The park is sadly empty at this hour of the morning. I could wake up later, have breakfast at home and go directly to school, but habits are hard to die. Indeed, the leopard cannot change its spots, and for a while I kept stopping by to watch Liam talk with the flowers.

He's so beautiful... and sweet... and kind... and watching him every day isn't good for me, knowing that he has a boyfriend. So I started spending my time here, instead of torturing myself with a one-sided love.

I sit against the log of a tree, sighing. Since I made the unpleasant discover, I have no inspiration anymore. My photos all look the same, flat, with no life. Nothing catches my attention anymore.

Not so far away from me there's a guy sitting on a bench who's talking too loudly, at least for me.

- Love! - he keeps saying, making me feel even more depressed... and also a bit annoyed. Why does he have to rub in everyone's face that he's talking with his girlfriend?

- Ugh - I snort, leaning against the log and shaking my head.

- No! Love, come back here! - shrieks the guy. I only have a moment to see him stumble on my feet and splash on the grass. I get up, surprised.

- Hey... hey, are you okay? - I ask, approaching him. The stranger raises his head and spits grass. In his hands he holds... a fat mouse?!

- I'm fine - he sputters, letting go of the fat mouse as he sits.

- Are you sure? - I insist, exhamining him as I look for scratches or bruises. He has none, apparently, apart from messy light brown hair.

- I'm sure! - he replies, showing a smile so bright that it blinds me more than the flash of my camera.

He has messy hair and a smile that is... really beautiful. His eyes are beautiful too, reddish brown. He's... cute.

- Love? - I ask to drive away inopportune thoughts, arching a brow.

- It's a long story - he exhales, running his fingers through his hair. I look down: through his ripped jeans I notice that he has a scratched, bleeding knee.

- I have time - I retort. - And you're bleeding.

His eyes follow mine.

- Oh my God - he says, pale. - Sorry, I'm sensitive to blood.

- I should have some plasters - I reply, killing a tender smile. This boy, this stranger... is really cute. - Can you walk 'til the bench?

- Of course - he snorts, offended. But, after putting his mouse in a big pocket on his sweater, he doesn't decline the hand I stretch out for him.

Luckily I always have a little first aid box in my backpack. We sit on the bench.

- Put your leg on mine - I order, forcing myself to use a normal voice. But I cannot not blush a little when he obeys.

It's a medium scratch, that's why it bleeds. I apply some disinfectant and then a plaster on it.

- So... Love? - I ask again. He blushes.

- Do we have to talk about it here... in this position? - he asks, embarassed. We go to the bar where I usually have breakfast, the one in front of the flower shop.

- I've never seen a person go around with a mouse in the sweater -  I say, forcing myself not to look out the window.

Don't look for Liam... don't look for Liam...

- It's not a mouse! - retorts the cute stranger, offended. - It's a chinchilla.

- And it's called Love?

- It was a gift for my girlfriend... I was in front of her door when she broke up with me with a text. I wanted to bring this ball of fur back to the pet shop... but I just couldn't do it. Because she's lovely - he explains, sighing. He has put Love on the table and pets her head. - Oh, right. My name's Caleb.

He stretches out a hand and I shake it. He's extremely delicate.

- Ian.

~~~

- Good morning, Ian!

- Hello, Caleb.

- And Love? You don't greet her?

I draft a smile. Since some weeks I'm not alone anymore in the park: there's this boy who talks too loudly with his chinchilla who keeps me company.

- Talking about Love...

- Hm?

- I'd like to take some photos of her. You know, for school. It would be a quite unusual subject. And original. If you agree, of course.

- Woah, really? But of course! - replies Caleb with enthusiasm. - Love, starting from today you're a model!

I burst into laughter, putting my camera on my neck.

- Let's start now, shall we?

~~~

- The first time I heard you talk with Love, I thought you were on the phone with your girlfriend. You were extremely annoying - I say, while Caleb's plump rodent climbs on me and naps on my stomach. I would never have believed that I could get along so well with a chinchilla.

- Ah, yeah? Why? - asks lazily his owner. We started hanging out even after school.

- I had just discovered that the person I was in love with was already going out with someone! And you were rubbing in my face your happy love life! - I exclaim, making him burst into laughter. His laughter is extremely contagious and a second later I burst into laughter too. - Don't laugh, silly! You'll wake up Love!

- Let her wake up - he retorts, showing that little smile that makes appear a dimple on his left cheek. That damn little smile. - She likes you, she won't go anywhere. She was running to you the day I stumbled on you.

I blush, because in my mind has appeared the thought that maybe I like Caleb.

~~~

- Is it really okay that you're skipping classes to stay with me?

- Yes. I have never skipped classes for the entire year... no one is going to die if I don't go for once.

- But why?

Because I desperately desire to spend the most time possible with you!, it's what I'd like to tell him.

- No particular reason - I answer, shrugging. - I don't really feel like going to school.

He observes me carefully, almost as if he's trying to understand if I'm lying. I take a photo of him.

- What did you do?!

- Nothing, you had a dumb expression and I wanted to remember it.

- It was a totally normal expression!

- It was dumb.

- Asshole - he mutters, blushing a little. Actually his expression wasn't stupid. Not at all. I just couldn't stop myself.

Lately in my camera have appeared a lot of pictures which portray Caleb: Caleb playing with Love, Caleb napping against the log of our favorite tree, Caleb drinking coffee, Caleb laughing.

- Shouldn't you change subject? Or you'll keep Love for the rest of the year? - he asked me, one day.

- No, my teacher likes her - I answered. It was a half lie. Half, because my teacher liked Love a lot and encouraged me to continue my project. But the truth... the truth is that I wanted an excuse to continue including him in the pictures and photograph him in secret.

I stopped thinking about Liam. The day I found myself looking again at the pictures of Caleb I took in my grandfather's garden of columbines, I understood that I couldn't pretend anymore that I didn't feel for him something more than friendship.

~~~

I stop in front of the door of the flower shop. Liam is behind the counter and he's looking out the window with an inattentive expression. My heart beats so loud in my chest that I'm scared it'll run out. I take a big breath and enter.

- H-hello - I stutter, meeting his sweet brown eyes for a second, before looking down.

- Oh, hello, Ian - he replies, surprised. - How are you?

- F-fine... I... can I have a daisy?

- Sure.

He gives me the flower and I leave the money on the counter. The money is right, not more, not less.

- T-thanks... have a nice day - I babble, and I exit.

- You too - I hear him say behind my back.

I'm so nervous! I go to the park and I sit on the grass, near my favourite tree.

- He loves me... he loves me not... he loves me... he loves me not...

When I tear off the last petal, a familiar voice makes me wince.

- And the final answer is...? Is it the one you were waiting for, Ian? Are you satisfacted? - asks Caleb, on his lips only a shadow of his usual smile.

- He loves me - I whisper, blushing.

It can't be true.

- So lucky - he says, forcing a half smile. - Who are you interrogating the flowers for?

- ... look - I just answer, embarassed, as I give him my camera. He looks slowly at the photos.

- I knew it - he mutters. For a second I'm scared that he'll break my heart. What if the daisy made a mistake? It made many mistakes, with Liam.

- You knew it? - I ask with a suffocated voice. I don't think I can bear having my heart in pieces again.

- Yes. I was waiting for you to make the first move, to say something... because I feel the same for you since the day you appeared in the park, even before we met.

I blush. Caleb... feels the same for me?

He gets on his knees and holds my face in his hands.

- I love you - he whispers, before kissing me. I shyly kiss him back.

The daisy didn't make a mistake. He loves me.

~~~

- Hello - I say, entering. Liam raises his head.

- Oh, hi. Daisy?

- No. I'd like a rose, please. A red rose - I reply, without stuttering. He gives me a surprised look.

- O-oh, oh, sure! I'll give it to you in a second!

He brings me the rose I asked him in a second and I pay.

- Thank you very much. Have a nice day, Liam.

- Have a nice day, Ian - he replies, before I exit. Caleb shows that damn smile which I love when he sees me. From his pocket on his t-shirt appears Love's little grey head.

- Hey, babe - he greets me, kissing my cheek. - For me?

- Are you kidding? It's for Love, of course! - I snort, without giving him the rose.

- So it's for me - he retorts, smirking.

- Silly - I laugh, and he kisses me.

Sometimes Love connects people in the most strange ways.