Leonore

That morning, I was so excited to go to school. My plan on my mind was perfect. I can even imagine the scenarios in different situations, and that makes me feel gaudy. It tickles my stomach just to imagine how Lepinius will react to my provocations of being close to him.

And just imagining his different faces makes me smile unconsciously.

My friends and family didn't noticed how happy I am this morning. My friends assumed that I am in good mood because I made Louise cry yesterday. I just shrugged my shoulders with a smile on my lips at everyone who keeps on asking me about what happened to Louise.

The one who got involved and cried yesterday was nowhere to be found at the school. I did not mind that because Louise's role for me is no longer that important. Though I am still planning to get close to her so I can get closer to Lepinius, but my first concern right now is to get to know more about Lepinius.

After the last class, I invited Anika to the coffee shop nearby. I told her that I will treat her to Leonore's Coffetea shop. It was the shop that Ashley and Mary kept on posting on their social media. She was not convinced to come with me but after a barter of treats, she agreed.

Coffetea was just a fifteen minutes away from the university. We rode on our car and arrived while gossiping about the coffee shop that we stalked on the Facebook app. Their page reached almost twenty thousand likes. Most of the famous and rich kid from our school went there. Most of them took a picture while holding a tumbler of their order or the menu and post it on social medua, tagging the Coffetea facebook page. It's just for publicity but Leonore Lenach is a famous girl on the campus. That's why Anika can't stop talking to about her even after entering the coffee shop and lining up on their counter.

"Leonore was like Queen of University even before we attended Senior High. She was now a model on various commercial products and she even became a cover magazine," Anika said while looking at the menu screen infront of us.

Leonore Lenach was standing there, assisting her employees and checking her notebook for some reasons.

I raised an eyebrow at Anika. It was undeniably true. If someone look at Leonore right now, you will notice how she was exposed to camera for such a long time. She greeted her customer with a bright smile and polite talk. She even joked when she got orders from her acquaintances.

"How did you know all of that? Did you know each other?" I curiously asked her.

She smirks at me and flipped her hair, "Who are you asking to? I am Anika Briones, yout source of everything, my queen."

I laughed at her. We talked for awhile about Leonore and just stopped when she greeted us in a soft voice.

"Good afternoon, ladies, how may I help you?"

Her voice was angelic. Very pure and very kind. Her face was so bright that I doubt if she was wearing any make up. Anika chose our order and try to start a friendly conversation with Leonore. Leonore was willingly answers all of Anika questions with a smile.

Since I don't know Leonore and I don't feel like intruding at Anika's question, I looked around her coffee shop. The shop was quite instagrammable. It has a naturalistic theme mixed with modern colours. There's fake vines, flowers and grass everywhere. It has lots of decors, from the ceiling down to the tiled floor. The walls are decorated and there is a corner where you can take a picture with their name engraved on the wall. But what's really intriguing is the outside part of the shop.

It is like a garden full of roses and different flower plants. And I think it's not fake ones unlike the inside part. There's a birds and butterflies I saw flying.

"The Garden.." I said while my eyes fixed on the calligraphy letters of 'the garden'.

Anika and Leonore stopped talking and follow my line of sight. Anika gasped and holds my arms pulling them in excitement.

"Oh my gosh! That place was wonderful! So that's the one I keep seeing on your newsfeed," Anika said.

Leonore giggled at Anika's reaction. I tilt my head and see a few tables and chairs on it. There's also almost no customers eating outside.

"But why are there only few people eating outside?" she asked what's on my mind.

"Oh," Leonore give the piece of paper where she wrote down our order before answering Anika, "That's our VIP place. You need to book a week before so we can reserved a good spot for you."

VIP? I wonder why outside of the shop is their VIP place. Most establishments will put VIP on the second floor or on a separate floor. VIP means that the customer needs privacy and all. It's a bit of exposed from outside, so how is that a VIP place?

Leonore giggled again, she pointed the VIP garden, "Each table has a tempered glass around them. It's like a cube made of glass. It's a one-way mirror so people outside of the cube will not see what you're doing inside," she explained it in a very soft tone.

Anika was looking at her with twinkling eyes. I just nodded my head at her explanations and pulled Anika's arm on our table after Leonore gave us a number.

"She's definitely an angel! You see her smile? I bet the reason why people went here is because of her!"

I can't deny that. There's alot of customer here from our university and different schools than the coffee shop who established years ago. But it is also noticeably that there's alot of group of boys than girls here. So the reason why there's a lot of boys here is her?

Anika keeps on blabbering about Leonore. I just listened to her praises to Leonore until she gets tired and took a selfie with me. She immediately posted it on her social media.

"Oh right! I just remembered that Leonore was a graduate from Bachelor of Nursery at our university. Did you remember the guy who carries Louise yesterday?"

My eyes immediately twinkled at what she said. Finally! The topic I've been waiting was now open. Anika raised her eyebrows at me. She looked at me curious at my reactions so I fakely cough and straighten my back.

"Yeah? What about him?" I tried to control my voice but Anika was now looking at me.

She was hesitant to answer me because she just stares at me intently. She's like reading my every reactions so I acted normally.

"They were batchmates. They were also a rumoured before that they became a couple and just broke up since Villafuente enrolled for doctrine," she simply said it while sipping on her water.

Anika keep on saying things about Lepinius and Leonore's rumoured past relationship. But I can't hear anything she said. My eyes was fixed on Leonore who was gracefully talking to her customers.

First, Louise, and now, Leonore? Does he have a fetish on a woman's first letter name? They are both start with L. That's unbelievable. So girls whose name has a different first letter has no chance? Who the hell said that?

Shall I change my name then? If not Sharika, what will be my name? It should be start with letter L. Lharika? Larisa? What the f*ck.

I shaked my head because of my thoughts. But Anika's fast eyes looked at me again. She leaned her body on the table and tap her fingers on the table. She have this curious and doubtful eyes. I mouthed 'What' and immediately sip on my glass of water to avoid her eyes.

"I just noticed something on you," Anika said slowly, "You looked at Villafuente yesterday as if you're looking at your favourite bag. And now, you're eyes are twinkling at the mention of yesterday. Do you like Villafuente?"

I almost choke at the water I'm drinking at her straightforward question. I immediately put down the glass and wipe my lips with the tissue infront.

" W-what? "

" So you don't like him? "

I looked at Anika. She seemed serious but her eyes was full of worries.

Is it okay to tell her? It's not a secret though and if she know, she can help me too. She might be even the bridge I need to get close to Lepinius.

I sighed and calm myself before answering her, "Yes, I like him,"I simply said it but my heart was racing so fast just by admitting it.

" W-what? " she asked with a wide open eyes,"Since when? When did you get interested on him? You didn't even encounter him at school."

"I saw him at Louise's debut. And ever since then I searched for him," I said.

Thankfully, our order came so we became silent while the waiter putting our plates down on the table. Anika seemed lost in her thoughts. She's not excited to know that I have an interest on a man. I really thought that she will get excited on it but turned out she looked distress?

"Sharika," she called for me so I looked up at her, "You can't like Lepinius."

Huh? What is she saying now?

"Why? Does he already have a girlfriend? Or a fiancé? He looks young and does not wear a ring, so I figured out he wont have any girlfriend."

"Sha, you don't understand," she grabbed my hand tightly.

"You can't like him."