Spin The Bottle

51 | Barbie Girl

Emily nods, grinning.

"This is just between us, okay? It's our little secret."

"Okay," Emily agrees.

Kate watches them in amusement before remembering something. "Hey, a gift bag is waiting for you on your bed."

"But you already gave me a present."

"I can give you as many as I want. But it's not from me. It's from your girlfriend." Kate wiggles her eyebrows as she completes her sentence.

"Hazel?" Chris asks in astonishment.

"Yes, Hazel."

Chris recollects her saying that she got him a present. He drops his fork and begins to stand up from his seat with an excited look on his face.

"Where do you think you're going?" Kate questions.

"To open my present."

"Sit down and finish your food. You can do that later," Kate chides.

Chris pouts at his mum as he settles back on his seat and Emily giggles.
Chris isn't able to go to his room until he helped clear the table and do the dishes.

Once in his room, he sits carefully on his bed and picks the giftbag beside him. He opens his present with the curiosity and excitement of a child opening his presents on christmas morning.

The excitement on his face disappears when he pulls out the first thing he sees. He stares at it in disbelief.

"What the..." He trails off, staring at the hot pink leather jacket in his hands.

Yes, he does love leather jackets but this one is pink. Pink. For crying out loud! Couldn't she pick any other colour, huh? A colour that is considered manly, perhaps?

He notices a note poking out of a pocket and pulls it out. It sure is a note and it says: I'm looking forward to seeing you in this.

Chris scoffs, "Seriously."

He drops the jacket on his bed when he notices that something else is in the box. They're two sold out tickets to a basketball game. He grinned in astonishment, wondering how she got them. It's ironic how she managed to get him a present that made him frown and another that made him grin.

He wasn't expecting a gift though. She made today the best birthday of his life. Her becoming his girlfriend is the best birthday present he has ever gotten.

His phone begins to ring. He hurriedly drops the stuff in his hands to pull out his phone from his pocket, hoping it's Hazel. The excited look on his face vanishes when he sees the caller ID. He answers the phone.

"Hey, birthday boy!" Jason hollers from his side of the phone.

"Hey, random dude that I don't know," Chris replies.

"You wish," Jason chuckles. "Anyways, I called to inform you that I'm throwing a party tonight to celebrate your birthday."

"Your dad is out of town again." Chris deadpans.

"Yeah."

"I don't know, dude. I'm not in the mood for a party."

"It's your birthday, dude. You have to be."

"Okay, how about you don't invite the entire school. Just close friends."

"Hmmm... I'll try."

"Okay, thanks. See you soon."

After ending the call, Chris dials Stephanie's number. She doesn't pick up until the third ring.

"Hello? Who's on the line, please?"