"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

I jolted out of my bed and screamed bloody murder. My legs got caught in my covers as I scrambled to sit up straight and landed my ass on my bedroom floor instead. Very disgracefully I might add.

"Jesus," I croaked out as I vigorously rubbed my eyes. I heard deep chuckles from my dad, and then when I looked around for the first time, there stood my mother holding a cupcake with a candle shoved in the icing.

"Mom?" I asked. "It's a Wednesday, what are you doing here?"

"Obviously I had to take some time off for my favorite daughter's birthday. Happy Birthday!!!! Now wake up."

"Obviously I'm awake now," I groaned then looked at my alarm clock.

"You woke me up a whole hour earlier mother. On my birthday!" I got up from the floor and stuffed myself back into my covers.

"Well, that's the whole point dummy. Your father and I made you a nice breakfast. I found that except-the-bagel seasoning that you like, I mashed some avocados with lemon for your toast, and I cut up your favorite fruits into star shapes."

"Mommy," I cried with my face still stuffed into a pillow, suddenly not in the mood to complain anymore. "That's so sweet of you."

"Yes, I know, now get the hell up. Let's go make some coffee. I understand we have some girl talk to catch up on. Because, apparently when mom's out of town, you decide to sneak boys into your room. Rise and shine, sister!" She turned to talk walk out of the room, her high ponytail bouncing behind her on her back downstairs. "I'm lighting this candle when you get here!"

I lifted my head from my pillow to glare at my dad. "Tattletale."

"Oh, for sure," He said. Then he stepped to the edge of my bed, reached under my covers, grabbed my ankles, and yanked me out of bed.

"Ow, dad!" I hit the floor with a thump for the second time that morning.

"You heard your mother. Rise and shine, sister," He said with his voice switched to high pitch.

I let out a single sob in defeat, finally getting off the floor and getting ready for the day.

——————————

My birthday breakfast did include a lecture on boys and a very uncomfortable conversation about safe sex for which I covered my ears and stopped myself from hightailing it out the damn room. Dad was a grump for the entire conversation.

But, I did tell them that Declan was my boyfriend and I promised them to ask permission the next time I decided to sneak a boy into my bedroom. Dad was also a grump for this entire conversation, convinced that I didn't need a boyfriend until I was thirty.

Mom was fine with it as long she could meet him soon.

I decided to dress up a little more for the day, adding blush and some very light eyeshadow to go with my look.

I was at my locker, wrapping things up when someone came up from behind me.

"You've been ignoring me all morning," Declan said.

I smiled into my own little private lockers space before hiding my smile and shutting the door. I turned around and looked up at Declan who was standing there looking good as always.

His cheeks were naturally flushed like he was always blushing, and I loved that. His dark hair was messier today, falling over his forehead and I wanted nothing more than to run my fingers through it. He was wearing a thin green sweatshirt that reminded me of matcha tea, making his skin look tanner and his brown eyes look lighter.

"So what's up with that?" He asked.

I have been ignoring him all morning. Not because I was mad at him, but because I was busy with my mom being in town and the whole breakfast thing she set up. But it couldn't hurt to make some fun with this.

"You sent me this exact message," I said while pulling out my phone and pulling up his texts. "Happy Birthday cutie pig," I finished with a glare.

"Pie, I said pie. You know I meant pie."

I leaned my back against my locker and crossed my arms. "I can't believe it's my birthday and you called me a cow."

"You know what I meant," He titled his head lower at me.

"Yeah, well, that's what you get for using cutie pie as a term of endearment," I gagged.

He took my hand and pulled me closer to him. "Row shut up," He said, but he couldn't keep the smile from his face, and it was harder to keep the smile from mine.

"Anyway, I got you something but you're going to have to come out to my car to grab it because that's where I left it," He told me.

On the way to his car, I filled Declan in on the breakfast conversation and informed him that both my parents knew we were going out. He walked us to the parking lot and it had just occurred to me that I had never really paid attention to Declan's car.

He drove a Jeep Wrangler, a deep gray one with a glossy finish. It was so dark that it looked black. I don't know how, but suddenly it made Declan that much more attractive. He walked right up to it and pulled a wrapped present from the passenger's side.

"Happy birthday," He said before handing it off with a sheepish smile.

"You really didn't have to get me anything, you know?"

"Yeah, yeah," He rolled his eyes. "Just open it already."

So I did, and beneath all the poorly placed tissue paper was something that made my heart warm.

"I know you were saving up for the real thing, but I thought maybe you would enjoy something smaller in the meantime."

His definition of small was a polaroid one-step camera. I've seen the kind of pictures this thing could take. I loved the aesthetic of them and it was something I kept in the back of my head to get for myself eventually.

"You're very quiet and I can't tell if I messed up or not," Declan said quickly.

I snapped my attention to him with the camera in my hands. "No, no I love it. Um-" I paused. "This thing like a hundred dollars though and I don't think I can accept something this expensive Declan."

"A hundred dollars? Have you seen the house I live in? Have you seen the car I drive?" He attempted to joke. "No seriously, it's fine. My dad owed me anyway and I really want you to have it Row." He must have seen the hesitance in my face because we went on. "Rowena, if you don't accept it I will be very very upset, I promise you, it's fine. Please, take it," He finished quietly.

I felt my smile before I realized it. I put the camera back in its gift back so it wouldn't fall out of my hands as I practically threw myself into him. He wrapped his arms around me with a laugh as he hugged me back.

"Thank you," I said as I pulled out of his hug. Then I raised myself on my tiptoes and kissed him. I meant for it to be a peck but it was so easy to get lost in his lips.

"You look beautiful, have I told you that today?" He said in between kisses.

"No," I hummed a laugh into his lips.

"Well you do. Like a lot, like really beautiful."

And somehow, simple pecks turned into deeper kisses and his hands pulled me by my waist as I reached for the back of his neck.

I ran my fingers up and curled them around his hair. I felt his smile before he tilted his head and ran his tongue across my upper lip, gently nudging my lips apart and I let him, meeting his tongue with my own and I couldn't think of anything else but Declan, Declan, Declan.

The smell of his cologne wrapped around me just as his arms were, both his hands holding me close. I was so distracted by the way his tongue was swirling around mine that I didn't even realize when he moved his hand up to my face. He pushed my hair back over my shoulder and gripped the side of my neck, getting a better angle with his mouth and brushing his thumb across my jaw that sent a shiver down my spine.

Everything in me was alert now and everywhere his hands went sent a wave of heat through me until I just wanted to melt into him.

"EWWWW NOT THE CDA." And that was the first time I was disappointed to see our friends.

"No Adam it's PDA. CDA is a legal agency from a children's movie," I heard Cyrus say, his voice getting closer.

We pulled away from our kiss, our bodies still close together as I dropped my head into Declan's chest and sent the finger to Adam.

"Hey man, that's no way to treat your BFF who was just about to wish you the bestest birthday ever," Adam said, finally reaching us and swatting my finger away.

"Um, I think the fuck not," Cyrus said aggressively. "I'm the best friend here."

Declan let out an unconvinced laugh. "That's cute buddy."

Cyrus made a face at him. "What's cute? I am her best friend."

"Yeah, for sure, for sure."

"Rowena tell him who your best friend is."

"Yeah Row, tell these suckers who your best friend is," Adam cut in.

"Have you guys seen Natalie?" I attempted to distract them, pulling myself from the warmth of Declan's body.

"Don't change the subject, tell them who your best friend is," Adam said.

I checked the time on my wrist of my non-existent watch. "Oof, will you look at the time. Can't be late to first period, right you guys? Catch you later."

I began to walk away from them and back towards the school. I heard Adam following me first.

"Hey, you can't walk to class on your birthday!" He said before cutting me off and tossing me over his shoulder. "Don't worry Row, I'll get you to where you need to go. Birthday queen shit."

"Adam! Put me down," But I knew it was useless. Then Cyrus came around and whacked him in the shoulder.

"Hand her over, that's the job for her best friend." Then he nudged the back of Adam's knee before he tripped and practically threw me back on my feet.

"Damn it, Cyrus, you almost made me drop the birthday girl," Adam whined and I took it my chance to escape. But Cyrus caught me and threw me over his shoulder.

"Give me a breeeak," I complained. Just as I was wondering where Declan went, he walked right up behind us.

"Hey Cyrus, hot potato." Cyrus let out a dumb chuckle at that before he tossed me over to Declan like a literal sack of potatoes. I gave up on fighting it at this point.

"You're lucky I haven't dropped your present. What happens when this crashes to the floor and it's not useable?"

"I'd get you another one." He shrugged his shoulder to get a better hold of me. I looked back to Adam and Cyrus, both of them looking lost now that they had nothing to hold.

"So, you wanna carry me now?" Adam asked Cyrus.

"Fuck no, it's not your birthday." But Adam jumped on his back anyway, causing both of them to fall to the floor, following a stream of curse words and arguments that led all the way to first period.

A/N: Who's your fav character ? 👀