Hey all! Now I bet your thinking… is this the sequel? Well it is NOT the sequel. That has kinda gone pear shape, down hill, blah, blah, blah, so instead I wrote this fic. It’s not a long fic but hey it’s something. Just to let you know, the sequel to the course of love may never get written cos to be honest, its pretty pants! Lol! So, you have this fic… tell me what ya think plssssssss! Hehe Luv Lou xxx

Chapter 1

Hearing a slight ruffling from outside the door, Louise walked over, her optimism on guard. Who was at the door? And what did they want? Seeing a red envelope slid carefully on the floor, part of it still trapped under the small crack, she picked it up gingerly before looking at whom it was addressed to.

Louise x

Guess it’s for me, she thought dumbly.

Pealing the flap open, a card was bared, plain and simple yet a small bear sitting on a swing with a red rose in its hand. Her forehead rumpled a little, confusion swimming through her veins. Who would send me this? She questioned before opening the card.

If I had a rose I’d give it to you,

But I don’t and a diamond I can’t do.

But what I will say is, you’re special to me.

You make my heart beat, like you set my soul free

6275

Reading the script once more, trying to accumulate what exactly was being said, she still couldn’t guess who it was. It was a valentine’s card alright, but who from? It could be anyone! After all there were thousands, millions of people in the world, and one of them had decided to send a card to her. Trouble was why didn’t they leave their name? Shy? Embarrassed? A wind up?

Trailing into the lounge, where Hayley, her flat mate sat, the phone was glued to her hand while jammed down her ear.

"I love you more," she cooed.

Ben, Louise thought. It sometimes made her sick the way those two went on, like love sick puppies when Louise knew that Ben had missed the last five dates and most probably was buttering Hayley up even more because he was going to cancel again. When is she going to learn…? Louise sighed to herself.

Sitting on the chair nearest to the Tv so she didn’t hear the giggles or soppy cliché, she observed the card even more. She couldn’t guess the handwriting as it was typed which was pretty clever and as for a name. There was no name… just numbers. Maybe they were illiterate?

"No you hang up," Hayley giggled. "No you. You," she persisted, still giggling with her legs swung over the arm of the chair.

Getting up, agitated at how annoying she was becoming over the little debate, Louise took the phone out of Hayley’s hand before placing it on the receiver.

"Hey!" Hayley protested.

"You were running up the phonebill," Louise told pointedly, sitting back down in the chair, still firmly holding the card

"Running up the phone bill on Ben," she added. "What’s got into you? I was only talking to him…"

"And giggling and being silly. Hay why do you fall for him?"

"Fall for what? I love him Lou," she said, sitting back in the chair."

"I know you do but I bet he cancelled the next date didn’t he?"

"Nooooo…" Hayley lied, looking elsewhere then Louise’s grasp.

Rolling her eyes as she watched on, Louise knew what had happened once again. It was a continuous trait that followed on in Ben that he’d missed vertically every date except the odd one when he’d be bothered to go.

"Ok, he did but he said he’d make it up to me. Ben’s sweet like that," she smiled, drifting off into dream world.

"Hmmm…" Louise commented. "And what next time is that? Next time as in tomorrow or the weekend, or next time as in next month?" Louise asked.

"Why don’t you like him?" Hayley debated. "Ben’s just busy that’s all. Give him some credit, he does love his job."

"So much that he hardly spends anytime with you?" Louise stated, sitting up in her seat and placing the card on the table.

"You don’t understand…" Hayley dismissed before her eyes watched the card on the table. "Oooo! What’s this?" She grinned, leaning forward and picking up the card. "A card? A valentines card… oooo who’s got a secret admirer?"

Lying back in the chair, Louise tried ignoring the next bound of questions which would follow, which would always follow when something interesting happened in her life.

"Well?" She pondered. "You don’t just get a card through the door and tell me there’s no one interesting in your life. Now tell me who it’s from? Or who you think it’s from?"

"Well Hayley, if I knew I wouldn’t tell you," Louise said sarcastically. "Come to think of it, look. Maybe I don’t know… after all it is in some cryptic thingy…"

"Well find out! Oooo Lou and an admirer! Yay!" She cheered. "Some one likes you… someone likes you."

Laughing at how excited she was, Hayley scanned the card once more before her mind clicked like pieces of a puzzle.

"Maybe it’s one of Ben’s friends. Oh I wonder if it is?" Hayley thought.

"Ben’s friends? Ha! What would they want with me?" Louise judged.

"No, no, noooo! The more I think about it the more it makes sense. Ben’s friends have been around here a lot, met you and stuff. Hmm… I bet it is one of them. Crafty little…"

"Look Hay I doubt its one of them. There’s no point getting your hopes up. It’s most probably a wind up. Some cruel joke to… to make me… me laugh or something," Louise liberated.

"You really have low self esteem Lou. I bet its one of them! Christian… sounds like Christian," she mused.

Ignoring her false words, she got up, ready to make her way to the kitchen and escape the escapade that was slowly arising. Louise didn’t want a fuss for Valentines Day. She didn’t believe in it much and after not having a card since like ever, she kinda lost hope for it all. Valentines Day was just like any other ordinary day except loved up couples decided to spend their money on each other. Well what if you were couple-less? What would you do then? Spend money on yourself?

"Lou, why are you always like this every year?" Hayley inquired, joining her in the kitchen, the card still held in her hands.

"Like what?" She queried.

"Like, oh ‘I don’t want anyone near me on Valentines Day.’ Or ‘I don’t want any young man spending time and money on me?’ Why?"

Laughing at her, her eyes narrowed down on Louise, making the laughter falter.

"Because Hay, it’s simple. Firstly who would want to spend money on me. Two, valentines day is just like any other day and three its just another gimmick to pull in more money for the over powering, money eating monsters. That’s why." Louise grinned.

"Lost romantic you are…" she sighed. "Look at me and Ben. We’re happy, we love each other and we spend Valentines Day together…"

"And that was what? 2 years ago you spent Valentines Day together," Louise snorted.

"He’s been busy!" Hayley protested, flinging her hand up in the air.

"Busy on thee most important day of the year, as you say of course, for young romantics. Pst," she disregarded.

"That’s beyond the point Lou, and you know that," Hayley proclaimed. "You’re just jealous because I have someone to spend Valentines Day with."

"Oh I so am…" Louise said drearily.

"You are and you’re sour. I bet you, you can’t find out who sent that and I bet you’ll spend Valentines Day alone, like every other year." Hayley challenged.

"Oh shut up Hay," Louise giggled. "You sound six."

"Six and not a truer word spoken which you know. Maybe you won’t find out because you’re anti-love and anti-sociable."

"I am not anti-sociable." Louise announced.

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Prove it then. Find out who sent the card and go on a date with them."

"Ok you’re on then!" Louise agreed, shaking her hand.