Behind Me

20: birthday girl.

The warm welcome was deeply appreciated and was still quite a lot for me. I walked down from the stage to Mei complaining about the over the top happy birthday being given which she couldn't match while slipping a "birthday girl" tiara on my head.

I sighed. I would pass out from any more of this.

I looked to one end, drink in hand, and there was Alphie getting along with just everyone he came in contact with. He was quite social, wasn't he?

Then walked in Del's twin with his best friend in tow. Del ran, much to Val's surprise, into Arribeck's embrace while Val stood bewildered at the amount of affection she was showing him.

"What!?" Val exclaimed.

Del who nestled into Arribeck's arm gave him a knowing,"what?" In reply.

"Really? Not this again!" Val lamented.

"It's for real this time!"

"Is that so? This is another stupid prank isn't it?"

"Is not!"

"Arribeck why didn't you tell me?"

"I wasn't really trying to hide it. I wasn't even trying."

I had no idea what the whole conversation was about but there was something so satisfying about watching Val lose his composure over something like this.

Much to my own displeasure, Val took a deep breath to calm himself and turned away from the lovebirds to me with a smile showing no indication of his previous outburst.

"Happy birthday, Erica."he complemented

"Thank you. I believe you have something for me." I replied.

"It's straight to business with you isn't it?"

He pulled out a box and handed it to me and after a slight hesitation, I accepted it. He urged me to open it and I did. In a was a beautiful necklace so disappointing that I was tempted to punch him in the face.

He saw my displeasure and held up a finger to deter my rage," before you attack me, that's just an apology. This..." and instead pulled out a mini display case with my necklace in it, much different than i remember. "... Is your present."

I took it from him to inspect.

"What did you do to it?" The stone itself hadn't changed, the chain however, was now a different design with several other intricacies lining it.

"I'll be damned to return it the way I took it the first time. I also needed a good excuse as to why I held on to it for so long. Hopefully I still get to keep my head."

"I still don't like you very much." Myself, never the type to hide emotions behind a false expression was betraying my words with a smile, much of it from the relief i felt from having my necklace back.

Vince nodded.

"I thought as much. Happy birthday Erica. " He said.

I couldn't lie about how well received his wish was. "Thank you." Was my reply.

Mei was quick to help me put on the now slightly heavy necklace as I was struggling with the clasp behind my neck. I didn't need to look at a mirror to know that I looked fabulous with the new addition.

As Val was just about to walk away I stopped him.

"Hey, why did you take it in the first place."

"Personal reasons. "

"You've got to stop being so vague."

"I had a friend once... I thought she died. Apparently not."

"What does that have to do with..."