"Don't worry." I rush to assure Zeke, a few days later, that I'm fine.

"Be careful with yourself, alright?"

He chews his gum as I slip another bead into my string.

"Alright Grandpa."

We smile at each other and he drops the bracelets he was looking at to plop down on the chair next to me.

"What are you doing for Valentine's day?"

"Going to school."

"That's all?"

"I can't exactly catch a flight to England, now can I?"

I do my best to focus on the stringing of the beads as tears push against my eyes. God, if only someone would have warned me about how hard this would be.

"He can't come here?"

"He's working, Zeke. What's so hard to understand about that?" I bite, annoyed.

"No need to bring out the kitten claws."

"Speaking of, how are you windsurfing in this cold?"

"I have my ways of keeping warm."

"TMI, dude. Are you at least going to spoil this lovely lady tomorrow?" I ask, only to drop the string and watch all the beads roll in every direction of the room. "SHIT!"

"Cakes!" whines Olive.

I throw up my arms.

"Look, I was trying. You can't blame me for your slippery strings."

She pouts. She enlisted me to help her make fifty bracelets to sell at her school tomorrow. But I didn't know that I was agreeing to working myself to the bone. We're only twenty-three bracelets in and I'm already at my wit's end.

"Whatever. I need a break." I turn to Zeke who is crouched over. "You really don't have to pick those up."

He drops them back into the container we're working from and sits back down.

"No worries."

"Anyway, I was saying-"

"I asked you first." He reminds me.

"Nothing. Honestly, I don't care. I'm that girl. Even with a supposed boyfriend, I'm not getting a romantic Valentine's day." I stare at the checkered floor.

"Don't say that; it's not true. Do you know if Mackenzie is home?"

"What do you want with her?"

"Nothing, I was just wondering. She's annoying."

I glance over at him. He's staring out the window.

"What's going on with you?"

"I'm thinking. What would she like?"

"Who? Mackenzie?"

"NO! Fuck no!"

"Alright." I roll my eyes.

"I mean my girl. What do most girls get on Valentine's day?"

"I don't know; flowers, teddy bears, dinner, chocolates. At least that's what I've seen on TV and at school.

"Look, I need to call Aden soon, so..."

"I see how it is. See you tomorrow then?"

Zeke immediately gets up, slapping my shoulder and heading off.

"Bye!" I shout after him.

"Are you going to focus now?" demands Olive.

"No, I want to watch TV now, so if you'll excuse me."

I leave her to dial Aden. When he doesn't pick up, I'm of course forced to go ask for forgiveness. Olive lets me continue to help her with the bracelets under the condition that we go get milkshakes before dinner. I only agree under duress.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

This year's Valentine's day is about as nauseating as all the ones before it. There are paper hearts strung together in almost all the corridors and posters for the school dance.

I detest the dance. I have never gone since the ninth grade when I went as a third wheel to Danatha and JD's duo. It was not a pleasant experience. As I arrive at our table, I notice Danatha's beautiful red roses strewn in front of her tray.

"Happy Valentine's day everyone."

"Anyone up for Galantine's movie night? I know the perfect movie." Sybil asks.

We all nod, agreeing. Galantine's movie night is almost an unofficial tradition for us. We always ditch everything and everyone after the dance for it. Of course, Danatha has been known to rush out of the theatre as soon as the movie ends, but the rest of us go have some pizza before heading home.

Tonya brings out something from her backpack and comes to stand in front of me. I look at her as she unfolds it. The poster stretches all the way to her knees. We all burst out laughing.

It's a giant poster of Aden's face - presumably from a magazine.

"I've been saving this baby for when I go to college, but I think you might need it more than I do."

I jump into her arms after she lays it on the table.

"Tonya! Shit, I didn't even get you anything."

"Unless you backstabbed me, and I don't know about it, don't worry. I'm sorry if I was too harsh yesterday.

"Also, learn to be resourceful, will you? There are so many ways to stop missing Aden Arrington. There's shows, interviews, blooper videos, video clips, articles, and the list goes on."

"Aw." I coo, smitten with the picture of him.

"You know he's the one who has nothing of you. You don't even have social media." says Sybil.

Tonya plonks down next to me and starts on her yoghurt carton. I hug her waist and lean my head on her shoulder.

"Thank you so much. I really appreciate it." I say before folding the poster and putting it in my backpack. "Best Valentine's day present ever."

"Okay, we get it." She scowls and we all giggle.

I was entirely convinced that that was the peak of my last Valentine's day in high school, but as I stack my books in my locker, I hear shuffling behind me. I don't pay it any mind until I feel a gentle tap on my shoulder. I turn hastily and run straight into the person.

Wait, I know him!

"Zeke?" I look down and laugh. "Who's that for?"

He's carrying a giant fuchsia and white teddy bear and a bouquet of blush pink lilies. He whirls his wrist to hold them up to my face.

"Happy Valentine's day, Ken doll."

"Ezekiel Everett!" I squeal, amazed. "I can't believe you."

He kisses my cheek and shoves the teddy bear into my arms followed by the lilies.

"You're welcome." He points finger guns at me and I can't help giggling. "And let me take you to the dance tonight."

I nod with a huge grin on my face.

"Alright, I'm going now."

I get on my tiptoes and smooch his cheek.

"I love you."

"Love you right back." he returns, spinning on his heel and heading out.

That's when I notice everyone staring. I know what they're thinking: they think Zeke and I are dating, which is a very logical conclusion all on its own. After all, most people in my grade were present at the freshmen camp in Toledo three years ago - the very same camp where I met Zeke.

He was freelancing as a kayaking instructor at the time and didn't pay much attention to most of the kids there if he wasn't on duty. We saw each other several times before I ended up at his cabin, asking if he had a first aid kit after I fell and hurt myself in the middle of the night, on the way to the bathroom.

Of course, he didn't have one, but he improvised with water, towels and a Hello-kitty band-aid we found in one of the cabinets.

Once we got to talking though, we couldn't stop. I spent all four nights of the camp in his cabin.

Understandably, rumours spread, and everyone had something to say. I even began to think that there was something inherently dirty about what we were doing, but I couldn't help it - he was so funny.

When I told Zeke what I was afraid of, he laughed in my face and told me that he would never touch me because I was like the little brother he never had.

Things were easy from then on. He fully integrated himself into my life, and now he's really like an older brother to me. But people who see us together from time to time still assume we're together.

I can't even say it's not true now because they've all witnessed Zeke's grand gesture today. Besides, my credibility would be completely shot if I even so much as tried to insinuate that I'm, in fact, in a relationship with the lead singer of Lune Quartz.

The minute I get home, lugging in the teddy bear I've decided to call Zac, I'm met with another teddy bear in the hallway.

It's a smaller baby blue bear holding an inscribed red heart and when I read what it says, my mouth stretches into the biggest of smiles.

It says Aden. I grab it and drag both teddies into my room. Who would have guessed I would win two teddy bears on my senior year valentine's day; me, McKay Da Silva? And oh, Aden's teddy bear is baby blue - my favourite colour. My heart warms at the thought that went into it.

I hang the poster Tonya gifted me on the wall my bed is facing, then I think of what to name the teddy bear Aden sent to me and settle for Fondue, laughing to myself at the memory of his sweet words.

I get dressed, donning a sparkling pink knee-length dress and the matching sparkling silver low heels Nancy bought for Leona's wedding two years ago that was first postponed then cancelled altogether (The groom was arrested for embezzlement and is still doing time).

I do a single sideways braid, then tie up my hair in a ponytail and finish the look with a light brown pencil and pink lip gloss.

Zeke's already waiting for me when I step into the kitchen. Olive claps her tiny hands as Zeke beams.

"You look gorgeous."

Just as we're about to go into the hall, I grab Zeke's arm, accidently making him drop our tickets.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm gr-great." I jitter.

Zeke's smile is disarming when he opens his arms for me to step into his embrace.

"It's going to be great. You don't need to be scared."

I nod, but I'm still trembling. I don't even know why I'm so flustered over this. I've always wanted to go to the school dance - especially with a date as coveted as Zeke, but I'm choking.

"Or we could go get McDonald's..."

"My hero!" I profess as he chuckles and leads the way to his dad's car.

Food was a good idea to settle my nerves. By the time we get to the dance, it's almost over which is more than fine by me. We dance to the last songs and it's the most reassuring experience of my life.

I no longer feel like I missed out on anything all these years because this year's dance has been more than enough to compensate for any others I spent huddled in the corner or in my room.

Zeke drops me off at the movies and sure enough, the girls are waiting for me outside. We head in after getting snacks and laugh endlessly at the terribly clichéd story we're forcing ourselves to watch. I say goodbye to them straight after, mentioning that I already ate with Zeke and catch a cab home.

When I get back to my room, my phone has a missed call from Aden. I should wait another hour before trying to call him; it's only ten o'clock. He left me a voice-note though, so I open it.

Aiden: "Hey baby. Happy Valentine's day. I hope you got the teddy bear I sent you. Fed-Ex said they delivered it, so I'm hoping you have it by now. I wanted to tell you to spray the cologne on it. It's mine and yeah... I thought you'd like it. You don't have to if you don't want to."

Cologne? What cologne? I look around my room and strip search the bear, but don't find anything. The corridor I found the teddy in turns up empty too. I'm about give up when I spot the light peeping from under the door of my parents' room.

I knock lightly. Nancy yawns when she opens the door, tying up her fire-hydrant red mane. Dad is sitting up, passed out with his specs still sitting on his nose. They were watching TV.

"Did you, by any chance, see a bottle of cologne in the corridor?"

"Cologne?"

"Perfume." I roll my eyes.

"Oh, yeah. Olive left it in the living room."

"Did she break it?" I ask, but Nancy is already pushing the door closed.

I hunt for the cologne and finally find the box on top of the china cabinet. I want to go back and shout at Nancy. Olive couldn't have placed it up there.

I sniff it on the way to my room. It's smells of him. Fuck, have I missed that minted scent. I carry Fondue onto my bed and douse him in the concoction. I then stare at him, grinning like an idiot.

Aden is so sweet for doing this. I can imagine how hard it must have been to organise for the teddy and the cologne to get to my house all the way from across the pond. I need to do something for him, but I'm not even sure what.

I figure a nice hot shower will help me think, so I get up to undress. As I start to pull pins from my hair, Sybil's voice floats in my mind.

You know, he's the one who has nothing of you. You don't even have social media.

Holy shit. There isn't much I can do, but there is something that will at least show my gratitude for his gifts. I go to my vanity and apply a new coat of lip gloss and double check my make-up; it's perfect.

I grab my phone, put it on selfie mode and snap several pictures of myself smiling from different angles. When I finish, I go for a shower first before attempting to choose a picture to send to Aden.

Once I get back, I scroll for minutes between the fourteen pictures I took, discarding the ones where the scars on my neck show, and finally come up with a winner. I'm smiling, and the camera is angled to the left and slightly above eye level, giving my face a flattering heart-shape.

The clock on my phone shows that it's fifteen minutes past eleven o'clock. I call Aden, excited, but it goes to voicemail. I wait for a bit hoping he'll call me back, but he doesn't. I give up and lay next to Fondue, staring at the poster of Aden. I don't even notice the time passing until my phone pings.

Aiden: Sorry, doing encore. Talk 2mrw.

I sigh. I really did want to hear his voice today. I mean, I should be sleeping with a smile on my face. I already got much more than I bargained for today. I make a conscious choice to do just that. I send Aden the photo I picked and caption it.

Me: Happy Valentine's day, baby. Mwah.

I switch off my bedside lamp and cuddle Fondue. As I pull him closer, the little red heart glows, and I hear Aden's voice in the darkness.

"McKay."