Here, there be Valentines

 "I bet she used rubber gloves," Mario said before he realized he was thinking of his sister. He was certain Caitlin was a neat freak. She just didn't want anyone to know.

"What? Rubber gloves?" Of course, Bren was there in his kitchen, making heart-shaped sugar cookies. Naturally, Valentine's Day was on her mind and Mario had almost forgotten about it. Almost.

"Oh, sorry..I was just thinking about my sister and you know," he sighed wondering if he adored Caitlin as much as he said he did. Funny, how he'd always wanted to be close to her and now that he was did it really matter. She had a knack for speaking her mind. He wasn't sure now what he'd expected. Of course, this lead to the thought that he wanted to do anything but think about Valentine's Day.

He gritted a smile. No way did he want to mention that sloppy kiss he'd given Bren a few weeks ago. Yes, a slight attempt to let her know he did like her. But he winced once more. 

"Um, about..."

"What?" Oh, she was curious as usual. He was certain she could be three steps ahead of him. "It's not that I don't-"

She shook her head and went back to her cookies and the pink icing. He watched.

"I want to kiss you..it's just I don't want you to get sick, either." His lips slightly twitched. Naturally, she'd responded with tongue, as he recalled and he'd somehow pushed her away. "I don't want to be cruel.." There he was gritting another smile. "Just..just don't get me wrong. I want to be with you." He nodded. He just didn't think it would happen anytime soon. He pressed his lips tight.

"Well, you've never talked about..um, you know..just how many people have you been with?" She pressed the lids tightly on the container and all he could do was look at her wide-eyed.

He choked on a laugh. Mario was lightheaded.

"Um, you know..just a crush..here and there." He nodded. 

"I figured as much," she nodded with a slight smile with her head tilted.

"Well, I..I always thought I would, you know..wait. I mean, I went on a few dates with the girl across the street when I was in high school. Only her boyfriend was in college and he taught me a lot about golf." He winced. It was a true story. He'd tagged along on their dates back then. "Honestly, girls scare the hell out of me."

"What are you trying to tell me?" She looked at him as if he must be a virgin. She hugged herself as if he truly was a modest mouse.

"We're going somewhere?" Cyrus got in the car and buckled in. 

"It's not a road trip," Pixie shrugged. "I just thought we needed to take a drive."

"Well, I don't exactly want to get lost-"

"I can't believe you said that?" Her smile was smart as she put the gear in drive and lunged off down the road. It was still cold and it took a bit for the car to warm up. They had their JAYHAWK tunes to keep them company.

At this rate, Pix was certain she'd look over and see that Cyrus was asleep. Honestly, she didn't know what to do about Valentine's Day and Cyrus. So they'd held hands.

She knew it didn't mean anything. Or did it? This was such a perplexing situation. Would they ever be on the same level in this so-called relationship? She wanted to make the best of their friendship.

 Naturally, the mall was just not what it used to be. Instead, she found her way to the strip mall. There was now Five Below and Dollar Tree along with a fabric store and a rundown department store that usually looked as if the thieves had already ransacked it. 

"Let's go shopping," she smiled.

"Shopping?"

"Oh, come on, don't look so shocked." Five Below was always her happy place. She handed him over a twenty-dollar bill. She had her own. "Just look for four items." She told him.

He nodded. Of course, he wanted her to hold on to his twenty. No way did he want it to touch him. Luckily, he zoned in on the fitness items which shocked her. She thought for sure he'd find a book of some kind to buy, but instead, he wanted weights and even the bicycle shorts.

"What do you want with them?" She thought they were made for girls but there were pockets on each side for a phone. She wanted a pair too, but there were also leggings with pockets. She might as well pay with her debit card at this rate. Honestly, the store was full of sweet pastels that drew you in. Yes, perhaps a little too captivating.

Finally, they got to the books and found a journal. THE STORY OF US.

Pixie smiled. Yes, finally something they could do together on Valentine's Day.