Every year our school has held a dance on Valentine’s Day for our students. The week of the gala, romances have always sprung up as the big day approaches, and every year, teachers on the sixth-grade team begin a “verbal” pool about how many breakups will occur and how many hearts will be broken before the school dance actually takes place.

This year the drama started on the Monday before the big day. One guy broke up with his long-term romance of two weeks, so he could date a new filly that had caught his eye. That same day, his girl, Lori, told me after class that he broke up with her because he wanted to date, Jill. Well, Jill had not received the memo and replied to this young Romeo that she was not interested in going to the dance with him.

On Valentine’s Day, the young Romeo still had not given up on his quest for a Valentine of his own. According to the science teacher, Romeo once again asked Lori, but his former gal pal told him in no uncertain terms that “she was so over him.” Undaunted he moved to another girl in the science class who also gave him the cold shoulder. Undeterred he moved along to another, but he was shot down once again. Finally, he walked up to the quiet little bookworm and popped the question. Beaming, she said yes. Quietly, young Romeo returned to his seat, rummaged through his backpack, and pulled out a box of chocolates and a velvet rose. Grinning from ear to ear, he placed the chocolates, and the rose on his newest girl’s desk. Smitten, the young girl gushed. Although the day has only started, and the dance is still three hours away, this latest romance seems to be faring quite well. But stay tuned; news at three…