Snow glistened outside, as the temperature dropped below Zero degrees. Maria and Keswick had finally gotten the kids to school, as they were driving home. They were just pulling off out of the High School parking lot, where they had dropped off Stephanie. They were driving home, as Maria had asked the Chief to give them the day off, which everyone knew why, except for Keswick. "Why did we get the day off, again?" Keswick gripped onto the wheel. He had no idea what today was, it felt like an ordinary day.
"You'll find out." Maria snickered. She knew what today was, and she knew that Keswick forgot. It was February 14th, Valentine's Day. Keswick looked at Maria suspiciously, then back at the road. Keswick was trying to figure out what was going on, and usually he could, because Maria's kind of easy to predict, but something just wouldn't click!
Keswick parked into the driveway, and they both jumped onto the ice on the cement. Keswick started to slip, as he started to lose his balance. Maria slid smoothly over to him. "I thought you said you couldn't skate." Keswick said, with a displeasing frown. Maria bit her lip, and answered "Only when I'm using skates" as she stammered. Keswick looked at her suspiciously, and then just said "Alright." He didn't look very convinced.
Keswick suddenly lost all the balance he had, and slipped, hitting the ground. "Are you alright?!" There was mostly laughter in Maria's voice, as she grabbed Keswick's hand it helped him back up. Maria let go of his grasp, and Keswick glided over to the dry cement, trying to keep balance. Maria slid across the ice, snickering at Keswick, as she landed onto the cement.
The two walked inside, shaking their boots off, and unzipping their coats. Keswick hung his coat up, still looking oddly at Maria. "What?" Maria said, taking her boots off. Keswick sighed "Nothing…" Keswick said, walking into another room.
Maria looked at him as he walked off, with a bit of worry in her eyes. She walked into the room to see Keswick on the couch, just staring at the ceiling there. Maria walked over to him. "Hey, Kes, what's wrong?" She asked, a bit of worry in her voice. "I feel like I'm forgetting something." Keswick sighed. "Something important." Keswick paused for a moment, then looked up at Maria. "What's the date?"
"How should I know?" Maria lied. "I don't think there's anything going on today." Keswick looked up at Maria again. "Then why'd you ask the Chief to give us the day off?" Maria stammered. She didn't want Keswick to figure out what the day was, as she wanted to make it like a normal day, but it seems Keswick might've started to figure it all out.
Maria stood there awkwardly for a moment, then fled into a different room, leaving a suspicious Keswick in the living room. Keswick got up, and leaned against the wall. "She told Kitty and Dudley to babysit the kids too... And she took down all the calenders... what is up with that girl?"
Maria hid in a laundry basket down the hall. She lifted the lid, to see no Keswick in sight, and she let out a sigh of relief as she slid back in. Suddenly something opened up the lid and picked up her by the shirt. She struggled to get free, then looked up to find it was Keswick, holding a calender. "You're BUSTED, Maria." He said, with a big grin on his face. Maria fakily and innocently smiled, waiting for him to put her back down.
Keswick gripped her shirt a bit tighter. "I heard you on the phone earlier, dumping the kids on Kitty and Dudley, you asked for the day off, and you wouldn't tell me the date. OBVIOUSLY you have something planned." Maria looked at him, and quickly responded "Nope, nothing." Keswick looked suspiciously at her, then let go. "Alright, whatever." He tried to sound as if she had convinced her, but seriously, he wasn't buying it.
He dropped Maria back in the bin, the lid closing, and walked off, hands in his pockets. Maria picked up the lid, looking out, and sighed with relief. "Wait, he thinks I'm planning something? He should know by now that I don't like Valentine's that much. Eh, whatever." Maria got out of the bin, and brushed her outfit off. "I guess my only 'plan' was to get the day off for the Holiday and to dump the kids on Kitty and Dudley." She shrugged.
"Just at least make the day a little special, though I kind of hate the day. I mean, I know it's supposed to be full of love, but seriously, it tends to attract others as well at T.U.F.F... Like Skip. He's so dang ANNOYING to me on Valentine's! I don't really care if I like Keswick a lot, I just still hate the day. " She walked down the hall as she talked to herself in despair. "I still thought Keswick knew I didn't like today... maybe I didn't tell him...?" She muttered to herself.
She wandered into the living room, where Keswick was sitting on the couch. She slid over, and stood by him. "Hi." She said to him, kind of mutter like. He replied with a "Hi." Without looking up at her. Maria nudged him. "Is something wrong?" He looked up at her. "No, of course not." He said sarcasmly. "Are you sure?" Keswick sighed, and replied "Look, I don't like it when you keep secrets from me. Can you please tell me what you're being all 'secretive' about?"
Maria looked at him, and bit her lip. She knew now that she seriously hadn't told Keswick that she didn't like the date, so that's why she was trying to hide it, and she only took the day off so that she only had to act awkward to one boy, and she was being all secretive so that he didn't bring the date up. She stood there awkwardly, trying to think on how to explain this.