A short little story that came to my mind during the holiday season, based on some personal experience, but most is fictitious (spelled right?), especially the anti-valentines day thing. I LOVE valentines day. :-)

Ok, I noticed some errors, but I couldn't fix them. I was posting on my friends computer and it wouldn't let me fix the problems. So here it is again, correctly. With a disclaimer! Sorry if any of you thought it was a second chapter... :-(

Valentines Day. The one holiday that I'm not fond of. Give me Christmas, and I'll run around like a crazy man holding up mistletoe and getting thrown out of children's lines for taking pictures with Santa; whilst my friends watch in dismay. Give me St. Patrick's Day, and I'll go somewhere where there's a ton of beer and get ripped out of my skull. Make it Easter and I might dress up as a bunny and hop around hiding eggs. I even like Thanksgiving; it's a special family event- I usually run around trying to "dress the turkey" like in those Amelia Bedielia books my mom read to me when I was little.

I haven't liked Valentines Day for a long time, not since the third grade. See, I liked this girl named Lucy. Oh she was beautiful, at least whatever beautiful was to my third grade self. She had golden hair (and ain't that always the case?) that was pin straight and was constantly tucked behind her ear with the aid of her bobby pins. Lucy was always smiling brightly and she had this cute button nose that crinkled in such an adorable way when she smiled. I finally got up the nerve to give her the special valentine I had made for her. The moment she saw it she smiled, and my heart felt light and fluffy, like it had wings. The next second it felt like it was being stomped on as she began to laugh at it. At me, and then the whole class began to laugh at me. Like really laugh, kids can be so mean. You know? All I wanted to do was run and hide for the rest of my life. I did run and hide for the rest of the day, but then my teacher found me and made me go back to class.

That's why I don't like Valentines Day. And of course I end up being friends with two of the most in love people I have ever met. It's disgusting, seriously. What did I do to deserve this? So on this day: Cupids heaven and The Broken Hearted's nightmare; I am going to ignore the holiday AND avoid Ben and Abi as much as humanly possible. It's hardly possible with all their phone messages and cutesy emails and crap. And another thing, how can I ignore this holiday with all the candy and advertisements and conversation hearts and frilly pink things everywhere? My God, this holiday is stalking me. I can't go anywhere without it being there. I've locked my apartment door (All five locks, one can never be too cautious) and popped in my favorite NON-romantic movie. Unfortunately I realize that it does have romance in it when the lead actor begins flirting with the female lead. What is with society today? Can we not have movies without love? Even the freaking horror flicks have love in them.

I'm changing the channel to the science channel, ahhh some NOVA show about an 800 year old mummy…A mummy that was in love with some lady, ok moving on. The outdoors channel, good; the outdoors channel never has any lovey-dovey crap on it. Until today, apparently. God, what is it with today? Maybe these things are here all the time and I just never noticed them before? … Nah, that's not it. Stupid holiday, why would anyone make it a day to celebrate? I mean it's really just a generalization of what it used to be- which was the day a guy died. He was fed to lions for goodness sake, and we pick today of all days to celebrate? I would be insulted if I was him. Nowadays it's a celebration of our economy, where we get out the good ol' visa and spend fifty dollars to send our beloved Red roses (a dozen, why not just one I wonder?) to "prove" that we love them. It's a bunch of commercialized crap is what it is.

I walk to my window to get a good look at the prospects of the day. Hey! Why is the UPS man wearing a pink heart on his vest? He's headed over to my neighbor's house (I like to call her Mrs. "Way to Cheerful at 4 in the morning," but that is another story for another day) with a bright red package in hand, a cheesy grin all over his face. This holiday is affecting the way everyone works and I don't like it. The UPS man never smiles; that in itself tells me more than I want to know about his personal life.

Ugh. I shudder, repressing the thoughts coming to my mind. New thoughts. I hear my house phone ringing and I turn away from the strangely happy UPS man and look at my caller ID. Ben.

Am I going to answer it…I think not. I let it go to voicemail and listen to my friend talk to me, on a machine.

"Riley, if you're home pick up the phone! Abigail is wondering if you wanna have lunch with us today. Which reminds me, Happy Valentines Day buddy!"

I throw my couch pillow at the phone. Ben just had to say it didn't he? He knows I hate today.

"Listen, Riley, I know you hate Valentines Day and all, but we'd love it if you'd have lunch with us. But not dinner, because, well Abi and I have plans. That don't involve you, sadly enough…Anyways, I'm getting off topic. Answer the phone man; I want to know if you're coming for lunch."

Why is that man so freaking persistent? My hand hovers over the phone as I mentally debate with myself over whether or not to answer.

"Pick up the phone…" he singsongs through the speaker.

"Alright alright," I mutter with a sigh. He knows me too well.

"NO…." I groan through the phone as soon as I answer.

"Why not? We just want to see you today." He replies with that puppy dog tone in his voice.

"Beeen, I hate Valentines Day. And Abi is gonna have flowers and candy hearts and pink frilly things everywhere. And her lunch is going to be specifically valentinsey."

"She said she'd tone it down. Just for you Riley."

"She better not have another blind date for me. Because we all remember how that went."

I remember, that's for sure. It was awful. I was so embarrassed. I show up at my best friends' house on my least favorite day of the year to have lunch, and what do I find? Some girl name Mandy. I don't remember her last name, because lets face it: It is an event I would like to forget. Lunch was horrible, I was feeling anti-social then as I always do on this day, and I think I came across as a freak. But that wasn't as bad as the time Abigail thought I was gay and tried to set me up with her friend, so I guess I should be thankful (also a story for another time, or maybe never; I try not to remember it…).

"No blind dates, I made sure." he reassures me.

"No friends other than me?" I ask, making sure every loophole is covered.

"Nope, just the three of us and some Lasagna. And those breadsticks you like so much..."

Damn. He had me at breadsticks, I have to go now. They know I love them, and they break them out in special occasions when they want me to come over and I don't want to. Which isn't often, so I don't see them 98 of the time. And I mean I literally don't see them. They hide them, and they do it well. I have looked everywhere in that house. And one day I will find their stash.

"Fine, you better not be lying about the breadsticks." I warn him, and he knows better than to lie, because my grouchy side is less than pleasant.

"Then hurry up, will ya? I'm hungry."

"Good bye Ben, I'm leaving now." I hang up the phone and grab the keys to my car. I don't bother changing into something nicer. If they want to see me today, I'm going comfortable. In my Ferrari, I switch on the radio and am half a second from banging my head on the steering wheel as the dulcet tones of Dean Martin (who is ok in my book on any other day) process in my senses. I switch the station as I pull out of my driveway.

L- is for the way you look at me

I can feel the headache coming, so I switch the radio off, and the 15 minute drive to Ben's house is prolonged as I have to watch the red decorations whiz by. Stupid economized holiday.

I manage to hold back my gag reflex as I enter the Gates' household and see all the red, and the roses, and the candy. No pink frilly things, I guess that's what Ben meant by "toning it down."

Walking in the kitchen I see a sight that makes me want to turn around and walk back out, its Ben and Abi kissing. All sweet and sickly, it's grossing me out. "Hi," I say loudly.

"Hey Riley!" Ben greets me happily.

Abi smiles warmly. "Happy V-"

"Don't say it." I warn her.

"Oh come on, it's just a word. What damage could that cause?"

"Probably nothing, but I don't want to hear that word again. It's horrible, like nails to a chalkboard."

She sighs and relents by saying nothing; instead she just gives me a small hug and smiles. "Breadsticks are on the table, don't eat too many before lunch."

I make a B-line for the table and gawk at what I see. My breadsticks have been made heart shaped! She has violated their sacred-osity! My eyes are wide open and nearly popping out of my head. Ben pats me on the shoulder as he picks one up to eat it. "Hey, at least it's not a blind date," he reminds me cheekily.

All I can do is glare in a horrified manner over at him as he eats the monstrosity.

Fin