Red for Love

The town was decked out in pinks and reds. The occasional white was there as well. What did all this mean? It meant that Valentine’s Day was just around the corner. The day that was a beauty for couples, but was a nightmare for Rina Tanzuki. The reason why? Well, every Valentine’s Day she had to suffer through the fact that she had a crush on her best friend, Luke Harfield.

That wasn’t the worst of it though. The worse was that he was dating her other best friend, Julie Lansing.

How did it end up this way? What deity had she angered to be cursed with loving someone who was taken? She thought back to when she had first met him…


Rina had just moved from California to Oregon. Once she had finished unpacking, she went to the park. There were few clouds in the sky and she didn’t think that it would rain. Boy, was she wrong. A few hours after she left, it started to rain, and her without an umbrella. Immediately, she ran for shelter and was glad for the small enclosure that was there. The rain didn’t appear to be lessening any time soon and she had to get home. Her parents would be worried as she had told them that she would be home by four, and it was nearly 3:30. Rina bounced on her feet trying to think of a way to get home without getting soaked. It was getting to be 3:45 when a voice startled her out of her worried state.

“Hey! You’re that girl that just moved in next door to my house aren’t you?”

Rina turned around so fast that she got whiplash. There, holding an umbrella was a blonde-haired boy with blue eyes that shone with recognition at her. To Rina, he looked as if he was an angel with that umbrella. “Yeah, I’m Rina Tanzuki, and you are?”

“Luke Harfield at your service!” he said with a goofy grin.

Rina giggled and her own blue eyes met his. Her heart began to beat faster and she didn’t know why.

“Hey, do you need an escort home? Your parents sent me to make sure you got home alright,” Luke said his goofy grin still in place.

Rina blushed in embarrassment that her parents had sent someone after her. They were too overprotective sometimes.

“Yeah, that’d be great. I didn’t think it would rain so I didn’t bring an umbrella,” she said. She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

“Well then, let’s get you home. Wouldn’t want you to get sick after all,” he said cheerfully. He extended his hand towards her and she took it. He grinned and held the umbrella over them both before going out into the rain.

As he walked her home, he asked her a few questions. Nonsensical ones, then he asked her what grade she was in. She told him she was in sixth grade and he told her he was too. They reached her home, and he told her that he hoped to see her again during school. As he was leaving, Rina asked him one question.

“I don’t know anyone around here, and if you’re not busy…” Rina drawled off.

He turned around and showed her a big grin. “Sure, your parents and mind hit it off big, so no doubt your parents have my number. Just call me whenever!”

Rina grinned as well and nodded enthusiastically. “I’ll do that!” She watched him head next door and into his house.

That was the day they had met and became friends. That day also marked the first time she ever had a crush on someone.


At the moment, Rina was walking to the park where Luke had said to meet. She thought it was sort of odd that he wanted to have a group hangout on Valentine’s. She had thought that he would have spent it with Julie alone. Thinking that caused a slight twinge through her heart. Rina had no ill feelings towards Julie, but the jealousy was still there, as much as she didn’t want it.


Oh well, whatever reason Luke wanted to hang for, she would know soon. The park was only a few blocks away after all.

A frown struck her face as she noticed something peculiar. Everywhere she looked there were roses, in every color imaginable. People were just taking them and they didn’t even pay! Was there some kind of event going on that she didn’t know about? Maybe Luke would know, he, after all, paid attention to the events going on in town.

Her blue eyes shined with curiosity as she rounded the corner and into the park. Her curiosity only increased as she noticed couples holding hands and wrapped roses. What was going on? As she came closer to the meeting place a shout startled her from her reverie.

“Rina! Hey!” Luke yelled enthusiastically waving his hands in the air.

Grinning at his antics, Rina waved back at him. Drawing closer, she noticed that Julie wasn’t there. “Hey Luke, where’s Julie?” she asked glancing around at the places Julie would usually be at.

His face twisted slightly and he said, “Julie’s sick with the flu. Blegh, I hate getting sick. I feel bad for her. Getting sick, especially on Valentine’s Day too.” He shivered then shook his head. “Okay! We’ll enjoy the day for her! Yes, that’s what we’ll do.”

“Speaking of Valentine’s Day, is there some kind of event going on?” Rina asked as she walked over to a tree and leaned on it.

“What an excellent question! Of course, an excellent question deserves an excellent answer!” Luke said as he spun around once and posed with one hand on his chest and the other in the air.

“And the answer is?” Rina prompted.

“No doubt on your way here you noticed the roses. Well, couples all over town are using those roses to communicate with each other. It sounded like fun, so naturally I decided we’d do it too,” he said with another dramatic pose.

“Naturally,” she muttered dryly.

Apparently, Luke had not heard because he continued on. “Hm, we can start off with giving roses to Julie, and then we can give each other roses. What do you think?” he asked.

“Oh, um, sure,” Rina said biting the inside of her cheek. Maybe she could him how she felt… and basically ruin their friendship in the process. Still, if she didn’t try, she wouldn’t know. This was the perfect opportunity after all, if he didn’t feel the same way then she could say that she misinterpreted the flower’s meaning. Yes, that was what she’d do.

“Well then, I’ll go get Julie’s rose and yours, and then we’ll meet at her house,” Luke said before running off.

Was it just her, or did he blush when he said he’d get her flower? Rina looked uncertainly at his retreating figure before running off as well. He couldn’t have, he was in love with Julie! Wasn’t he?

Rina slowed to a halt in front of a florist who was arranging roses in a vase. “Um, excuse me miss?” Rina asked hesitantly.

“Yes? Are you here for a rose?” she asked turning around.

“Yes, but I’m not sure what color represents friendship,” Rina said looking behind the florist at the vast assortments of colors.

She smiled and turned back around. She took two roses and wrapped them individually. She turned back around and handed the first one to Rina. “Yellow stands for friendship, and in olden times, people believed it meant jealousy,” she said. With a twinkle in her eye, she gently gave the second rose to Rina. “For the one you love. Thank you for your business, Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Rina smiled gratefully at her before running to Julie’s house, the roses hugged gently to her chest.

Julie’s house wasn’t that far from town. Rina had run all the way there, and she was only panting slightly. She walked up to the door and knocked lightly, her other hand holding both roses behind her back. The door opened after a moment and Julie herself was there.

“Rina! Hey, how are you?” Julie said her voice sounding congested.

“I’m fine,” she lied. In reality, she felt like there were a million butterflies in her stomach.

“You’re lying,” Julie said glaring at Rina with her hazel eyes.
“Why would I lie?” she asked a bit hurriedly.

“Because you wouldn’t want to hurt my feelings,” Julie answered with a small smile.

Rina didn’t say anything. She couldn’t because that was the truth. The only time she ever lied to her friend was when the truth would hurt her feelings.

“Rina, did you want to give something to me?” Julie asked.

Nodding, she brought out the yellow rose from behind her back and gave it to her.

Taking it, Julie held it in both hands. “Did you know that yellow roses meant envy a long time ago?” she asked echoing what the florist had said.

Blue eyes widening in surprise, Rina said quickly, “I didn’t mean it that way! I meant-” Rina stopped as she saw her friend shake her head.

“Luke’s waiting for you at his secret spot. Go, don’t keep him waiting Rina,” Julie said giving her a gentle push with one hand, the other still holding the rose.

“I don’t understand,” Rina said stumbling back a bit.

“You will,” Julie said a wise look on her face. “Now, hurry up and find him.”

Still confused, Rina walked off the porch and looked back once before running off again. This time to the secret spot that Rina had found Luke at one day. She clutched the rose tightly, but gently at the same time. Its dark hue of red a great contrast to the white shirt she was wearing.

Behind Luke’s house and her house was a dense and dark forest. Due to its outlook not many people ventured in. Luke had though, and Rina had discovered him there by accident. She found out that it was his secret spot and she respected his privacy by not intruding. Now, she was going there and the butterflies kept fluttering.

Rina stopped in front of a weeping willow tree; the entrance to Luke’s secret spot. She took several deep breaths before plunging through the branches of the willow tree. Coming out on the other side, she saw Luke sitting on a log holding a rose in his hand. The color was hidden from her sight however. “Luke?” she called to him softly.

He stood up and slowly turned around. The color of the rose was revealed and she gasped at the sight of it.

“Rina, you’re here,” Luke said warmly. Walking forward he suddenly stopped a worried look on his normally chipper one. “I-” he stopped as if he didn’t know what to say.

Rina shook her head at him. She showed him her rose from behind her back and spoke up. “How long?”

“From day one,” he admitted looking into her eyes.

“If that’s so, why did you go out with Julie?” she shouted her confusion coming to surface again.

“I wanted to see if you were jealous, so that I could know if you liked me back,” he said with an awkward shuffle of his feet.

“Oh, I guess I didn’t pay enough attention then. I’m sorry. Here,” she said walking over to him and giving him her red rose.

“And yours,” Luke said giving his rose to her. Then impulsively, he quickly leaned in and gave her a chaste kiss.

Rina blushed a bright red and her free hand flew up to touch her lips.

Luke was blushing as well. “Your first?”

Nodding, her face still the color of a tomato she asked, “Your first as well?”

“We were only acting,” he said referring to Julie and himself.

Smiling, Rina took his free hand in hers and tugged him the direction of home.

“Happy Valentine’s Day Luke.”

“You too. Happy Valentine’s Day to you too Rina.”