Valentine's Day

Chapter one

Note: This takes place before everything in my other novel Missing Pieces.

Enjoy!

                                                                                            1

It was a gloriously hot summers' day in February. I was wearing a singlet top and shorts with my hair pulled back in a messy pony tail. Even that felt like too much clothing. I was sitting outside the library with my friends doing our homework. Well, we were supposed to be. Hawke kept staring off into space or looking around at everything. That boy had the attention span of a goldfish. I threw my pen down onto the table and swiftly placed my hair into a pony tail using the hair tie I always kept on my wrist. Hawke gave me a quizzical look.

"What's up? You're being really quiet today." He commented while casually going back to his homework.

"Ah, so that's what that sound is." Riley interjected.

"What sound?" Hawke and I asked at the same time.

"Silence."

I rolled up a piece of scrap paper and threw it half-heartedly at Riley.

"Good one." I said.

Both Riley and Hawke laughed. I shook my head and went back to my work. I was finding it hard to concentrate but was trying to at least look like I was doing something.

As unusual, Hawke had realised something was up with me, I don't know how he did it but he was quite perceptive when it came to some things about me. Other times, he was completely oblivious.

I was in a bit of a funk. Valentine's Day was soon approaching, and a lot of the girls in my classes were excitedly taking about dates they had coming up or wondering if their crush would be doing something on the day.

Now, I know Valentine's Day is just a holiday that all the major companies jumped on to force us into spending money on overpriced flowers, cards and cholates. Single? Then you need some chocolate. It was probably the one day of the year that I felt the loneliest. It's every girls dream to be swept off her feet in some romantic way. But I'll never be swept off my feet. Not while mum had her strict rules anyway. There was absolutely no way I'd be going on any dates. I doubt any guy would even bother to send me flowers for fear of mothers' wrath. It sucked. Big time.

I just wanted someone to tell me I was beautiful (and mean it), to think I was worthy of being taken somewhere that doesn't serve combo deals for dinner and yes I wanted the overpriced flowers.

Ice cream, chocolate and sad movies would be the only things I'd be getting on Valentine's Day and I'd be buying them myself.

I just wanted some damn romance. Was that too much to ask?

I sighed out loud not realising it until it was too late.

"What's wrong, Star?" Hawke asked again.

"Yeah." Riley said. "This whole silence thing is nice, but I'm not going to lie, it's got me feeling a bit nervous. Are you ok?"

I smiled. "You two are sweet sometimes." I shook my head. "I'm fine, don't worry."

"Uh oh." Riley said. "When a woman says she's fine, she's not."

I gave a shrug. "Honestly, I'm fine."

My sister, Charlene had been quietly working away along with us but with her headphones on, I assumed she was listening to music but she spoke in a clear voice, same as the rest of us. "You're not still mopey about Valentine's Day, are you?"

She tried to look as innocent as possible but I knew she was trying to cause trouble. I usually went on and on about what a waste of money the holiday was. Why couldn't we just express our love or lust for one another on a day where roses weren't the price of a deposit on a small house? You know, the usual stuff. She'd just outed me as the sado I was.

I gave a sigh. "Thanks for having my back sis." I said and tried to get back to work hoping no one would press me further for details.

"I'm confused." Hawke said. He was wearing his sunglasses, so I couldn't tell what his eyes were up to when he looked at me, but I felt them.

"Are you sad because of the overpriced flowers and the pressure from society to express love on this chosen day, or because you're not going to be receiving any of the overpriced flowers and expressions of love?" He said it with a smile and I knew he was teasing me, which made this whole conversation that much more embarrassing.

"Just forget it, I don't want to talk about it." I said with a harsh tone to my voice and a frown on my face.

"She wants it all. The flowers, the dinner, the romantic words whispered into her ear all by Prince charming." Char said.

"Remind me to never confide in you again, dear sister." I said with a bit of coldness to my voice.

She gave a shrug, clearly not effected by any of the vibes I was giving off.

"But." Hawke said, pausing before continuing. "You don't like any of that stuff."

Char burst into laughter, complete gasping for air, jiggling the seat we were sitting on laughter. Tears streamed down her face and her cheeks flushed just the same colour as mine only, hers wasn't from embarrassment.

"Are you kidding? She loves that romance crap." She shook her head and pointed at Hawke with her pen. "I thought you, her best friend might have known her love of romance, considering her favourite books are romantic classis, she loves the Notebook movie and she cries at cute puppies on TV."

He didn't say anything, just kind of sat there staring. I'm not sure if he was trying to process Chars comment. or the fact that I'm just another stupid girl waiting for her prince.

"And on that note." I said as I finished packing up the rest of my stuff and shoved it into my back pack. "I'm leaving. "

"Star, don't go. I'm just teasing you." Char said.

"See you at home." I said and I walked away from the rest of my friends who were still in shock.