LOGINShare
Seven: V Day
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56At the end of Valentine's day, all the letters were distributed to their recipients. Most kids received at least one. Everyone made a pact with their best friends that they would send each other something.
Theo got a whole bowl to himself. The committee even let him bring home the bowl as a bonus because his letters couldn't fit the largest envelope that was available. He was cheered along the corridor holding the large bowl in his hand.
She wondered if he'll even bother to read them later because there were so many.
Surprisingly, she got four letters herself. She tucked them into her backpack to read them later after dinner when she usually spends the rest of the day alone in her room.
Lee was already gone to rehearsal, she didn't even get the chance to see him that day. She wondered if he got letters too.
"I got 10 letters, I haven't opened them yet, how about you?" he said on the phone.
"I got 4 ... that's 4 more than I thought I'd ever get," she chuckled.
"Really? I thought you'd get more than that ... but I guess seniors are forbidden to send you anything," he laughed lightly.
"What makes you say that?"
"Because your brother doesn't allow any of his friends to date you ... I thought you knew that?"
It was the first time she ever heard of such a thing, "Really? I didn't know that ... did you hear him say that?"
"Not directly, but I heard seniors talked about it at the boys’ room sometimes."
"Hmm ... I really didn't know that ... well, he's got a lot of letters, and his girlfriend is in his room right now going over them together," she giggled.
Lee laughed, "She wouldn't want him to reply to any of them I suppose."
"Yeah ... so are you doing rehearsal again tomorrow?"
"Yeah, every day until the tournament ... I'm sorry you can't be there ... but ... uhmm ... I have practice on Saturday night at the studio, I was wondering if you'd like to come?"
Saturday night sounds like a date, not that she would know anything about it. It can also be a friendly hangout and it would be good for a change because she never goes anywhere on Saturday nights except for movies with Janice and Max had started going to clubs with his girlfriend lately.
"Sure," she said.
"Really? You'd come?"
"Yes, where is it? I'll ask Max to drop me off."
"No, I'll pick you up, text me your address ... we'll go together."
It really did sound like a date, she was grinning, "Okay."
"TJ ... my only wish for my 17th birthday is to lose my virginity with you ... it's gonna be on the 17th of March ... call me if you're interested."
The girl actually gave him her phone number. He furrowed his brows and threw the paper in the trash bin.
"TJ ... I will wait for you at the girls’ bathroom by the chemistry class at 1 PM tomorrow ... I want to give you something really special. I hope you'll come."
Remember to avoid the bathroom by the chemistry class tomorrow, he thought to himself.
"I think I've never fallen so hard for someone before you TJ, what I'd give to be Peyton Brown right now ... I hope she gets hit by a car, she doesn't deserve you."
"Jesus," he muttered to himself and threw the paper in the bin.
"TJ you're the hottest boy I've ever met, I just want to lick you up from head to toe and I would ..."
He crumpled the paper into a ball without finished reading it. They all sounded more or like the same. He sighed deeply.
Being the 'hottest' guy in high school was never something he intended to be. People seem to find him more attractive than other boys, it was flattering but exhausting at the same time. Girls seemed to see him as a sex craze teenager who would stick his penis to anyone that comes his way, it was degrading.
He really didn't feel like reading all the letters, some of the stuff written in them was so dirty he felt violated because he didn't even know who these girls were but apparently they've been fantasizing about having sex with him.
It was an image that came with his status for being Mr. Popular, but the truth is, he didn't even lose his own virginity until he was 17 to a girl before Peyton who was not a virgin at the time.
He let out a long exhale and rubbed his face. He took the pink envelope with glitter on it. When he opened it, it was longer than any of the other letters in the pile. That particular letter caught his attention. It was different. It was personal and it made him sound like a cruel person.
He stared at it for a while. He read it again and again. He folded it and put it back into the envelope. It was the only letter he kept from all the others. He wanted to throw the rest of the pile away but he had to find the one from Peyton. He rummaged through it again.
"Theo ... you're the best boyfriend I have ever had. I want to keep you forever. Love, P."
She wasn't much of a romantic but she wanted them to participate in the event. Most likely so she could post his note on I*******m to show everyone that she has a boyfriend who professes his love to her time and time again. It was all about appearance for Peyton, and the sex was fine too.
He laid on his bed and thought about that letter again. It was most intriguing. It made him want to know who had sent it. He was most curious because not a lot of people call him Theo. He may have an idea who it was, but can it be?
"Happy Valentine's Day Bitch!! I hope you'll get a boyfriend soon. If you don't ... which I'm sure you will ... you know who loves you most! I'll always be there for you, you know who this is. I love you to death!"
Jan ... oh no, she didn't write anything for her. She didn't think Jan was going to send her anything. She'll just text her back and tell her how much she was her bitch too.
"Hey, Hazel ... just want you to know I think your new style is awesome but you've always been awesome. Happy Valentine's day from a secret admirer."
That one sounds suspiciously like Jan disguised as a secret admirer.
"Hazel ... you're a hottie ... call me (phone number)"
She laughed. She's never been called a hottie before. Might be some douchebag trying to get hooked up with random girls. He probably had sent it to every girl at school.
"I want to be in your daydream with you."
That one made her smile. She wondered who it was. She tucked it in her diary and wrote a note under it. With what Theo said to her the day before, could it be?
Related chapters
Tee Shirt Eight: Best News Ever
"How's school today?" her mom asked at dinner time the next day.She shrugged, "Fine," she answered almost simultaneously with Max.There was nothing eventful for her except spending the whole day with Jan celebrating her new relationship status with Kyle. He finally confessed to her and asked her if she wanted to be his girlfriend on Valentine's Day. How romantic.There's not much she could say about her own Valentine's Day. That last note she received was occupying her mind, but no one was sending her signals or trying to approach her about it. It was anonymous, it will probably stay anonymous. She didn't want to think about it too much."I have a surprise for you, actually," her dad said as he wiped his mouth wit
Tee Shirt Nine: Saturday Night
She spent the whole day trying on outfits to go to Lee's dance party. Fixed her hair in all the ways she could think of while Jan watched from the other end of their video call."Does this look okay?" she held a pink top over a white mini skirt she had sworn to never wear only a year ago. It was the sixth set of clothes she tried to mix and match.Jan grunted, "That looks adorable ... if you were going out for ice cream in the daytime ... it's a dance studio, everyone's gonna be wearing black, you don't want to be the odd one out.""Are you sure? Black? My first choice was black?""I know, I told you it was fine but you went through your whole closet anyway ... I think black is the way to go."
Tee Shirt Ten: Dance Studio
They grabbed something to eat at a Burrito place not far from the studio. It all felt very casual and not at all felt like a date. They were just two friends hanging out on Saturday night because they both didn't have anything else to do, no one else to hang out with.When they arrived at the dance studio, the day was already dark. He took his large backpack from the back of the car, he brought at least three sets of clothes for changing, knee pads, elbow pads, extra socks, shoes. She never realizes that being a dancer was similar to being an athlete.The entrance of the studio was like a gym, they went through a narrow corridor all the way to the back and went into a double door where the dance hall was. It was a wide room, it was maybe half the size of the whole floor of the building, the walls were lined with mirrors.
Tee Shirt Eleven: Meanwhile At Home
Hazel being picked up by a boy they never heard about became a family event.Her mom asked Max to search him up on his social media and ended up spending the whole night stalking Lee's Instagram account. They watched all his stories which led them to his Tik-Tok account. Her mom downloaded Tik-Tok, created a fake account just to follow him.Her dad was still annoyed by the fact Lee was wearing hoop earrings, but then they watched BTS video clips and found out all of the members were wearing them. And from their stalking session, they concluded that Lee's favorite BTS was JungKook, which was accurate, he imitated how he dressed a lot."This is just sad," Max complained. "Leave them alone, maybe they're just friends ... she never mentioned anything about him before."
Tee Shirt Twelve: Sports Tournament
It was the opening day of The Annual Chestnut High School Sports Tournament. The day all high school students in Chestnut had been preparing for the past two months. It was held at Fairview High, the only school that had an adult size soccer field in town.The soccer team was getting ready in the locker room. Soccer was the opening match for the whole tournament that will take place in one week's time. So everyone involved was gathered in the arena that day for both the opening ceremony and the match.The marching band, the cheerleaders, the dancers, the whole lot were packed at the lower ground of the arena waiting for their turn to go out. The dance team was getting ready in the hallway in front of the locker room. They were all part of the opening ceremony and they were going first.
Tee Shirt Thirteen: Lee's House
They took the bus back to Lee's house. He wasn't allowed to drive his dad's car to school. He was only allowed to drive his mom's SUV when he needed to pick up his little sister at the daycare or otherwise it was the bus, or the bike, or the foot.When they arrived at his house which was literally 5 minutes away from hers, she was amazed. His house was huge, it was a mansion."My dad's an architect," he explained looking at Hazel's bewilderment."Wow ... this is so cool ... I mean ... I've never been to a house this big before, Theo's house is big with a pool and everything but ... do you have an elevator? Or a bunker?" she looked up to the ceiling that seemed far out of reach of her eyesight."How many people live here? Do you h
Tee Shirt Fourteen: Going Home
Spending that afternoon at Lee's house made them closer. They played video games in his room, watched video clips of their favorite artists, they seem to have endless things to talk about whenever they're together. It felt like she had found a new best friend.She even got to know his brother and sister because they came into his room and stayed there for a while. He was really good with them too. She didn't even feel like going home even though she had to be home before dark."I can walk home, it's really close.""No ... you shouldn't, I'll take you, come on ... my dad just bought me a scooter, I can finally use it," he said and then he took her to his garage.It was a two-person scooter. His dad bought him the sco
Tee Shirt Fifteen: Kissing Practice
"I can't believe we're hanging out here just because Kyle bailed on you ... so I'm just a back-up now? You're hurting my feelings," Hazel protested as they were sitting on Jan's rooftop in front of her bedroom window."Hey ... no fair ... you've been hanging out with Lee too, how is it with you two, anyway? Have you kissed him yet?""What?" Hazel threw a tissue at Jan, "It's not like that, we're just talking, played video games ... he's cool and friendless ... kinda like me, ditched by you and Kyle.""Talking? Come on ... are you telling me you guys are not into each other? 'cause I think I've seen couples that are less friendly than the two of you," Jan opened a can of beer she took from Kyle.Kyle was supposed to
Latest chapter
Tee Shirt 121: It's A Wrap
Okay ... let me wrap this up for you ... I decided to finish high school at Pinehurst Valley because ... well ... because I wanted to be close to Hazel for another year at least. I've never had a friend like her before and ever since Eli ... she's the one thing that made my life seem livable again. We spent the rest of the summer in Goldstone with my dad's charity program. We worked with under privilege children in the nook and cranny of the city. We volunteered at the nursing home. Hazel loved that one because I had to perform every week for the elderlies, they loved my singing, apparently, they think I was adorable and reminded them of their grandsons. Made me feel less special knowing there are at least 7 kids that looked like me. The whole program went well. She got extra points for her portfolio. So did I. Though it didn't matter to me because I know I'm not going to Uni after this. I'm concentrating on my new channel which Hazel had agreed to help with. She loved that to
Tee Shirt 120: Baby
She finally came out of her bedroom looking fresh out of the shower. Her mom felt a heavy burden just lifted off her shoulder. Hazel was feeling better. There was still deep sadness on her face but she forced a smile and said 'Hi' and gave her a long hug. The day was getting dark and Claire's relief was short-lived because Hazel was on her way outside to meet the boy in a designer hoodie in his white Lamborghini who looked like he hadn't had a good sleep in days."He's been waiting for an hour," Claire said.She had turned on the light on their porch so the two of them can have a good talk on their new balcony swing. Claire poured a generous amount of red wine into her mug and peeked outside their window and saw the two kids embracing each other warmly."Hey, baby ... how are you doing?" he said and kissed the top of her head.She shook her head and started to cry in his chest."Oh ... I'm so sorry ...""No ... I'm sorry ..." she said and held her tears back. "I'm sorry I missed your
Tee Shirt 119: Boys Don't Cry
Claire was leaning against the door frame of their entrance with her arms folded in front of her. He waved at Theo as he climbed into his car with all his stuff in the backseat. The boy had been crying, she could clearly see it on his face. She could still remember what it was like to be young and in love and heartbroken. It was the best of times and it was the worst of times. Theo had told her everything. She appreciated his honesty though she was disappointed at the same time. But he was devastated, Claire knew that people sometimes underestimated how deep the emotional scar is for boys. Some men couldn't really recover from the hurt they feel in their younger years. It only goes to show how Theo really felt about Hazel. She wanted to understand the situation though she can see how much it had hurt her daughter too. She let out a sigh as his car drove further away from their house. Theo was going back to Gastonbury after many attempts to apologize to Hazel. She had closed her doo
Tee Shirt 118: Birthday Boy
The party was held at The Silver Tongue, the most exclusive club in Goldstone. As the son of an A-list celebrity, he spared no expense and went all out for the celebration. He booked the whole third floor for the event and invited everyone he knew in the city. Including Mandy and Dennis. As soon as Marlon and his entourage arrived, the party began in full swing. The music was loud and thumping, and the dance floor was packed with guests showing off their best moves. Marlon was the center of attention, surrounded by his friends, who were all dressed in the latest designer clothes and jewelry. The bar was fully stocked with top-shelf liquor, and bartenders were serving up creative cocktails in elaborate glassware. The party-goers were drinking and toasting Marlon's big day, and everyone seemed to be in high spirits. He wasn't in a particularly good mood that day, a big part of it was because he hadn't heard from Hazel since she went back to Chestnut. As if she had disappeared from t
Tee Shirt 117: Tangled Up
Theo sat on his bed, his head buried in his hands. He couldn't believe the mess he had gotten himself into. He loved Hazel with all his heart, but he had lied to her. He couldn't even remember how it had all started. He left his girlfriend in Gastonbury because he knew he wanted to spend the summer with the girl that got away. The moment he saw her at the dance, he was instantly back to where he left off and his girlfriend just disappeared in the background. Grace ... her name ... his girlfriend. It was never serious with Grace. It was never serious with any of the girls he had been with after Peyton. Subconsciously, he was trying to move on from losing Hazel because he was too much of a coward to fight for her in the first place. He knew it would have to be Hazel. He had taken their relationship for granted for years, but they were just kids. One year apart from her had only made his feelings stronger and he had ruined it for the both of them when he couldn't stop himself from fa
Tee Shirt 116: Surprise
It was a nagging feeling. That's what she had. It was bothering her and she couldn't ignore it any longer. Sure ... she needed to get her stuff to better prepare herself for the summer program. But Theo will only stay for so long and she needed to be with him, at least to explain in person how her summer is going to be.She wanted to stay in Goldstone, it was her initial plan before Theo came along. The nagging feeling told her to go back to Chestnut to see if their new relationship was going to last beyond that summer.She didn't tell him she was coming back, she wanted it to be a surprise. The minute she arrived, she went straight to Theo's house.He was surprised or more like shocked to see her. The look on his face was not what she expected. His eyes bulged wide, his face was drained of colors, and his mouth gaped open."Micky?" his voice was almost inaudible.She laughed, "Yeah ... who do you think it is? I wanted to ask you if you're surprised ... but it's pretty obvious," she r
Tee Shirt 115: Change Of Plans
He had planned to ask Hazel at the end of her stay in Goldstone, but he found himself asking her on the first day she arrived. The thought had been haunting him for weeks since he left Chestnut for his family therapy. The only thing stopping him from executing his original plan was his unexpected friendship with Hazel. He would consider anything not to lose what he had with her. Having her around made him feel excited and energized to do whatever it is he was planning to do. Being with her made it easier for him to forget how fucked up his family situation was. Every day spent with her was joyful. Even Dr. Seymour told him that he made huge progress since the last time he was in therapy. Marlon knew it had a lot to do with Hazel. He introduced her to his YouTube team and let her hang out when they were working on their next project. He wanted her to be interested. He wanted her to want to be involved. He wanted her to change her mind though neither of them had made any decision, Ma
Tee Shirt 114: Neon Dreams
She remembered the first time she arrived in the city of Neon Lights. This time she arrived in style, in a white Lambo with one of the most eligible bachelors in town. He was high, she was laughing, and the music was loud but Goldstone was louder. Hazel had underestimated how famous Marlon really was. It's different in Chestnut where she was used to him being her 'buddy', her celebrity friend from the Big City but Marlon never felt too big for her. In Goldstone, he's a Rock Star. People recognized his car. There were literally fans asking for autographs and pictures with him. She could hear people calling his name while they walk on the sidewalk. Eating out in fast food restaurants was not an option, they would have to go to Hotels or fine dining or have food delivered to his penthouse. "You should try going out in public with my dad," he said and put on his sunglasses at 8 PM. "Worse?" she assumed. He shook his head a little, "You can't," he tilted his brow. "He has bodyguards
Tee Shirt 113: Road Trip
Marlon took a drag of his cigarette while leaning on his car. He glanced at the pair after a while and muttered, "For fuck's sake." It's been 15 minutes since they said they were saying goodbye to each other and every time he looked over his shoulder they were kissing passionately on Hazel's porch. They finally stopped when Hazel's mom stepped out of the house. They hugged and her mom said something about not drinking, don't do anything illegal, and calling her once they get there. Things his parents never said to him. He dropped his cigarette on the ground and put it out with his Givenchy sneakers. "Drive safely, young man," Claire said to him when walking Hazel toward his car. "I mean it ... it's a fancy car, and I know what it can do ... but not while you're driving my baby," she tapped on his Lambo. "Yes ma'am," he gave her a two-finger salute. "How about we video call you all the way to Goldstone so you can see how slow I drive?" he teased her. "That's not a bad idea, actua
