Sweet Like Honey

17.

"Happy Valentine's Day," Jonas says, walking up Lennen's locker with flowers and a teddy bear. Lennen closed her locker and looked at Jonas with a smile on her face, despite her not actually being a fan of Valentine's Day. She thought it was overcommercialized and a sorry excuse for boyfriends to act overly romantic. She believes that boys are either automatically a romantic boyfriend or they aren't.

"Thank you, Jonas," Lennen says, placing a kiss on his cheek. She knew that Jonas was probably planning something for the two of them to do tonight, and she had to tell him that she wasn't exactly thrilled on doing something over the top. She would perfectly happy with something simple like getting takeout or going somewhere that wouldn't be overly romanticized. 

"So, I was thinking that maybe we could do something tonight. Maybe go to dinner or see a movie. It's completely up to you." Lennen wasn't exactly sure what she was walking into here, but going to a movie or dinner didn't sound fun to her.

"How about we order takeout and eat at the beach?" Lennen suggests. She always found comfort at the beach, plus it was a place she and Jonas found themselves at frequently. 

"Really?" Jonas asks, surprised. He was expecting Lennen to be like any other girl and request going to a nice meal, or something romantic, not getting takeout. 

"I don't like Valentine's Day, Jonas," Lennen tells him. "It's over commercialized and really there shouldn't be a day where a couple decides to be more romantic than any other day." She knew her parents were going out to a nice meal tonight because it was a tradition they did every year, but despite loving her parents' relationship, the thought of a romantic meal made Lennen want to hurl. 

"I think you're the only girl I've met that doesn't like Valentine's Day," Jonas says, still a little taken aback. He wasn't sure what to do with the gifts that he was holding in his hands. Did Lennen hate them? Should he throw them away? 

"I'm sorry if it's your thing, but it's not mine. If you really want to do a nice dinner or something, I'll go and I'm sure we'll have a good time," Lennen starts rambling. She really didn't want to go, but if Jonas did, then she would do that for him. Jonas stops her rambling with a quick kiss, then laughs. 

"I think the beach and take out sounds perfect." Jonas was actually kind of happy that Lennen wasn't like most girls. She was like a breath of fresh air, giving him a chance to experience new things. "Oh, nice outfit by the way."

It was day two of their Sadie's Spirit Week and today's theme was Yosemite, so Lennen was dressed in hiking gear (along with every other student, including Jonas). She was in green khaki shorts, a flannel, and Nikes. Along with her clothes she had a pair of toy binoculars and a fanny pack. "Shut up," Lennen says, giggling, looking at Jonas' outfit, which was somewhat similar to hers. 

Jonas wrapped his arm around Lennen's shoulder and walked her to her first class. 

***

"Lennen, Jonas is at the door!" Joyce calls to her daughter, who was doing her AP Calculus homework. Joyce waits for a reply from Lennen, but nothing came. "Just head up to her room. She's probably doing homework."

"Thanks, Mrs. Kepner," Jonas replies, and heads up to Lennen's room, a place he is no stranger to. He knocks on Lennen's door, not wanting to bargre in, in case she was changing.  

"Come in!" Lennen practically yells, not looking up from her textbook. Her AP Calc homework was taking longer than she expected, and she wasn't sure how long she and Jonas were going to be out.

"Ready to go, Ace?" Jonas asks, looking at his girlfriend, who was laying in bed, surrounded by papers, staring at her Calc book. 

"Jonas, hey! Um, give me a few minutes to finish my homework and then we can go." Lennen looked back down at her textbook, keen to finish the last two problems. Ten minutes later, Lennen threw on a sweatshirt and the two headed downstairs, finally ready for their date. 

"I called the Chinese food place you like when I pulled up to your house, so it should be ready to pick up when we get there," Jonas tells her as they pull out of her driveway. Lennen looked at Jonas with the biggest smile on her face. Chinese food was exactly what she was craving, and China Palace was by far the best Chinese restaurant in town. 

***

Lennen and Jonas were sat on a blanket, looking out at the ocean, enjoying their Chinese food. What Lennen loved most about the night, was that this was exactly what they would do on any other date. This is exactly how she wanted to spend Valentine's Day, seeing it as just any other ordinary day. The conversations were kept casual, still getting to know each other, despite being friends for a few months before they started dating. 

"So, which would you choose? Baseball or soccer?" Lennen asks, knowing he would have to be making a decision soon. This was a question Jonas had been getting more and more recently, and he still wasn't sure. He knew he was talented in both sports, but he had no idea which he had more passion for. He had been recruited by multiple universities to play soccer or baseball for them, and he had no idea which route he wanted to go down. He had friends from soccer telling him to follow soccer, but he also had everyone on the baseball side. He was stuck.

"I really don't know. I love both, but picking between them would be like asking a parent to pick their favorite child. Impossible." Lennen could tell that Jonas was a bit lost when deciding his future, but she knew that in the end, he would make the right choice. 

"Have you decided on a college?" Jonas asks, and it was a question that he had asked a few times before, but Lennen always found a way to avoid the subject. Truth be told, Lennen applied and was accepted into seven of the top private universities in the country, and she wasn't completely sure which one she was going to choose, and only two of them was located in California. 

"Jonas, I haven't been completely honest with you about my college choices, and besides my family, you're going to be the only person who knows." Lennen was nervous because she wasn't sure where she pictured herself this fall, but neither did Jonas, which made her feel a little better. "I applied to seven of some of the top private universities in the country... and I was accepted into all of them." 

"Lennen that's amazing! I'm so proud of you! Where did you apply?" Jonas knew there were amazing private schools across the country, and he was hoping that she had chosen some in California.