Twisted Affection

"Mr Anderson, please slow down! It's risky here," shouted a middle-aged guy as he chased his young boss on a hill.

Lucas Anderson stopped and faced Mason Cooper, his dad's secretary. "Secretary Cooper I've told you many times that I'm not a kid. I'm 14. I can take care of myself," he said coldly.

Mason sighed. "I get it, but if the president finds out I brought you here, I might lose my job."

"Then don't tell him. He's busy with the perfume problem. Just keep quiet," Lucas insisted.

Mason sighed again. "I know you want to help find a flower for the perfume, but this is a strawberry farm. No flowers here."

"You won't know unless you explore," Lucas said, turning and running ahead.

"Mr Anderson!" Mason called, trying to catch up, but Lucas disappeared. "Mr Anderson!" he called again.

"Darn it," Lucas cursed, sitting on a stone, and rolling up his pants. His ankle was bleeding. Maybe Mason was right about it being dangerous. He used his handkerchief to stop the bleeding, feeling a sting.

"Are you okay?" a voice asked behind him. Lucas turned to see a girl, maybe 12 or 13, with a pretty face approaching.

"Did you fall?" She said, squatting in front of him.

Lucas cleared his throat, nodding. "Hmm..."

Taking away his handkerchief, the girl inspected the wound. Retrieving a bottle of water from her backpack, she opened it and glanced up at him. "It might sting a bit."

Lucas felt his heart race as he locked eyes with her, the beauty of her eyes making the world around him stand still.

The girl tilted her head, confused by his stunned expression. "I'm going to clean the wound for you. Can I?" she asked.

Interrupted by his deep thoughts, Lucas nodded, feeling embarrassed. "Thanks," he mumbled.

Smiling, the girl gently held his ankle, pouring water on the wound. She heard him gasp and quickly lowered her head, blowing soft air on the wound to ease his pain. Lifting her head, she asked, "Feeling better?"

Taken aback, Lucas simply nodded, unable to reply.

Placing the water bottle on the ground, the girl grabbed a plaster from her backpack. Peeling it off, she gently applied it to his wound, looking up at him with a smile. "Done."

Grateful, Lucas smiled back. "Thank you."

"Are you a tourist?"

"Me?" Lucas replied. "I came from New York. I am not here for a holiday. I'm searching for something."

She tilted her head. "Searching for what?"

"Flowers," he answered.

Surprised, she raised her brows. "Flowers? There are plenty in Tennessee-Magnolia, Roses, Lilies..."

"No," Lucas cut her off. "Not ordinary flowers. I need something unique, with a special scent. I'm helping my father create a new perfume." He paused, looking at her. "I don't usually share this much, especially with strangers, but you make me feel comfortable."

"Special flower with a nice scent?" the girl smiled again. "Wait here. I'll be back shortly," she said, grabbing her backpack and running in the opposite direction.

After about 10 minutes, she returned with a flower in her hand. Lucas stood up, eyes widening. "What is this? I've never seen something like this before."

The girl lifted the flower. "The scientific name for this flower is Caladenia melanema, also known as the Ballerina Orchid."

Lucas examined the flower. "Ballerina Orchid?"

The girl nodded. "Yes, it is named for the paired graceful pose that gives the impression of two ballerina dancers in mid-performance. It's very rare, hardly found around here. Ballerina Orchid emits a fragrance reminiscent of a light vanilla scent with hints of citrus." She brought the flower to Lucas's nose. "The scent is very fresh and pleasant."

Lucas inhaled and smiled. "It's really special. I've never seen flowers that look like twin dancers."

"Nothing is the same," the girl said.

Lucas looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

"Of course, they look identical at first glance, but if you take a closer look, you'll slowly find the differences. Even twin siblings aren't the same. People have different characters and personalities," she explained.

Lucas narrowed his gaze. "How old are you? You don't sound your age."

The girl smiled, handing him the flower. "You can find these flowers in the little forest behind the farm." She checked her watch. "It's late; I have to go." She pointed at his ankle. "Take care of that when you get home. Apply some anti-infection cream." With a smile and a wave, she turned around.

"Goodbye," she said, turning away. Just as she was about to leave, Lucas's voice stopped her. "Thank you," he said. The girl looked confused. Lucas held up the flower and smiled. "Thanks for showing me this flower. I think my father's problem will be fixed soon." "You're welcome," she smiled back. "Can I know your name?" Lucas asked. After a moment, she replied, "Just call me Ballerina."

"Hey," Lucas called out, but she kept walking without turning around. "Do you live around here? Can we meet again?" She didn't respond, continuing to walk away. "My name is Lucas Anderson," he shouted, but she was already out of sight. He sighed, whispering, "Will I see you again?"

[Five years later]

"Amelia! Amelia!"

Amelia fixed her hair, smiling at herself in the restroom mirror. Her best friend, Mirabel Parker, rushed in, shouting. "Hey! Why are you taking so long in the restroom? Your dream guy is already here," Mirabel said. Amelia widened her eyes, turning to her friend. "What? He's here already? I thought the competition started at 10 am. It's only 8 am now." She checked her watch nervously, then went back to the mirror, adjusting her school uniform. "Do I look beautiful? Does my face look bloated?"

"How's my hair? I got this hairband yesterday. Does it look good on me?" Mirabel laughed, holding Amelia's hand. "Can you relax? There are tons of his fans out there. The basketball stadium is packed with girls. He probably won't even notice you. He comes from a fancy international high school with lots of rich, beautiful girls. Do you think he'll pay attention to anyone here?"

Amelia pouted. "Even if I'm not rich, I'm pretty and confident he'd fall for me if he sees me."

"You're dreaming," Mirabel teased. "He's Lucas Anderson, the heir of Mionbelle Corporation, a big beauty product company in America. He's smart, athletic, and super handsome."

Amelia smiled, thinking about him. "I first saw him three years ago at a basketball competition in my school. He's two years older, and even though my school is basic, the basketball team is good. I get to see him twice a year during competitions."

"Stop daydreaming. If you don't go out now, you'll miss the chance to see him longer," Mirabel urged.

"Let's go," Amelia nodded.

At the basketball stadium, Lucas practiced on the court. Amelia's heart raced as she watched him.

"I'm 300% sure all the girls here are here for you," Ethan Thompson grinned.

Ignoring him, Lucas continued practicing. "I'm here for basketball, not for attention from girls," he said coldly, throwing the ball to his friend.

Ethan scoffed, "The way you shoot, talk, and act is enough to charm all the girls here. You just don't realize how strong your charm is."

Ignoring his words, Lucas walked past him toward the back door. Amelia, who never took her eyes off Lucas, saw him heading to the back door of the stadium. She bit her lip, standing up from her chair.

"Where are you going? The competition is starting soon," Mirabel asked.

"I'll be back in a bit. Just wait for me here," Amelia replied as she walked away.

Amelia was right; Lucas indeed went to the toilet at the back of the stadium. Luckily, nobody spotted him there. Alone and waiting for him outside the male toilet, Amelia combed her hair with her fingers and checked her uniform to ensure she looked good and neat. When she heard footsteps coming out of the toilet, she pretended to lose her balance and fell in front of the toilet. As expected, before she hit the floor, a pair of strong arms wrapped securely around her waist, holding her in place.

"Are you okay?"

A deep, manly voice filled Amelia's ears, and she smiled slightly. Slowly looking up, she bit her lower lip when she met Lucas's gaze. She shook her head softly and let out a shy smile.

"I'm okay. Thank you," she said with the sweetest and softest voice ever.

Lucas stared deep into her eyes for a while without removing his hands. "Y-You..." He struggled to find the right words to finish his sentence. But looking at the girl in front of him, memories of what happened five years ago suddenly crept into his mind. "Ballerina," he uttered softly. Amelia looked at him in confusion. "What?" she asked.

The startled expression on Amelia's face brought Lucas back from his deep thoughts. He realized he was still holding her close in his arms and quickly pulled away.

He ran his fingers through his hair and smiled awkwardly at her. "Hmmm... be careful. The floor is very slippery," he cautioned.

Amelia blushed, looking down. "Thank you."

Lucas narrowed his gaze at her. Despite the five years that had passed, the girl standing in front of him had grown into a beautiful young lady, yet she appeared remarkably unchanged since he first saw her. He was certain it was her, but he couldn't comprehend why the feeling was subtly different, perhaps due to the time that had passed.

"Do you still remember me?" Lucas inquired.

Amelia looked at him with surprise, her heart pounding. He asked if she remembered him, and, of course, she did. She had attended every competition at her school for the last three years just to catch a glimpse of him. What surprised her was that he had noticed her. It seemed he knew her.

"I... of course I remembered," Amelia replied softly.

Lucas smiled. "It has been a long time. I thought I wouldn't see you again. I went back to the place where we first met, but I couldn't find you. I didn't know you were studying in this school."

Amelia was confused by his words. "The place that we first met?"

Lucas nodded. "The Strawberry Farm in Tennessee."

"Strawberry farm?" Amelia had been to Tennessee as a child, but she didn't recall visiting any strawberry farms. She hated farms in general. And sure as h*ll wasn't a fan of strawberries.

A hint of disappointment crossed Lucas's eyes. "You... don't remember?"

Amelia smiled awkwardly. "I remember a little bit but..."

"It's okay," Lucas interrupted with a smile. "It has been five years already, and, normally, you can't remember. But I still need to thank you for the Ballerina Orchid you gave me. It helped and settled the problem that my father was facing at that time. Thank you."

Amelia frowned a bit as she looked at him, confused. It seemed he mistook her for someone else, but she didn't mind much. The important thing was that she saw a chance to get closer to her crush. She smiled at him. "Even though I can't remember our first meeting well, I'm happy we're meeting again."

Lucas's heart skipped a beat at her smile, completely taken by her beauty. He couldn't look away and slowly reached out his hand. "In case you didn't hear last time, my name is Lucas Anderson."

Amelia laughed. "I'm sure every girl in this school knows your name." She smiled, holding his hand gently. "My name is Amelia Anderson," she said shyly. When their hands touched, Lucas felt a jolt of electricity. He tightened his grip, giving her a handsome smile. Amelia blushed deeply, silently celebrating her success, knowing this was just the first step.