The Valentines Day Special

 "Why is it I work every holiday, huh?" CW grumbled from the kitchen.

"Stop that, before you show everyone your true colors," Crystal scolded. "You know, Millie needed a break. And well, we're having a fundraiser for Junie." 

"As if I didn't know?" He had another order of Heavenly Pancakes ready to go. "Can't you see? This is the first time I've ever had a girlfriend, and I'm stuck here?"

"With me!" She gave him a grin as if she had something in mind for Valentine's Day. That is, if he didn't ruin it. "Have a little faith, huh?"

Of course, she felt guilty for being so happy while someone was sleeping through Valentine's Day. She did make him sad. He felt bad for not doing something about Connor. If Junie had never left with him. If only Junie were still with Darry. CW winced. Did he have to keep thinking about it? 

Nico went to serve a customer who was celebrating the Valentine's Day special. Half the money from the meal would go to Junie's family. People were waiting for tables, and only the three of them were handling the day. 

CW hurried on, frying up sausages and bacon while flipping pancakes. It felt never-ending. Slowly, he was learning the glory of patience, or so he told himself.

Gavin just about had a heart attack when he saw Kat that night. She wasn't wearing her red overalls like she promised. Seymore stayed home, waiting for her on her bed.

"But..but you said you weren't going to dress up?" He looked at her wide-eyed, even if he'd brought her a wrist corsage that his mother had picked up at the grocery store. He took deep breaths and coughed hard.

"My grandmother gets around," Kat shrugged as if she might be her fairy godmother after all. "She thrifts a lot, and just hangs it in the closet. There was, and she said I had to dress nice."

"Oh."

Luckily, they managed through dinner with all his friends at the long table before the big event, eating eggrolls and fried rice. "See, people like us aren't invited to prom, so yeah, it's a big deal, evidently." He made it sound like he needed to show up with someone.

Kat nodded and sat next to him. She chatted with the girl next to her. They'd known each other since middle school. Gavin looked around, thinking it really was a small world, and he had so many friends he didn't quite know. He could hardly introduce her around. Actually, he didn't want to. He wanted to keep her a mystery.

Later at the dance, he showed her all his dance floor moves in about ten seconds. And she laughed, but mimicked him, swaying her arms in small moves as if they might be shaking salt shakers. They were both perfectly clumsy, and when it came to a slow dance, he stood still holding her. 

"What do you really like to do?" She said he already knew what she liked to do at the Youth Center: read comic books and play foosball. It was the end of the night, and he walked slowly to the front door with her. Actually, they were even too tired to hold hands.

"Well," he didn't want to put her off. "Bowling."

"Bowling?" Her eyes brightened, and she smiled. "I can't remember the last time I went bowling." She said she missed it. He hugged her as if she needed to know that he liked being with her, and hoped she knew he never wanted to hurt her.

How can you look at me and pretend

 

Kat cried herself sick that night after Gavin stayed for dinner. Of course, a part of her wondered why she was so upset. 

She had a labubu, just not the one she wanted. She ended up giving Chloe the one that Darry had given her. Why did she have to be so stupid? Besides, was the labubu going to stay in her underwear drawer forever?

It took a lot out of her to hand over the thing. Otherwise, she would have no peace about the labubu that Gavin had given Kat. 

They weren't much different. Still, she liked the eyes best from the one that Darry gave her, but she let her sister have it who cuddled it as if they'd found it out in the cold and needed to be nursed back to health.

Kat decided not to fuss with her much. Other than the promise not to take it to school, another squabble. "Well, you're taking yours to school!" Chloe promised no one would steal it at her school.

Kat gritted back, wishing she didn't have to wear hers on her lanyard at school, but no way was she keeping it on her backpack, and besides, Gavin wanted her to tell everyone who gave it to her. Thankfully, her grandmother stepped in and said that the labubu needed to stay at Chloe's pillow and nowhere else.

This business of going steady was new to Kat. Of course, some of the girls told her she was too young to have a boyfriend. Naturally, she didn't pay them any mind. It was a dreadful day. She almost spilt ketchup on her labubu. She even wore it to P.E. and got in trouble. The teacher told her she could choke to death, so Seymore stayed at the bottom of her backpack for the rest of the day. 

As soon as school was over she rummaged through it and put the lanyard on, donning her labubu that bounced about on her walk toward the Youth Center. On her way, she saw Darry alone. He looked half asleep. She hated to ask him what was wrong, but she couldn't avoid him either.

He talked about Junie. "She's in a coma."

"A coma?" Kat didn't like the sound of that. "Yeah, she's-" Well, he didn't know if she was OK or not. It was the waiting game. 

"Sorry." Kat nodded. About then, a little black car drove up. The girl had black hair, and she was waiting for Darry. Of course, Kat about lost it when someone came up from behind her and picked her up. It was Gavin.

Darry reprimanded him immediately. He gave them both a sour look, but said he had to go.

"Oh god," Kat practically rolled her eyes at Gavin, but he playfully took her hand as if it were some sort of exercise. His grip was hard, and she said, "Ow."

She pulled away and looked at him as if she'd give him her fist yet.

"Did you name him?"

"Yes." She pouted.

"Cool." Gavin grinned back. His heavy blonde hair fell in his face as he fiddled with the doll. "So?" He looked at her blankly. "What's his name?"

"What if he's a girl?" She practically hissed.

"He's green, isn't he?"

"King of," she pressed her lips. "It's Seymore." Her serious eyes looked him over, thinking he must be on drugs to be this interested in her, but he kept staring at her as if he needed to look at her closely.

"Seymore," Gavin chuckled, exposing his perfect white teeth. "I like it." Before she knew it, he had his arm around her. She could tell he was just as uncomfortable as she was. So she took his hand, but somehow they entwined in a hug, and it made her laugh for no apparent reason. Maybe it was because he smelled of gummy bears and Dollar Tree cologne.

"What's so funny?" He wanted to know.

"You are." She hated to smile at him, but she couldn't help it. Maybe this was just what she needed. But she hoped he wouldn't be too crazy. She was certain her grandmother would want her to wear her red overalls to the dance. Too many buckles and buttons for him to bother with.

Why? I just don't know

 Gavin honestly hated all the attention from the girls he met at school. He was left speechless, actually. It was overwhelming. It made him grow quiet, feeling he'd never meet any of their expectations.

Sure, he knew they'd do his homework for him. Probably even snuggle his sweatshirt if he were to give it to them. But that just wasn't his MO. He didn't really like taking advantage of anyone anymore, but it was different with Kat.

She hadn't caught the Gavin bug. Possibly, never would. But she was a challenge, and there was something about her he wished he could be more like her. Oh, she was cold, perhaps bitter. But he'd still take her to the high school Valentine's Day Dance.

He'd announced this early on, at supper. "My dad is going to take us." As if that had to be OK in a parent's playbook of teenage dating. Naturally, Kat wrinkled her nose at that. "We'll be home by eleven. Some of my friends are going to meet up at Jade Palace for dinner, so I'll pick her up at five thirty."

He needed this to go as planned so people would understand that he was taken, after all. Of course, he wasn't sure he'd ever be friends with her.

"Well, I'll have to talk to Kat's father," her grandmother said, rather mutely.

"Aw, G.B, say it ain't so!" Chloe spoke up for him. He bit a grin. That little sister was something. He was already a hero in her book. And Kat's brother Theo was only interested in food. Not once had he said anything to him, and they had PE together.

Kat gave her sister a look that said she needed to shut up, but her grandmother texted Kat's dad, who was at work. About a minute later, there was a ding, an OK,  as if it wasn't a big deal.

Gavin helped  Kat with the dishes.

"So this is what it's all about," she said as he loaded the dishwasher and she rinsed out the dishes.

"Something like that." He didn't want to look too happy about it. He was quiet, and so was she, as if this was going to be a fake date. Nothing more. Nothing less. 

She was placed in a detergent pod in its compartment, and he shut the dishwasher door. Kat started the dishwasher. 

"So, where is it?" He wanted to know about the Labubu. 

"Are you saying I have to have it with me at all times?" She looked at him, stunned.

"Of course, why not?" He looked at her brightly with an impish smile, getting as close to her lips as he could. It did give him a feeling that a kiss was possible.

"I don't want it to get stolen." She swelled a frown, backing away.

"Well, what's the point of having one then?" He winced. His sister in college had given him the blind box at Christmas. It just as well have been a prank to him. He was into collecting Pokemon things, but she had told him as if it were a scheme that he could give it to his girlfriend.

February has Arrived 🖤

 

Grand Betty (She'd never heard her grandkids call her anything else except G.B. lately) was at her wits' end, there was so much horrid news. She didn't even want to watch, but she couldn't help herself from listening in about the nineteen-year-old from Omaha who had taken the two girls from Indiantown, Florida. Of course, she guessed they must have thought it was just a roadtrip. It was someone they knew from a gaming app.

She could see Kat and Chloe getting into something like that. Leave it to Kat, no less. Betty didn't want to think the worst of Kat but she was becoming a teenager fast. And her father and mother had no time for her these days so Betty had to be the one to keep those two in line. She'd never really had any problems with Theo, but he didn't seem to notice anything about his sisters anymore. Too much gaming, she supposed, but there were plenty of boys in the neighborhood who would shoot hoops with him, so maybe he was looking out for them.

Still, she couldn't sleep lately. Her husband told her they were old enough to stay at their house on their own. "Isn't that why their other grandmother got her house in order for them?" He was being his usual Mr. Hard to Get Along Self. She didn't want to think he was a drama queen, but she knew he wanted all her attention. Still, he liked the idea the girls embraced his granddaughter Carrie, and the holidays had been sweet and cozy. Now it was February, and winter was hanging on.

The doorbell rang, and the girls hushed. Kat went to turn the TV down. It was as if no one wanted to go to the door. Of course, Kat was brave enough. It was a teen. Probably someone wanting Theo, but he asked if Kat could come out.

"No. I can't." She was rather adamant, but then Betty was the one who had taught her to keep her ground and not to give in.

Betty sighed. It was cold with an unbearable wind. "Let him in."

"But." Kat's face scrunched with attitude. Still, Betty was certain it must have been Theo's friend. Of course, he was wearing his hair tucked in a beanie and cool-looking shades in this deceptive sunny weather. She didn't know who he was.

Betty went to the kitchen to get a few juice boxes and the popcorn, which had no salt, but the little ones didn't seem to mind. It was better for them to have air-popped corn.

When she got back, there he was, looking all Prince Valiant, sitting next to Kat with his arm around her. Kat gave her a strained look as if this wasn't her fault.

Betty gave him the eye. What was going on? "Who is this?" Betty's dead stare made the boy remove his arm from behind Kat.

"Oh, it's just Gavin from the Youth Center." Kat shrugged. Her solid, straight lip made it seem this was nothing unusual.

Of course, Betty wanted to shout, "GET OUT!" and point him to the door, but she wasn't that kind of grandmother. If Kat had a boyfriend, then Betty would keep a watchful eye. 

"Gavin?" She started her twenty or so questions as if she wanted to know who Kat was seeing.

But he didn't seem to mind. He got up and helped her with the snacks. 

Before Betty knew it, Chloe was asking her, "Can he stay for dinner?"