The Worst Valentine's Day

It was Valentine’s Day 2010. An extremely useless holiday if you ask me but since it fell on a Sunday this particular year I didn’t have to worry about walking around seeing everyone at school with their flowers and candy and bears, galore. I was a senior in high school ready to get out and leave my mark on the world or as I now know, do a bunch of cramming and take a lot of naps. I was living in what my dad referred to as “the sticks”, Virginia. I don’t know how he concluded that this was any better than where he grew up because by all definitions of the word, “the sticks” North Carolina wasn’t any better. In actuality we only lived a good 40 minutes outside of northern Virginia, a huge bustling suburb of Washington D.C. but Winchester was its own little world complete with run down mall and mediocre restaurants, but there was something scenic about the place, maybe that’s why it was voted “best place to retire” by multiple publications. Nevertheless I looked forward to any reason to get away, even if it was just for the day.

            My parents informed us that we’d be going to the REAL mall in northern Virginia, one complete with Forever 21, Macy’s, MAC cosmetics, and a plethora of other stores, which I was so deeply deprived of where I lived. Even better was the fact that we’d also be going to the Cheesecake factory for dinner, somewhere we’d never been, but idea of any place selling 30+ types of cheesecake most certainly had me sold. This was going to be the best Valentines Day ever. Just shopping, Food, family, and cheesecake what could go wrong?

            Upon arriving at the huge beautiful mall with bright lights and white tile floors, multiple levels, and people galore I was in heaven. I somehow had to find a way to squeeze in visiting all the stores I could before our dinner reservation. I started at MAC and found some new lip-gloss I loved and couldn’t wait to see what other finds I’d come across. I made it to Forever 21 and almost lost it. Clothes, and shoes, and jewelry everywhere! It was a dream and I didn’t even know where to start. Oh how the excitement raced through me, in that moment I was the proverbial kid in the candy store.  Only 10 minutes into my visit to Forever my phone starts ringing, it’s my mom. “Now what could she possibly want this soon” I think to myself.  “We have to leave now meet us by the car.” She tells me when I pick-up. “Are you serious but we JUST go here, I haven’t even had time to look.” “MEET us at the car.” This time she says with more emphasis. It is at this point I know something serious has happened but she won’t tell me over the phone.