February 4th, 7:20 AM [English Class]
I walked into class, dropped my stuff, and announced to my two friends, "I need a Valentine. And I need it now."
Aiden didn't say anything, as he was bent over his English homework, due in five minutes. Kristen, however, raised her eyebrows.
"What about Sam? Y'know, your boyfriend?"
"We broke up last night -"
"What?!"
"- but then this morning I remembered that I need a Valentine, and I'm running out of time. I only have, like- Aiden, what day is it?"
"It'sthefourthBiancashutupplease," he hissed quickly, still scribbling furiously.
"I only have ten days left! I'm screwed."
"Well, then, maybe, you shouldn't have dumped Sam, your boyfriend, of two years. How, exactly, did that happen?" Kristen was more furious than I expected. She hated Sam when he first moved here.
I sighed and tried to explain. "We were talking last night, and we had an argument, and we broke up. I didn't dump him. I just sort of dropped him."
"OK, but either way, he's still in the trash," Kris argued. "Why would you dump him if you need a Valentine? That was the stupidest thing you've ever done. Why do you even need a Valentine anyways? Isn't that more of a want?"
"I didn't remember that I needed a Valentine until this morning, and yes, usually Valentines are wants, but I need one."
"Why?"
"Georgia."
The one word made Kristen's face darken. Even Aiden looked up from his homework for a second. "Oh, that's not good."
"What has she done this time?" Kris asked with a sigh, like she's resigned herself to listen. I knew that she actually loved the installments of the Georgia story.
"OK, so, like, when we were in kindergarten, Georgia was bragging about how she got the most Valentines in her little box, and I of course couldn't take that, so I said that I would have more Valentines than her by the time we were in high school. And this is our last year until high school, and Georgia and I are tied, and so this year I need a guy to be my Valentine. Maybe two, if it looks like she's going to have one." I grabbed a piece of paper. "What are the names of all the guys in the grade? And if I really need to I could go for a seventh grader. Maybe."
"Hang on," Kristen said, pulling her notebook over and flipping through it. She pulled out a page and started to get the little end bits off. "I have one."
She handed it to me and I stared at her. "Why do you have this list?"
She blushed. "Don't ask stupid questions."
I was about to ask another 'stupid question' when Mr. White rushed into the room, coffee spilling onto the already brown-stained carpet. "All right, all right, settle down, folks. Mr. Robinson, put the pen down."
Aiden threw his pen down and put his hands up. "I wasn't doing anything, Mr. White."
Mr. White sighed and class begins.
12:45 PM [Lunch]
I sat with Kristen and Aiden, as always. "OK, so I was looking over the list and, like, there's only like twelve guys who could hypothetically work. Because like half the guys have girlfriends, and then there's the gays, and then there's Aaron, who I wouldn't go out with if you paid me."
"We know you hate Aaron. Aaron is off the list," Kristen agreed. "Who's left?"
"Michael, Chris, Noah, Justin, Will, Ethan, Shane, Ivan, Harry, Devin, Tristan, and Emmett."
"Ooh, not Emmett," Aiden said, frowning. "He's a jerk."
I stared at him. "You know, I'm very quickly running out of guys."
"Wait, you forgot Hunter," Kristen said, pointing at the boy. He had only come to our school a few days ago, and no one had really gotten to know him. Still, I nodded and wrote his name down.
"All right. Thirteen guys. Or twelve, if I don't count Emmett. How am I meant to find one of them to be my Valentine?"
"You could just ask them," Aiden suggested. Kris and I stared at him.
"Are you insane? You can't just do that! God!"
"Whoa, sorry!" He paused and then asked, "Why not?"
Kristen rolled her eyes. "Because, it would make it seem like you're weak."
"And you're not?"
Kristen was about to slap him. "No! We're freaking strong independent women and the only reason that Bianca needs a man is to beat down the b-"
"Hope you're not talking about me, Krissie," a soft voice said. Georgia was leaning on the back on the chair in between us, smiling prettily. She had her cheer jacket on, which was thankfully covering up her cleavage.
"Of course not, Georgia, darling. And my name isn't Krissie." Kristen folded her arms and glared.
Georgia merely shrugged. "Anyways, Bianca darling, I just wanted to remind you that I haven't forgotten about our bet. I wanted to make, like, an official time this year, so how about the dance? It's on Valentine's Day."
I gave her a fake smile. "It's on, darling."
February 6th, 11:03 AM [passing period]
"OK, so apparently Jason broke up with his girlfriend?" Kristen said, arriving at my locker. "So he's another one. Fourteen now."
"Eleven," I corrected. "Olivia and Yvonne started dating Naoh and Tristan, and Emmett's sick. Stomach flu. So now there's eleven guys and I have eight days. What do I do?"
"Feeling the heat, Bianca?" Georgia asked, appearing at my other side. She had been having no better luck than I was, but she kept a cool smile on.
"Of course not, Georgie. I'm doing swimmingly." I slammed my locker shut and dragged Kris away, mumbling, "That was a lie. I am feeling the freaking heat."
"Calm. Okay? You'll find a-"
I hadn't been looking where I was going, and I slammed into someone, dropping my history books and my bag, spilling pencils all over the floor.
"I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed, trying to gather my pencils and such. "I totally wasn't looking where I was going, I'm such a klutz!"
"It's all right," a guy's voice laughed, and I looked up into startling green eyes. "Halfway my fault." He helped me gather my books and stood, then offered me his hand so I could stand as well. "Hunter. I don't think we've officially met. You're Bianca, right?"
"Yes, Bianca. And this is Kristen," I added, gesturing at my friend. She was standing a bit away with a little smirk on her face.
I was starting to get a bit scared of that smirk.
"Well, I'll see you around!" I said chirping and grabbed Kris.
"I think we've found you a Valentine," Kris sing-songed, giggling. "He's not in our PE class, is he?"
"I don't think so."
"Shame. I totally could have set you guys up."
12:53 PM [Lunch]
"- and then he helped her up! Isn't that so sweet?"
"Uh, sure," Aiden murmured, nose buried in his Algebra book. Kris was retelling the Hunter story, but Aiden had homework to finish before math next period.
Kris sighed. She didn't like it when her audience wouldn't listen. "Bianca, why do you think Aiden has so much trouble doing his homework at home? You know, where you're supposed to do it?"
"It's against my principles, Kristen." He scribbled down a problem and glared at her.
"It's also against our principal, Aiden," Kris shot back, holding her hand out for a high five celebrating her wordplay. I gave it to her reluctantly. "You know you're going to get detention if you hand in any more late work."
There was a soft cough behind me and someone asked, "Can I sit here?"
Kris stopped bickering long enough to throw me a knowing glance and answer "Of course, Hunter! Anytime you want."
He slid in next to me and stared at the lasagna on his tray. "This looks appetizing."
"It's better than it looks," I assured him. "The top part is always burnt. Just, like, scrape it off or something. See?" I took a bite of the cheesy boxed lasagna, which did taste better than it looked.
Hunter took a ginger bite and shrugged. "Yeah, pretty good. Suprisingly, this school doesn't serve cardboard for lunch like most schools."
I laughed, but couldn't really think of anything to say after that. Hunter kept the conversation ball rolling by holding up a forkful of lasagna and saying sarcastically, "So if this isn't cardboard, it must be like, horse meat. No school is this good."
After lunch, I pulled Kristen aside and whispered, "OK, we found me a cute and funny Valentine. Now what?"
February 9th, 7:14 [Before Class]
Hunter appeared at my locker with a Starbucks cups, held in front of him and with amazing smells wafting from it. I drank it in deeply. "Oh my gosh, Hunter, did you get me Starbucks?"
He grinned and handed me the coffee. I sniffed. "How did you know what I liked?"
"It's not from me," he answered, smirking at my confused look. "Someone has a secret admirer!"
"What? Me? No." I took a sip and sighed. "No one knows what kind of coffee I like."
"Someone does. I was just told to deliver it. And I don't think the person who gave it to me is the person who was originally going to give it to you, so don't ask."
"I didn't even understand that, so I won't."
Hunter shut my locker for me and asked, "Can I walk with you to your class?"
"You have Science, not English."
"I know."
"Of course you can," I replied, taking another sip to hide my growing smile. He dropped me off at English and left for his class, turning a few feet down the hallway to wave at me.
I set my stuff down and walked over to Kristen, the smile I had been trying to hide before now taking up my face. "Guess who brought me coffee?"
She squealed. "Hunter! Ooh, he is so perfect for you!"
"Yeah, but he says it was from a secret admirer. One who apparently knows my order." I took another sip of the perfectly flavored concotion and shrugged. "So I don't have a clue who it would be."
Kristen gave a little start. "You know, like five guys asked me how to took your coffee at lunch yesterday."
"What? What did you say to them? Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't think it mattered! And I told them all your order. Except Aaron. I told him you like chai tea lattes with whipped cream."
"Well, this isn't a chai tea latte with whipped cream, so it obviously isn't him."
Kristen grinned. "OK. I gotcha, girl. I'll figure out who this is before the dance and then you can ask them. Kapiche?"
February 11th, 9:57 AM [Science]
"Any ideas? Have you tried staking out my locker?" I asked, pulling out my homework. Kristen, sitting across from me, shrugged.
"Nope. I've been busy. Schoolwork and stuff. Have you gotten anything new?"
"The coffee Monday, chocolates yesterday, and then I found this." I reached into my bag and pulled out a perfectly formed red rose.
Kris squealed loud enough to turn heads. "Oh. My. Gosh! I want to meet this boy just so I can be assured that he's freaking real!"
"But, like, I dont even know," I said, glancing at where Miss Jiles was still taking attendance. "It's three days before Valentine's day. Why not just show yourself? And like, I can't ask anyone else to be my Valentine because then I would be losing a perfectly nice crush guy. I mean, come on."
Aiden yelled from the other side of the room, "It's not me. I think it's Hunter being shy."
"No, cause Hunter's like my new best guy friend. Platonic."
"What about me?"
""You're my old best platonic guy friend, sweetie."
"Good."
Science was as boring as always - learning about atmospheric conditions and clouds - and when we got out for break, Kristen grabbed my arm. "I know I don't have math with you next but humor me and come with me to your locker. Did you look inside?"
"No, this was just in the vents."
"Mm-kay." Kris stopped in front of my locker and spun the combination. All my friends knew my code because I had them get stuff out of my locker for me a lot when I was too lazy to.
"Aha!" Kris was holding a full bouqet of roses. "Someone really likes you, Bianca. And knows your combination."
"Kris, like anyone who I've ever been friends with knows my combo. I use that for literally everything. Gym locker? 8-32-17. Email password? 83217. I even had one of those voice diary things once and I used 8-32-17 for that. I'm predicatable, and I couldn't open my locker for the first week of school. Like, Ethan!" I called.
The boy, passing us in the hallway, looked up. "Yeah?"
"What's my locker combination?"
"8-32-17. Everyone knows that."
"Anyone could have opened it. Or asked around and figured it out. Not that hard." I slammed my locker and took my roses. "Unfortunately these are gorgeous."
"I'll take them to band. You need to get to math before the bell! I'll try and figure out who it is, okay?" She ran off and I rushed to math.
12:56 PM [Lunch]
"All right, so we have like fiftyish guys in our grade right? And if you subtract the guys with girlfriends there are about thirty left."
"That's too generous. The guys in our grade aren't that good." Aiden shook his head. "Make it like thirty-five."
"Excuse me, Aiden, are you the one who gets to judge the attractiveness of guys here? No."
"I may be straight, but I can still find guys attractice or unattractive. And besides, your logic is flawed. It's not the attractiveness of the guys that gets them the girls, it's the personality."
"Aiden, shush. Kris, keep talking but faster. Concise." I spooned up some applesauce as I listened.
"So, fifty guys. Subtract those with girlfriends and you get thirty. Maybe five aren't interested in your gender, so that makes twenty-five. Subtract the guys who just don't plain want a girlfriend and you get fifteen. And then if you take away Aaron because you hate him and Aiden because he's your best friend you have thirteen."
"Haven't we been over this? Like, last week? Thirteen guys for me. And I'm guessing one of them is the secret admirer."
"Most definitely," Kristen agreed. "Hunter! We need to interrogate you."
Hunter, who had appeared behind me, set his tray down and sighed. "Actually, I need to talk to Bianca. Do you mind?"
"Of course not," I said, standing. Kris winked at me, which I ignored. Hunter led me out of the cafeteria into the small hallway leading to the bathrooms.
He started in a rush. "OK, I'm really sorry because I feel like I've been tricking you which I kind of have, but it was for a good cause and I really needed you to say yes so please forgive me?"
"Slow down!" I laughed, hitting his arm lightly. "What?"
"There was no secret admirer. I was trying to soften you up so you'd say yes to a blind date."
"Excuse me? Soften me up? Blind date?" I waved my hands in the air. "Start over."
"Well, I know this guy, and he'd be perfect for you. Like, no joke, amazing. And I thought you two should meet, so I was going to ask you if you'd agree to a blind date with him. Bu-ut. . ."
"But, what?" I asked, my arms folded across my chest.
"You're a bit prickly."
"You've known me for a week, shut up."
"Case in point."
"OK, whatever, what about the coffee? And the chocolate? And the flowers?"
"Those were from me. I was hoping that if you thought a guy liked you, you'd agree to a blind date."
"And so now you're explaining and expecting me to agree, still? Nice plan."
"I didn't want to lie to you. Or have to ask the guy about it and then get really confused when he knew nothing about it."
"Hunter, you could have just told me. I would have definitely said yes."
"What?" Hunter gave me a weird look. "Why? A guy you maybe don't even know or possibly hate?"
"Yeah. I, uh, I kind of. . . need a Valentine."
"OK," he said slowly. "Your turn to tell a story."
"I was a stupid egotistical five-year-old and now I'm an egotistical fourteen year old?"
Hunter grinned. "OK, so you need a Valentine and I want to get you and my friend together. Will you go with him to the dance?"
I sighed. "I guess."
February 12th, 11:16 [Passing Period]
Hunter stopped me in the hall as I was walking to choir. "Hey, Bianca, so I was buying tickets and it was cheaper to buy couples tickets rather than a single's ticket, so will you bring one of your friends to the dance for me?"
"Um, sure?" I called after him, then turned to Kris. "You're going to the dance with Hunter, by the way."
She shrugged. "OK. He's hot."
"I wish I knew who my date was though," I said, eyeing the boys passing me. "Like, is it Justin? Is it Ethan? Is it - heaven forbid - Aaron?"
"Let's hope, for everyone's sake, that it's not Aaron. You would flip a sh-"
"Shush!" one of the girls beside us hissed. "Georgia." She pointed down the hallway at where there seemed to be a screaming match going on - Georgia and her boyfriend Kyle.
All I could hear was "ungrateful, lying" from Kyle and a retorted "boring, stupid jock" from Georgia. Kris was laughing her head off.
"Even if it is Aaron, I will not flip an anything," I murmured to Kris. "I'm going to win this bet."
"What's going to be your competition," Kris gasped, "them?" Georgia had thrown her necklace to the floor and was storming off.
I smirked a little. "Yeah, she's got no chance."
February 13th, 7:09 AM [Before Class]
Kris was standing next to my locker when I shut it the next morning. "Don't just appear like that," I complained, shouldering my bag. "I'm going to kill you in fear."
"Georgia asked Sam to the dance," she told me, pushing open the door to the gym. She rifled around in her bag and shoved a phone at me.
I grabbed it and scrolled through the messages, sent to Kris from Maria, a friend of a friend of Georgia's. The number she was texting was definitely Sam's.
"Why does he say here that he has a date?" I jabbed a finger at the phone. "He can't already."
"You do," she reminded me, slipping the phone back into her bag and holding the locker room door open.
"Yeah, but it's a blind date. It doesn't like count. He has an actual date with an actual girl who's not me."
"Oh my gosh, you're jealous! I thought you two broke up."
"We had an argument and I hung up the phone and we were over. He hasn't talked to me since so we're broken up." I started pulling my gym clothes out of my locker. "And I don't care."
"Do too," she teased, bumping me with her hip. "You wanted him to ask you to the dance. To repent. That's so cute."
I rolled my eyes. "I'm going with someone else. He's going with someone else."
"Do you want me to find out who it is for you, Bianca, my poor jealous darling?"
"Of course not."
"Yeah you do. I'll know by tomorrow. I have my sources."
I flipped my head over and started pulling my hair into a ponytail. "Fine. I don't care."
"You are lying through your teeth."
February 13th, 12:59 PM [Lunch]
"Aiden, get me some water," Kris ordered, adding a "please" after a beat.
He sighed but stood and started towards the fountain at the end of the cafeteria. Kris wasted no time in telling me, "OK, so I asked, like, all of his friends, but they knew nothing. I can't ask him personally, because I'm not talking to him since you two broke up. Which is a shame because I was starting to like him."
"I don't care if you don't know."
"Bee. Seriously. Your heart is, like, broken."
"Nuh-uh. I'm fine."
"Whatever you say. Anyways, I was hoping you could come to my house and help me get ready for my hot date? Before the dance?"
"Yeah, probably," I murmured, scanning the cafeteria. Aiden was coming back with a full glass of water for Kris, but that wasn't the guy I was looking for.
"Here's your water, Kris," Aiden said in a monotone, then I heard a shriek and felt a few drops of water hit me. Aiden had poured the entire glass of water over Kris's head, and she was now screaming.
Hunter sat beside me, after wiping off a puddle from the bench. "Well. That's exciting."
I grinned. "You're telling me. I'll be hearing about this for weeks."
February 14th, 6:34 PM [Before the dance]
"He dumped water on me!"
"Let it go."
"No. I was soaked. My mascara - did you see my mascara?"
"Yes. Everyone saw your mascara."
"It was ruined. It took me almost ten minutes to do my eyeliner, which was also ruined." Kris stepped back from the mirror, where she was applying lip gloss. She considered it, and turned to me. "Too dark?"
"Nah. It matches your dress."
"Mm-kay. Here." She threw a lighter pink at me, which I spread over my lips carefully, trying to avoid ruining my newly painted nails. "Do you want me to do your eyeliner?"
"Nah. I'm just going to let my nails dry." I wiggled my fingers, the nails painted a shimmering silver. Kris's were dark red.
"Can you zip up my dress with your nails wet?"
"I can try," I answered, sliding off the bed and pulling on the zipper gently, keeping my nails away from the fabric. She let her hair fall over it and smiled.
"How do I look?" She held out her arms and twirled.
"Ten out of ten. Me?"
"Eight. Only because you haven't got your makeup finished. And your dress is on backwards."
"Really? Crap." I shimmied the arms out of their sleeves and switched it around. "Better?"
"Nine point five." She grinned. "C'mon, your nails have got to be dry by now."
I tapped one with the pad of my other hand and shrugged. "Dry enough. Let me borrow your foundation."
She handed me a compact and I dug my mascara and eyeliner out of my bag. Soon enough, I was done and Kris's mom was knocking at the door.
"You girls ready? I don't want y'all to be late."
"Yeah," Kris called. "One sec."
She turned to me. "Promise me you won't freak when you see your date. Whoever it is."
I laughed. "I promise. It can't be that bad."
"OK."
We ran downstairs and to the car, where Mrs. Parker was waiting with the engine. Kris took shotgun, while I situated me in the backseat.
"Nails still good?" Kris asked.
I inspected them. "As close to perfect as possible. Yours?"
She waggled them at me. "Mine are perfect."
During the five minute drive to the school, Kris kept up a running chatter about the decor and who was going with who and the music, which she had had a hand in choosing. "I told them to play Cray Button, and that dubstep Rick Astley I showed you. Remember?"
I laughed. "Yeah. You showed Mrs. Kenny and she almost died laughing."
"OK, girls," Mrs. Parker trilled as she pulled up, "have fun! No kissing."
"Thanks, Mrs. Parker," I called, unbuckling.
"I'm allowed to like, hold hands, right?" Kris asked, half-joking.
"No," Mrs. Parker called out the window. "No boys in general."
"What about the cute girls?" Kris yelled after her. A thumbs-down came from the window.
"Well, that was an entrance," Hunter said from behind us, stepping up next to Kris. "I'm assuming you're my date?"
"Yup. Where's Bee's?"
"Inside. He didn't want to see you too early. Here's your ticket though," he handed me a little pink heart with the time and date on it. "Don't want you to get locked out."
He gave Kris hers, then offered her his arm. He led her in, with me following behind feeling like a third wheel.
The teachers at the front checked our tickets, then let us in. The gym was decorated with red and pink streamers, and the old balloon arches - used for every dance in living memory - had pink, white, and red balloons tied to them.
"Fun," I murmured, still following Hunter. He led Kris and I to a table near the back, and frowned. "S- your date should have been here. I'm not quite sure. . ."
"You'll have to go find him because neither Kris nor I have any idea who it is," I told him, taking a seat and pulling a Hershey's Kiss out of the little vase full of them. "Shoo. Bring me the guy."
"If I can find him," he promised and left.
"Well, this is exciting," Kris said after a while, taking a chocolate of her own. She watched the couples and singles on the dance floor, the loud music creating a fervor of dancing.
I occasionally saw Georgia through the crowd. She seemed to be alone, which meant that if my mysterious date appeared I would win.
Hunter grabbed a chocolate and sat down. "He's waiting for you. Go now, before he runs away again."
"Where?" I asked, standing and scanning the room again.
"Middle of the dance floor."
I started to weave my way through the couples, now slow dancing to 'Chasing Cars' by Snow Patrol. There was one guy not dancing though, and as I got closer I recognized him.
"Sam?"
He turned. "Bianca? I'm, uh, waiting for someone."
"I know."
He didn't get it for a few seconds. "What? You're the girl Hunter brought along for me?"
I shrugged. "I guess. This is just perfect." I turned to go, but he grabbed my hand.
"Wait. Bee." I stopped and turned back to him. His eyes showed regret. "I'm sorry. For our fight. I mean, my god, what were we even fighting about?"
I shrugged. "Something stupid, probably."
"And, Bee, I've walked past your house about four times at two AM wanting you back. I didn't mean to argue. I didn't want to lose you."
I let him draw me closer, smell his cologne. "I didn't want to lose you either. I was insanely jealous when I heard you had a date to the dance."
"Well, who else would it be but my gorgeous girlfriend?" he murmured, one hand coming around to the small of my back. I leaned in and we swayed for a second before a soft voice interrupted.
"You have a Valentine, I see." Georgia stood there, looking small for once. "Guess I lose."
I smiled at her. "No one has to lose. Call off the bet?" I held out my hand and, after a pregnant second, she took it and shook, letting a smile take over her face.
"We tied," she declared. "Good game."
"You too," I told her, before turning back to my boyfriend and dancing the night away.