The Price of Protection

Chapter 14~ Birthday Treasures

QUINN:

"Mornin', Mr. Bouchard," I whisper as he lets me in while grinning.

"Marcus, is fine, Quinn. I'm warnin' ya now, she isn't a morning person." His rough, deep voice isn't fair. It's everything a girl likes in a male voice but he's much too old for me-- obviously. His bright eyes glint and you can tell by his features now that he was a nice looking young man. Dang! If I was only born about 20-25 years earlier.

"Alrighty then, Marcus," I tip a couple of fingers his way as I walk past, "No worries, I've dealt with her crabby butt this entire school year in the morning. It's her birthday, she needs to celebrate properly."

"Agreed," he chuckles slightly raising his mug of steaming coffee as a salute to me.

I trip up the stairs as I try to quietly approach her room. She sleeps like a log so I'm sure she won't hear me.
As I peek through her cracked door, I see her all curled up tightly, clutching a pillow. Hmm, she's never slept like this when we sleep over. Typically, she's splayed out like a starfish, but maybe she actually got cold? I find that hard to believe since she's always the warmer of us two. Oh well, best friend duty calls!

I pull out my phone and cue up the loud obnoxious version of "Happy birthday" that I found and set it next to her head on the nightstand. As soon as it starts I jump on the bed startling the mess out of her and start to sing along.

"Ahh!! What the heck?!" She screams in a daze.

"Happy birthdaaayyyyyyy, dear Céliiiiiiiiiine..."

"Stop it!" She covers her ears, "Quinn Masters, I swear you're going to die!"

"Happy biiiiiirrrrthdaaayyyy tooooooo..."

*SLAM*

I've been attacked with a pillow.

"I said cut it out!" She's up on her knees on the bed and laughing like a sleepy maniac making me laugh uncontrollably also.

I'm on my back on her bed from the sneak attack so I reach out and snag a throw pillow to boff her in the face with. She shrieks and tackles me to the foot of her bed and we toussle between pillow smacks before both falling breathlessly onto our backs.

"Happy...birthday," I push out between heaving breaths.

"Well, thank ya," she breathes back turning her head to smile at me. She's smiling a bit but her eyes look sad.

"Hey," I turn on my side, resting my head on my propped up arm, "what's the matter, C? It's your birthday, why aren't you happy?" I pause but then narrow my eyes as I add, "do I need to murder anyone?"

She tries to smile but tears are already streaming down her face. I immediately grab her into a tight hug and stroke her hair, "Oh no. What's the matter, babe? Tell me, please, I want to help."

"Quinn, I'm a stupid, stupid woman!"

I pull back to look at her confused, "What!? You are not! You're one of the most level-headed women your age that I've ever met!"

"Quinn..."she sniffs through a miserably messy cry, "I..I was right! I knew it and I ignored it and..and..."

"Slooooow down," I drawl, my face laced with concern, "What did you know?"

She sniffles several times until she's calmed enough to speak and then she looks at me and grabs either side of my coat to pull me close.

"I was right about Marius," she croaks.

"Okay??? So he likes you?"

"Quinn, that's not what I mean, but yes, that too-- I think?" Her sentence becomes more unsure at the end.