Twenty Five-They Don’t Ever Listen, Do They?
I roll onto my stomach and groan loudly. Today’s my birthday.
“You up?”
I groan again. “NELL. HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO FREAKIN TELL YOU TO SHUT THE GOD DAMN RADIO OFF!”
The voice chuckles. “How many times do I have to tell you that I’m not a radio?”
Realization hits me again and I open my eyes. “Not enough Charles. Not enough.” He laughs again. I sit up and yawn. “Don’t say what I think your gonna say.” I point a finger at Charles.
He raises an eyebrow. “What was I gonna say?”
“Happy birthday.” I mimic a disgusted voice. “It’s not very happy when I have gang vampires up my ass who are trying to kill me. Plus, it just adds another year to dieing.” He rolls his eyes while I to get dressed.
I throw on a grey tunic sweater with a belt, black leggings and flats, and do my hair in a messy bun. When I get outside, I see Charles sitting on my bed still. “Come on stalker. I’m hungry.” I start walking to the door, but Charles pulls me back, looking frantic. “What?” I ask annoyed a little bit.
“Um…just wait.” He fumbles. I raise an eyebrow. “How about you…um…show me what this is!” He swoops over to my book, Romeo and Juliet.
“It’s a book.” I say extremely slowly. “You were probably alive to see Shakespeare himself write the damn thing. Now, let’s go get food. I’m hungry.”
He scowls at me and follows me downstairs. “I was not alive to see him write the book.”
I roll my eyes. “Whatever floats your boat.” He just scowls at me again. We enter the living room and I nearly jump out of my pants.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY NORA!” Each grinning idiot for a vampire yells, including my sister. A light bulb clicks in my head realizing Charles was trying to distract me from coming down here.
The whole living room is decorated in party decorations. Balloons, streamers, confetti, anything you can think of. Then, plastered on the wall, is a huge sign that says ‘happy birthday Nora and Nell!’. The floor has balloons and confetti covering the whole thing, so you cant even see it. The furniture has streamers wrapped around it all, making it look like a huge party just happened.
“Guys,” I groan, “I told you not to do this. Do you ever listen?”
“We do listen, but we don’t follow. It‘s our motto.” Bart grins, wrapping an arm around me.
“Who’s idea was this?”
“Mine!” Nell chirps. “Every year for your birthday you sit in your room and hide, while I’m out partying.”
I growl. “I do not sit in my room! You’re the one who goes out, get’s drunk, and bangs a dude!”
“Nu-uh! Remember the time you got so drunk you tried to strip? Do you want me to bring that up again?”
I gasp. “That was one time! One! I don’t even remember doing that! You’re the one who dragged me to that stupid party!” The next thing I was going to say died in my mouth, and I frown. “What were we fighting over again?”
She takes a deep breath in and frowns. “I don’t know.”
The boys bust out laughing so I flip them the bird, but that just makes them laugh harder. Damn vampires.
“I heard that!” Clint smirks, and I flip him off again. Stupid mind reader.
“PRESENT TIME BITCHES!” Bart screams making me smile-for a quick second before I realized what he just said.
“No. Hopefully their all for Nell, because if their not, I’m giving them to her. Or maybe some orphans.” I nod my head. “Yeah, orphans.”
Charles rolls his eyes. “Put the blindfold on.” He throws a blindfold onto my head.
My eyes widen. “No way in hell! You’ll throw me in a dumpster!”
His eyebrows raise in amusement. “Dumpster?”
I nod. “Probably!” I through my hands in the air.
He comes real close to my face. “Nora, are you on crack?” He copies me from the time I asked him that.
I grin like a idiot. “Who isn’t?” We both bust into laughter.
“Now, put the blindfold on, or I’ll do it for you.” He smirks while I mutter to myself. I tie the blindfold on and Charles guides me somewhere. Hopefully it’s not a dumpster.
“Okay, when I say now, take the blindfold off.” Edward instructs and I nod. After a couple of minutes, he says, “Now!”
I unwrap the blindfold from my head, and my mouth drops to the grass. There, sitting in the grass, is a black 2011 Camaro with a red ribbon attached. My mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water, my voice cut off entirely. This is the car of my dreams, and it’s sitting right in front of me.
All alone.
“Do you like it? I picked it out myself.” Bart grins.
Henry smacks his younger brother’s head. “Lies! Dirty lies!” He hisses. “You wanted to get her a pink Volkswagen Beetle! Charles picked the car out.” Bart just laughs.
“I’m seriously speechless. And I’ve never been speechless before.” I choke up. “Guys, I’m not accepting this. This is way too much.” I shake my head in disbelief and point to the dream in front of me.
Charles sighs. “Nora, we will tie you to that car if you don’t get inside the damn thing and take it for a spin.” He throws me the shiny new silver key and, by reflex, I catch it in one hand. I stare at the key for a moment. These idiotic, psychotic, vampires bought me the best car in the world for my birthday.
I feel tears warming up my eyes. Am I seriously gonna cry? I never cry over things like this. Great, they made me all mushy. I need to start working out with my punching bag again.
Clinton raises his eyebrows. “You have a punching bag?”
“God damn it Clinton!” I yell, but keep the smirk on my face. “And yeah, how do you think I got an ass like this?” I wiggle my hips while he laughs. “But seriously guys, this thing must of cost a fortune, and therefore, it’s yours.” I throw the key to Bart.
“Nu-uh. I’ll crash the thing even if I’m not even in the car.” He yelps, throwing the key to Clinton.
He grimaces. “I don’t like this type of car. I like old ones.” He chucks the key at Henry.
“No way in hell am I taking this car. It’ll be trashed with fast food by tomorrow.” He then glides the key over to Edward.
His eyes widen. “Are you freaking kidding me?” He throws the key to Charles, who has a scowl on his face.
“This isn’t hot potato you morons! The car is Nora’s!” He rolls his eyes, but they’re lit up in amusement. He walks over to me, grabs my hand which sends shocks down me but I ignore it, pries my hand open and drops the key inside. “I’ll staple it to your hand.” He threatens.
I sigh. There not gonna listen again are they? “Just once, will you guys listen to me? I really cant take this. I’ll go buy my own car. Seriously, who goes out and gets a car for a girl they’ve only know for about three weeks?” I question in disbelief while they guys spread grins onto their faces.
This all just happened in about three weeks. Learning vampires were real, some trying to kill me, a vampire who’s my true love, all of this. In three friggin weeks. That’s a lot to take in.
“Nora Holt.” Nell butts in, aggravation growing on her face. “If you don’t take this car, so help me God, I will personally annoy you to your death. It has almost happened before.” I grimace. It’s true.
When we were 17 Nell bought me a Gucci dress, that was a couple of a thousand dollars, and I refused to take it. She threatened the same thing, and I still refused. So, she kept me up that whole night singing ‘Hit Me Baby One More Time’ by Britney Spears, so I finally gave in.
I raise my hands up in defeat. “Fine, fine. I’ll take the damn car.” They all break out into grins.
“Glad you see it our way, Nora.” Bart laughs when I flip them the finger. Then he rubs his hands together and licks his lips. “You can ride your car later. IT’S CAKE TIME BITCHES!” He screams again.
My eyes pop out of their sockets. “There’s more?! No friggin way. The car is enough.” I do all these crazy hand motions.
Charles tugs me back inside, giving me a kiss on the forehead. “Shh, just eat the cake. It took us really long to make it and I’m gonna be upset if you don’t eat it.” They made it? Oh god.
I sigh. “Fine. But no more surprises after this.”
“Cant promise you that.” He smirks.
We all enter the kitchen and I smile. Sitting on the counter, is a huge raspberry cheesecake with 25 candles. My favorite. Then, a vanilla frosted lemon cake is sitting next to it, also with 25 candles. Nell’s favorite.
“You guys didn’t have to do this.” I frown and sigh.
“We know, but we wanted to. There’s a difference.” Henry points out.
Then they all break out into ‘Happy Birthday’. I seriously feel like I’m on Sesame Street. Then, for the ending, Bart starts singing really high and plays a fake electrical guitar, making me crack up in laughter. Charles scowls at him and shoves him into the wall, but he keeps on singing.
“Blow out the candles!” Edward groans, shutting Bart up.
Me and Nell go up to each cake, close our eyes, and wish for something.
I wish for us to defeat Bones.