Love Is In The Air
An It's A Wonderful Life Valentines Story
Notes: Figured I'd take a little break from writing so many Suessical & Annie
stories. I also determined I need to write more It's A Wonderful Life stories.
This one features the oldest Bailey Child Pete. I own no character from It's A
Wonderful Life. Pete's love interest is my original character. In the play the
ages of the Bailey Children are not specified so I am left to assume that Pete
is 13 and is in 8th grade and Janie is 11 and in 6th grade.
Pete Bailey had always despised Valentine's Day. He never really understood the point behind it and never participated in any Valentine's Day festivities at school. His parents had been called in for many parent/teacher conferences over the years. Pete was now a teenager and dreaded the holiday even more than in pervious years because his friends were starting to take notice of the girls in their class and ask them on dates.
"Sweetheart are you going to the dance tonight?" His mother asked
"No, you know I hate Valentines Day Ma."
Mary Bailey always worried about her oldest son being Anti social.
"Can't you go have a good time even though you don't have a date?"
"Gotta go Ma!"
Pete ran out the door to go meet the bus without even answering his mother's question.
Two minutes later Janie came down the stairs.
"Hurry up! You're going to miss the bus!"
Janie was bubbling over with excitement. "Remember Mom I'm going over Alissa's
after school today so a bunch of us can get ready for the dance."
"See if you can get your brother to go too."
"Why does Valentine's Day always make him so grouchy?" Janie asked
Mary sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "He's always hated this holiday,
Your father and I never really understood why. It's always been frustrating!"
The school bus horn honked outside.
"Happy Valentine's Day Mom, I love you." Janie kissed her mother on the cheek.
"I love you too darling. Have a great day!"
Once Janie got on the bus she took the seat across the aisle from Pete.
"Can't you sit somewhere else and leave me alone?"
"No Pete. Mom is worried about you. I wanted to talk to you about it."
Pete sighed. "I want nothing to do with this dumb holiday or that dance tonight."
Why can't you two stop getting on my case about it?"
"I think you know that the dance will be fun."
"It won't be! I have never liked them."
"Why does Valentine's Day make you so grouchy Pete?"
Pete sighed." I don't know Janie. Buzz off! Go sit with your friends and stop bugging me about the dance."
Janie sighed realizing this conversation was going to get her nowhere.
"Whatever! Mom just doesn't want you alone by yourself on a Friday night. If that's the way you want things to be suit yourself!"
The cheerleading team's annual fundraiser for their competition was selling Valentines Day carnations and today was the delivery date. Each cheerleader was responsible for going to from class room to classroom to deliver the flowers during 3rd period. One of the cheerleaders Alana was in Pete's English class.
"Pete, you got two flowers!"
Pete rolled his eyes. 'Does this holiday have to get people so excited?' He thought to himself. "Whatever." He grunted.
"You should act a little more excited!"
"Just put the dumb flowers down."
Alana placed the flowers on his desk and walked down the row of desks to the next person.
Pete looked at the tags on the flowers. The first one was from his sister.
'She's so annoying. ' Pete ripped the note off the flower and crumpled it in a ball.
The second note caught his eye.
Pete-
I think you are swell. You are a really sweet boy. I hope to get to know you
better.
The tag was signed Your Secret Admirer.
'This has to be some kind of trick someone is playing on me. Everyone knows I can't stand this holiday'
At lunch his friends noticed his flowers.
"Who sent you the flowers Petey?"
"My dorky sister sent me one. Got no clue who the other one's from.'
His friends grinned at him. "We got a mystery on our hands."
"Who do you fellas think it could be? Pete asked
"Well there is that new girl who just moved here from Jersey.. Maybe it's her."
His friend James suggested.
"Who?"
"Her name's Betsy Reynolds."
Pete shrugged. "Which one is she?"
"Tall, auburn hair brown eyes. She's in Biology with us."
Pete shrugged. "Honestly, I don't think I met her yet."
"You going to the dance tonight Petey?" His other friend Carlos asked.
" You won't catch me at that sappy Valentine's Day dance!"
" You don't think you might meet the person who sent you the flower?"
"It's probably one of those ditzy cheerleaders playing a trick on me. Everyone in this school knows how much I hate this dumb holiday."
"Come to dance with us just to see if she'll be there."
Pete was starting to get annoyed. " I don't even know who sent me the dumb
flower."
"You might be surprised with who it is."
"You fellas know something I don't?"
James & Carlos shrugged. "Just come to the dance Petey!"
"I'll think about it, alright?" .
His friends nodded.
Pete spent the rest of the day wondering who his mysterious admirer was. He caught a glance of Betsy out of the corner of his eye in Biology. 'She is kinda pretty.' He thought to himself.
When he got home from school his mother noticed the flowers right away.
"Who are the flowers from?"
"Janie & some secret admirer."
Mary's ears perked up. "That's a new development! Looks like the girls at school
are noticing you. "
"Jimmy & Carlos think I should go to the dance tonight just to see if that girl is there."
'Thank the lord for Jim & Carlos' Mary thought to herself.
"That's great sweetheart. If you don't want to stay the whole time your father
or I could always pick you up early."
There was silence.
"You really want me to go that dance don't ya Ma?"
Mary nodded. "If girls are taking interest in you then you should certainly acknowledge it."
Pete sighed. "Alright."
The gym was decorated in pink & red with cupids shooting arrows hanging from the
ceiling.
"Student council did a decent job with decorations." Jim said.
"Uh-huh." Pete grunted.
Alana came up to them grinning. "Pete , come with me. I got someone I want you to
meet."
Pete rolled his eyes. "Can't you buzz off Alana?"
"You'll really like her, I promise!"
Pete sighed. " Guess I'll be back in a minute fellas."
Alana pulled Pete away from his friends and over to where some of her cheerleading friends were standing. Much to his surprise Betsy was with them
too.
"Pete, this is Betsy. She's my new next door neighbor."
Betsy smiled. "I know you! You're in my biology class."
"Nice to meet you officially." Pete smiled.
"You too." Betsy returned the smile.
A song started to blare from the loudspeaker.
"Wanna dance?" Pete asked
Betsy smiled "I'd love too."
Pete escorted her to the dance floor.
"So why'd you move here all the way from Jersey? "
"My parents just split up and my mom moved here. She wanted to get out of the
city."
"Got any brothers or sisters?"
Betsy nodded. "One older sister who's in 11th grade and one younger brother
who's in 5th grade
"What are their names?"
"Caroline and Manuel. What about you?"
Pete smiled. "I'm the oldest of 4. My sister Janie is 11, my sister Zuzu is is 9
and my brother Tommy is 7."
"Zuzu is sure an interesting name."
"Her real name is Susan but my sister and I couldn't really pronounce it when we
were little so Zuzu stuck as a nickname."
"Do you like Bedford Falls?" Pete asked
Betsy shrugged "Still trying to get adjusted. It's much different than my old
town."
"It'll grow on ya. All the people are nice here.. We have a real tight knit
community."
Betsy got really quiet.
"What's wrong?"
"I know you're trying to figure out who gave you that carnation. Jimmy told me
during Biology "
"You got any idea who it was? That's been bugging me all day."
"It was from me "
His jaw dropped. "Really?"
Betsy nodded. "Yeah. I don't really know a lot of guys yet. Alana told me how
much you hate Valentines Day so I figured I'd do something to raise your
spirits."
'Why can't Alana just mind her own business?' He thought to himself.
"That was real nice of you. Thank you so much!"
"You're welcome" Betsy whispered.
This Valentines Day hadn't turned out half so bad after all.