Roses are Scarlet.

Lilies are White.

You are more precious

Than the stars at night.

That doesn't make any sense, Joel Brown scowled at his notebook as he sat on a white bench in Nightway Park. Why was it so hard for him to write? He couldn't even write one stanza of a simple poem. He had tried to take the classic love poem "Roses are red" and give it a twist. But he realized this romantic love poem was just getting awkward.

He almost swore as he crumpled up his fifth attempt to impress Eve Daylight: the only girl at Joel's school worth dating. She had long, wavy, carrot red hair which she always decorated with a small lily. Eve was a pretty girl of average height and weight and had olive skin as well as a giant white smile. She was cute, fun and happy, only her joy was actually real. Not fake like most of the other girls at school. She was known for her fantastic poems and surprising boldness...and Joel had a major crush on her. As did a couple of his friends as well. Groaning, Joel chucked the poem into the bushes where his other failed love poems were.

Valentine's Day was tomorrow and if he didn't have anything to leave in Eve's locker, Joel knew someone else would win her heart before him. He just had to figure out what to write. It couldn't be that hard.

One stanza. Just one bleeding stanza, Joel thought, lying on the bench and staring through the silver-green tree branches above him at the starlit sky. He was planning to leave a bouquet of lilies and a box of chocolates in her locker along with the love poem. Joel doubted that anything less would win Eve's heart.

"Ugh. Girls are so hard to impress. They're so confusing!" he exclaimed, kicking a pebble which then flew into a stream, landing with a splash.

Attempting to clear his head and let inspiration flow into his mind, Joel began to follow the stream, listening to the sound of his footsteps.

Suddenly, something tall and milk white near the woods caught his attention. Joel raised his head and caught a glimpse of a tall, beautiful lady with dark brown hair and a sleeveless white gown. She didn't seem to notice Joel as she hurried into the dark forest, her dress flowing in the breeze.

Joel immediately raced after her, panting with curiosity and even fright. Was this lady a ghost? An insane person? Or simply a lost, lonely girl in need of love? Joel desperately preferred the latter.

He finally caught up with the girl and noticed she was barefoot and definitely not a ghost. If she was, she wasn't a translucent ghost at all.

Hugging herself, she leaned against a willow tree, her back facing Joel. Her long, curly hair tumbled down her back, waving slightly in the wind along with her dress.

Joel caught his breath and quietly asked, "Who are you?"

She turned to face him.

Her eyes were aqua. A striking blue in the black night. She was gorgeous, with her radiant face and bright grin. Joel was stunned with excitement and his heart leaped.

"Kiss me," she whispered, smiling at him. "Please."

Joel hesitated for only a second. Then he went over and kissed her. Over and over again in her arms.

And to his horror, a ginger-haired girl emerged from the darkness, fuming.

"JOEL BROWN!" she yelled, tears streaming down her face. "You said you loved me! You were going to give me these poems!"

Eve Daylight held out the wrinkled pieces of papers that Joel had cast into the bushes. Joel gaped, wondering how in the world she had gained a hold of them.

"Yes. I was spying on you," she sobbed, her face wet with tears. "I love you...LOVED you back. But I wanted to test you. To see if you REALLY loved me. So my friend here, Ella, decided to challenge you by asking you to kiss her. And you DID. You betrayed me! You never loved me! You would have dropped me for another beautiful girl any second! Well I'm glad I figured out how faithful you are before I started dating you!"

And with that, Eve dropped Joel's love poems into the stream and marched away, holding her head high. Her scowling friend, Ella, followed close behind.

Joel was still gaping, unable to believe what had just happened before his eyes.

The day before Valentine's Day, Joel had already lost his love to a another boy.

A selfish, greedy, lustful boy named Joel.

Do not be moved by appearances. The actions of a person will guide you to the truth.