The Yellow Duck gets a Valentine

The Yellow Duck was putting his valentines in Toad and Ms. Fish's Valentine Day mailboxes when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see Pinky, the new duck in his class. Pinky was a pretty duck, with big blue eyes and soft pink feathers. The Yellow Duck had no idea what to say to her. He wasn't very good with girls. Well, he was friends with Ms. Fish, but Ms. Fish wasn't really a girl. Not a duck girl anyway--she was just Ms. Fish.

"Hi Pinky!" the Yellow Duck said awkwardly. "Why are you here? I didn't know you knew I hung out at the pond."

"Some of the girls in class told me," she said shyly. "I wanted to bring you a valentine."

"Oh, thanks," the Yellow Duck said, taking it from her. He felt bad. He hadn't gotten her a valentine outside of class. His mom had made him give everyone in the class valentines, but this was different. This was an extra valentine outside of class, and he didn't have one for her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't get yours yet," he lied, shuffling Ms. Fish's and Toad's Valentines behind his back. "I didn't see anything I liked at the store."

"That's ok," Pinky said, smiling shyly. "You can give it to me tomorrow."

"Why not Wednesday?" the Yellow Duck asked, feeling nervous.

"Because then I'll have it before Valentine's Day, so I can open it Valentine's Day morning!" she exclaimed.

"Oh," the Yellow Duck said, confused. "That's good." Pinky batted her eyes at the Yellow Duck as Toad and Ms. Fish walked up. "I just loveeee Valentine's Day," she cooed, as the Yellow Duck turned red. "Don't you?"

"I guess," the Yellow Duck said, embarrassed. "I can't wait for my valentine tomorrow!" she grinned. Then she turned away and flounced out of the pond. The Yellow Duck stared after her, wondering what he was going to do about a Valentine. Then he heard Toad and Ms. Fish laughing at him. He rolled his eyes.

"Come on guys," he said. "It's not like that. She's new."

"I can't wait for my valentine!" Toad mimicked as he skipped around the pond. He giggled as he bounced up and down on his log. "Yellow Duck's in love! Yellow Duck's in love!"

"Yellow Duck's in love! Yellow Duck's in love!" Ms. Fish sang along.

"Guys, come on," the Yellow Duck pleaded. "It doesn't mean anything."

"Don't be stupid," Ms. Fish said. "She walked over here to give you a valentine. She likes it."

"I walked over here to bring you valentines," the Yellow Duck said as he dropped them in their boxes.

"That's different," Ms. Fish said. "We're your friends. She likes you."

"She does not like me!" the Yellow Duck bellowed.

"Then why are you so annoyed that we say she does?" Toad asked pointedly. When the Yellow Duck didn't answer, he giggled happily. "Love," he sang. "The Yellow Duck's in love."

The Yellow Duck sighed as they kept teasing him. He had no idea what to get Pinky for a valentine.

That night, he went to the store with his mom and picked out a card with a teddy bear on it. "Girls like teddy bears," he thought. "She'll like this." He went home and signed the card, then put it in his backpack to take to school.

At school the next day, Pinky came running up to him.

"Do you have my valentine?" she asked.

"Right here," he said, handing her the card. She beamed and kissed him on the cheek. "See you later valentine!"

The Yellow Duck stared at her in shock as she skipped off and heard Toad cackling behind him.

"I told you she loved you!" Toad bellowed. "I told you!" He laughed manically as he held his bulging tummy.

"Well," the Yellow Duck said. "At least I have a valentine. I suppose you're stuck with Ms. Fish." And with that, he sauntered off, smiling. Toad quit laughing and thought for a minute. "Hey," he said. "That wasn't funny at all. That's just gross." He stared at the Yellow Duck's retreating back and hopped to his feet. Toad ran after the Yellow Duck, yelling, "Wait! Be my valentine instead! I don't want any girls! We'll stick together, you and me! We don't need any valentines!"

Happy Valentine's Day!