“Do you ever wonder what it would be like to just run off together, see what’s beyond the next sunset?”

“No,” Theo replies. Then he rolls over and asks, “Wait, like after high school ends? Or like when we go to college?”

“No,” Hailey replies with a shake of her head. “Like today, tomorrow, forever.”

Theo eyes his girlfriend for a few seconds before exhaling loudly and saying, “Well alright then, which direction?”

Hailey glances back at him, puzzled. “Direction?”

Waving his arm above his head, Theo adds, “Yeah. Which direction do you want to go? Are we chasing sunsets here? Because I’ll follow you wherever, but you’ve got to pick the direction.”

Pouting, Hailey asks, “Why do I have to pick?”

“Well you’re the one who wants to go. So which way?”

Hailey eyes him for a few seconds, chewing her bottom lip. Then, a bit of daring in her eyes, she throws her hand out wide and points in a random direction.

Theo looks where she’s aiming and laughs. Seeing his reaction, Hailey turns to see what she’s inadvertently chosen and spots a poster that reads, “Liberty City Renaissance Faire, Tomorrow!”

“I hope you still have your witch costume,” Theo says with a laugh.

Flushing, Hailey crosses her arms over her chest and says, “That costume was barely warm enough for October, it’s definitely too cold for February.”

“Dang,” Theo replies jokingly. “It was a nice costume.”

Rolling her eyes, Hailey gives him a knowing look and retorts, “Yeah, I know what you liked about it.”

Innocently, Theo answers, “Just that you were in it, that’s all.”

“Mh-hmm,” Hailey says, “Don’t you mean how much of me was out of it?”

“Well if we’re going to the Renaissance Faire you’ll need something to wear.”

“So will you!”

Theo shrugs. “I still have my Prince Charming costume. I can adapt that into a knight pretty easily.”

“Fine,” Hailey says. “I’ll be a knight too. I can conjure up a costume if I have to.”

“Well in the interest of historical accuracy…” Theo begins, teasing.

Hailey smiles lazily and asks, “And what if I said I was modeling my costume off Red Sonja, chainmail bikini and all?”

Theo swallows, a sudden flush on his cheeks as he says in a husky voice, “Ah… well I’m sure the historians will understand…”

Rolling her eyes Hailey says with a smile, “In your dreams, Sir Trelio.”

Closing his eyes, Theo says, “Oh but what dreams they’ll be! You, sword in hand beating up bad guys. Kicking butt and taking names. Could be fun.”

A faraway expression in her eyes, Hailey says quietly, “Less so than you think, sometimes.”

“Yeah but that’s part of any good dream. The highs aren’t so high unless you experience a few lows too. Things have to get bad before they can get good.”

“But what does good look like?”

Theo cracks a mischievous smile and says, “You in a chainmail bikini, duh.”

Hailey punches him lightly.

“Ouch!” Theo whines. “It doesn’t have to be a chainmail bikini,” he offers, his smile still intact. “It could be a normal bikini.”

Seeing her raise her hand again, Theo quickly adds, “Or something else! Like a witch costume for example.”

Laughing, Hailey lays back and stares up at the sky. Then she says in a wounded voice, “So it’s just me in various costumes then, huh?”

“You don’t have to be in a costume,” Theo offers. “In fact, you don’t have to be in anything at all.”

Flushing, Hailey throws a rock at Theo as he rolls away laughing. Then, lifting herself up on the couch then asks, “Hey what time is it anyway? Weren’t we supposed to catch up with Jake and Missy about now?”

Theo groans and says, “I think so. Do you still want to?”

Hailey hesitates for a few seconds and then plops herself back onto Theo’s chest who falls back with a huff. “Nope!” she exclaims, burrowing into his arms.

“Cool,” Theo replies with a grin. “Now I suppose I have to ask why your mom has a Renaissance Fair poster hanging in your living room…”

“Heya Miss, ain’t ya gonna wait for Theo an’ Hailey?” Jake asks.

“Nope!” Missy exclaims.

“Why?” Jake asks, confused.

Missy gives him a saucy look and says with a suggestive wink, “They’re late Jake… On Valentine’s day… what do you think they’re doing?”

Jake stares at her in confusion for a few long seconds before an expression of dawning comprehension slowly creeps up his face. Then, with a goofy smile he says, “Oh! Ya I guess we better go then huh?”

“Come on ya big lug,” Missy says with a grin as she grabs his hand and pulls him into the movie theater. “We’re gonna be late!”

Jake shakes his head as the pair finds a place in line. “I still don’ get whya want ta see this one. It’s Valentine’s Day ain’t it?”

“Yes,” Missy replies, “but you didn’t expect me to go for any of those stupid romcoms did you? Besides, Gunfight at the Just Fine Corral Four: Revenge of the Ghost Cowboy is supposed to have a fantastic shootout scene. Apparently they got a bunch of actual cops and soldiers to play all the extras.” Eyes shining, she adds excitedly, “It’s gonna be awesome!”

“Ya but what ta ‘bout A Day in the Life? I hear ta directa went into an actual school ta film it. The reviews were sayin’ it’s gunna win awards.”

Missy puts a hand on her hip and fixes Jake with a look. “Please,” she snorts, “that’s just some indie garbage. Who would go into an actual school and film actual kids for a movie? These days if you want to make a movie about high schoolers the actors need to at least twenty-five. It’s clearly a cheap ploy to help the movie win some award. Honestly, who would even care about the lives of a bunch of teenagers? We’re boring!”

Jake sighs and looks off toward the giant poster for the movie. Then he says forlornly, “Well, I guess I can con ole Theo inta watchin’ it with me.”

Grabbing his hand and threading her fingers through his, Missy kisses his cheek and says, “So cute how you two go to the movies together. I suppose I’ll just have to plan a girls’ night then.”

“Ya I guess,” Jake replies as he pulls out his wallet to purchase the tickets.

Behind the counter, the saleslady gives Missy a pitying look and says, “Hon, you know they just came out with a new Filthy Fifty movie right? It’s not too late to make him change his mind and take you to something more appropriate for Valentine’s Day.”

With a long-suffering sigh, Jake looks over at Missy and asks, “Whatcha think Miss? Wanna swap?”

“Nope!” she exclaims happily, snatching the tickets out of the lady’s hand. Once past the line, Missy drags him toward the popcorn saying, “You bought tickets, and I buy treats. Butter or no?”

Jake looks at her horrified and replies in mock indignation, “Butta! Obviously!”

Throwing up her hands Missy says, “Forgive me! I didn’t realize it was so important.”

“Can’t ‘ave popcorn with ou’ butta.”

Missy nods. “Sounds good to me. I’ll be sure to let Theo know in advance of your movie date,” she adds teasingly.

Jake hip bumps her and replies with a cheeky grin, “An’ don’t ferget to tell em I like lots!”

“Whatever loverboy,” Missy replies with a roll of her eyes. “Poor Hailey and I will just have to cry out our sorrows at being neglected during your man-date. Maybe Bella and Ginger will come along too. I’m sure poor Bella can only cry at your grades and Ginger seems to always find something to get upset about.”

“Hey!” Jake replies, wounded. “I’m doin’ better now, almos’ all B’s.”

“Anything is better than your, ‘D for Diploma,’ plan from before,” Missy retorts as she takes the bucket of popcorn from the bored looking clerk and starts dragging her boyfriend toward the theater. “Now hurry up! I said I don’t want to be late and I meant it!” Then she pauses and wonders aloud, “Thinking about Ginger and Bella, I wonder what they’re up to today?”

Bella looks sideways at Ginger and asks, “So, um, why are we here again?”

Imperiously, Ginger waves off her obvious concern and says, “Relax. It’s just a party.”

Bella looks down at her plain clothing, and squeaks out, “Yes, but you didn’t mention it was this kind of party!”

“What?” Ginger asks, oblivious to her concerns. Then, after looking at Bella in her mathlete sweater and jeans and then back at herself in her haute couture dress her eyes light up. “Oh! Yeah I guess you are a little underdressed.”

“A little?” Bella chokes out.

Waving her hand, Ginger points toward the door and says, “My room is that direction. We can probably find something that will fit you.”

Bella glances around the ballroom, surveying the high society socialites wandering around the room in dashing tuxedos, gorgeous gowns, and shining jewelry. Terrified, she nods and allows Ginger to pull her out of the ballroom and into her expansive bedroom.

“Yeah so this closet is a little small, but I think I have a decent selection,” Ginger says as she throws open the doors to a room half as large as the ballroom itself. “Just find something you like and come back down okay?”

Wide eyed, Ginger surveys the room full of dresses, each more dazzling than the one before. She stares at the room with an expression of shock on her face for a few seconds before whirling around and asking, “Wait! What do you mean this closet?!”

Ginger marches through the ballroom, sweeping up an entourage without sparing the scions of the wealthy and powerful a backward glance on her way to the desserts table. Once there, she walks past the layer cake, the gelato, and the other succulent offerings. Finally reaching the end, her eyes light up and she pounces.

“Chocolate covered strawberries! Nice,” she exclaims, grabbing a plate and lifting up the tray. Then, carefully, she slides half of them onto her plate and whirls around with an expression of satisfaction.

“My darling Ginny,” begins a snobbish looking boy with slicked back hair. “May I have the honor of this waltz?”

Snorting, Ginny shoves a strawberry into her mouth and, talking around it, says, “No. Go away Alfie.”

“My name is Alfred Anderson the Third,” the boy replies haughtily.

“No,” another boy cuts in, “your name is mud. Now Ginny, may I have this dance?”

“Nope,” Ginny replies nonchalantly. Seeing another of her suitors start to open his mouth she preemptively says, “Nope, nope, aaaaannnd, nope.”

Slowly her entourage starts to peel off in disappointment as the various heirs find Ginny would rather eat her strawberries than interact with them.

Suddenly, her eyes light up and she starts waving her hand beckoning Bella closer. On the opposite end of the room, Bella stares at her friend and the long stretch of dance floor between them. Then she looks at the dejected suitors who suddenly notice the new girl and begin to converge on her like sharks smelling blood in the water.

Pushing up her glasses Bella steels her spine and starts walking. Chin held high, she makes a beeline for Ginny. Just after she gets halfway the snobbish boy steps in front of her and says, “I say! You’re new, and come in with the infamous Ginny Napp too. I’d love to hear the story, perhaps over a dance?”

Bella stares at him in confusion and fear remaining paralyzed as he reaches for her hand and puts an arm on her waist. Just as he starts to pull her toward the center of the dance floor a much stronger force whirls her away.

Ginny, with a manic grin on her face shoves the chocolate covered strawberries toward Bella and says, “See? I told you this party had the best desserts!” Shooting a sideways look at the poor boy with a crushed look on his face staring at the two retreating beauties she adds, “But it is full of nuisances.”

Bella gives a shy smile and nervously glances around the room before hesitantly taking a strawberry and replying, “Well thanks for inviting me, are they going to be a problem?”

“Naw, just don’t let them try to buy you anything. They aren’t any good at it. Really, who needs another helicopter?”

“Um, uh, yeah,” Bella stammers. Eyes going wide again and she realizes exactly how wealthy the inhabitants of Ginny’s social circle are.

“It’s no big deal,” Ginny continues nonchalantly. “But the paperwork is a hassle and I’m running out of space to put the things. Freddy tried to give me a diamond mine once too, God that was a nightmare! Can you imagine needing to wait until after they’re dug up out of the ground to get diamonds? I told him to just donate the thing instead.”

“Right,” Bella says in awe, looking around the room.

“So be careful,” Ginny adds, “because if you get a yacht you have to have somewhere to put it and apparently the docks are mostly for commercial shipping. I had to buy a shipping company just to find a convenient place to store the fleet. Honestly most of this stuff is more hassle than it’s worth.”

“Right,” Bella says in a daze.

“Well anyway, chocolate?”

Bella snaps out of her trance and smiles at her new friend. Then, with budding confidence, she reaches out and takes a strawberry saying, “When in Rome!”

And so Valentine’s Day comes to a close, dear reader, with everyone finding love in one way or another be it romance, friendship, or food! Who can say where each story will end, when each love will wither—or if they will at all? All we can say is that the journey is worth it, for all the roiling vicissitudes and steady routines, certain heartaches and uncertain lovers, first times and final moments. Each holds the same lesson repeated on and on; love, however we choose to find it, is worth the journey.