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A Noteworthy Valentine’s Day

A/N: So yeah, I wrote this 6 days AFTER Valentine’s. o_O Wierd, eh? But I actually composed it in my MIND on Valentine’s Day. So it works out in the end, eh?

A Noteworthy Valentine’s Day
Story and characters are © Greg Martin

February 14th. One of Brandon’s least favorite days of the year. It always seemed the same. He’d wake up, go to school, have his “singleness” shoved in his face, and then go home. It always seemed to be a complete and utter disaster in the love field for him.

Which was why he was surprised when he opened his locker. There, sitting on the top shelf was what appeared to be a box of… chocolates? A single rose was lain on top, a note carefully wrapped around the stem.

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Dear Brandon,

Hey there! Heh. I really don’t know how to start this… never really wrote one of these before. Hope you don’t mind if I make a complete fool out of myself…

Anyways… I hope you enjoy the chocolates. They’re the kind you really like – a dark chocolate shell filled with a milk chocolate creme.

By now… I bet you’re wondering who I am. Well, that’s the game for today. You see, my full name has 7 letters. So I’ve decided that I’d make you a game for today, to kinda spice it up.

In each of your classes, you’ll find a small gift with a note attached. That note will include a single letter of my name. By the end of the day, you’ll have all 7 and should be able to guess my name.

Oh… by the way… you don’t know me. You may have seen me in the hallway, or somewhere else… but we’ve never actually talked.

But I really like you… and this is how you’ll find out.

Con amor,
_ _ _ _ _ _ _

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Brandon blinked, holding the note up. He wasn’t quite sure what to think. He’d been assuming that it would be like any normal Valentine’s day…

Then, with a surprise jolt of curiosity, he looked up and around to see who might be the culprit. There was only a single boy standing, who was looking rather bored. Maybe he saw…? “Hey kid!”

The boy looked up. “I have a name you know.”

Brandon surpressed his chosen remark, instead chosing a more polite answer. “Sorry. Did you by chance see who put this stuff in my locker? Or how they got into it?”

The boy grinned. Brandon couldn’t help but roll his eyes – another person that was gonna play a game with him today. “Yeah… someone stopped by here earlier with a janitor. Said not to tell anyone though.”

“…” Silence was Brandon’s chosen answer. A janitor had let someone else into his locker? Who all was involved in this weird game?

“Sorry. Name’s Gabe if you’re interested. I don’t really…” At this point, Brandon tuned the younger boy out. He didn’t have the patience right now to think about other people, much less any personal details about said people.

He grabbed a chocolate from the box, and shut his locker. Popping it into his mouth, he turned down the hallway, chosing to ignore the dejected look on the boy’s face.

By the time the first hour bell had wrung, Brandon was annoyed. The game was real – sure enough, he had walked into his first hour to see a small white box placed on his desk.

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Dear Brandon,

And so we start! Ready for it? The letter for 1st hour is “L” It’s the last one in my name.

I do hope you enjoy your Math class. How is Integrated 2? I guess I’ll be taking that next year, eh? Heard it’s not too bad…

Oh well. Enjoy the chocolates!

_ _ _ _ _ _ l

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The chocolates were the same as before, his personal favorite. But he was wary of eating them – he didn’t know who this secret admirer was, or how they knew this stuff about him. He didn’t exactly go parading around the school proclaiming his love for these chocolates.

However, by the time he left to second hour, the chocolates were all gone, and a silly grin had replaced the frown on his face.

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Dear Brandon,

Second hour already? Surprising. It’s actually the 12th for me, writing this. I’ll have to be talking to your teachers tomorrow – hoping that they all will go for it.

Well, this hour’s clue would be “B” It’s the third letter in my name… So yeah. Enjoy the chocolates! And don’t eat them all or you’re going to get sick. And I do NOT want that.

So have fun during Health! Stay healthy!

_ _ b _ _ _ l

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“What’s that?”

Brandon looked up from the note, a slight grin on his face, and straight into Anna’s face. “Uh… it’s a note.”

“No shit sherlock. Who’s it from? And… can I have a chocolate?”

Brandon chuckled, handing her one. “Dunno who it’s from. Some freshman that likes me… and they’re planning a little game with me over their name.”

“Huh?”

“Blank blank B blank blank blank L.”

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Dear Brandon,

Hey there! I have to say that it’s good you don’t stay in the lunchroom for open. The Career Center is SO much easier for deliveries – Carol is really cool about stuff like this.

So the clue for now… hmm. The first letter, “G”! Any idea on my name yet? Hehe… I’m giggling… how girly.

G _ b _ _ _ l

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3rd hour wasn’t the same chocolates as before. This time, it was a set of 6 chocolate covered cherries.

Though out the hour however… Brandon was sure of Carol silently laughing at him. Or maybe she was laughing at that one kid from earlier… the one that had seen this mysterious admirer.

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Dear Brandon,

Hey there! 4th hour already! Are you enjoying your day? I do hope it’s been okay – if nothing else, you have chocolate? Haha!

I hope you liked the cherries last hour. For this hour, I got you some Fudge Shoppe cookies. Pretty sure that they’re another favorite of yours. I hope you’re liking this… it’s been in the plans for a long time.

Clue is “E”

Con amor,
G _ b _ _ e l

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Branbdon really had no idea who this crazy kid was. And the amount that this kid knew about him was scary to say the least…

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Dear Brandon,

Here we are, 5th hour. I actually met you 5th hour last semester. You were standing by the doorway waiting to be let out of the lunchroom, and I heard you talking to someone.

Your voice is amazing – has anyone ever told you that? It’s because of that voice that I looked up to see you. And WOW, everything since then has paled in comparison to the Godliness that I saw standing there. You.

I still strive to hear your voice as much as possible, and I take every chance I can to stare at you.

Yeah, I know this sounds creey… but I really, REALLY like you and want you to know everything…

Let’s go with “I”

G _ b _ i e l

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Brandon had no trouble distracting himself from his biology work: there was this note to consider. And consider he did.

He tried to think of any memories of random people staring at him – and the only result he could come up with was that one kid in the Career Center during open that never seemed completely there, lost in his own little world.

As he got up for lunch, the teacher called him up to her desk. “Here,” she said, handing him a ten dollar bill. “Was asked to give you this with the message that you should ‘pig out’ during lunch.”

Brandon couldn’t help but blush slightly.

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Quierda Brandon,

Tu puedes hablar en espanol? Yo puedo! No soy muy bueno con la lengua, pero puedo hablar y escribir un poco.

Para ahora… “R” – Espero que tu puedes compreder este…

Con mucho amor,

G _ b r i e l

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“Gabriel. It’s a boy. A boy.” Brandon’s hands were shaking, holding the note in his hands. The box of white chocolates lay on the desk, completely forgotten.

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Dear Brandon,

I bet you’ve figured it out by now. My name is Gabriel, Gabe for short. And yes, I’m a boy.

I’m actually writing this one looking at you. You’re munching on the cookies I gave you this hour… and there’s the slight smell of cherries in the air. It’s a wonderful smell.

I’m really hoping that by the time you read this, you don’t hate me. Hell, I hope you read this, period.

You see… I’m gay, obviously. And you’re the first guy I’ve ever told that I liked. Actually… you’re the first person to know I’m gay at all.

Now I know you most likely have no interest in me… in any way. I bet that by tomorrow, you’ll be wanting to stay as far away from me as possible.

You’ve probably noticed there isn’t a gift with this one… There is actually one FOR this hour, but I’m too chicken-shit to give it to you. It’s a single chocolate rose… to finish the day off with, you know?

Look… I understand if you hate me and everything… but I’ll still love you no matter what you say…

Your admirer,
Gabriel

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The note was nearly a full page long. And written in plain ink was the story of a boy that liked him. Brandon really… he really didn’t know what to do… the single tear stain was enough to make him…

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Dear Gabe,

Hello there. I really don’t know how to start this. How does one make a reply to such a letter as yours?

Earlier today, my worst fear came to life. Ever since 7th grade… I’ve been deathly scared of its happening. Wanna know why?

Well, I’ll tell you anyways. I’m scared of it because I’d have no idea what to say in responce. I’d hate to destroy them with something like “Hell no you fucking fag!” – I couldn’t live with myself if someone I liked said that to me.

If I said “Yes” wouldn’t that make me gay as well? I’m afraid I don’t really want to admit to that…

But your letters… I don’t know. I took a few hours to tonight to think, and I realized how much I DO see you. I’m surprised that I really never noticed you before, when you’re constantly right there. How could I miss you?

You’re anything but normal. And I mean that in a good way. As I thought about it, during lunch you’re funny as hell. I actually enjoy watching your crazy antics. And during open, you’re always there. When you’re not zoned out (staring at me?) you’re always joking around or doing -something- worth watching.

Look, you’re a really interesting kid. I honestly don’t know about a relationship… but I -would- like to get to know you better.

Whatcha doing Saturday?

Brandon

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Brandon would never forget Gabe’s face when he walked into the Career Center the next day. He had been fidgetting with his shirt while looking down as he walked into the room. WHen he dared to look up, he was greeted with a smile from Brandon, holding out a folded piece of paper.

The smile on Gabe’s face was the brightest Brandon had ever seen.

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