rain. |h.s|

28

His is wrapped in dark green wrapping paper which I'm sure Harlow helped him with, because no one has wrapping skills like her. It has a light green bow on top to compliment. The box isn't that big, not that it matters, but it looks like a jewelry box. He hands it to me and lets his lips spread.

"Happy birthday." He watches me open the gift in a very disorganized manner, but the look on my face when I realize what's inside is too embarrassing.

I give my first toothy smile of the day and look up at him as I pick up matcha tea bags from the pit of the box.

"Wait what is it?" Harlow pushes Harry aside to understand what is making me smile so wide.

"Matcha tea bags." I don't need to say anything else. It's weird to admit, but it's an inside joke I don't want to share yet.

"Okay, go shower we have a big day ahead." She taps on my head and quite literally pulls me out of bed.

"Okay, okay I'm going." I stumble into the bathroom as she suddenly lets go of my wrist. 

---

Classes were not that bad today.

They have been gradually improving over the past week that I've been taking them, but this was probably my best day at Columbia.

No one knew it was my birthday of course, other than one of my professors who was putting in my grade into the system and noticed my birthdate. I liked it that way though, I don't need any pretentious wishes from anyone today. They left me alone and I left them alone. That's how I want it to be.

"You're home!" Harlow looks like she's been waiting for me at the door. She's holding a cake with—for some reason— my face on it. She arranged the candles around the rim of the circular cake and one on my mouth, so it looks like I'm smoking the candle.

"What is all this?" I set my keys down and chuckle at the cake at first, then notice the living room is all dressed up with balloons and streamers. Not to mention the huge poster of me taped to the wall.

"Birthday decorations of course. Now go get changed, your birthday outfit is on your bed." She nudges me to the stairs. I turn my head a little, noticing an unfamiliar face sitting on the couch with Harry, Niall, and Zayn.

I whisper to Har, "Wait, who is that?"

"Oh, don't worry he's really nice. Harry will introduce you." She whispers the first part then loudly says, "Now go!"

I reach the top of the stairs, quickly running into my room when I see the outfit that Harlow picked for me. I can't even begin to describe it.

It's a beautiful cream colored dress with pearls running down the waist of it. There straps are regular, but the shoulders have another few lines of pearls to compliment the rest of the dress. As soon as I put it on, I feel like a princess. It feels illegal to be wearing this. It looks like it should've been worn by the Queen of England, may God rest her soul.

I take my hair out of the claw clip that it's been in all day and hurriedly coat my lashes with some mascara. Everyone else looks so put together, the birthday girl has got to look twice as good. I grab the lipgloss I used this morning off the bathroom counter and glaze my lips just enough so I don't digest it while eating my cake. I'm about to go downstairs when I realize I have the perfect pearl earrings to go with this dress. I still feel like a criminal walking around in this. I put on the earring and hesitantly walk towards the staircase. I've never been this dressed up around them, and honestly I feel like my knees look weird in this dress.

I carefully stand at the top of the stairs and take one moment to look at everyone. The first person to look up is Harry. He quickly scans his eyes over my face, my dress, and my legs. I feel weird. Am I overdressed? The second to look up is Zayn, who instantly smiles as I make my way to the bottom of the stairs.