Valentine Girl

(Image credits from Pinterest)

Angelo never really liked Valentine's Day. That had always been the case ever since he was around 7 or 8. He could still remember the one time he tried to do a big romantic gesture and have it blow up in his face. Neither Rache nor Ciel had let him live it down. 

Sure, the guy he confessed to didn’t mind- to be fair, he didn’t even know he wasn’t a girl- and they were good friends right now but it made him not want to do anything romantic again. It was embarrassing, sappy, gross and lame. Why couldn’t Valentines Day be like…. Game Day or something? That sounded way cooler in his head.

He sighed, looking at all the homemade chocolates that he had gotten. No doubt this was with the help of Mrs. Abbott or Ms. Chia, he thought. Then felt a tug on his shirt. 

It was Milly, looking so sad and quiet. Angelo felt like his heart was getting ripped out. “Milly? What’s wrong?” Her eyes drifted to his roses and letters. He flinched as if caught doing something wrong. “Uh, they aren’t from me. I don’t make this stuff. They’re just for me… it was under my bed and everything!”

Another sad stare. “Sorry…” She mumbles, letting him go. Angelo felt cold all of a sudden. “Was I bothering you?”

“No, you could never bother me. I was just thinking about how dumb today is.” 

He didn’t see Milly flinch. “What do you mean by dumb?” 

“Well, you know…” Angelo shrugs his shoulders. “I don’t see the point in all of this romance junk. No offense to those who like it or anything. But… it’s just not my thing…” 

“Oh…” She let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. “Yeah, I never liked Valentine's Day either. Makes me feel small.”

Angelo groaned. “Right! It’s so boring! And they’re all the same! Same chocolate, same letters, same old junk!”  

“At least you get presents. I don’t get anything.” Milly mumbled bitterly under her breath. 

Angelo heard it and his heart broke.

“You don’t have a valentine?” Realistically, it made sense. Milly was still fairly new in the orphanage and she hadn’t made any friends until Angelo fumbled his way into her life. 

That being said, while making the most sense, it never failed to hurt his heart more. 

Milly was an angel. That was in no means a hyperbole. She was calm, timid, quiet and graceful. He would not be surprised if she started growing wings from her back.

Angelo was never someone who was religious even though the word of the Divine One was all that he has known. He never cared much and often wanted to choose his own path rather than let a god decide for him. But if Milly Moore was truly an angel to lead him to Paradise, he’d follow her to the ends of earth.

He didn’t have faith in the divine. He had faith in her. Maybe she was the Paradise they were talking about.

He gets dragged back to earth when he hears Milly scoff. It was bitter. Again. Milly was rarely bitter. Maybe when Ciel teased her too much. But it was never like this. “Are you really surprised? I don’t mind. I don’t care about it either.”

“Milly…” The blonde girl avoided his eyes for a short while until she looked back with a smile that barely reached her eyes.

“I’m fine. It’s okay. Have fun with your Valentine's Day presents.”

“No, Milly-!” She walked away, picking up her pace by a little bit. It almost wasn’t noticeable.

But Angelo noticed. Angelo noticed everything about her lately as if his senses were heightened.

He turned to a love letter in his hand. He was supposed to read it. That’s what you do when others give it to you. It’s common courtesy, Mrs. Abbott would say. He skimmed it over until he noticed a line.

Soulmates.

He blinks once. Then twice. He doesn’t think he’s heard that word before.

He looks back at the space where Milly was.

Soulmates, huh?

---

Underneath a tree, Angelo was spacing out. To an outsider looking in, this was fairly uncommon. He would be loud, boastful and like he was king of the world. He’d argue with Rache, Ciel or even stop a fight between the two by causing more ruckus. Indirectly a troublemaker is what the Abbotts would say.

He tries to listen to the argument his best friends were having but he couldn’t. On a bright February day, he couldn’t think of anything but Milly.

“All I’m saying is that you got less gifts than usual today!” Ciel taunts Rache like he always does, tugging on her hair. “Even Yuri gave me a present first!”

Yuri, looking appalled, wrote something quick on his notepad. “That’s not true. I gave you both letters and chocolates but you stole Rache’s.”

“What the-?! Ciel! You’re a jerk!” 

“Hey! It’s not my fault you’re so sensitive!”

“I hate you!”

“Hate you more~!”

Yuri shakes his head at the antics of his friends. A soft giggle escapes him. He turns to Angelo, noticing the unusual silence. He hit him with his notepad. “OW!” Angelo exclaimed, rubbing the back of his head.

“You’re more quiet today. I want to know why.”

“Am not! Just… you know… it’s a special day…! I wanna keep the peace for once! I’m not that much of a loudmouth!” Angelo crosses his arms in defiance.

Yuri raises an eyebrow and flips a page from his notepad, giving him a response that seems prewritten. “Everyone knows you hate this holiday. You’re the only person who does.”

“Milly does too…” Angelo replies weakly.

“So it’s about Milly?”

“N- No! I’m just-! She’s not having fun today. Milly always keeps to herself but she’s more… bitter today? There’s something wrong.”

At the corner, he sees Ciel roll his eyes. “Maybe she’s bitter because she never got a Valentine’s Day gift!” He chuckles. “Maybe she’s like Rache. Do I need to remind you of what happened last year-?”

“Don’t you dare!” Rache glared at him. 

Yuri took a bit of time to write. Angelo watched him intently. Ciel peaked from behind him, resting his head on his shoulder. Yuri blushed a bit before swatting him away. “Hey!” Ciel yelped.

Angelo glanced down at the notepad. “Maybe she’s just lonely? She’s fairly new to the orphanage so maybe she thinks people are stealing your attention. She could be jealous.”

Angelo blushed. “HAH?!” His yell drowned out Ciel laughs and Rache’s awes. He shakes his head. “No! Wh- why would she be?!”

Ciel wipes a tear from his eye. “Looks like our angel boy got another admirer!”

“Do not! Quit messing with me!” He points a finger at Yuri who smiles at him. That guy knows what he’s doing. “You- You are completely misreading the situation!”

Yuri smiled simply. “Or maybe you’re misunderstanding her.”

“Nuh uh! I know Milly better than any of you!” Angelo crosses his arms. “Which means I would know why she’s feeling this sad!”

Or, at least I should know… that thought lingers in the back of his mind. 

He groans. “I know it has something to do with Valentine’s Day. I know that enough-“ 

Then, all of a sudden, he gets it. It was like a stroke of genius. If Milly didn’t like the holiday, Angelo would just make it the best day of her life. He looks back at his friends with a fire in his eyes. The three of them look cautious. They knew that once Angelo had an idea, there was no coming back from it.

“Come with me.”

---

In retrospect, this wasn’t the best idea he’s ever had but if it would cheer up Milly, he was willing to embarrass himself time and time again. Even if his friends were giving him hell for it. He had a heart shaped chocolate cake, courtesy of Ms. Chia, while his friends were behind him with a big sign that said “Will you be my Valentine?”. 

If Angelo didn’t know any better, he’d think he was confessing his undying love for her but that was stupid. He wasn’t planning on doing that. All he wanted was for her to smile again. Like she always did around him.

They had rehearsed the plan many times. It was simple, really. They’d go in the room, find Milly alone and let Angelo do the talking. 

They were so close until Milly softly hummed a tune akin to the Happy Birthday song. 

“What…?” Angelo whispered, peeking through the crack of the door.

He saw her, looking miserable with a cupcake and a single candle on top of it. She continued humming until she blew the flame out, tears pouring out of her eyes.

It was then Angelo realized why Milly was so upset today. It was her birthday. While everyone was so preoccupied with Valentine’s Day, she had to spend her birthday alone.

That wasn’t his fault though. He knew that. She never told him anything about herself. How could he have known? She was the one avoiding him today, not the other way around. Despite that though, he still felt guilt and sympathy gnawing at his chest.

He glanced at his friends who were watching behind him. They seem to have read his mind, already in the process of trying to plan a surprise party for Milly. Rache and Ciel leave in a rush to prepare while Yuri gives him a small smile.

“She needs you right now.” He wrote. Angelo knew that he was right.

Without a second thought, he rushed inside to hug Milly from behind. He felt tears fall down his face before he could even realize what was happening. No one deserved to be alone for their birthday. Especially the angel that Milly was to him.

“Angelo? What-?”

“Why didn’t you tell me?! I would have done so much for you… you know that, right?! I would have- I would have thrown you the best party ever!” He sobbed on her shoulder.

Milly stiffened before crying alongside him. Her body trembled. “I didn’t want your day to be ruined because of me…” She paused. “My older brother.. he would always abandon everyone on this day for me. All his dates and hangouts. I felt like I burdened him… I- I don’t want to burden you too.”

“You could never be, okay?” Angelo wipes the tears away from her eyes. “I’d rather celebrate a day about you than some stupid Valentine’s Day.” 

He hands over the heart shaped cake. The frosting said: Happy Valentine’s Day! which made him flinch. He grabs the candle on her cupcake and places it on the cake. He lights it with the lighter in her hands. 

“Make a wish.” He smiles at her. She smiles back and blows the candle. “What’d you wish for?”

“I wish… that you’ll always be with me. Forever.” 

Angelo’s smile widens. “Yeah, I like that.”

Maybe February 14th wasn’t as bad as he originally thought. Not when he got to witness her smile shining brighter than the sun.

He thinks he could get lost in that gaze until the end of time.

She really is like an angel. 

For a single moment, Angelo starts to think that if soulmates are real, he hopes the girl beside him is his.