With Valentine’s Day in full swing, it’s fun to look back on Valentine’s Days past. For me, one of my most memorable had to be in HS. I had been “going out” (and that’s the most generous term I can use here) with a male friend of mine and really wasn’t expecting anything given the fact that our random trip to the movies, in my mind, didn’t even count as a date.
Anywho, after two hours of drill team practice and hurrying to get to my first class of the day, I ran into the Anatomy and Physiology lab just as my teacher turned off the lights to go over, via transparency and projector, that day’s anatomy lab. However, much to my horror, yes horror, I found a pile of dead flowers and pack of dark chocolate Hershey’s kisses all over my desk.
In vain I hope no one noticed the display as I quickly tried to shove most of it into the cubby hole in my desk, but my teacher called me out, in front of the class, to let me know that a, “nice young man,” waited for me to arrive but I had just missed him and the he had seemed keen to wish my a Happy Valentine’s Day.
When it comes to affection, anything beside a hand hold or peck on the cheek is overt and the flower and chocolate surprise I put in that category.
When the bell rang, there he was anxiously waiting outside the door for me, waiting on a reaction. I said thank you and moved to head toward my next class. “Sorry about the flowers,” he said as he followed me down the hall. I told him it was all right. “The florist said to keep them refrigerated so I stuck them in the freezer. I had no idea they’d be dead by morning.” At this, I couldn’t help but laugh. Not at him of course, but because he was this burgeoning science nerd who knew the ins and outs of the principals of astrophysics but he failed basic biology and killed a freshly bought bouquet. The dark chocolates, he said, were a last attempt to make up for the dead flowers.
Little did he know I preferred the dead flowers anyways. After all, I was an angsty teenage girl who practiced ballet and was accustomed to making potpourri of dried out roses.
Anywho, this Valentine’s Day I choose to remember this thoughtful, flower killing geek I crushed on during HS and plan to celebrate with a bottle of wine and Season 2 of House of Cards streaming on Netflix!
Cures for Curiosity 