Don't Let Me Fall

Chapter 9: Another Year Older, Not That Much Wiser

"You are only young once, but you can be immature for a lifetime." - John P. Grier

Today is my 18th birthday. Yippie. At exactly 9:23 I will officially be able to be called an adult. I could vote, or buy cigarettes if I wanted to. I hated birthdays, and always had. Every year on December 15th I add a year onto my age, and every year on December 15th I dread it. Of course as a kid I always looked forward to my birthday, because of all the presents. But now it seems pointless to even celebrate the event. I am one year closer to dying, why would I celebrate that? Then there is the fact that my parents make the biggest deal out of it. Last year they got me a 50 inch flat screen for my room, and I haven't even turned it on yet. I guess I just don't have a need for expensive things, give me a basketball and I will be a happy camper. Buy me some pre-wrap, I'll be wearing a smile for a year.

I slammed my car door shut, and began walking towards the school. I was quickly greeted by a smiling Jaxon a few feet away from the door, he was on his phone, but quickly hung it up before I could reach him. He was dressed in a pair of black dress pants, a black dress shirt, and a bright green tie. He looked quite snazzy.

"Why are you so happy?" I questioned him.

He looked up at me from the ground.

"What, I can't just smile?" He replied.

He reached for the door, and held it open as I walked through. We took our seats at our  usual table we sat at for breakfast. Haley, Jesse, Jordan, and Hannah were all sitting around  the table, eating their breakfast in silence. Jaxon took a seat next Jesse, and I took one  next to Hannah.

"OK, so are you going to tell me why you are still smiling? What could possibly make you that happy?"

His smile widened.

"Well, I can't exactly say."

Jaxon grabbed a muffin off of Jesse's tray, and began eating it.

"Why not?" I pressed.

He took another bite of the muffin before he began to speak.

"Because it's a surprise."

I rolled my eyes.

"This doesn't have something to do with my birthday does it?"

He didn't reply, instead he took his phone out of his pocket and quickly sent a text.

"Because if it does, I might just punch you, right there in that pretty face." I threatened.

He let out an unnecessarily loud laugh.

"Oh no! Little Sammy is going to punch me." he mocked.

He has a point. I have tiny hands, and they probably wouldn't affect him at all. He let out a final laugh, then started quietly talking to Jesse.

"Happy Birthday!" Hannah shouted right in my ear.

"Shhhhhh!" I hissed at her.

I looked around to see if anyone had heard her. Everyone was to engaged in there conversations to pay any attention to her loud outburst.

"Would you shut your mouth?" I whispered into her ear.

The first bell rang, and there was a rush of students getting up from the tables.

Jaxon said a final word to Jesse, then walked over to me. We began to walk to our lockers in silence. He was clearly still thinking about whatever he was so happy about earlier. I probably would never get it out of him to why he was so happy. I was almost positive it had something to do with my birthday.