Country Mile

REALLY WAS REDEEMABLE

Red and pink Valentine's Day hearts littered the halls of Hastings High. Construction paper bouquets and cutouts of Cupid with his bow and arrows were taped everywhere. Some girls even had real rose petals sprinkled on the floor in front of their lockers.

Delilah popped her gum. "Look at all this crap," she scoffed, flicking a Cupid in the face.

Genna rolled her eyes. Delilah always acted as though she didn't care about these types of things, but she knew deep down her sister truly did. She just didn't want to get her hopes up, only to be let down. Delilah Katherine Prescott could handle an astounding array of things, but disappointment wasn't one of them. She was a beautiful, bright, funny, intelligent girl with the down right terrible habit of blaming herself for other people's shortcomings.

Delilah and Logan were moving just as slow and Genna and Archer. Though the pairs were considered shipped, it came as an unpleasant surprise to them that neither sister had received so much as a candy heart from the boys they thought were wrapped around their pinky fingers.

"If it makes you feel any better, I don't have a Valentine either," Genna stated plainly as she shrugged out of her coat. She shook off the snowflakes that failed to melt before hanging it on the hook inside her locker.

She turned to face Delilah when she noticed a particular boy headed their way. He put his pointer finger over his lips for her to keep his approach a secret.

"I'm sure Archer has somethin' planned." Delilah sighed, leaning against the lockers with crossed arms. "Don't you be tryin' to steal the spot light durin' my pity party."

Logan leaned down and spoke beside her ear. "And why would a beautiful girl like you be throwin' a pity party on Valentine's Day?"

Delilah's wide eyes met Genna's before she slowly turned around. She couldn't see the blonde's face, but she imagined her cheeks were tinged a shade of pink similar to the strawberry lowlights in her hair.

Logan pulled a single pink rose and a box of chocolates out from behind his back. "Delilah, will you be my Valentine?"

Her beachy waved hair shifted like the ocean greets the sand as she nodded her head excitedly.

"YES!" she squealed in high pitched delight. She threw her hands around his neck and he lifted her in a tight embrace. Kissing her cheek, he placed her on the floor.

"I'll give you guys some privacy," Genna laughed. She grabbed the necessary binder for first period, closed her locker and began making her way to homeroom.

She turned the corner and stopped dead in her tracks. There, in the middle of the hallway beneath a banner that stretched from one side of the hall to the other with large hot pink letters that read, 'Genna, will you be my Valentine?', stood the boy who stole her heart during a daring mid summer night.

She should've known. The display before her was far more typical of him than any of the scenarios she allowed to run away with her thoughts. A pang of guilt struck her as she realized she was in the habit of thinking the worst of everyone lately.

The extravagance of his gesture made her cheeks turn the same shade of red as the dozen roses he held in his hands. His brilliant smile beaming made every inch of her radiate from within. Running to him, she leapt up to wrap her arms around his neck and he caught her with one arm, careful not to drop the bouquet held in the other. He kissed her lips softly before placing her back down. Though her feet touched the ground, her heart was soaring above cloud nine.

"Duh," Genna whispered up to him with a smile.

Archer rolled his eyes and gave her a teasing pinch to her cheek.