Valentines day

I hate valentines day. Always have.
Everything is pink, flowers and chocolates and grand gestures wherever you look. And of course couples, couples everywhere. Be it in the commercials or in the romance flicks they like to play around this time, or out in public.
And yes, you guessed it: I’m alone every year, big deal.
I know my greasy hair isn’t the most enticing thing in the world, and my acne isn’t either, but it’s not like I control those things.
The time I Ireally do want to have someone with me the most is at the valentines ball my school does every year, which is, of course, mandatory. Everyone turns up with a pretty girl to upstage the next, only I’m alone.
And that stupid ball is also where my story starts:

I was standing at one of the tables with snacks, watching the dancing couples and periodically grabbing some chips out of one of the bowls, wiping my fingers on my skirt when they got too many crumbs on them. I knew most of the couples were only this affectionate for this evening, twirling around and cuddling up as close as they can while slow dancing, but it still stung to be the only one alone. Was it too much to ask for someone to get me a glass of punch, too?
Not that I liked punch, but who really did, it was more about the gesture, I guess.
When the music switched to something louder and the couples broke away from each other to get something to eat I made my way to the exit. I couldn’t leave, but at least I could take a smoke break.
The stone stairs were warm from the sun shining on them all day and the air smelled like cotton candy, there was a fair a few streets down. And let me tell you, I’d have given a lot to be there instead of the stupid valentines ball that evening.
I sat down on the steps and lit my cigarette, inhaling the smoke and pretending it would help me anyhow. Now the smell of burnt tobacco laid over the cotton candy. I sat there for long, watching the sky get darker and occasionally glancing over as a couple stole their way out of the hall and to a private place. After many cigarettes, definitely too many, it’s a habit I’ve been trying to kick, a boy sat down next to me.
His hair was died blue and his eyes were purple, he was wearing contacts.
“Can I have one?” he asked. If you asked me he sounded like he’d smoked too much already with how hoarse he was, but I wasn’t one to deny a guy a cigarette so I offered the pack to him.
“Fuck those couples, huh?” He asked, nudging his elbow into my side.
“Mhm.”
I hadn’t come here to talk, didn’t he notice how unwanted he was here?
Apparently he didn’t, at least he offered me his hand to introduce himself. His name was Tobias.
“You can call me Mia.” I uttered. Guessing I might as well if he was already here, and admittedly, I had gotten a bit curious, I asked if he was at my school. He wasn’t, he had come as a date for one of the popular girls but she ditched him.
I wouldn’t be able to tell you what we talked about, and I don’t think he could tell you that now either, but we had a good talk, a long talk. It felt freeing, he had a very laid back attitude about most stuff, unlike most other guys in my grade. At some point he asked what Mia stood for, and I said I’d tell him later.
Right in the middle of our conversation he managed to blink out his contact. I plucked it off his cheek, his eyes underneath were dark brown.
When we finally decided it was time to go the ball had been over for a while, the temperature sank notably and my body was cold and stiff. He offered to lend me his jacket and walk me home, and since we’d had such a good talk (and I was freezing) I accepted.
At my doorstep I stopped to cram my keys out of my purse, when he suddenly brushed my hair out of my face. I flinched, I hadn’t expected it at all.
“Mia.. did anyone ever tell you that you got nice eyes?”
Nobody had told me that before, so I shook my head, almost a bit ashamed.
“That’s a shame. They are.” Tobias’ lips cracked into a small smile. “It was a nice evening.”
I nodded to that.
he leaned in a bit and I looked into his eyes, one purple, one brown. “Can we..?”
I hesitated and he noticed, pulling back again but I shook my head. “No, I think it’s okay.” I smiled and now it was me leaning towards him, the key still in my hand.
He closed the gap and we shared a clumsy but affectionate kiss. His lips were rough and tasted like chapstick.
“We should meet up again.” I suggested quietly, still within whisper-distance of him.
“Only if you answer a question.” He gave back, his face grew more serious, it was a bit concerning, I wasn’t sure what sort of question that would be.
“You didn’t tell me what Mia stands for yet.” Tobias eyes met mine again and his lips pulled into a grin.
I chuckled quietly. “That’s not a question…” I smiled. “But I’ll tell you anyway: It stands for Michael. Michael Frost.”