The "Stand By"

***

School was pretty much the lame nightmare I had anticipated. Girls with boyfriends (or lesbian girlfriends) walked around with huge and obnoxious stuffed animals and single, stemmed red roses. They giggled and boasted and seemed far too pleased, given the situation.

My friend Lori and I are two single gals who survive this day together. We write each other funny little notes and sign them "Your Anti-Valentine". We try really hard to mock Valentine's Day, but I think we both know that, deep-down, it doesn't really take away the harsh glare of being single on this stupid occasion.

Now, my other friend, Georgia, always has a boyfriend doting on her. That's because she's gorgeous and outgoing so she never has a problem with the Y chromosomed. That Valentine's Day, she was carrying a big stuffed dog with little red hearts on him under her arm and had a Starbucks Valentine's coffee mug in her free hand. Also, on one of her wrists was this delicate, white gold bracelet. Score for Georgia's boy toy. He had managed to pass Valentine's Day.

"Hey girlies," She said when she met us at my locker.

"Hi. Looks like you're going to be keeping Mike," I said. Mike is the current boyfriend. Georgia grinned and held out the stuffed dog for us to touch.

"Yeah, huh? He showed up this morning with all this and took me to Starbucks for breakfast," She said and sipped from her mug. Lori and I petted the stuffed dog and cooed at how soft his synthetic fur was. I might hate Valentine's Day and all the commercialism it entails, but c'mon. Nobody hates stuffed animals.

The day continued on and it was more of the same. People (mostly girls) wearing pink, red, and white and carting around the Valentine's presents they had received. It was starting to make me a little sick and the only thing that was keeping me from cutting school altogether were the notes Lori and I exchanged between classes. They were hilarious little stories and cartoons that boasted girl power. You need girl power messages on those days when it's actually about boy/girl/romance power. Sigh.

As I was walking with Lori to Geography, I heard someone come running up behind me and then felt him or her slap something on my ass. I screamed instinctively, even though I should be used to that kind of high school crap by now.

Jason Downey, a gooney and slightly emo guy friend, grinned at me as he kept running by. Lori giggled as I ripped off whatever he's smacked on my butt. It was a heart cut out of pink construction paper, with the word 'JUICY written on it in black sharpie.

"AwaWww!" Lori sang loudly. "Jason wants to be your Valentine!" She teased in a funny voice.

"Oh yeah. That's a great way of getting my attention. Real romantic," I said sarcastically, crumpling up the heart and throwing it out in the nearest trash can.

"Seriously, I wouldn't be surprised if Jason asked you out today. He's been into you for awhile," Lori said.

"No he hasn't. And I hope he doesn't ask me out because he is a douche bag," I said clearly. Lori giggled.

"Oh come on," Lori said. Alright, alright. Jason isn't exactly a total douche, I mean he is my friend. He's moderately good-looking and funny, sometimes. But he doesn't really do it for me, you know? Like, the most sensitive thing he has ever done was today's ass sign thing.

"K, he's not totally awful," I allowed. But that's all I allowed. Lori just giggled some more.