"Cole"
Bright and early Monday has me slumped over my desk with more questions than what I have to do with. That rose drove me crazy nearly all weekend but I should thank whoever gave it to me for giving me new material. For what you may ask? You're gonna laugh.
I'm a high school professor who teaches Psychology. I love trying to figure out the "why" of things along with trying to predict them. Sometimes I'd have to do history lessons and other times it's straight from the curriculum, but every once in a while, I'd surprise my students just to keep them on their toes.
And whoever my rose friend is, just helped me with that. The first rose, much to my dismay, is starting to wither. Its twin however, is fresh. The one I found in front of my doorstep that I accidentally didn't see and stepped on it. Lucky it was just the stem and though a bit bent, it's still a magnificent mystery. I had no idea how long it was there for. I have no idea on the life expectancy of roses. As I twirled it around my fingers, checking through names I knew in my head, there's a knock on the door.
"Ooo from an admirer?" Krista smirks at me and I immediately sit back up. She narrows her eyes, "Or from a student trying to up their grades?"
My heart goes cold but I have mastered the perfect poker face. "You think it could be?" Honestly, that hadn't occurred to me yet. Could it be a failing student? They'd certainly know what my car would look like.
"You mean you don't know? Where'd you find them?"
I sigh. "Friday." I had to take off Friday due to the events of finally moving in. "One was on my windshield, and one on the ground of my front door." It would be impossible to go through everything I may have let slip about my personal life. Yet from what I can recall, I'd been pretty vague, just saying I'd had it rough or dealing with a few things. Never specifics but I couldn't be for sure. I certainly didn't tell them about me moving.... Did I? How would one even handle this? Could it be a coincidence that it was just in my favorite color? How many of my students did I really know? I run my hand under my glasses, taking up to my dark curls.
Krista leaned against the doorframe, brightening the room with her dark red blouse. "Should we be worried? You have security at your new place?"
I nod, "But anyone can hop that fence." Anyone athletic that is. It's a decently sized fence but if you were to look around, you'd probably be able to find a way up there if you were limber enough. I have no evidence that it could be one of them aside from them knowing my car. Yet I had no evidence that it WASN'T one of them. Shit.
She walked over to my desk and I glanced at the clock. Five minutes until my next class. "Did you tell anyone you'd be out Friday?"
"Not until my last class was dismissed. I just sent a mass email and reminded them what's due on the site. That's it." Looks like I had a list of names to check.
"Hm.. my advice would be to just give them a harsh enough warning to scare them."
I almost argued. Roses were harmless. Who doesn't like receiving roses? I'm just pissed cause I haven't solved the puzzle yet. "Well this topic's gonna be on stalkers," I grinned. "But I hear ya. And I will do that. In the meantime, keep this on the down?"