THE PERFECT V-DAY (Ignoring What Maria Said)

FRIDAY, 12 FEBRUARY, LUNCHTIME

I got to my homeroom just after gym and before lunch break. This was really lucky for me. The class room was empty. My table already had a pile of gifts and cards which surprised me. I actually had a decent pile. At least half of them were store bought Vday candy, but it was the first time I got so much at one time. It was like a cute mountain of Halloween loot!

I went around leaving either a bag of cookies or a plastic heart shaped balloon weight on each desk. This way, the attached balloon would just float above the desk docilely.

Someone had already printed a pink sticker with the words, "Love from Sam" on each of the balloon weights.

My friends came into class just as I finished distributing the stuff. They had meant to just drop off their gym stuff and head out for lunch period, but they stopped at the sight of balloons and cookies on their tables.

I think the balloons spread out across the classroom surprised them. Maybe as much as the loot left of my desk had surprised me earlier, which meant I was able to return the favor. Yay!

"Sam?" Zara sounded super surprised.

"Yeah, hi." I said.

"Oh good, you're here." Marcus quipped, "I was wondering how to send your stuff to you."

I looked at the pile of chocolates and candy on my desk...

"You should've seen everyone's faces whenever some guy from another class came in to leave a gift on your table." Leia informed me.

"Your face was just a bad." Zara reminded her.

"True." Leia nodded, "But Sam is my friend, so while I'm a little jealous, watching Abigail and Pearl foam at the mouth was worth it."

She said the last part quite loudly with both Abigail and Pearl in the classroom by now.

I ended up giving the cool girls the extra balloons. So now they had 3 each. Even Krystal looked pleased about the balloons. I felt happy, but mostly relieved that none of the girls found helium balloons too childish.

None of the guys complained about having M&Ms in their cookies either. Well Henry said something, but Henry was not really counted, he just enjoyed complaining, "What the hell are these?"

He was examining the little bag of cookies.

"Did you make this?" Marcus asked, "Yourself?"

"Kind of..." But I had to admit because I was an honest person, "I had a lot of help."

"Oh, so I guess they're edible after all." Henry smirked.

I flared at him, "If you don't want them, you can give them back to me!"

The guys laughed. Stupid guys.

My desk was unusable now though. So when everyone went for lunch, I tried to stuff everything into the big paper bag I brought the cookies with. Not all the gifts I got came with names, but I saw Jule's name on a small pack of Hershey Kisses. I guess I should give those guys some cookies too. There was also a small square box from "River and Keanu".

I'm so glad I had extras. I grabbed all the cookies I had left and ventured out of my classroom to deliver them.

Oh wait, how would I even know which were their desks?

Luckily there were lots of kids hanging outside the classrooms on all the floors today. I think a lot of them were trying to give stuff too.

I asked a random kid where River and Keanu sat, and after their seats were pointed out to me, I realised I could recognize their bags and scents since we always put our stuff together at archery practice.

I left my cookies on their desks.

Oh, I should give a bag to Priya too... Even though maybe she hated me now. I didn't even know Priya's class though.

Nevermind. I tried the 12th grade first because I knew Matt, Jules, and Bra were in class 4-7. I couldn't remember what their bags looked like though. I wished I was more observant about these things.

But I needn't have worried, their three desks were the ones piled up high with gifts. So I just popped mine in the pile. I decide to write "TO PRIYA" and leave it on Bra's pile. There was also a pile on Captain's desk... Oh I forgot about Captain. So I put a bag on his desk too.

Then I decided to put Priya's bag with Captain's because I felt it was more likely that Captain would read the label and pass it on to Priya.

Okay, no. These were guys. They'd probably just eat everything and throw the cards away.

So I took back Priya's bag and went downstairs. Maybe my lucky sense of direction would find her.

"Hey, looking for me?"

I looked up, oh! It was one of my seniors from archery. I shook my head happily, "Nope. Do you know where Priya's class is?"

The senior frowned a little at me, "What would you give me for telling you?"

I looked at my cookies. I only had three left. But they were for Mrs Hen, Mr D, and Principal Laura.

"I don't have enough." I told him.

"You could give me something else." The senior said leaning closer.

This senior was like Bell, he seemed to not know when his face was too close. But Bell was my mate, so my wolf never took offense. This senior was too much in my face. I growled at him, he laughed and pulled away, "You can't blame a guy for trying."

Which only served to confuse me. Did he want cookies that badly? I supposed I could give him Mr D's...

"Should a senior be harrasing his club junior like that?" Someone chided from the side.

The senior laughed some more, "I was just playing."

I looked up in recognition and grinned at Shortstuff, "Hi Ralph!"

"What are you doing here?" Ralph didn't look please to see me at all.

"I'm looking for Priya." I told him, showing him the bag of cookies with her name on it.

"3-6 is over there." Ralph pointed.

"Yay, thanks!" I decided to just leave since I had no cookies for Ralph either.

Priya was actually in class. She was having lunch with some girls. As usual, she was the life of the party and the girls laughed after she said something. I don't think eating in classrooms was allowed, but I didn't say anything.

Anyway it's Vday. There were sweets and chocolates everywhere.

Priya's chair was turned to lunch together with her friends so her back was to her desk. I meekly left my gift on her desk. It was empty, but there was a paper bag hanging from the side with flowers sticking out.

Priya's friends stopped laughing.

"Hey, Sam!" Priya yelled the moment I turned.

"Urm...hi." I turned back reluctantly to face her. I felt totally awkward. She still hated me right?

"Is this for me?" Priya asked, picking up the bag of cookies.

I nodded, she put it in her paperbag, "Thanks. I didn't get anything for you though."

"It's okay... I don't need anything." I said.

"Bet you got a lot." She grinned at me, "But here, you can have this."

She gave me a small pink lollipop.

"Oh, cool. Thanks!" I grinned back. Mostly I was really happy she wasn't mad at me anymore.

Priya laughed, "Its just a lollipop. You don't have to act all excited."

I was still grinning, "I like lollipops!"

Particularly the ones that say "I don't hate you."

I went back to my class after that. Ki had packed me a sandwitch for lunch - I guess given the mess in the kitchen from the cookie making, that was the best he could do. But even Ki's sandwich was fancy. It wasn't normal sandwich bread. This one was flatbread. It had cheese and ham which was my long time favourite, but the cheese was melted mozzarella with chopped tomatoes in it.

He also packed a few green grapes and small pieces of tangerines that tasted like orange flavoured candy.

Yeah, Ki was unable to ever make a plain sandwich. That was my conclusion.

Tonight, I would make the no bake fudge squares for my betas and Bell and maybe some of the other guys too. Yeah. Then I'll "cook" it in the fridge and pack them tomorrow morning. I'd even write a proper note this time.

What can I say? I was getting the hang of this Vday stuff.

I ate quickly and then ran out in the last few minutes, determined to put the last three bags on the desks of their recipients without anyone seeing.

Even if Mr D was coming to class later. I just didn't want anyone to say anything about being the teacher's pet, you know?

I found Mrs Hen's pigeon hole where we were supposed to stick in our homework, and stuck in my cookies (and my homework with the random fancy calligraphy flairs.)

Then I chanced upon Mr D outside the teachers lounge and quickly gave him the cookies, "Happy V day."

He looked totally shocked.

I didn't want him to think I had a crush on him or anything, so I made sure he saw I had another exact same bag to give someone else too.

Then I went to Principal Laura's open door office, and was surprised to find it really open. I knocked, she was on the phone. Lucky again! Now I wouldn't have to talk to her. I put the bag on her table next to a tall vase of red roses with a grin, waved bye and left without looking back.

Then I ran back to class. Maria met me outside.

We walked around the school so she could see Dino. The bell had rung halfway, but lots of kids were still wandering the corridors, comparing gifts, looking for crushes, exchanging gossip.

Vday was kind of strange like that. It was like the one chance you have to confess you liked someone. In 365 days, there was only one day when it was socially acceptable to say, "I've got a crush on you."

And then what? What would happen post vday? Would everything go back to normal? Or should you have to explain, "I had a crush on you on Vday, but it's not Vday anymore, so just forget it?"

"Are you going to talk to Dino today?" I asked Maria.

"Of course not!" Maria hissed lightly to me, "Alpha, Vampires don't celebrate Valentine's Day."

Yeah well, for someone who didn't celebrate Vday, Dino received a lot of gifts.

Maria pouted at that.

I hope she didn't track down all the girls and do anything bad to them.

"Most of the gifts could be like made for everyone in the class." I tried to explain to Maria, "They don't mean..."

"You don't have to explain." Maria patted my arm, "I've read about the human tradition of Valentine's Day. I understand."

"What exactly do you understand?" I just had to be sure.

"Dionysios is very popular." Maria said, "The gifts are proof."

Huh?

"Valentine's Day is a human popularity contest." Maria was the one who ended up explaining to me, "The gifts are like votes."

"No, it's for expressing your appreciation for your friends." I said.

Maria smiled, her creepy smile, "You're the Alpha, surely you cannot be so naive."

In which she meant, "You are so naive."

I growled at her.

"Your wolf got stronger again." Maria observed matter of factly.

She really knew how to sweet talk my wolf.

"Yes! I evolved!" I puffed out happily, immediately forgetting my ire.

Maria smiled at me again - it was a close mouthed, tight and condenscending smile, "Yes, but you still act like a puppy."

"I'm going to be a puppy forever." I told her.

Maria laughed, like the sound of little bells. So unnatural and creepy.

"So its true... Lord Ciara secretly likes cute things." Maria concluded.

What? Wait, no! No no no!

I'll kill him.

My distress was clearly fueling Maria's dark delight. I decided I had enough, "I'm going back to class."

Maria followed me obediently.

"Don't forget we are BFFs." Maria reminded me. The word BFF sounding weird when she said it, I'm sure she didn't understand the concept of a BFF, and she proved me absolutely right when she added, "When you become the Ciara Queen, make sure you support me as the Upper Kosan Queen.

Wait, what?

"I found out, I have competition." Maria shrugged, "The Lower Kosan princess thinks Dionysios might deign to choose her!"

Maria's flame frizzled in irritation, and I became aware of how powerful a vampire she really was under the frigid doll like appearance.

"You are very lucky. Your mate is already a Coven Lord, and he has declared you his queen even before you are old enough to be turned. The rest of us, even those of royal lineage and upbringing such as I, will still have to compete for the position until the day that the future heir becomes the actual Lord."

It sounded like a super prolonged game of King of the Hill, let's call it Queen of the Coven.

So in Vampire Covens there was a lord, and an heir.

Usually the lord was thousand of years old. Some as old as time itself. His heir was also probably so ancient, the difference became negligible.

In large and well established Covens, sometimes there was a a third-in-line who could be much younger, like the heir's second son, Dino.

Except that Dino would not remain a spare. Maria planned to remove Dino's older brother from the picture at the right time, but for now she had planted the thought in that Lower Kosan Princess, and she'd let her do the dirty work instead.

Okay... I really didn't think someone who was plotting murder should casually say it during a conversation like that. But they were vampires, so I guess infighting was nature's way of keeping their population under control.

Anyway, Vampires didn't mate till much later in life. There were very particular rules for mating and spawning to protect their territorial rights and prevent overpopulation of eternal beings.

In established Covens, particularly among those of good lineage and powerful bloodlines, they only have young every few centuries.

For some reason, after the first century, every other vampires century was like few years. It's not short, but it wasn't exactly long term to them either.

And none of the young spawn (yes, she called them spawn herself), would be considered as possible candidates to inherit the Coven except the spawn from the Coven's Queen.

The Queen of the Coven was chosen by the Lord. It was usually whoever was his mate, but sometimes he might choose to dispose of his mate and choose a more befitting female for the position.

The Queen was not someone who could be disposed though. She was almost equal to the Lord himself in rank, and mother of the Coven's heir. Usually, she was a vampire who either offered a powerful bloodline (such as Maria), or a powerful political liason to another Coven (such as the Lower Kosan Princess).

Please notice here, that I offered neither and also that vampires lived in a dark and warped world.

"I'm only telling you to prepare you for your future." Maria informed me.

I shook my head, "I'd rather die. There is no way I would ever enter such a life."

I was sure the bit about me being queen was a lie or a wholly warped truth. Just like the way they thought Edward killed his father in a tiff over their fight dog lover, Fluffy.

Yeah, that's what it was. If I ever see Edward again, I'm going to confront him about this stupid rumor and tell him to make it stop, or else!

Maria only smiled, that creepy self-satisfied smile, "So naive."