Family Fun: Valentines Edition

Ruthie giggled as she slipped another candy heart into a jumbo pale pink envelope. As smitten as she was with this new boy at her school, I was sort-of annoyed that she had dragged the whole family together to make Valentines. I didn't even have that many people to make them for.
"Sonali, pass the glue?" Kit looked up from her work to ask.
"Sure." I picked up the half-empty tube and passed it over.
Looking down at my own measly pile of cheesy cards, I decided quickly to make another one. I carefully cut a pink heart out of rosy cardstock and made a lace border to match it. Picking up a Crayola marker, I started to write on it.

Dear Sal,
You may not know me, but I am not, in any way, sending you this Valentine because I love you. Truthfully, I am the farthest thing from loving you. You WISH I loved you. But I don't. Stay away from Bethie, because she was the best thing in your world and you screwed up big time.
Happy Valentines Day!
-Anonymous (and entirely not your Valentine)

Just for emphasis, I drew a juicy heart at the bottom. Laughing to myself, I threw it into my pile of cards to deliver. There was a Valentine for Bridget, a Valentine for Ms. Pike, a Valentine for each of my sisters, a Valentine for Bethie, a Valentine for Bethie's family, and finally.. a Valentine for Peter. I know, it sounded stupid. He had a girlfriend, for gods sakes. And I know that I'll probably just regret it later. But lately I've been sort of nostalgic and melancholy and all movie-like.. And I've been acting sort-of.. well.. wise, if you had to put a name on it.
I've been thinking that maybe not every day should be wasted, like I usually do. I should start spending my time being thankful, or at least more thankful than I was. I doubt I'll ever be truly happy -- happiness just isn't in my blood.
But I'm going to start living in the day. I knew that I needed Peter to know how I felt. Because if I died tomorrow, then I'd be sad that I never told him. Or anyone, besides Bridget, my sisters, Bethie, her sisters.. Agh, nevermind. Maybe its just Peter who doesn't know. Which is.. odd.

The sound of scissors scraping back and forth appeared close to my ear. Much, much closer to my ear than comfortable. I fidgeted and turned my head slowly to see Julia snipping her pair of safety scissors playfully while gripping in her hand a piece of my hair (that was attached to my head, by the way).
"Tell me who that Valentine is for, or else say bye-bye to contest-winning locks." She smiled deviously.
I laughed. Julia and I had become closer. Much closer. I could tell her a lot.
"Well.. it's kind-of to Peter." I whispered.
"No way no way no way!" She spazzed.
"SHHHH!" I clapped my hand over her mouth.
The whole room of sisters turned to look at us. It must have looked odd, seeing Julia with scissors in her hand, still gripping my hair, and me, clapping my hand over her mouth like a bandit.
"What's going on..?" Kirsten giggled.
"Um, nothing." Julia and I said in unison as we struggled to get back to our previous normal positions.

Chrissa jumped up and hopped around as everyone continued their earlier commotion and conversation.
"Guys, guys! Can we watch Mean Girls? Please please please please pleaaaaaase?" She begged.
"NO, CHRISSA!" Half the room yelled back at her.
I don't know who rented it, but somehow the movie Mean Girls ended up at our house for a 7 night rental. And whoever put it into the DVD player and turned it on and let Chrissa watch it made a BIG mistake. I swear, the whole family has been forced into watching that movie 5 times now. Chrissa l-o-v-e-s it.
"I'd rather watch A Walk To Remember." Elizabeth said dreamily, and a few of the other sisters sighed happily.
"Ew, hell no! Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants 2!" Erin protested.
"Nooooo way. Legally Blonde!" Kit crowed.

I sighed. Family fun.

-Sonali

Lots of Screams and Waltzes

I was lying on the couch, eating chips. Another rerun of Phineas and Ferb was just starting when Erin ran into the room flailing her arms madly, and screaming.

"Erin, shut up! I'm trying to watch TV, can't you see?" I immediately wanted to take it back but I wasn't in a very good mood.
"No, but, SONNY!" Erin just couldn't get the words out of her mouth.
I huffed, paused the show, and turned around.
"What is it, Erin?"
"YOU WON AGMA!!!" Erin screamed.
"Are you.. are.. ARE YOU KIDDING?!" The news sunk in.
"NO!"
"You better not be joking around, Ms. McCarley!" I yelled back.
"I'M NOT! ITS TRUE! ASK ANYONE!" Erin started again to flail her arms and dance.
"AHHHH!" I hopped off the couch and joined Erin in a dance.
We waltzed around the room, screaming our heads off.
Kirsten came in, flustered.
"What are you two doing at --" She started.
"I WON AGMA!" I said at the exact same time as Erin yelled "SONNY WON!".
Kirsten yelped. "You're kidding?!"
"NOPE!", Erin and I said, again in synch.
"YAY!" Kirsten ran off to tell everyone.
"AND YOU'RE GOING TO CO-HOST WITH SHANNON FROM SUNNYSHINEAG!"
"OH!" I grinned.



This was going to be fun.
-Sonali