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St. Valentine

Seconds float by with hours, every time I check the clock on my laptop, it pains me with its slow movements. Days later, the final bell rings and I turn off autopilot to make my way to my locker. 'The bell doesn't dismiss you' my ass. As I regain consciousness, I find myself outside rebel donuts, it's winter so the sky is already dark. Someone has turned on the lights behind the logo, emitting a pink glow upon the pavement. The sun setting behind it makes it seem too perfect. I take out my disposable camera and take a photo, I continue down to my house.
The same second I reach the doormat at the front door, I'm by my bed, grabbing my phone.
'God I missed you.' I tell it under my breath.
I don't realise it, but my fingers are already opening Nectarine, and going to the chat function.
No new messages.
My stomach threads into a jumble. My eyes water, but I'm not crying, that happens a lot, I swear. I turn my phone off and grab my laptop out of my bag, launching [some kinda cool guy game].
Within minutes my phone buzzes and I throw myself across the room, the car I'm driving in the game instantly crashing into 3 old ladies. The Nectarine logo fills the bottom of my screen and lights up my face. I swipe to unlock my phone, it's from Ireland.
'Hey reindeer boy, how was your day?'
My thumbs fumble over the keyboard.
'eh just school'
'You don't like it?' They reply almost immediately.
'everyone just tries too hard and the classes are boring'
'Yeah I get that.' More ellipsis, 'You should come to my school lmao.'
I imagine myself at some old Irish school with this random person, realising only now that I don't know a single thing about them. Their age, name, where they live. I don't even know what gender they are.
'how old are you?' I ask, genuinely curious.
'I'm 15 in July, what about you?'
'i just turned 15'
'No way, we could go to the same school.'
'i dont even know your name ireland' I laugh at their enthusiasm.
'All in good time, reindeer boy, all in good time.'
'your stupid you know that'
'You're*'
'I will leave.'
'Aww and he's using correct grammar too!'
'the crazy irish kid in my phone must be rubbing off on me'
'And you love it, don't you :)' I'm caught in a death grip between that colon and end bracket, familiarity washes over me.
'for some reason' I say, a colon and bracket covering my face.

'are you irish' seems like a stupid question but ever since they said we could go to the same school, I've been wondering.
Ellipses appear quickly.
'No, not technically.'
'not technically?'
'I was born here'
'so why ireland then' I type, skimming over the obvious dodging of questions.
'Have you ever seen a sad Irish person?'
'I dont think ive ever really seen an irish person'
'You're so uncultured Finn.' They said my name. Wow. Well they wrote my name, they typed out four letters into the keyboard. Not even. Three letters. But that's my name, Ireland knows my name and they used it. I smile into the light of my phone.
'what do you want me to say ireland'
'Say no, you're right Irish people are really happy.'
'Is that really the reason?'
'Stop using correct grammar, you're scaring me.'
'Stop avoiding my question.'
'You won't think I'm cool if I tell you.'
'aww you think I think your cool thats so cute'
'You're*'
'IRELAND'
'Yes?'
'Tell me.'
'Fine, but when you don't talk to me anymore I'm going to be really sad.' I take a strong mental note of that sentence.
'I cant make any promises'
'You know Valentine's Day?'
'oh god here we go'
'I won't tell you.'
'i'm sorryyyy pleaseeeeeee tell me'
'Well there was this guy called St. Valentine who was the Saint of Love, and it's actually the day that was clubbed and beheaded. And after he died his heart was sent to Ireland.'
'thats a really great history lesson, thank you'
'You're welcome :)' Stop it. I need to get a hold of myself, like ASAP.
'I dont know if I want there to be more to this story or not'
'Because his heart is in Ireland, the story is that if you go to Ireland you'll fall in love and be truly happy. So I want to go to Ireland.' I let that sink in for a bit, not entirely sure how to respond.
'wow.' I send, 'your really something aren't you?'
'You're*'
'I swear to god'
'Just spell it right and then I won't have to correct you.'
'I will try to right my ways, just for you'
'I feel honoured.'
'I'm gonna take you to ireland one day'
'Sure. Random boy on the internet. Why not?'
'what could go wrong?'
'With you, Finn, nothing :)' ASAP may take a while.