The flowers had worked when Jalen had asked Noelani to be his girlfriend and he was more than sure that they would work in making her start to forgive him.

Jalen continued to stroll through the hallway, turning into the corridor that held Noelani's locker then stopped at the group of people surrounding it.

Jasmine, Sydney, Nimari, Coleman and Jordan were around the locker, talking in hushed voices and dismal expressions painted on their faces.

"What are y'all doing here?" Jalen asked as he approached them, "Where's Lani?"

They all glanced at each other and Nimari cleared his throat, "She didn't call you?"

"What? No. She called all of y'all?" Jalen asked.

There was silence as the group of friends glanced at each other then Jalen.

"She's gone. She's leaving." Sydney finally said after another beat.

There was a cold flash that rushed up Jalen's spine, "What do you mean she's gone?"

"She's gone. Isn't what I just said?" Sydney snapped a little.

"Alright, Syd. Chill." Jasmine cut in, sending her friend a warning look.

"She went back to Hawaii. She said that there's nothing here for her anymore. That seeing you all the time just hurt too much." Nimari sighed, "She called us all last night to say goodbye."

Everyone except me.

"I can't believe this," Jalen shook his head then turned to look at Jasmine and Sydney, "Y'all were supposed to help me get her back not make her want to leave!"

Coleman rolled his eyes at Jalen's statement, "That's not fair."

"I don't care about fair, Coleman. You should've convinced her to stay!" Jalen yelled at Sydney.

"Relax, bro." Jordan stood in front of Sydney protectively, "Don't yell at her because you fucked up."

The flashback of when Jalen had done that for Noelani back in October ran through his head and Jalen sighed.

"My bad, Syd." Jalen muttered, stepping back, "My bad, Jas."

Jordan grabbed Sydney's hand and led her away.

"I could've sworn she would like the flowers. Did she not get them?" Jalen asked Jasmine.

"No, she got them. She wasn't happy about it though. She kinda... She kinda lost it." Jasmine admitted, "Like break a vase and start yelling lost it."

Jalen slumped a little in anguish.

Nimari opened his mouth to join the conversation but then the first bell rang causing him to sigh instead.

"Maybe this is for the best." Coleman said before walking away and pulling Jasmine with him.

Nimari patted Jalen on his back and started to head to his class, leaving Jalen alone at Noelani's old locker.

He slapped his palm into the metal, creating a clanging sound that echoed throughout the hallway.

Before Jalen could lose his nerve, he walked to the principal's office.

Jalen ignored the stares from everyone else in the office as he headed straight to Alejandro's office.

"Uh, you can't-." An administrative assistant tried to say but Jalen interrupted her, "I don't care."

Inside the office, Alejandro was sitting at his desk, on the phone with someone.

Jalen was too angry and sad to care about anything besides the fact that Noelani was leaving California.

He slammed the door shut, causing Alejandro to look up at Jalen.

"Let me call you back, Melissa." Alejandro said, then put the phone down and folded his hands together.

"You sent her away?" Jalen demanded.

Alejandro let out a deep sigh, "It's what she needed. She's never been happy here, she's made it clear from the start."

"That's an excuse," Jalen accused him, "You bought her here to try and prove that you're a good dad, realized that you failed and then you sent her away. You're a coward!"

"Jalen," Alejandro said in a calm voice, "I didn't send her away. She wanted to leave. Noel, Erin and I, we as a family, talked about it and we decided that her going back to living with her mother was what was best for her."

Jalen pushed a framed picture off of the tall filing cabinet next to him, "Yeah, right."

The glass spread on the floor and Alejandro sighed, "Breaking things is not going together her back. Neither is flowers or chocolate or whatever you're gonna buy next."

Jalen blinked, "What?"

"I had to learn this recently too but..." Alejandro shook his head, "Money isn't the way to people's hearts or to their forgiveness. Just give her some space. She's hurting."

Jalen looked at the man blankly.

"I think you should go back to class, Jalen." Alejandro verbally pushed.

"Okay." Jalen muttered then closed the office door behind him.

Jalen stuck his house key into the front door and unlocked it then froze at the sight of Noelani coloring with Jurnee at the coffee table in the living room.

Noelani dropped the green colored pencil in her hand at the sight of him and stood up from the coffee table.

"I uh, I should go Jurnee." Noelani said, looking down at the girl.

Jurnee frowned up at Noelani, "Can't you stay for dinner? My mom made adobo chicken and rice!"

Noelani rubbed her hands down the side of her yellow and white t-shirt and jeans, "I don't know..."

"Don't leave because of him! We're friends!" Jurnee said.

Jalen heard Noelani let out an audible sigh, "Sorry, Jurnee. I need to make sure that my dogs are ready to be shipped back to Hawaii."

Jurnee stood up and embraced Noelani for a second while Jalen looked on, a bit unsure what to do or say.

Noelani slipped out the front door beside him, without saying a word to Jalen.

Jalen hesitantly closed the door and was met with Jurnee's glare.

"Why'd you have to go and mess it up? I lost my coloring partner! Fix it!" Jurnee yelled then stomped upstairs.

Jalen rubbed his forehead at his sister's words before heading upstairs to his bedroom himself.

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