Graffiti Boy

Chapter 8 - The Birthday Incident

It was my birthday. I was officially an adult.

I was allowed to vote, get a tattoo, buy some cigarettes (to pull an Augustus Waters and say 'It's a metaphor'), go skydiving and go to jail. Real people jail!

I loved Dad. He hadn't been home for the past three days, working hard on some cases and staying late trying to track Xavier's movement. Despite being so occupied, Dad never failed to buy me my favourite cake, red velvet, on my birthday. I took a slice and savored every bite. I would have devoured the whole thing then, but unfortunately, it was Monday. I had to go to school, the perfect addition to anyone's birthday.

Instead of biking alongside me, like he had been doing for the past week, Eli hadn't shown up. He wasn't in class either.

I was sort of expecting someone to say happy birthday to me. No one did. Not one person. No text. Scratch that, Facebook wished me a happy birthday -good ol' Facebook. But, Riley hadn't. Nor had Blair.

I wasn't one to be petty, but guess who weren't going to get any gifts on their birthdays?

At least Ms. Beauregard wasn't being so vile to me anymore. She did, however, remind me, "Your exams start in a week so you should start studying."

I was so screwed.

It wasn't that I was dumb. I did pretty well in school, I just struggled to bring myself to study for exams and without fail always ended up winging it on exams. The only difference now was that these exams mattered for my university acceptances.

I needed to start studying.

➸

I had finally worked up the motivation to study but was interrupted (as usual) by the sound of pattering against my window. I drew open my curtains and was met with a fairly large rock coming straight towards me. I shrieked and ducked, closing my eyes. Surprisingly, the glass of my window didn't shatter.

I peered out and found Eli grinning like an idiot from below.

I opened my window, "Are you trying to kill me or something?"

"No, why?"

"You're literally throwing boulders at my window."

"Wow, Princess. I thought after becoming an adult, you would have learned a bit more about grade five wording. Literally means-"

"How do you know it's my birthday?" I cut in.

"I have my sources," Eli shrugged, "Now get down we're going out. And yes, your dad approves."

Whenever Dad and Eli agreed on something it scared me. I threw on some shoes and cautiously headed downstairs, "Where are we going?"

Eli threw an arm around my shoulders, "To get married, legally."

"Someone wake me up from this nightmare."

Eli rolled his eyes, "Please, you're just begging for me to marry you."

"Oh, you wish."

"No, I'm the genie. I grant the wishes."

"All right, I wish for you to go die in a hole."

"Sorry but you're going to have to ask another genie to grant your wishes."

I huffed. Rude. Eli led me to a car, I frowned, "Is this yours or did you threaten someone to give it to you?"

"Come on, Buttercup, I have a little bit of class." Eli smirked, "I hot wired it."

"You did what?"