"I hate Valentine's Day," Racetrack complained, slamming the passenger door of Jack's '66 Mustang GT, courtesy of his great uncle.
"Why?" Jack asked, shifting out of park. Race glanced over his shoulder and sneered at the bundle of yellow roses and the classic heart-shaped box of chocolates.
"I suppose those are for Wizard?" Jack merely nodded, waiting for Racetrack to answer the question. He sighed. "Because," he replied, vaguely. Jack grinned, resituating his customary cowboy hat.
"Because why?" Jack prodded. He pulled out a packet of spear-mint gum and popped out two pieces, holding one out to Race. Racetrack accepted one piece of gum and began to chew it, agitatedly.
"Because of…" He hesitated, not actually wanting to say it. Though Racetrack had never admitted it, it was common knowledge among the boys.
"Because of Two-Bits," Jack said, knowingly. Race sighed, his silence confirming Jack's statement. "So what's the problem?"
"The problem is she doesn't know I exist!" Race snapped, sending another glare in the direction of Wizard's Valentine's Day gifts. Jack snorted.
"Cut the drama. You two have been tight for three straight years." Race winced at his friend's blunder.
"Don't say tight!" he laughed. Jack grinned, too.
"Hey, I could totally be black," he joked, doing an odd, wannabe ghetto hand motion. Race grimaced.
"Word of advice: Don't do that in front of Wizard."
"Good deal. So, what're you going to do for Bits?" Jack said, switching to the conversation back to the more important subject.
"No idea," Race said, shrugging. Jack rolled his eyes.
"You are so prepared," he said sarcastically. "Talk to Boomerang and then pick up something during lunch."
Jack pulled the 'Stang into the crowded parking lot of the high school. He yanked the key out of the ignition and slung his messenger bag over his shoulder. Jack gathered up Wizard's roses and chocolates.
"Ready?" he asked, glancing at Racetrack. Race nodded, taking a deep breath, and the two of them stepped into the school.
Their high school took Valentine's Day rather seriously. Revolting pink hearts hung from the ceiling. Valentine's cards were being exchanged. Couples were snogging. The first twelve lockers were enough to make Race want to turn right around and go crawl in bed.
"Revolting, isn't it?" Two-Bits said as Race sat next to her in home room.
"Immensely," he replied. She wrinkled her nose as Wizard flung her arms around Jack's neck, having just received his gifts.
"Still, I expect it's nice. How 'bout it, Boomer?" she added as Boomerang came in, hand-in-hand with her boyfriend, Kid Blink.
"As long as it's sugar," Boomer said, grinning around one of a dozen suckers, accompanied by a bouquet of daisies.
The bell rang, and the group divided. Two-Bits hurried to French while Jack, Wizard, and Blink departed for Math. Boomer and Race remained where they were. They had History with Kloppman.
"Hey, Boomer?" Race asked, hesitantly. She looked up from her notebook with an inquiring, "Hmm?"
"Um…What should I get Bits for Valentine's Day?" Boomer smirked, unsurprised.
"A little late, don't you think?" Race nodded. "Well, first…"
"Mr. Pullox was being extra evil this morning," Two-Bits grumbled, stopping in front of her locker. Boomerang gave her a sympathetic smile. She had just had math, her period right after lunch. Two-Bits yanked open her locker and shoved her Math book on the shelf. She froze, in the middle of shutting the locker door. Turning, she gasped.
Taped to her locker was a single red rose. Tied to it was a black ribbon and a note. Wondering if somebody got the wrong locker, Two-Bits plucked the note off of the door and unfolded it.
Two-Bits,
Happy Valentine's Day. Wanna go out with me on Friday? Love your "Secret Admirer."
P.S. Look behind you.
Two-Bits spun around immediately and her heart nearly stopped.
Racetrack was grinning back at her, holding a pair of scissors and a pack of black ribbon. "How'd you—?"
"Boomerang told me," he replied, simply. He was referring to the time when Two-Bits had expressed (in a moment of hopeless romanticism) that she wanted someone who gave her a red rose with a black ribbon, just like the Phantom did in Phantom of the Opera.
"Oh my—" She stared at the rose, and then threw her arms around Racetrack's neck, hugging him tightly. He hugged her back.
"Two-Bits…I've had a huge crush on you for about two years," he murmured in her ear. She grinned and kissed his cheek.
"Me too." Laughing, he drew back and kissed her lightly.
"Happy Valentine's Day."