Backwards

          This was it. The day she had been waiting for. The day cupid would string his bow and shoot young lovers in the park. Her heart sped fast in her chest as she thought of the gushy love notes being sent from secret admirers. Just the thought of all that chocolate being bought made her tremble with excitement.

          She skipped down the stairs of the two-family home, swinging the door shut behind her. Today, the school was decorated in sickly shades of pink and red. All the guys, and admittedly some girls, felt this was a bit much. It was only a holiday, right? But no. To her, it was the holiday. The only worth-while one, anyway. Who cares about Christmas? People are obligated to get something for you on Christmas. But on Valentine’s Day, you received presents from those who truly loved you. Or in her case, the boy who truly loved her.

          But what does one get for their beloved? She had spent hours making lists in her bedroom, unsure of precisely what he would want. If she got him cologne, that might imply that he smelt bad. If she got him boxers, he would think she wanted to take them off. And if she got him a chain, she might seem clingy. She had wasted all of her cell phone minutes for the month just talking to her BFFs. Not as if they had helped. One was all for the cologne, while the other chose something simpler, like a wallet. Neither of them had much experience with guys, and she hadn’t really expected them to help her anyway. Her sister, on the other hand, had plenty of ideas. The two of them drove off to Nordstrom’s, where they were bombarded by salesmen thrusting perfumes under their noses and fliers into their hands. Delving deeper into the store, they discovered a rack of colorful ties. They picked a sea-green checked tie, to match his eyes. At home, her sister helped her to stitch the initials “E.J. and F.B.” on the back of the tie. That way, if things didn’t work out, he could still use the tie, because the letters were only visible when worn backwards.

          She held the plain blue bag in her hand as she walked down the hall to her locker. She waved to every other person, a big smile plastered on her face. She tossed her books into her locker, and, as she was about to turn around, felt a pair of arms creep around her waist. She turned around laughing, her eyes lit up. She stared up into his handsome face, those sea-green eyes she loved so much, the slightly bent nose that endlessly fascinated her. Wordlessly, she handed him the bag, her breath stuck in her lungs as she waited for him to open it. After much tearing of tissue paper, he took out the tie. The initials on the back stood out against the dark fabric. He looked up into her eyes, and put the tie on. Backwards.