Valentine's Day. Fourth period world geography.
On Valentine's Day, the school choirs do a fundraiser where various groups of students deliver singing Valentine grams. They audition for this. The groups are three to seven students, and each group has a part of a song they perform. Then the recipient gets a card with a message and a balloon or a flower (depending on how much the giver spent).
I've been subbing a lot of years. That means I've seen a lot of Valentine's Days. I know the drill.
A group showed up looking for Charlie. He was identified. The group surrounded him and began the song.
The boy in front of the gram recipient, Gary, got up and got out his phone. He recorded the performance.
The group finished, said "Happy Valentine's Day," and departed.
Charlie looked at the gram.
Gary had sent it.
Apparently, they had had a conversation. Gary said he was going to send Charlie a gram. Charlie didn't believe him. So, Gary had to prove that he was going to do it.
I didn't get the impression that there's anything going on with Charlie and Gary. Charlie was more embarassed than anything. And I think that was the point. Charlie wasn't expecting a gram. And while it wasn't mean-spirited, Gary sending the gram was kind of a prank.
(There are openly gay students on campus. A boy sending another boy a Valentine's gram would not have caused a stir.)
Moment over, the boys went back to working on their assignment. (The day's topic was weathering and erosion.)
its a given these days, the openness. I have several gay friends but at our age, being open, out of respect for others around, they don't show it in public. Like I said, out of respect. Kids today, don't know what respect is.
ReplyDeleteAny PDA is too much, whether hetero or not.
DeleteWent back to working. Now THERE'S a great day. Valentines or otherwise.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that was the best part.
DeleteI’m glad everything was ok. It can be hurtful or embarrassing if the wrong person sends a gram — e.g., a girl gets a gram from a boy who is not her boyfriend …
ReplyDeleteAh yes, that can go sideways in a hurry.
DeleteI'm glad we didn't have those when I was in school. I would have been totally embarrassed!
ReplyDeleteTrying to think how I would have reacted if I had gotten a gram. At that age ,probably total embarrassment, regardless of who sent it.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I would have hated it. But, no one in my life would have sent one to me when I was that age, so it wouldn't have been a concern.
DeleteOh my heart, this is lovely. I'm hoping that Charlie and Gary have a "Heartstopper" romance.
ReplyDeleteI remember these from when I was in school. It was always the same every year... the popular kids got them while the rest of us sat around and felt badly about not being picked as someone's valentine.
ReplyDeleteAt my high school they sold red carnations (cheaper than roses) and they were delivered during class time. Like Spare Parts and Pics, I never got one. A week later I had my first date with the boy I later married though!
ReplyDeleteI think they give them candy. Although, it might have been a rose. (They must have gotten a good deal.)
DeleteWell a valentine's gram is more interesting than weathering and erosion I think.
ReplyDeleteThis is true.
DeleteOkay, Strayer's comment cracked me up. Be well.
Delete- Darla Sands
I'm sure not many want to sing me gram.
ReplyDeleteI was just imagining Charlie standing there holding his gram...
ReplyDeleteActually, he didn't stand. He sat throughout the whole thing.
DeleteThey should relish in the attention. You won't get it often.
ReplyDeleteThis is true.
Delete