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The Blue Valley drama club hosted a silly fundraiser for Valentine's Day where you could spend a few bucks to buy someone at school a carnation and the drama club would deliver it to them during homeroom. They could be delivered anonymously or signed. They even had three different things to mean different things, though it was unclear what pink flowers were supposed to represent. They did it every year.
Courtney's first year at Blue Valley she and Mary had dismissed the whole thing as dumb and had vowed not to buy any carnations, but Courtney hadn't missed how Mary's face had fallen when all the other girls in their class had gotten flowers except for her. Even Courtney had gotten one; the basketball team had pitched in to get one for every cheerleader.
Courtney and Mary weren't in the same home room this year and didn't share any classes until third period. If they had, Courtney might not have gone through with her plan. When the order sheet had come out, she'd bought one of every color to be delivered anonymously to Mary. Impulsively, she added second red one. If she had to pick someone in her school to send a "romance" carnation to, it would be Mary. Same for if she had to pick a date.
On the way to third, Courtney had an arm suddenly linked with hers as Mary snuck up on her. Mary had mischievous grin on her face.
"I bet you don't know anything about these," Mary teased, referring to the carnations spilling out of her backpack's side pocket.
"I just got you the white one." Courtney said, trying to throw Mary off. "I don't know anything about the rest."
"Whatever you say," Mary replied knowingly, having already figured Courtney out. "Here, you take this one."
Mary took one of her pair of red carnations and tucked it behind Courtney's ear. Courtney tried not to turn the same color. Mary was trying not to have her snickering show. Elbows still linked, Courtney dug hers into Mary's side.
"Jerk!" Courtney laughed. She took the other red carnation, slipping it into the hair bundled at the back of Mary's head by her barrette.
They stumbled into their classroom arm and arm, both laughing and decked out in cheap carnations. Was there a better way to spend Valentine's Day in high school than with your best friend?