Valentine's Day
Secondary school
Age: Jonathan: 19
Rachel: 18
Lesson: Art class
Jonathan stared at the folded piece of paper sitting on his desk. Drawn on the front of the paper was a large heart coloured in a bright cherry red. Above the giant red heart were the stencilled words "Happy Valentines Day". It was a rather poor excuse for a card and he knew that no real effort had been given but as he thought at the time β what was the point? It was a single card that was made in a class exercise because the teacher didn't have a lesson planned and sure enough would be ripped and binned later anyway.
The teacher had come to the agreement with the class that to save the embarrassment of giving a card to the person they would all hand in their cards to the front of the class and at the end of the class the teacher would give the cards out instead. Jon already had his card ready and knew who exactly he wanted to give his to; she was (in his eyes) the most beautiful girl in the school. Her name was Jenna and she was the captain of the schools girl's lacrosse team. Her long, blonde, wavy hair captivated him every time he looked in her direction. He let out a sigh and opened the card. Written In the middle of the card in his scruffy and rushed handwriting were the words: "Happy valentines, the most beautiful girl in the world.". Underneath the message was his name and three X's, there was no name at the top, there was no point β after all the teacher were going to hand them out directly so she would get it anyway.
He looked over at her once more, she was in a conversation with the person sitting on her right and they were both giggling. Her smile made him smile. She looked over at him and waved, he smiled back and waved before looking down at the card pretending to be busy. When he was sure she was not looking at him anymore he looked back up. For a second he looked behind her at the girl sitting by herself with her head in her hands, she looked upset. He knew it was his sister and he also knew that she was a bit of a loner. Not by intention but she wasn't going to have many friends with her large metal braces, thick glasses and un-fair complexion. She was no Jenna.
A pang of pity shot through his heart. Yes, she was no Lacrosse captain and would never win any looks contests but what hurt him most was that he knew no guy in the class would bother to give her a card. After all who would want to give Rachel Moore, social outcast and general loner a card?
Jon looked down at his card. The raised his hand and waited for the teacher to acknowledge.
"Yes, Jon?" The teacher asked sitting behind his desk like overwatch (too many spy movies).
"Made a mistake sir. Could I have another piece of paper?"
Obviously annoyed the teacher reached into a draw in desk and placed a blank page on the top of his desk. Jon went to receive the paper and threw the old one in the bin as he walked back to his seat. He started again on his new card. Taking this time this time and putting effort into it he carefully drew a large heart like the other. Using the array of felts on his desk he selected the blood red colour and began to colour the shape. When he was done he drew four more hearts around the big heart in the corners and coloured those in yellow β his sisters' favourite colour. On the inside he wrote a new message in his best handwriting, it read: "You'll always be in my heart, my girl." He signed the card and wrote at the top: "To the best girl I know, Rachel Moore.". It was probably overkill writing her full name but hey what did it matter?
He gave the card in to the teacher and sat back down at his desk waiting for the end of the lesson. Finally the end did come and there was a buzz of excitement and general murmur throughout the class. The teacher stood at the front of the class with the large pile of homemade cards at his side. The teacher began calling out the students names and the number of cards that they had.
"Jonathan Moore, three... Jenna Karas, five... Rachel Bilson, two..."
One by one the students walked from their seats and collected the cards before walking back to their seats, talking to friends while reading the cards they had given.
"Rachel Moore, one"
There was a small murmur throughout the class and one person even gave a small chuckle obviously thinking it was some practical joke. Reluctant to make a scene Rachel remained in her seat, sympathetically the teacher went to her table and placed the card in front of her before walking back and reading out the rest of the class names.
No longer paying attention to the rally of who got the most cards Jon was watching his sisters' expression. At the beginning of getting her card she too must have thought it was some type of joke on her but eventually she managed to pluck her courage and opened the card. Her face brightened as she read what was inside and he gave her a small but warm smile as she looked up at him, she too smiled. The class died down giving just a few minutes till the bell ended the class.
Jon looked at the cards on his desk. They all pretty much looked the same, a giant heart and the same boring words. Some cards had glitter while others were like the card he made. Without bothering to read the messages he flicked through them. Stacy Chaplain, Tracy Emerald, Jenna Karas. He looked around the room at the people who had given him a card; Stacy was talking to her best friend and not paying him any attention. Tracy was reading a book she had brought to school and Jenna was looking through her own cards. When she finished she looked up at him as in to say: Why did you not give me a card?
He felt guilty about that, she gave him a card and he should have made two rather than just the one. But once he looked over at his sister and saw the smile and the look on her face as she studied his card all the emotions washed away.
The rest of Valentine's Day went like any other day, when he got home he showed, to his mothers' persistence, the cards he had gotten and then unceremoniously dumped them in the bin. He never even noticed his sister run straight through without showing her card and straight to her room. He didn't see much of her after that.
Dinner was late that night and again at their mothers' persistence, they had to sit and eat as a family at the table. Several times he looked up from his meal and caught his sister sitting opposite watching him with a smile across her lips. Maybe it should have bothered him more but considering the fact that he had probably done the nicest thing that she's ever had he let her smile.