nights; h.s.

48

this is gonna be my last scheduled wednesday update for a while. school is getting really crazy and i ran out of pre-written chapters and i don't want another thing on my plate. this isn't the end of updates just don't expect one every single wednesday we had a good run man

forty-eight

brooklyn

"Happy Birthday!" Junior and my mom shouted in unison at the very stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve. Junior blew his party horn from his hospital bed and clapped as my mom placed candles on a chocolate cake and carried it over to me. "Happy birthday to you..!" They began singing and I resisted the very strong urge to roll me eyes, eventually the song was over and my mom placed the cake on a coffee table beside me.

"Make a wish, baby!" She clapped excitedly, pulling her phone from her jean pocket and beginning a recording. I placed my hands infront of my hair, leaning over and blowing out the 7 candles.

"Woo!" They cheered and clapped. "Seventeen! My baby is seventeen can you believe it!" My mom cooed, grabbing my head and kissed the top of it like a priest, Junior smiled. The cake was sliced and placed on the bright coloured plastic plates lent to us by the hospital. I poked at my slice while my mom sat on the edge of Junior's bed to help him eat his own. I pulled my phone from my pocket to see texts from Harry already.

HARRY

Set an alarm to send this to you. Happy birthday baby. I know you're not happy with me but you've been the only source of happiness in my life for the past few months. You mean so much to me that I can't describe in a short text, thank you for absolutely everything. I love you. Have an amazing day, Brooklyn.

My thumb hovered on top of the call symbol, unsure of what to say, I just did it— I called him.

He picked up almost instantaneously, his croaky voice sounding thick through the phone. "Brooklyn?" He asked, clearing his throat. "Hi Harry." I said.

"H-Hi! How are you?" He said, in a much more hushed tone, "it's 4AM right now."

I chuckled. "I'm doing really good sorry we haven't talked in a while, I've just been... busy, you know,"

Lie.

Both of those were lies.

"Yeah."

"How've you been?"

"Fine.. fine. Happy birthday!" He whispered in an excited tone. I smiled, "Thank you."

"I have so much I have to tell you but it's really late. Can I call you a little later. Maybe we can FaceTime?"

"Yeah sure, I'll text you."

"Okay."

"Okay."

"Bye, Love you."

"Love you too."

"I better not have just heard your ass say love you to that little white boy." My mom said very loudly and I laughed, picking up a forkful of cake so I had an excuse not to answer. "Brooklyn.. You met him 4 months ago you need to slow down." She said as if she pitied me, I rolled my eyes. "I'm not joking, B. Do you really love him?"

"I don't know." I shrugged, a mouthful of cake, she just scoffed. "He is gonna leave in June and you will never ever see him again, do you understand that?"

"Mom!"

"I'm not trying to be mean baby, but you're being so stupid getting attached to something so temporary. If I can't tell you who will? Just be careful, okay?"