[Fiction] The Gift.

It had been a horrible day...She just wanted to grab all her things and go home. At least, she thought, there wasn't much long left of this. A few more weeks of class, and then exams, and she was free. Free from all the stress of and expectation to perform to everybody's expectations and preconceived notions.

She approached her locker, which was empty, save for her wallet and phone, which was all she ever kept in it. It was unlocked, and she panicked as she realised she had forgotten to lock it for the whole of the afternoon. Thankfully nothing was missing, but something else was present as well.

It was a white rose. Attached to it was a note:

"Your locker was open - I didn't force it. I apologise for invading your privacy like this, but it was the only way I could do this. Unlike everyone, I've seen you struggle everyday, and hope that this gift will remind you that someone else sees, and understands. You don't know me, and it's not worth your time finding out, so please don't try to."

It wasn't signed. Not even an alias. She thought for a few seconds, and briefly entertained the idea of leaving a note in return for the gift giver, which she eventually decided against, after which she took the rose and and pinned it to her outermost garment. She got a few curious stares from people on the way home, but nowhere near as many as she would have, had the rose been red. At least the gift giver had been tactful.

She wore it from that day on, and when it wilted, replaced it every couple of days with a new one. It seemed like she had been given a fresh lease of life, and she positively soared through the final days of school.

**********

From his hiding place, he saw her read the note, and take the rose. What he didn't expect was to see her attach it to her clothes, or to see her replace it every couple of days with a new one. It thrilled him to know he had made a small difference in her life, and he was glad to see her smile more often.

And it was true. She smiled more often, though perhaps she would have smiled even more, had she known the identity of the gift giver, for it turns out she did know him. But he wasn't to know that, and at the end of the year, they saw each other no more.