only the two of them who are the official club members. Months have passed by and their routine never changed, except for the fact that James was now fetching her from this house. Her parents already saw him and gave him blessing, even though he hasn’t officially said she would court Sakura.

And where did that thought came from?

“Where have you been Sakura? I went over your house but your mom told me you left early. And what’s with the garbage collector look? You look like you dived in a dirty pool,” asked by her stunned friend, Cherry who wasn’t expecting the awful sight featuring her friend.

As Sakura changed her attire she shared her report to Cherry who was quite envious of her friend. Sakura then knew some relevant info about James. He was class valedictorian and an advocate of Pro-Earth movements. She knew more about his personality as they chatted as they went to their class. It was break time when they finally talked of something else.

“You’re lucky to have James all for yourself.”

“Come on Cherry, don’t get envious. You already have a boyfriend you know.”

“I’m willing to give him up for James you know, that’s always a possibility,” Cherry rationalized her reason to Sakura who was irritated with her friend’s answer. Cherry and her boyfriend’s relationship have been on and off ever since yet they are doing their best to make this work out.

“Don’t you have any club activities? After all, our classes for today would only be half-day.”

“Maybe, I’ll go ask James first, see you later!”

“Hey no fair! You’re keeping him for yourself,” Cherry complained with scorn.

Sakura was on her way to their meeting room when her eyes stumbled upon a group of girls at the place where they placed the seeds and small plants earlier. Her rage fueled her speed to rush to the scene of the crime swiftly.

“What are you doing!” she screamed in anger as she saw the effort they both exerted go down the drain. They were all stepping on it as they exclaimed their anger about her being the only member of James’ club. As the bullying group left, Sakura tried to fix what was left of the plants. Unfortunately a heavy rain followed, sweeping away the remainder of the plants. The cover of the Cherry wasn’t enough to save the poor plants from doom. They died out or got crushed with the raindrops’ pressure. Soon her tears mixed in with the rain.

“Please stand up Sakura.”

She knew to whom did that voice belonged to: it was no other than James himself, sheltering Sakura under the shade of his umbrella.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry I wasn’t able to protect what we worked for!” Sakura collapsed into tears as she fell into James’ arms, leaving the umbrella flat to the muddy ground as his hand embraced her.

“Of course you did your best… I wasn’t you fault; don’t feel guilty for it Sakura. I’d rather have them destroyed than watch you like this. ”

Under the coat of the rain, James let Sakura’s sorrow be washed away by the rain. The only thing he was able to do was to comfort her in his arms.

“Please, please stop crying,” James asked, she he slowly tilted Sakura’s head and placed his lips against her. This was effective in pacifying Sakura, but he doesn’t even know why he did that in the first place.

Both were acting strange the following day. James still fetched her at their house, but deafening silent covered their atmosphere. The problem prevailed all the way to their meeting. At last it was Sakura who broke the silence.

“I still can’t see the point of increasing our number,” James argued as he was shrouded in confusion.

“To start with, it would be great help to our well-being. That way we will be able to live long enough to see the fruits of our labor,” Sakura defended her proposal. She cannot forget their kiss, something she feels awkward about every time she’s with James. She fears the rain may have washed in away from James’ memory but she could still remember every detail of their kiss: its passion, rate, depth and meaning.

She just have to ask him, otherwise she won’t be able to focus when she’s with James.

“Um, James, do you… do you still remember the time we were under the rain. When you suddenly… kissed me…” Sakura asked with a descending voice tone as she said the question she wanted badly for an answer.

Silence followed. Sakura’s afraid she asked something she shouldn’t have. Finally, James answered her question.

“Do you know the reason I wanted a Gardener’s club? I promised someone special that I’ll give a bouquet of roses from my garden. But she wasn’t able to stay for long to see it. Of the entire flowers in the school garden I saw, you’re the one who stood among the rest. You’re different from anyone else I met before Sakura. I thought it was mere company or colleague relationship between the both of us, but I can’t hold this much longer. I am falling for you Sakura.”

She never wanted to hear the succeeding lines. She never expected such in the first place for she was just looking for a club, not a lover. Confused, she ran back to the garden who witnessed their kiss, asking questions in the sky yet no answer was heard. The Cherry tree was just staring at her unable to speak out.

A warm embrace captured Sakura’s heart as it slipped by body, rendering her incapable of moving. She could almost feel her heart beat with James, going louder and louder, faster and faster.

“I know the rose garden’s not enough to be matured enough to be given for you, but I hope my heart would be enough for the time being. I love you Sakura.”

The Cherry blossom was witness to their romance affirmed by Sakura’s kiss, as it was covered by the cherry leaves as it fell from its branch, as if rejoicing for the two buds that finally matured with the most nourishing fertilizer of all: love.