End Journeys
Purple Geranium

"Stupid!" yelled someone from the yard.

"You are stupid!"

In the yard is being held a youth drama rehearsal. Ruby's cousin is practicing with her friends.

"Hai Brother. Sorry to interrupt your break" said one child.

"Oh. It'sit's okay. It's noon anyway" replied Ruby.

"Include me, I'm Amy. It's Tea" said one child, pointing at his friend.

Amy is Ruby's cousin. Their house is close together so Amy often plays to Ruby's house.

"Amy, I want to ask you something. Can I talk to you for a second?" ask Ruby.

Amy comes to Ruby in the living room.

"Last night who drove me home?" ask Ruby.

"Sister is gone? At 00:30 I came here because I was starving and my sister was sleeping so I didn't dare to interrupt" Amy replied.

"alright. Continue training. I'm not going to college today" Ruby walked into her room.

Ruby called Kylie. Kylie had even finished her morning class and said she would be coming to Ruby's house soon.

"I'll be at your house in a minute. But I have to buy some plants first" Kylie said by phone. Not long after, Kylie appears in front of Ruby's house and enters carrying her plants.

"What'sthis? A geranium?" ask Ruby.

"That's fine. This geranium represents you" replied Kylie.

"I? Why?" ask Ruby who doesn't understand what Kylie means.

"I once read that geranium means stupidity. Just like you fools. Very foolish," Kylie replied in a high tone.

"As long as you know I was a high school student back then" argued Ruby who was upset.

"Not in the academic field I mean. What were you doing last night?"

"What's? I don't know. This morning I was suddenly in my room" replied Ruby.

"Last night something bad almost happened to you. Good thing she's coming" Kylie said.

"Something bad what? Who's coming?"

"You and Sam. Why did you faint?"

"He almost did something bad to me but I didn't want to. He just kept pushing and slapping me and even banging my head against the table. After that I don't know what she's doing" Ruby told me what happened last night.

"Albert took you home last night" Kylie replied.

"How can you?"

"I don't know. Suddenly she called me to tell me where you were so I told her, ", Kylie replied.

"Oh. That scoundrel. He didn't even call me" said Ruby.

"Dumbass? He saved you. Could've been you…"

"Sam isn't Albert" cut Ruby.

"Don't want to see him again. He just wants something from you" Kylie suggested.

"of course. He even blocked me on Instagram, "Ruby grumbled.

"Look at this geranium. It's thyself. You have to go to college today" Kylie then goes to the kitchen and eats whatever she can find there.

The wall clock shows at two o'clock in the afternoon. There was still one more course Ruby could attend and she decided to go to college. He walked up the stairs to his classroom on the third floor.

"Ruby!" call Albert.

"Oh, Albert. Thanks for yesterday" Ruby said.

"I want to talk to you" Albert pulled Ruby's hand out of the classroom.

"Albert. Please keep the incident a secret last night. I don't want to do it either."

"of course. I will definitely keep it a secret. Why can you act so recklessly?"

"I didn't know he had bad intentions. I trust him too much."

"Other times please be more careful. Yesterday it was almost."

"But why did you save me?"

"Whatchu mean? You're my friend."

"I mean. You even asked me where I was with Kylie."

"Actually Kylie accidentally met me at the fruit store and Kylie said it looks like you're in danger. She told me a little bit about you last night out of worry. Because I'm your only classmate he knows, maybe that's why he told me. And I asked him where you went last night."

"Thank you Albert. I don't know what's gonna happen if you don't come to save me."

"alright. Let's go to class," Ruby said.

The second lesson begins and the lecturer only fills the learning briefly because there are meetings with other lecturers.

***

It rained that night. Ruby lives alone in her home. Ruby's parents lived in another house while Ruby's aunt went out of town for a few months.

"Kylie's geranium why is it still here?"

Ruby then called Kylie.

"I forgot to tell you. I bought two geraniums. One for you" Kylie said and hung up.

Ruby put the geranium plant in her room.

"Stupid. I'm a fool."

Ruby deeply regretted what she had done. Fortunately, the thing he was afraid of did not happen because Albert came to save him.

"Do I need to report to the police? Rape attempt?" Ruby spoke to herself. He chose not to report the incident and kept it a secret.

Ruby woke up early, she checked her phone. Many notifications from class groups.

"Well, they apparently got to know each other in the group" Ruby said. Ruby joins them and exchanges Instagram.

Ruby then left the room and had breakfast.

Ruby's phone kept ringing, apparently there was a personal chat from an unknown number.

"Hi Ruby, here I am Thomas."

"Hi Thomas, I'll save your number," Ruby then saved Thomas's number.

A few other friends also sent Ruby a message. Ruby's friends are starting to grow.

"Good morning, Ruby." fill in a message from Albert.

"For Al" replied Ruby.

Albert took Ruby on a bike ride together, they met on the field. For two hours they cycled until the hot sun. It turned out to be 11 noon.

"We should hurry home before we're late for college."

Ruby pedals her bike hard before parting ways with Albert at a crossroads.

"Ruby, wait for me. I'll pick you up later" cried Albert.

Ruby agrees to go to college with Albert. Ruby gets ready and waits for Albert.

"Ruby,ayo's leaving!"

Albert shook Ruby with his motor. They get along so quickly.

"There's actually something I want to tell you" Albert said.

"Tell me," replied Ruby.

"Actually, I'm not interested in Evelyn. I like you."

"You kidding me?" ruby asked with a laugh.

"We go first, I don't want to be too hasty either. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable because of what I said today."

"Alright, we go first as friends. I have to make sure I feel for you" replied Ruby.

Ruby and Albert enter the classroom. They were 15 minutes late but the lecturer gave permission.

"The second day of college is too late" chirped the woman sitting next to Ruby. He was named Ava, a friend who Ruby knew during the introduction of campus life.

"So I cycled first but forgot that today's college."

"Albert your boyfriend? Well, it's lucky you got a class."

"What boyfriend? I've only just known him, not a week."

"Well it looks like there will be lovers in our class" said a long-haired woman sitting next to Ava.

"Include me, I'm Lauren" he said, extending a hand.

"I'm…"

"Ruby, I know your name. You're quite popular in our force" Lauren said.

"popular? How could? I only know the kids in this class. Not all of me have even met."

"Ruby, you know Sam, don't you?"

"Shh?! That scoundrel…"