First Comes Love...Right?

•~One~•

(This chapter is dedicated to Blackflamehound for being my Valentine <3)

Her teeth were being torn out, one by one.

Midack hated her life.

Well, she supposed it wasn't so bad as to compare it to being tortured violently by a sociopath, but it was damn close.

It is worth mentioning that she only hated her existence during the first two weeks of February. It was cold, the sky was always some shade of grey since the sun was playing hooky.

And Valentine's Day. The sweetest day of the year.

(It gave her diabetes.)

For two weeks out of the year, Fianna Academy was splashed with pink, with hearts and glitter and chocolate-not to forget the glittery chocolate hearts-vomited on the surface of the school.

She stared blankly at her pen. She really needed less vulgar comparisons.

But when you couldn't go ten feet without seeing some form of PDA in the hallways, it was hard to stay positive.

Especially when no one wanted to "Be Mine".

Boyfriends and girlfriends made a point to sit together in class, pinkies clasped sickeningly together for hours, playing footsie like a bunch of toddlers on the playground.

Get a room, damn you.

But the cynicism of one person wasn't enough to stop the festivities, her being the silent minority, so she suffered with the occasional caustic glare thrown the way of any unlucky couple to be affectionate around her.

The bell rang and she was first in the hall, her chin friendly with her chest as she kept her head down. In seconds, she was swarmed on all side by freed students, all of them screeching the same drivel.

"Omigosh! He got you a what?"

"I think that she'll like it, but what do you think? Too flashy?"

"I can't wait till Diarmuid asks me to the Valentine's fair!"

"It's in like three days. It's kinda late to ask, don't you think?"

"I got fifteen cards from boys in each class!"

"That's nothing, sister. I got twenty from boys and girls yesterday. Top that."

She walked faster, picking up steam as her chest began to flame in jealousy. They were comparing cards like a game and she had yet get a single one.

And the worst had yet to come. School was finished for the day, meaning that it was time to check their lockers, where cards, candy and other lovely "C" words would be crammed-"C" what she did there?-into every available space before spilling messily out onto the floor when the door was opened. It was a daily routine of disappointment for her.

Well, at least she didn't have to feel guilty for trees. That was one thing. The beauty of her classmates was killing the planet.

Latching onto that one ray of negative sunshine, she went to her own locker. And, despite her fourteen year old cynicism, she was still hopeful that maybe-just maybe-someone had a thing for fourteen year old cynics.

Apparently not. Her locker was curiously bare of any hearts or small boxes of candy. No cards, no notes, not even a cheap pencil from those gift sets at the school store.

She looked around at the other girls and their lockers. All around, boxes of candy wrapped in bows, teddy bears holding hearts with words of adoration stitched into them and hearts of pink paper were being admired and compared.

She looked back at her empty metal box and sighed, shutting it quietly so they would never know that she was there, expecting a valentine, and had never received one.

Outside, it rained in heavy sheets. She had no umbrella or willing person who would share with her, adding to her sour mood as a two mile walk home in the rain loomed ominously over her.

At least it would hide the hot tears of frustration, self pity and jealousy. From passerby and herself.