The Art Of Seduction ✓

|43| Valentines Day

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"Where you used to be, there is a hole in the world, which I find myself constantly walking around in the daytime, and falling in at night. I miss you like hell."

Edna St. Vincent Millay.

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IT WAS SOMETHING for people to look forward to, a new exciting thing and as students swarmed around, people started getting together. The smell of roses became a frequent scent in the hallways. Everywhere I glanced at, I noticed there were couples, and these couples were very obvious. Holding hands in a Oh-look-I've-met-the-love-of-my-life-and-I'm-happy  way. 

Rekha and Cassian weren't huge fans of PDA, neither were Grace and James. But this week, they seemed very very touchy. Sitting with Rekha, Grace, Cassian and James. I became very aware that I was the single one out. Rekha was practically on Cassian's lap. Grace and James were whispering and I was well, eating my sandwich trying not to look like a pathetic loser this Valentines day. 

"God, I've no idea how I'm going to live through this week with everyone being so nauseatingly obnoxious," I complained to Joey as I located my chemistry textbook in the mess that was my locker. "It's literally everywhere, who the fuck sticks pink fucking hearts on their lockers?" I growled pointing to the lockers beside mine. "Who?"

"Whoever's interested in them I suppose."

"Do you know how many posts on instagram are all cheesy bullshit this week?" I unlocked my phone with a quick swipe and I showed Joey. "Every single one of the people I follow are idiots in love."

"Rekha looks happy," Joey commented squinting.

"Well, she is. But isn't the honeymoon stage over, they've been together since your party and that was nearly four months ago!"

"Am, you used to love Valentines day."

I paused frowning. "I did?" 

"Well, you weren't grouchy this time of year."

"That doesn't equate to love Joey Knight." My thought head back to Kaden and what happened on this day several years ago and I knew that I didn't love it. I never did. It was then, I knew Joey was taking shots in the dark because prior to his parties we'd never had much reason to speak. 

"Are you just upset you're spending it alone?" Joey asked, taking my books away from my hand and walking me to class, "Or were you upset that both Grace and Rekha were too busy with their boyfriends to pay attention to you during lunch?"

I was a little surprised Joey didn't know what happened to Kaden on Valentine's day but then, Kaden had always been a little private, so I didn't say a word, pretending I'd forgotten too when moments ago I had. "More on the latter. Wasn't it friends forever, boyfriends for never?"

"Or bro's before hoes," Joey added. "It's the season to be spoilt rotten by a guy Am."

"Well, fuck the season then."

Joey chuckled beside me. "Fuck the season it is."

The next day I found flowers by my locker, roses bright and red. My heart hammered and I wondered if it could be but when I looked at the card it said. "Over him yet?"

It didn't take a genius to figure out it was from Joey and not Kaden. 

But my heart didn't fall to the floor in complete disappointment. Instead, I stared at the card wondering when will I truly be over Kaden Nowell.