I lay down on my bed, put my ear buds in, and start one of my music playlists then click onto my drawing app to begin writing.
She walks out of her room and through the house. S̶h̶e̶ g̶o̶e̶s̶ i̶n̶t̶o̶ t̶h̶e̶ k̶i̶t̶c̶h̶e̶n̶ a̶n̶d̶ p̶u̶l̶l̶s̶ o̶u̶t̶ b̶o̶x̶ o̶f̶ c̶e̶r̶e̶a̶l̶
I pause,scribbling out some of the words with a marker tool, no, how about;
she walks into the kitchen and grabs her car keys from the hook on the wall. She heads over to the door and opens it when suddenly she gasps. He is standing there, a smile on his face with tears rolling down his cheeks.
"Hey," he laughs a bit.
"Hey," she laughs and cries as she burrys her head in his chest as they hug.
I pause for a moment, Thinking of Zack just makes my heart ache.
God, I should sleep. I yawn again as I set my phone down on my bedside table.
I lay there a few moments before my phone buzzes. I pick it up. I have an email.
Ash emailed me a YouTube link? I raise an eyebrow and yawn. Might as well.
I click it and a song starts to play. Its I can't help falling in love with you but super sad.
Oh- I listen to the lyrics and play it three times over, its only part of the song. Zack- I wipe my tears and look to the digital clock across the room, 12:55. Its only been today for an hour and I'm already crying. I wipe my tears and roll onto my side. Ugh, he's so adorable-
I let my mind wander as I attempt to fall asleep. I think back to middle school and how Zack used to take my things and hide them.
"Hey, wait," Zack calls after me as I run out of the classroom, trying not to be late for the bus.
"What!?" I call, not turning.
"I took your phone from your pocket," he laughs.
I roll my eyes and bite my lip, smiling like an idiot as I turn to take it from him. He holds it out and let's me take it, surprisingly. Normally he would make me wait five minutes of punching and squealing before giving it back.
One time he made me late for the bus by doing that, my father was not happy having to pick me up.
I run down the hall, my violin and backpack swaying. I push through the doors to the bus area and book it towards my bus.
I drift off to sleep, silently hoping I'll dream about home.

"Cause I've been drinking Rum Spiced Cider and I keep thinking of all your lies dear," I wake up and take my ear buds out, humming the rest of the song as I sit up and stretch.
I think back to the dream and then back to the week at Great Wolf. I'd kill to be holding his hand again.
As I stand up I open my phone and go to messenger, briefly glancing at the time; 9:42.

Me: HAPPY BIRTHDAY ASH
Ash: THANK YOU
Me: YOURE SEVENTEEN!!
Ash: I know!!
Jake: Happy birthday Ash!
Ash: thanks!!
Zack: happy bday!
Ash: you two both already said happy birthday to me this morning when we got coffee 😂
Me: I keep forgetting y'all have been awake for a while already while I'm just waking up
Ash: yeeeee

I grab some clothes from my dresser and go to the bathroom to get dressed.

Eventually I'm dressed and ready for the day and I pull my phone out again.

Me: Ashhhhhh
Ash: Lanaaaaa
Me: you available for a call so you can open your present?
Ash: mhm!
Me: I'll call
Ash: oki!

"Hey!!" Ash waves at the screen.
"Happy birthday!" I wave at the screed rapidly.
"Thank you!" Ash laughs.
She waves a package in front of the camera of her phone thats propped up on the foot of her bed.
"Open it!" I squeal.
I had sent her a present and instructed her dad not to let her open it until her birthday.
She begins tearing at and peeling off the tape and after a moment she gets it open, revealing a smaller wrapped present that's about the size of a mini throw pillow- and shaped like one too.
She begins tearing the paper which just reveals another little box- a small ring box.
"Oh my god-" Ash breaks off, glancing at me on her phone screen.
I nod and smile, "open it!"
She opens the little box to reveal a small bluish shell like ring from a coin machine with a necklace chain connected to it.
I put my hand on my neck as she takes it out of the box, "and look!" I twist and turn the small pinkish shell like ring on my own necklace chain.
"I love it!" Ash smiles wholeheartedly.
She struggles for a moment to get it on, but once it's on she just looks down at it, holding it with her fingers.
I let the necklace drop to my chest, "Happy birthday Ash!"
"Thank you!" Ash finally let's go of the necklace in order to close the box.
"I have to water my dads plants, come with me," I laugh.
"I wasn't going anywhere," Ash snorts, "except to my desk to set this box down."
I head out to the back yard and begin watering the plants, turning off my phones camera but still talking to Ash.
"Hey!" Clyde calls from his yard.
I wave the watering can, "Hey!"
"What've you got going on today?" Clyde asks.
"It-s Ash's birthday today!" I wave my phone and Ash yells.
"Hi Clyde!" She yells.
"Oh, nice! Tell them I say happy birthday," Clyde nods.
"She just said hi," I laugh, "we're on call," I lift my phone up to my face, "Clyde says happy birthday."
Ash laughs, "tell him I say thanks!"
"Ash says thanks," I glance at Clyde between plants.
"Cool, tell them I say hi back," Clyde nods.
"He also says hi," I say into my phone
"Cool!" Ash tries not to laugh again.
"you got any birthday plans?" I put the watering can down and sit in one of the patio chairs, turning the camera back on.
Out of the corner of my eye I can see Clyde glance around then jump the fence.
"What's up?" Ash asks, seeing my face as I try not to laugh.
"I just jumped the fence," Clyde says loudly, sitting beside me.
I turn the phone to face him as he waves.
"Pfft," Ash scoffs, "nice."
"So," I glance to Clyde then back to the phone, "any birthday plans?"
"not really," Ash shakes their head.
"Eat cake!" Clyde suggests.
Ash laughs and I wrinkle my nose at Clyde who just shrugs.
Ash readjusts her camera, "I might get to see my sister!"
I nod, "that's cool!"
"I haven't seen her since she left for college last year," Ash admits.
My eyes go wide, "Oh wow-"
"My sister just left for College," Clyde states.

The three of us talk for at least fifteen minutes before Clyde's mom realizes he's gone.
"Clyde Adam Travis!" Madison yells from their back porch.
"Your middle name is Adam?" I scoff.
Clyde scrambles out of his chair and towards his yard, "shut it."
Ash and I burst out laughing and I point the phone so she can see him run.
"Best. Birthday. Ever," Ash laughs.
"Ash!" I hear her dad yell.
"Happy birthday!" Yells a girls voice.
"Oh my god-" Ash looks toward their bedroom door, "my sister-"
"Go get her," I laugh.
"Andrea!" Ash scrambles to hang up the phone as she runs out of her room.
"Best birthday ever," I smile and sigh as I set my phone in my lap.