Valentines Day.
Today had to be the day.
Spinelli woke up from her slumber in a bright mood. She happily got herself ready for school, tying red ribbons in her hair and applying a faint amount of make-up; unusual for Spinelli as the thought of a 'girly look' made her anger boil.
But today was different; she needed to make an effort, didn't she?
She grabbed her schoolbag and bounced down the stairs, humming 'Love Is in the Air' as she went. She waved goodbye to her mum and set out for school.
At the same time, TJ Detweiler woke from a dream in the same happy mood.
He got dressed and applied his dad's aftershave on his wrists and neck. He brushed his short, brown hair into something that was considered as smart, and didn't wear his red cap; instead, he stuffed it in his schoolbag.
Then he took out a card; a large white one with a single red heart in the centre. He took out a pen, and began to pour his heart out to his love, the only girl he had ever liked in his life.
He sealed it with an 'x' indicating a kiss and put it safely in his schoolbag. TJ then left the house for school, the sun beaming down on his smile.
Spinelli had known TJ for a long time, and although they were great friends, she had begun to develop a serious love interest in him. And naturally, she though he felt the same about her.
Or, that's how she hoped it was.
She rounded the corner until 3rd Street School was in sight. She joined her best friends gathered at the front of school, but to her disappointment, TJ was not with them.
"Wow, Spinelli, you look different! Are you trying to look good for that special someone?" Mikey asked her, trying to scoop out a bit of Spinelli's love interest.
Spinelli didn't want her friends to know that she fancied TJ, she would be too embarrassed.
"No! It's just a new look!" she said in her usual angry tone. But even as she said it, Mikey could still sense that that was not the reason for the girly bows in her hair.
The group made there way to the classroom to wait for Miss Grotke.
Spinelli saw lots of letters being handed out, lots of red faces and even some flirting!
But where was TJ? Spinelli sat at her desk, getting all hot and flushed, and he wasn't even in the room yet.
Suddenly he strolled in, his cap off and his rucksack slumped over one shoulder.
He looked so cool! Spinelli grinned from ear to ear, and he grinned back at her!
He edged to his desk at the back through red-faced girls, and Spinelli followed him with her black, mascara-thick eyes .He then began to un-zip his rucksack and he carefully pulled out the white envelope.
Spinelli quickly turned around. This had to be it. She knew that he loved her; she could always see it in his emotions towards her. She waited for the card to slip in front of her.
It didn't come.
She waited a bit longer, but her waiting was broken at the sound of an Ashely, and it's posh little squeak of delight.
She whipped round to see that TJ's card was in the hands of Ashley Armbuster, and was surrounded by the other three Ashley's.
Spinelli's face fell and her heart sank. Tears began to well up in her eyes.
TJ Detweiler didn't love her.
She turned back round to attempt to absorb what had just happened, but only to find a red letter on her desk.
For a second she had a glimmer of hope, but to her disappointment, and the deepest of disappointment as well, the name 'Spinelli' was in the familiar scrawny handwriting of Randall.