Me and Elsie Love You
"What the matter with you?" young Roger Davis asked as he sat beside his brunette friend.
The young woman sighed. "I hate this month."
Another teenager plopped down beside the two. "What have you got against Black History Month Maureen?" he asked with a grin.
Maureen rolled her eyes. "Shut up Col. I mean all the stupid Valentine's Day bullshit. It's completely pointless."
Collins chuckled. "So says the single. What, none of your booty calls down for romance?"
"I don't see any trails of flowers leading to your locker Thomas." Roger snapped suddenly.
Maureen looked surprised at her friend's defence of her, but Collins rolled his eyes. The bell rang for class then and the friends stood up. Maureen went up to the theatre and Collins and Roger headed to their math class.
"Still haven't told her, huh?" the African American boy wanted to know.
Roger slumped down in his seat. "No, Mo's one of my best friends Collins. How can I just come out and tell her without it being weird?"
Collins smacked his friend on the back of the head. "Mo likes weird. And she wants some Valentine's Day romance. So you see what you have to do?"
Roger just looked at him blankly. Collins rolled his eyes again. "Listen to me, boy." He said and quickly explained his plan to the young musician.
The next day was Valentine's Day and Maureen slumped to school unenthusiastically. She had to push her way past all the happy couples to get into the building and to her locker. The young diva scowled and rolled her eyes at the two blonds making out beside her locker. She was spinning the dial on her lock when Roger walked up.
"Hey Mo." He said. "Happy Stupid Commercial Spending Day."
Maureen smiled and popped open her locker. Her eyes widened when she was what was inside. All her books were in there, just as she'd left them the day before, but there was a new addition. On the top shelf sat a stuffed cow. It was nearly a foot tall, black with pink spots. The cow's face wasn't a normal goofy stuffed animal smile. Its lips were twisted into a sarcastic smirk with one eyebrow raised. It was a look Maureen often wore. In the cow's hooves was a card.
Roger just stood there as Maureen took the card down and opened it. Inside was the image of a heart and a message written in Roger's untidy scrawl. "Don't worry Mo," it said. "Me and Elsie love you. –Roger."
Maureen turned to Roger. "Elsie?" she asked.
"The cow." The young man answered.
"Ah." Maureen grabbed her books from the locker and then slammed it shut, leaving the cow, Elsie, inside. She started walking down the hall and Roger followed after, his heart beating rapidly He could sense rejection coming until Maureen reached back and grabbed his hand, pulling him to her.
"Thank you Roger." She murmured and leaned up to kiss him on the mouth.
"Happy Valentine's Day Maureen." Roger whispered against her lips.