“Nothing happens by chance, my friend... No such thing as luck. A meaning behind every little thing, and such a meaning behind this. Part for you, part for me, may not see it all real clear right now, but we will, before long.”

Richard Bach

John walked into Hallmark a few days later looking for a valentine's card for Claire. He thought something neutral would be best, "happy valentine's day" or something quite simple and straightforward like that. He agonised over his selection but eventually chose a card and made his purchase.

The next day, the day before valentine's, he asked Jennie to pass on the card, which he had simply initialled and placed in the red envelope with Claire's name written in his elaborate gothic script on the front. He waited and clock watched until finally in a lesson the following day the two, he and Claire, were alone.

"Thanks for the card", said Claire.

"Sure".

"I'm not really looking for a relationship right now, but thanks, I'm flattered really."

"No problem, I hope we can still be friends", John felt like his heart had been plucked from his chest and thrown in the dustbin but he didn't want her to see, he wanted to maintain his reputation as a hard guy, not one of these pathetic metrosexual types.

"Of course", replied Claire with a nice big smile. It was one of the things he liked best about her, her smile. And her mouth. And that gave him a crazy thought... 

He wished Claire could just swallow him alive, digest him and make him apart of herself. He was inadequate for her really, he thought, but that way he could become part of the girl he loved forever. If only it were actually possible...

Claire caught him staring and gave a slight laugh. "Am I really that interesting?"

"Yes. And beautiful".

"Thanks. But I really just don't like you in that way."

"I know. I'm so sorry."

"You have nothing to apologise for, really. It just wasn't going to be."

"Yeah".

The other two arrived at that moment and the conversation abruptly stopped. Yes, thought John, I would happily die inside that woman to become a part of her.

If only it were possible. Maybe it were and he just didn't know it. A friend of his from school was into hocus pocus stuff, a self styled "witch" if such a thing really existed. It could hurt to ask her.