There's a huge commotion every Valentine. You are compelled to wear anything on red or put corny heart wallpapers on your phone for literally no reason at all. There's an immense pressure to give your other half an outstanding Valentine. That is if you're lucky to have another half. Valentine while I was single, sucked. I remember glancing at the huge flower bouquets some girls had just received and muttering to myself while doodling on my notebook. Jealousy is a bitch.

But those times were over. I had Chris this year.

We'd been dating for almost six months now and in its majority, it has been pretty awesome. Except that time, when I thought I was pregnant and my best friend had a major head concussion while getting me a pregnancy test. Or when my mom found about it and flipped over it. She grounded me for a month and got me on the pill, not before showing me the grossest documentary on baby's birth.

Anyway, this was the first year I had an amazing boyfriend to share Valentine with. It had to be epic. Romantic and perfect. The only problem was that I had been thinking about it and I really hadn't planned anything outstanding. Or you know, anything at all. As said date came closer, I started to feel antsy.

"Cassie, what are you doing with Nathan for Valentine's?" I asked out of the blue at my best-friend as she carried her chicken salad to our usual table at the cafeteria. My hands were full with the turkey sandwich I'd gotten for myself and the cheeseburger I'd gotten for Chris. As my eyes landed on said burger, I thought about how it would have to involve food because my boyfriend loved it. Anything and in supersized proportions.

My brows were furrowed as my blue-eyed friend threw a paper ball napkin to me. "Did you listen to me?" I shook my head. "I'm sure that Chris would love just being with you." I scrunched my nose. Cassie's smile widened. "The guy is totally head over heels for you, Farah. I'm sure you can take him to a dumpster and he'd be stoked about it!"

I rolled my eyes. "You're quite the corny friend, Cass." She simply shrugged and started to dig on her salad. However, she did give me an idea to take him somewhere. Chris loved films. He wanted to go to film school and maybe a visit to the museum of fine arts was in order. I googled about it and they had a film festival from Iran. Which sounded exciting and exotic in its own.

I planned the whole thing.

A visit to the museum and then we'd have a romantic picnic on my back garden. I wanted to have him alone for me and I planned it with tons of candle lights and take-out food from the local pizzeria. I even though about cooking for him but giving my lack of culinary skills, I decided against it. Mom had agreed to it all somewhat reluctantly. Although the fact that we were staying home hadn't given her much choice. She even bought a bunch of tea lights for me to put in the garden. It sounded perfect.

When the day arrived, I was so excited planning, that I forgot to see what films were playing. I just got the tickets for the movie marathon and got the take-out food that would be waiting for us back at my place. Chris was picking me up at four. I did my best to look great for him. I'd put my long hair up on a messy bun and was wearing a white striped turtleneck under a red sweater (it was Valentine's after all) and denim jeans. Red boots completed my look.

The doorbell rang and my little sister Hayley, won me to it. She opened it and hugged my boyfriend. She had an awful temper but she had a soft spot for Chris. Right after her, Riley, her twin sister, tackled him. Mom peeked her head through the kitchen door and smiled at me. Not without giving me the thumbs-up, too.

Chris had brought a chocolate for each of my sisters and two red roses. One for me and the other for Mom. He sure as hell knew how to win the women in our house.

I was pretty sure my eyes were sparkling excitedly as his green orbs locked on mine. My heart skipped a beat at the intensity of those eyes. "Hi," I pecked him on the lips when my sisters finally let him go. I loved the strong jaw that defined his face. And don't get me talking about his eyes. Eyebrows included. They were quite bushy giving him a kind of exotic, manly look.

"Hey," his eyes ran from my head to my toes and back. "Are you ready to go?" I nodded biting my lip, barely containing my excitement. He was so going to love all of it!

Chris gave Mom her rose and we were now officially on our way. On our first ever Valentine date. As soon as we stepped out of my house, he turned to me. "You do need to tell me where to go, gorgeous." His tone was kind of husky and I just knew that we could have stayed home for all he cared.

"You're going to love it!" I said as I hopped inside his Dad's car glancing at the sky. It was a bit cloudy but according to the weather channel it wouldn't rain. I sure as hell hoped so.

Chris drove us to the Boston museum of fine arts and I could see that geeky side of him that reveled an anything artsy. It was one of my favorite traits of him. He walked around with this bad-boy pose around him, when in reality he was a complete geek. One that also liked street-fights, though. He had given them up for a while now. We never really talked about it but he knew how they made me feel. But I gave him space to sort that out and since his best-friend wasn't doing it anymore, he wasn't interested either.

I kind of wanted to think that his interests had switched to me, though.

As we left the car behind on the parking lot, my brows furrowed at the sight of those grey clouds. Please don't let it rain. Please not tonight. Everything has to be perfect.

Absentmindedly, I gave the clerk our tickets so we could get inside. There weren't many people in the room. Something that made Chris chuckle and tell me a stupid innuendo about having the place for ourselves. I didn't really pay attention to him because I was more worried about the kind of films we were about to watch. I was taking out the tickets when the light came off and the movie started.

It was awful.

Not ten minutes had passed and I was already depressed. The movie was a documentary on the poor situation of the children in the Arab countries. Little children thinner than I've ever seen were talking about how hungry they were and such. It made me feel guilty to see the huge popcorn paper box Chris was holding on his hands. We were eating popcorn while those poor kids didn't have clean water to drink. Even Chris stopped eating the damn thing after half an hour.

We didn't finish it. I'd bought the complete marathon and the first movie was depressing as hell. "I'm so sorry," I blurted out after wiping the tears from my eyes as we walked out of the cinema. "I thought it was more exciting. Hell, I don't even know what I was thinking. This was just awful."

Chris was still holding the popcorn box in his hands. We weren't about to toss it away, though. Not after watching all those children starve to death. "It's ok. It's the thought that counts, bookie." I rolled my eyes at his endearment. He started to call me bookie since I told him I wanted to become a writer. Worst thing ever. He wouldn't stop calling me that. Despite it all, the endearment was kind of growing on me. Not that I would ever admit that.

I took a deep breath. "Well, we still got dinner, so..."

"See?" he grabbed me by the waist and pinched me softly, making me jump. "The day isn't over yet." His green eyes were dark and intense as he leaned closer to me. No matter how many times we'd kissed, my heart was always racing nonstop for those moments before our lips touched. It was as if little sparks burst from within us both playing together until our lips connected and then there weren't little sparks anymore, there were fireworks coming from within. Time stopped as we kissed; it was as if we were in our own little bubble and everything around us faded.

It was just us.

His thumb brushed my cheek as he pulled apart, still holding me by the waist. "I, for one, say that this is the best thing that has happened to me today." His lips tugged up on a bright smile.

"I kind of liked the rose," I shrugged making him chuckle. "Although you didn't get me chocolate, you meanie."

Chris shook his head. "Sorry. I can treat you to chocolate ice-cream, if you want."

"Nah, we should get going back home." I glanced at the sky one more time. The clouds were even darker now. Plus, I was still feeling guilty for having chocolate ice-cream. "I have another surprise for you."

"You're spoiling me."

A smirk crossed my face. I poked him on the chest. "Next year's date is on you."

His bushy brows furrowed. "That's not fair. I didn't know we were doing anything like this."

"Life is not fair, dude." I patted him condescendingly on the arm. "Deal with it." He burst out laughing. His laugh was so contagious that I was smiling like crazy as we reached his car.

He drove slowly, soft music playing on the background. "Seriously though, where are you going to apply for college, Farah?"

We were both seniors and talking about college was definitely terrifying. Especially since I'd always had my heart on Berkley...but I wouldn't apply. Not with Chris in my life. "I don't know? Harvard?" I snorted out loud. Yeah, right. Harvard.

"Why not? I bet you could go anywhere you want to," he commented glancing at me for a moment before returning his eyes to the road ahead of us.

Sighing, I slumped on my seat. "I've always thought of Berkley, down in California," I murmured absentmindedly as I gazed outside. "But that's a long shot, anyway. I'd need a scholarship and it is so far, Chris. I'm not applying to it."

"Tsk," he made a sound with the back of his tongue. "Go for it, Farah. Who knows? I could apply to California, too."

I shook my head. "You won't leave Boston, Chris. I know you. You wouldn't leave your Dad." His mother had passed away when he was a little kid and Adam, Chris' father, and him were close.

He stayed quiet for a moment as we reached the familiar street where we lived. Yes. To top it all, Chris was my neighbor, too. We weren't next-door neighbors, though. He lived five houses down from my house but we were still really close. Which was quite convenient. "You have to apply to Berkley, Farah. I mean it. You have to." He stopped in front of my house and turned to look at me. His eyes were serious and honest at the same time. "I can't let you pass on that opportunity. Not for me."

A lump had formed down my throat. I swallowed hard. "But long-distance relationships are doomed."

"Then we'll wait for each other. Hell. I can move in a few years. I don't know. We'll work something out. But you have to promise that you will apply to Berkley."

I rolled my eyes, "if it's such a big deal for you, I will. But I would need a scholarship. Dad can't afford it."

"Then do it just for the heck of it, bookie." His hand brushed my knee before grabbing my hand and intertwining both our hands. I made a face to him but smiled nonetheless. There was no chance I would get that scholarship, anyway.

Just as I was going to voice that out loud, a strenuous thunder resounded through and rain started to pour in heavily. My eyes widened in panic. I had paid my little sisters to get everything ready (with Mom's supervision, of course). And they had totally ripped me off.

"No...it can't be raining now! They said it would rain until tomorrow!" I was already outside running to my back garden. Chris following close by. The little red mantelpiece was there, with the pizza box and the bunch of candles. All out, of course. "Shit!" I stomped my feet on the dirt.

So much for a perfect date.

"Hey," Chris grabbed my arm and the pizza box (we couldn't let the food out there, not after the hungry children), "we should get inside." His usually wavy hair was all flat due to the rain and I was sure that my face looked like a cheap joker impersonation with all my makeup ruined.

"I'm so sorry," I muttered embarrassed as we walked through the kitchen. Our feet leaving watermarks all over the place.

Mom trotted inside from the living room. Her blue eyes were wide in panic, too. "Oh my goodness! I was just going to get the pizza inside!" her eyes swept upon us. "Come up, kids. You need a change of clothes," her voice was soft as she added, "I'm sure Jim has something that you can borrow." Chris and I shared a look but complied.

We ended up sharing the almost-ruined pizza with my sisters and watching princess bride with them on the large TV on the living room. Just as the credits rolled down, while I was cuddling with him, Chris murmured softly, "this was the perfect Valentine date for me, bookie."

Pulling apart, I raised an eyebrow, "watching a chick-flick with my sisters after my disastrous wanna-be date?"

"It was perfect because it was my first valentine's date." His green orbs sparkled mischievously as he added, "plus, it's going to be so easy to overcome next year!" I rolled my eyes and threw him a pillow. Which ended up as a pillow fight on the living room with both my crazy sisters until Dad told us to keep quiet in his business-like tone. He did look amused, though.

Chris was right. It was a perfect day just because he was in it.

He was my perfect valentine.

***

Perfectly Imperfect, book two on the Imperfect series by Gabriela Cabezut.