"Alright we have one Sigourney Weaver with extra space fries and one Blood of Alien smoothie. Can I get you anything else?" asked Liz Parker.

"No, I'm fine," the customer mumbled over a mouthful of food.

The cash register dinged, and Maria DeLuca handed another customer change. "Thanks for dining at the Crashdown," Maria said. The customer headed out the door as Amy Deluca came in with a large box.

"Hi, Mom." Maria smiled at her mother.

"This is everything I promised Mr. Smithson. You can still drop it off for me after you get off work, right?" Amy asked.

"Not a problem, Mom. So what's in here anyhow?" Maria opened the box and pulled out a little green alien complete with wings and a red heart on its chest. "Alien cupids?" Maria gave her mother a wry look.

"They're very big sellers this time of year. Last year I sold nearly..."

"Hi Amy," said Janet Caufield coming up to the counter with her 5-year-old son Tommy and handing Maria her ticket with money.

"Oh, hi Jan. How's your family?" replied Amy.

"We're all fine. Rick..."

"Daddy!" interrupted Tommy.

"Yes, Dearest. Daddy just got a promotion at work, and my parents are leaving tomorrow on a sort of second honeymoon."

"Grandma, Grandpa are going to Viagra Falls," interjected Tommy.

"I think you mean Niagra Falls, Dearest." Maria and Amy both smiled at the precocious child.

"But Grandpa said ..."

"How about a cookie, Tommy?" broke in Maria holding out a large chocolate chip cookie.

"Ooooo. Gimme, gimme," said Tommy reaching for the cookie.

"Thanks," mouthed Jan. "I'll see you later, Amy." Jan ushered Tommy out the door.

"I have to get back to the shop, Maria. Don't forget to drop off the box."

"I won't Mom," Maria called as Amy hurried away. "I'll be right back, Liz."

"Okay." Liz waved Maria away absently.

Maria carried the box into the back room and nearly collided with Michael Guerin as she pushed open the door. She jumped backwards a step and dropped the box.

"I told you not to do that to me," Maria said slapping at Michael before bending over to pick up the box.

"Me! You're the one who nearly crashed a door into me," Michael snapped.

"Whatever." Maria pushed by with the box.

"Is Max here yet?"

"No, but if he were, he'd probably use the front door like a normal person."

"Not if he didn't want to advertise his presence."

"Aren't we secretive. You know if Max wants to avoid Liz before that ever touchy subject called Valentine's Day, he should try staying away from the Crashdown."

"He isn't avoiding Liz. We're avoiding any other prying eyes."

"A covert mission to discover more spellbinding revelations of your alien origins," Maria said sarcastically.

"It doesn't concern you."

"I like to think it never does."

"Don't you have some stupid human Valentine's Day ritual to be preparing for?"

Maria ignored Michael's comment and went back out front mumbling to herself. "By all the gods on Mt. Olympus, can't I get at least one day of peace?"

*****************************

Sunday February 13th Nearly 10:00A.M.

"Wake up my love. The day is slipping away." The boy rolled over and snuggled deeper into the covers. "Love, there's work to be done...Love...Eros! Get up!" shouted Aphrodite.

Eros sat straight up in bed. "I'm up."

"Here's your morning cup of ambrosia, and here's your list of the people you need to drop in on today." Eros stared into the cup of ambrosia, but his eyes kept falling closed. Another sheet of paper materialized in Aphrodite's hand. "Oh, and I almost forgot. Here's a last minute plea for intervention from Roswell, New Mexico. The request was rather vague, so just make a general sweep over the whole town."

"Great," thought Eros sarcastically. "Can't these humans ever learn to ask for exactly what they want?"

*****************************

Later That Day

"Lizzzzz," whined Maria. "I don't want to write a novel - just a 3 page paper on Shakespeare's sonnets."

"Sshh," a librarian whispered around the corner of the shelves.

Maria gave the librarian a wicked look while Liz plopped another book down on the towering stack Maria was already carrying.

"Just one more Maria. There's this great book that has a critical analysis of ...."

Maria watched Liz disappear among the endless rows of bookshelves. With a sigh she trudged off after Liz and collided with Michael Guerin coming out of the stacks.

"What is your problem? Every time I turn around you're there trying to run me over," Maria snapped.

"It's your own fault. If you watched where you're going you wouldn't always be running into people," Michael replied defensively.

Maria's eyes blazed. "My fault. My fault ...," she sputtered.

Eros fluttered to the top of a bookshelf and surveyed his surroundings. He noted several almost-couples scattered around the library. A man and a woman stood side-by-side looking at the books and trying not to look at each other. They reached for the same book, and the woman blushed and looked at the ground when their hands touched. "Tisk, tisk. You'll never get anywhere being that shy." Eros sent two arrows flying. The couple looked lovingly into each other's eyes.

An elderly gentleman watched a petite widow lady as she waited for her book to be checked out. "No one should be lonely on Valentine's Day," thought Eros. Two more arrows went soaring across the library. The gentleman walked over to the lady and held the door open for her. She smiled at him, and they walked away together.

A teenage boy and girl were arguing nearby. "A small dose of sentiment should do." Eros reached for another arrow.

Michael rubbed the back of his neck. He felt like he'd been stung. Maria was still ranting. Michael could feel the anger building inside him.

"I told you how it has to be with us!" Michael almost shouted. "Why can't you just stay on your own side of the library and leave me alone."

Eros stared in shock. "So you're going to make this difficult are you? I try to bring a little happiness into your miserable earthbound existence, but a little passion's not good enough for you. Well, buddy, you have no idea who you're dealing with. I'll skewer you for that." Eros pulled a large golden arrow from his quiver and smiled mischievously. "My own special formula: Cupiditas - espresso strength."

Michael flinched and rubbed his backside.

"You're impossible!" Maria raged and stormed away.

"One of these days I'm going to lose all self control and just kill her," Michael mumbled. "She is absolutely the most ...." The world exploded in a shower of sparkling red glitter. Michael felt like he'd been kicked in the stomach.

"Sorry, Michael. Maria's a little stressed right now," said Liz who had walked up beside him. "She hates writing English essays and tomorrow is Valentine's Day which is like the world's cruelest joke. I mean really a whole day designed to torture poor, unsuspecting souls...Michael, are you listening to me? Michael?"

The glitter cleared from Michael's eyes and he looked up to see Liz Parker staring awkwardly at him.

"Liz." Her name rolled off Michael's tongue as if it were the most beautiful word ever spoken. He reached out and stroked her cheek.

"Oops," said Eros. "Oh well, she'll do." He reached for another arrow.

Liz took a step away from Michael. "Michael, I don't think...." Her words were cut off as shades of pink washed over her eyes like water running down a glass window. Michael was still staring at her with complete adoration in his eyes.

"So much for the library. Where to next?" Eros consulted his list and disappeared from the library.

"Michael, I...,um, I..."stuttered Liz. Without warning she seized him by the collar and brought his lips to hers.

Maria rounded a corner looking for Liz. "Liz, where did you go?" she mumbled to herself. "I want to leave." She stopped in her tracks. Michael was still where she'd left him, but now Liz was with him, and they were kissing. Maria tried to swallow, but there was a lump in her throat. Her lower lip trembled and tears welled in her eyes. She dropped all the books she'd been lugging around and ran from the library. The tears were already blinding her.

Max Evans was standing outside the library looking all around him. "I told Michael that I'd only be a minute. All I needed was one book to finish my paper. It's not like he couldn't have waited for me." Max was feeling irritable. It was probably the impending Holiday of Love that was making him so antsy, but he wasn't willing to admit it. Valentine's Day just served to show Max that he and Liz were still stuck in their We-Need-Distance-Desperately-Wanting-Each-Other Relationship. He turned back towards the library as Maria came crashing into him at full speed. They both went sprawling to the ground with Maria landing on top of him.

Eros sat in the treetop. Two birds were perched nearby. They male puffed out his chest and sang passionately to the female.

"My love is like a red, red rose..."

"Educated birds," mused Eros. He leaned over to the birds and whispered conspiratorially. "If you really want to woo her, I suggest 'The Passionate Shepard to His Love' by Marlow." The male shot him an annoyed look and continued quoting Burns.

"Maria, what's wrong?" asked Max worriedly as he helped her to her feet.

"How...could she...do this...to me?...She's supposed...to be...my best friend," choked Maria between sobs. Maria buried her head in Max's chest and clung tightly to him. Max had no idea what to do for Maria, so he stood on the sidewalk holding her and letting her cry.

"No broken hearts today." Eros pulled a double-headed arrow from his quiver and took aim.

A squirrel came spiraling up the tree at a reckless pace. "Nuts, nuts. Now where did all those nuts go??"

The arrow went wide missing its mark by several yards. "Do you mind? A little quiet please. You made me miss my shot. Now go away." Eros pulled out another double-headed arrow.

"Nuts. I need more nuts. Must find more nuts," the squirrel ranted.

Eros set the arrow aside and removed a miniature arrow. "I warned you."

The squirrel nearly fell out of the tree. He stared intently at a human woman walking out of the library. He jumped out of the tree and landed on her arm, chattering noisily. The woman screamed, throwing the squirrel off, and sprinted down the street. The squirrel sighed as he watched her go.

Eros nocked the arrow and sent it to its target. It went straight through both Max and Maria. "A perfect match for a perfect shot." He flew away down the street.

A rosy mist filled Max and Maria's eyes. When it cleared they only had eyes for each other.

*****************************

Monday February 14th Nearly 8:00 A.M.

Isabel Evans jumped out of the jeep and practically ran to homeroom. Max had been acting weird ever since he got back from the library. Isabel felt like she was getting a sugar rush whenever she was around Max.

Michael wandered down the hall, and he looked as if he'd lost something. A hand reached out of the eraser room and pulled him inside.

"Liz, I've been looking all over for you."

"I was right here waiting, spaceboy." The back of Liz's fingers stroked along his jaw to his mouth. "Actually, I've been waiting all morning, and I've had enough waiting." Her voice sounded seductive. Liz moved in for a passionate kiss, and Michael melted into her.

If anyone could be said to glide across a floor with absolute grace and elegance and still move angrily, Aphrodite could. She threw back the covers on the bed. Eros shivered and curled up.

"It's my day off. I took care of all the lovebirds yesterday," Eros whined.

"Half the couples in Roswell are mismatched. I will not have a mockery made of the day of love."

"The spells wear off in 36 hours. Everyone will be back to normal by tomorrow morning, so what difference does it make who's with who as long as they're happy."

With a flick of her wrist, Aphrodite sent Eros flying across the room. He slammed into the wall nearly toppling a marble bust sitting nearby. Aphrodite's eyes shone with barely contained fury.

"If you don't fix the mess you made, don't think all the mists in Hades could hide you from my wrath."

"I'll just get my bow and be on my way." Eros disappeared as quickly as possible.

The first warning bell for homeroom rang shrilly. Michael pulled himself away from Liz. "Class," he mumbled.

"No," Liz pouted.

"We really should go to class. I don't want to ruin your perfect record," Michael coaxed. Liz looked pleadingly at him. "Besides, I won't be far away."

"Alright. I'll go," she grudgingly consented.

Liz reached for the doorknob, but Michael stopped her. He placed a scroll of paper tied with a delicate red ribbon in her hand.

"What's this?" she asked smiling.

"In case you ever doubt what you mean to me, this is a reminder." Michael looked slightly embarrassed, and he rushed off down the hall to his homeroom.

Liz untied the scroll and began reading on the way to homeroom.

Your beauty shames even Helen of Troy.
Your eyes shine with the white-hot light of the stars.
Your lips are sweeter than the nectar of the gods.
The worlds will bow before the presence of the new Aphrodite.

Liz stared glassy eyed at the love note as she sat down at her desk in homeroom. Isabel leaned toward her.

"What are you reading Liz? A letter confessing unending devotion?" Isabel smiled jokingly. Liz gingerly handed Isabel the note. She glanced over the note, amusement spreading across her face. "Who wrote this?" Isabel asked.

"Michael," Liz sighed.

"Michael, who?" Isabel questioned.

"Michael Guerin, of course," laughed Liz. The bell rang for 1st period. Liz plucked the love note out of Isabel's limp fingers and practically bounced out the door. Isabel could only gape in shock.

*****************************

The End of Lunch Break

Isabel sat dejectedly watching all the couples around her. There were people making out that on any other day would not come within 100 feet of each other. She'd tried talking to Max, Michael, Liz, and even Maria, but they were caught in the same witchcraft that was affecting everyone else. "This is too weird," she complained to herself. Alex Whitman walked by rummaging in his backpack and ignoring all the couples around him. "Alex!" Isabel called hopefully.

"Oh, hi Izzy," Alex said looking up from the binder of notes he was rifling.

"Tell me you're normal," she pleaded.

Alex looked around as if Isabel was losing her mind and he was the only one who had witnessed the breakdown. "Um, Isabel, is everything okay?"

"No! Everything is not okay. Look around you. What do you see?"

Alex surveyed the lunch area. "Couple kissing, couple kissing, Michael and Liz kissing, Max and Maria kissing, couple kissing...."

"And!"

Alex looked dumfounded as realization hit. "Ok, so I'm in the Twilight Zone."

"What are we going to do about this?" Isabel gestured expansively.

"Well, they look happy," offered Alex.

"Alex!"

"Isabel, I've been in bed all weekend with a head cold. I have a test in less than 5 minutes that I haven't studied for, and my drugs haven't kicked in yet. It's Valentine's Day. Insanity comes with the territory, and it will probably go away. I have to go." Alex walked back into the school building.

"Not again!" fumed Eros. Another arrow missed its target as the intended student bent over to retrieve a book bag.

"The day is waning Eros, and I see very little progress," said Aphrodite appearing at his side.

"This is not an exact science, Mother," Eros replied irritably. "Perhaps if I had help...."

"Fine. Use her," Aphrodite said waving her hand dismissively at Isabel. "She's not doing anything."

Isabel suddenly saw a young boy with wings perched on top of the school fence. A radiant lady dressed in the draping gown of a Greek goddess was talking to the him. "This is not real," Isabel said to no one in particular as she walked toward the pair.

"No more whining. Just get the job done." Aphrodite disappeared.

"You're not Cupid. I don't believe in you," Isabel said trying to convince herself.

"Cupid! Please," Eros said offended. "Cupids are cheap Roman knockoffs - chubby little boys in diapers. I am Eros, god of love."

"I beg your pardon," replied Isabel sarcastically. "So Eros, you're responsible for this lover's fiasco?"

"I admit. Perhaps it's not my best work." Isabel gaped at Eros speechless. "Here just take this." He handed her a beautifully engraved silver arrow. "The spells will wear off by tomorrow, but my mother insists that I fix the couples now. I can't do it alone, so you've just been drafted. There are three ways to break the spells: I can redirect the love with another arrow; a broken heart can destroy the magic naturally; or the silver arrow can break the spell. I'll redirect; you go poke people with the silver arrow. Don't worry; you'll be invisible as long as you're holding the arrow. Now hurry along." Eros disappeared before Isabel had time to question him.

She looked around the lunch area. The class bell had already rung and all the couples had returned to class - save one. Kyle Valenti sat beside Brittany Mitchell, one of Isabel's so-called friends. "Well she's kind of a flake, but I guess she doesn't deserve Kyle." Isabel walked over to Kyle and Brittany. Kyle was trying to put his love into poetry.

"I love you more than Garfield loves his Pooky. I love you more than Ernie loves his rubber duckie. I love you more than Linus loves his baby blanket."

Brittany sighed and stared deeply into Kyle's eyes.

"Ugh," thought Isabel. "On second thought, maybe I'll just leave you this way." She went in search of other mismatched couples.

*****************************

The End of the School Day

Max found Michael standing at his locker. "So what do you and Liz have planned for this evening?" Max asked.

"I don't know. Liz has been plotting, and she's keeping it a secret until tonight. What are you and Maria planning?" replied Michael.

"It's going to be perfect: candlelight, Red Martian cocktails, and the most beautiful girl in the world." Max smiled to himself.

"You're right. It will be a perfect evening. Oh, here comes Liz. I have a present for her."

"I'll see you later then." Max headed for the doorway.

"Ok, the girl's here; that's the right guy. Time to fix this pair," Eros said drawing the arrow back in the bow."

Liz held her head as it spun wildly with ribbons of crimson. Max exited the building as Kyle's friend Luke Tomlin, one of the jocks responsible for beating Max earlier that year, entered.

"Liz, it seems like an eternity since I saw you last," said Michael coming up to Liz.

"Oh, Michael." Liz looked awkwardly at him.

"Why don't we go some place where we can be alone?"

"I'm sorry Michael. I can't."

"Liz?"

"It wouldn't be fair to you Michael. I'm in love with Luke now."

"Itchy!" Michael said with complete disbelief. "You're in love with Itchy?!

"Who?"

"I gave Luke a rash for beating up Max. You can't be..."

"What?...Never mind. I'm sorry Michael. I really have to go find Luke." Liz ran down the hall after Luke. A solitary tear rolled down Michael's cheek, and otherworldly eyes could have seen a glittering red sheen fall away from Michael as his broken heart dissolved the magic.

*****************************

Valentine's Day Evening

Isabel was incredibly frustrated. She'd been trying to find Max, Michael, Liz, and Maria all afternoon, but somehow they kept managing to elude her. She decided to head back toward the Crashdown before combing the town again. As she came around the corner by the movie theater, she saw the jeep. Max and Maria sat inside kissing.

"Yes," Isabel silently thanked whichever gods were listening. She touched Max and then Maria with the silver arrow. They opened their eyes in mid-kiss and stared at each other. They jerked apart and Maria climbed out of the jeep.

"Maria, I...," Max fumbled for the right words.

"Yeah... right, I'll just be going," Maria fidgeted. "Going, going is good." She walked away.

Maria headed for her house taking a short cut across the edge of the desert. Halfway home she saw Michael sitting on a rock gazing up at the stars. "Great," she thought. "This is against my better judgment, but why not. Today can't get any worse."

"Hi Michael," Maria said hesitantly.

"Maria." Michael looked back at her and then returned his focus to the stars. "It's been a really bizarre day, hasn't it?"

Maria sat down beside him. "You have no idea," she said more to herself than to Michael.

"Chocolate," he said offering her a piece from a heart-shaped box of chocolates. "I think I bought them for Liz." Maria raised an eyebrow at his last statement. "But I guess she didn't want them."

Maria peered into the box. "Do you have any caramels left?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. They all look the same." Maria selected a chocolate square. "Tabasco," he said offering her a bottle.

"Thanks, I'm fine really." They smiled crookedly at each other.

*****************************

Max walked into the Crashdown and sat down at the counter. Liz was alone in the restaurant. "Hi Liz. Why aren't you out celebrating Valentine's Day?"

"I've already had more than enough of Valentine's Day. My journal and I are going to have a long session tonight. First, there was Michael, but I think I left him. Then there was Luke Tomlin, but he thought I was crazy, and well, let's just say it's been a strange day."

"I think strange is a little weak for describing my day," said Max.

"Is it getting any better," asked Liz shyly.

"There're still possibilities for the day," Max said with a sheepish look. "How about a Green Martian Shake?"

"Coming right up," Liz responded standing a little taller and turning briskly.

*****************************

The silver arrow had disappeared hours ago, and Isabel was left sitting alone on the front steps to her house. "What a miserable day. I didn't even get to fall in love with someone I hate," grumbled Isabel.

Alex walked up the path to Isabel's doorway. Isabel looked up from the ground. She hadn't even seen Alex until he was standing in front of her. He pulled a pale pink rose out from behind his back.

"I'm sorry for being so insensitive earlier. Whatever's going on I'm here to help you fix it."