The cake was a masterpiece; a work of art in its towering, chocolatey dream that could make even the most disciplined soul weak in the knees. I had poured my heart into it—whisking, folding, and decorating with the kind of dedication I should have given to high school math. But hey, numbers had never loved me back, so I found my passion elsewhere. And right now, that passion was sitting before me, covered in glossy ganache and shimmering sprinkles, practically begging to be devoured.
Baking had always been my thing—a gift passed down from my dad, who could out-cook my mom any day (not that she'd ever admit it). And as I sliced into my perfect creation, I knew—knew—this was going to be legendary.
My heart felt like it was running on Olympic when I lifted the spoon towards my mouth as its rich aroma filled my senses. One bite, just one, and I'd be transported straight to dessert heaven—
Boom!
A loud sound echoed and just like that, the world or better yet my world shattered. The cake, my masterpiece, my life's work, all gone like it was never there to begin with. Iwas momentarily blinded by the darkness that followed before my eyes snapped wide open to find nothing. No cake. No chocolate. No warm, gooey perfection. Just my bedroom.
Oh, hell no. This couldn't be happening!
"Please don't let it be a dream," I internally cried, hoping and wishing, not ready to mourn the loss of my imaginary dessert. And as if to punish me further, another boom sounded through the room, this time followed by a very real, very annoyed voice from behind my door.
"Come on, you lazy punk! Open the door!" I groaned, burying my face deep in my blanket whilst kicking my legs dramatically like a kid mid-tantrum. So much for my perfect morning.
"Oh goodness, just stop!" I whined, burying my face deeper into the soft fabric, and for a moment, I was grateful for the silence that followed. Well, not that it lasted longer because the knocking resumed growing louder and more insistent by the second. I swear, whoever was disturbing my peaceful slumber seemed determined to ruin everything about today.
As if that wasn't enough, the door was kicked open. like literally.
Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Carrie was secretly part of a ninja society. How else did she manage to move so swiftly and strike at the most inconvenient moments?
"Can't a girl just sleep in her own house without being harassed?" I grumbled deep into my blanket. Few things in life irritated me more. One being woken up before I was ready.
"Sleep? You call this sleeping?" Carrie huffed from above me. "Have you even checked the time? It's already noon!"
I didn't need to see her face to know exactly how she looked—arms crossed, foot tapping, radiating the same mom-energy that made me feel five years old again.
"Today is my official day off, Carrie," I groaned. "Off from school, from work, and most importantly, from you."
Sleeping in was a sacred ritual for me, right up there with my morning cupcakes. And yet, here she was, ruining both my peace and my mood, my cupcakes in one go!
"Haven't you heard that oversleeping invites demons into your life?" she lectured causing me to snort at that. That was something a desperate parent made up to scare their kids into waking up early. A long suffering and resigned sigh followed the silence.
"Beats me how you manage to be this sluggish in the middle of the say. You are still on bed while Lizzy—" She paused, then sighed even louder. "Lizzy's been on the couch in her pajamas all morning, glued to her series. Does that girl even sleep?"
I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing at how accurate her statement was. Carrie was a morning person to her core. Bright-eyed, full of energy, and ready to take on the world before my brain had even booted up. Meanwhile, I cherished every second of sleep like it was a rare, precious treasure. And Lizzy? Lizzy had the dedication of a true cinephile, capable of spending entire days lost in movies, fueled only by her love of theater and an endless supply of snacks.
Honestly, I didn't see the problem.
We were all students at the same university, each chasing our creative passions. Carrie ruled the world of fashion and design, I was knee-deep in filmmaking at the prestigious Great University of Art, and Lizzy was lost in the dramatic whirlwind of theater.
Carrie's dramatic sigh yanked me out of my lazy haze.
"Come on, wake up!" I felt her tug at my blankets as she whined. " I have news! And it's been killing me to keep it under wraps this long."
Wait....news? From Carrie? Now that got my attention. Not just because she had a story, but the fact that she had it from school and managed to hold it in till she reached home? If there was one thing Carrie wasn't, it was secretive. Her enthusiasm bubbled over at the slightest provocation, and she was physically incapable of resisting a juicy piece of gossip.
I quietly and carefully made a hole in my blanket and peeked out and my eyes landed on my best friend, standing in all her statuesque glory. Even in her worn-out blue jeans and a gray floral crop top, she looked effortlessly stunning. Like a peacock who knew it was the most dazzling bird in the room.
Carrie was living proof that black is beautiful. Her deep, rich skin seemed to glow naturally, highlighting her sharp features and commanding presence. She had that effortless confidence, the kind that made people want to be around her.
"411?" Just then another excited voice filtered into the room.
"Oh, so we do exist?" Carrie huffed sarcastically then continued, "what happened to you ignoring my presence when I first entered the house?".
My eyes trailed the new voice and there was my other friend, Lizzy, who was still draped in her pink pajamas. Even with bedhead, she somehow managed to look effortlessly gorgeous. Like a real-life barbie.
"Oh, Nicklaus, that traitor just murdered Elijah's girlfriend, stabbed him in the chest, and then teamed up with their aunt for an even bigger massacre." Lizzy let out a deep, dramatic sigh then placed her hand on her chest as if soothing it. "Too much heartbreak to bear right now."
She then dropped onto my bed—no, scratch that, onto me—eliciting a pained groan from my side.
"Okay, spill already," Lizzy urged, not even bothering to sit up. "I'm surprised you haven't combusted from holding it in this long." a glare from Carrie was what followed but did not last even a millisecond before her eyes practically shimmered, like a thousand stars ready to explode.
Oh, this was gonna be good.
"You won't believe what's happening at school!" she burst out. "This month is going to be the best of the best in all time!" The high-pitched squeal that followed nearly shattered my eardrums as she practically bounced from one place to another. Lizzy and I were still impatiently waiting for the reason that was going to make February, the boring month 'best of all time'.
After calming down, a tad bit from her high horse, she continued. "Remember Lizzy those rumors about spicing up Valentine's Day that we thought were just rumors? Well, they no longer are," I did not know about any rumors, but I could feel my excitement dwindling at the mention of that name.
"Wait, isn't it a little early to start obsessing over this crap?" I asked feeling annoyed. "We still have, what, thirteen days? Unless…" I trailed off, my eyes widening, " it's getting canceled?" I perked up, hope flaring in my chest. Now that would be a worthwhile piece of news.
"Nooo, it's even better!" Carrie clapped her hands together.
"Instead of just celebrating a one day of love, we're getting fourteen! A full-blown, two-week, heart-filled extravaganza Valentine!" she jumped from her seat and started daydreaming loud. " Picture it—romance in the air, secret admirers, themed events, chocolate fountains, and—"
Lizzy shot up. "Wait—does that mean fourteen days off from school?" my growing annoyance took a slight pause at Lizzy's question, my ears perking up for an answer.
Please be it, please be it
Carrie's excitement took a noticeable hit. "Well… no," she admitted, and I was deflated like a balloon. "But that's what makes it even better. Each day leading up to Valentine's Day, the school will be hosting different themes and activities. Everyone to participate in the fun no matter your relationship status," Carrie explained, glancing at me knowingly.
I tried to suppress a grimace. Being the example for the "single" category wasn't exactly flattering. Do not get me wrong; I've had my fair share of relationships, okay? In fact, I've dated plenty of guys. But no matter how many I dated, none of them ever lasted beyond Valentine's Day. Or more accurately, we never celebrated Valentine's Day.
And it's not like I'm unattractive or anything. For my self-esteem's sake, I consider myself the most beautiful girl in the entire universe—and honestly, others would agree. Getting a man isn't hard for me, but keeping one? That's a different story.
"Oh tell me more! I thought those were just baseless rumors, and I can't believe this is happening! How came I'm only hearing of this now? What is the theme for today?" Lizzy's eyes lit up as she leaned in, eager for more details about the upcoming.
I, on the other hand, had the opposite reaction to the new leading me to make a dramatic gagging noise that earned me a swart from Lizzy and a glare from Carrie.
I mean, one day of this nonsense was bad enough for me and now I have to deal with fourteen days? Like, where had I gone so horribly wrong in life?
"The fun part is the goodies that comes it with. The designing faculty have been busy by designing and creating these cute journals and diaries where we are required to record each day's event to the tiniest detail," Carrie paused for effect, then flashed a triumphant grin. "Lucky for you sleepyheads, I got one for each of us!"
With a flourish, she handed us each a journal, the covers gleaming in pink and blue with the words 14 DAYS OF VALENTINE scrawled across them in obnoxiously large letters.
"You're welcome, of course," she added, batting her lashes playfully.
Reluctantly, my hand creeped forward to take the journal. As much as I despised everything about this ridiculous affair, I couldn't ignore how… pretty it was. The cover was decorated with delicate hearts and intricate swirls, practically begging to be admired.
"This is insane," I muttered under my breath.
Naturally, my friends heard me.
"Yeah—insanely awesome!" Lizzy squealed, flipping through her pink diary. It was disgustingly cute, dripping with frilly, romantic energy—the kind that would send any hopeless romantic into a swoon. And Lizzy was the definition of hopeless romantic.
Across from me, Carrie pulled hers from her designer handbag, a glittering silver masterpiece that sparkled under the light, because of course it did.
"No, seriously, who came up with this?" I groaned, moving to sit, still wrapped tighter in my blanket. "It's just Valentine's Day. A one-day holiday where people still have to work. We still have school." I tried to reason.
Carrie perched on my chair, crossing her legs elegantly. "Oh, honey, don't be such a buzzkill. It's the perfect excuse to indulge in everything romantic wise and who knows? Maybe even find yourself a man."
I scowled. "I'm not the only single one here. You dumped your boyfriend a week ago because he didn't buy you an expensive bag."
Carrie scoffed, flipping her hair to the side. "It wasn't that expensive."
"It was Chanel," Lizzy deadpanned, raising an eyebrow knowingly.
We all knew the bag wasn't the real reason she ended things. It was just the excuse she landed on that week. Poor guy.
Carrie shrugged. "I have standards, darling. If someone can't keep up with this—" she gestured dramatically at herself "—then what's the point of them in my life?"
I rolled my eyes. "And let me guess. You're already moving on?"
"Oh, absolutely." She flashed a dazzling smile, then her eyes narrowed as if focused to a certain target. "I've already spotted my next predator."
"You mean prey?" I quirked an eyebrow.
"Duh! But I can't let him know that." She leaned in conspiratorially. "If he thinks I'm chasing him, he might see me as desperate. Or worse, he'll run. So, I have to make him think he's the one doing the chasing."
Lizzy let out an impressed whistle. "A true mastermind."
Carrie smirked. "I try."
"Well, darling," Lizzy turned to me, eyes glinting mischievously, "that leaves you as the last single one standing."
I stiffened. That look, I hated that look. Nothing good ever came from that look.
"But fear not! When I said this month comes with perks I meant it. There is a dating site, a new developed dating site from the campus." Carrie announced triumphantly.
"No!" I turned down the offer immediately. Me? On a dating up? that too on campus? "I'll be damned if I engage in this insanity. Forget dating, I'm not getting involve in this circus of themes you are talking about." They had to me crazy to even suggest such a ridiculous thing to me! There was no way I was getting dragged into this madness.
Carrie gave me a sickeningly sweet smile. "Oh, sweetheart… you have to participate. It's a school rule."
I narrowed my eyes. "Says who?"
"The dean," Carrie answered smoothly, not missing a beat.
I scoffed. "You've got to be kidding me."
"See for yourself." She pulled out her tablet, scrolled for a second, then held it up for Lizzy and me to see.
There it was—an official university email.
In the spirit of 'Choice Partnership,' The Great University of Kenya encourages all scholars to participate in the Fourteen Days of Valentine, taking place across campus. We urge students to embrace this opportunity as it offers chances for scholarships and bonus points toward final exams. For more details, refer to the attached flyer.
I blinked at the screen. Then blinked again.
"You have to be kidding me." This time, my voice carried more outrage.
Flinging off my blanket, I sat up fully, my hair no doubt resembling a bird's nest. "This is ridiculous. Who does he think he is?" I came stood up from the bed then aggressively tried to fold my blanket—though the stupid fabric refused to cooperate, flopping back open like it, too, was mocking me.
While I was wrestling with the stupid fabric, somewhere outside, a lawnmower rumbled to life.
Lizzy rolled her eyes. "Mandy, it's not that serious."
"It became serious when the dean tied it to our exams," I snapped, still battling my unruly blanket. "He's forcing us into this."
"Technically, you're the only one having a problem with it," Carrie pointed out, lounging on the couch. "The campus feels elated at the news."
"Well, I don't care." I gave up on the blanket, snatched the ridiculous blue diary, and stormed into the living room. "I don't need a date or any of this nonsense."
"Oh, come on, Madison, live a little," Lizzy called after me. "It's not that bad and you haven't dated anyone in ages which honestly sounds...stupid." I rolled my eyes at them.
I had sworn off dating until after graduation, fully committed to my career. No distractions. No complications. And I certainly wasn't about to change my mind now.
"Well, Lizzy, you know what's actually stupid? This stupid game, this stupid fourteen-day countdown—" I flung the diary onto the couch with dramatic flair.
Then, with all the righteous fury of a mad woman, I marched over to the window, yanked the curtains open, ready to unleash verbal destruction upon whoever was responsible for the atrocious noise outside.
"—and all of this stupid noise can go straight to he—" my words wobbled when my eyes settled on the scene outside the window, and the only word that came out was barely a whisper.
Heaven.
"Heaven?" Somewhere in my clouded haze I heard my friends ask, obviously confused by the unexpected turn of events or words. A distance familiar song came to mind as I saw the scene.
"Wulalala," Lizzy drawled as she stood beside me.
"Well, hello, baby!" Carrie exclaimed in a dreamy tone.