"Not even a Happy Birthday?"
I gasped dramatically, throwing my hand over my chest as Justin slowed to a stop in front of me with a lopsided smile.
Despite him living with us, he hadn't really been around all that much. He was at practice, studying the plays of the basketball team in case someone fell through and he'd have to fill in. Or out trying to find a summer job to help pay for college next year, in case he didn't get a scholarship.
"I literally just approached you, Han." He kissed me quickly, "Happy Birthday, beautiful."
"Corny." I grumbled, crossing my arms over my chest as I smile tugged at my lips, "Where's my present?"
"I'm right here, thank you very much." He gestured toward himself, winking. I smacked his chest, shaking my head.
"Seriously." I replied.
"That seriously hurt my feelings, " he feigned hurt, "I'm sorry I'm not good enough for you."
He lowered his head, pretending to be embarrassed as he dug through his jacket pockets. He pulled out an envelope.
"So you remember when you told me that if I sent your application for UCLA in you'd beat me with a bat? Well, baby, I think you better go find my bat. Should be in my trunk." I gaped at him, tearing the envelope from his grip and opening it.
"Justin, I told you- Oh My God! I got in! Justin, I got in!" I was screaming so loud I caught the attention of most of the hallway, everyone staring at me as if I had escaped an institution.
"That's not my present though, you'll have to wait until later for that." he kissed my temple before ducking into the classroom beside me, seconds before the first bell rang, leaving me to stare after him in a mixture of excitement and confusion.
*
"Hail!" I caught up to Hailey seconds before she climbed on the bleachers to find a seat. She frowned, turning around to face me with an arched eyebrow.
"Yes? What are you so frantic about?" She shook her head, looking like she were trying to decided whether to be worried or annoyed.
"I need a pad." I avoided her eyes, feeling warmth spread through my cheeks.
"You could have sent me a text." She mumbled, taking a pad and handed it to me, "You're not having a very good month, are you?"
"Nope." I sighed, thanking her as I ducked out of the Gym and darted toward the bathrooms.
Once I was done, I nearly punched Justin in the face when I felt his arms wrap around my waist outside the door.
"You scared the crap out of me." I gasped, "I thought you were a creep."
"Sorry, babe." He handed me two gift bags, an excited look in his eyes.
"You couldn't wait to give these to me at home?" I asked, laughing as I set one down and started to open it.
The first was a charm bracelet I'd had my eye on for almost two years and would bug Justin about constantly whenever we went to the mall. I was about to ask what the second thing was when I caught sight of it and fell into a fit of laughter, gripping his arm to keep from collapsing.
"Well, I'm glad you liked your gifts." I had to hold the bridge of my nose to calm down, my cheeks flushed entirely as he stared down at me in amusement. Once I had regained my composure I pulled out the package of pads and whacked him continuously with it before falling into another fit of laughter.
"I love seeing you laugh, Han, but I have to go help Mase. We just lost Johnny's stupid ass and I need to fill in. Love you!" He kissed me before jogging back across the hall and into the Gym, leaving me in the middle of the hallway, holding my pads against my chest in amusement.
*
"This is how half of the skit things in Sex Ed started." Hailey commented beside me, her hand wrapped tightly around the red solo cup in her hands, lips curving into a toothy smile. Mason laughed beside her, shaking his head.
"More like three fourths." Sophia took a cup and sipped it. "Hmm, champagne."
"Don't tell my Mom-" Mason started.
"When would we ever talk to your Mom?" I questioned, giving Mason and confused look. Justin nudged me slightly and leaned so his lips were inches from my ear.
"How'd you like your present?" he whispered. I nearly choked on my champagne, bringing my hand up to wipe my nose as Justin shook his head beside me, laughing his ass off.
"Yup." Mason set the bottle of champagne on the ground as we all turned in unison to glance at the sunset. "What's it like being an adult?"
"Boring." I muttered at the same time Hailey spoke up.
I caught the last of whatever Soph and Hailey were talking about, "Dad could come out here and murder us for not listening to half of the skits!"
"He would yell at us." I shook her head and stood. "I'm grabbing more cake, anyone want any?"
Sophia and Mason both shot up at once, muttering a sure under their breaths as they followed me into the house, leaving Justin and Hailey outside.
"How has your day been, Birthday Girl?" Mason questioned, his voice quiet as he cut the cake.
"Okay. Glad you guys won." I responded, holding out a couple plates for him to set it on.
"We couldn't have done it without Justin. He saved our asses." It was funny, Justin had said the exact opposite on the way home.
"Mason-"
"I already told you I couldn't do it." He whispered, "Can't you just leave me alone about it?"
"You were my best friend too, Mase. Those three months when Hail was away at camp, it was us. You and me. I knew you better than you know yourself." I poked his chest, "And I know you love my sister more than you care to admit. Three words-"
"I'm leaving." He blurted, then shook his head as if he hadn't meant to say the words aloud.
"Leaving?" I echoed.
"Yes. I'm going to live with my Uncle and-'
"And that's all the more reason to man up and tell her." I touched his cheek with a sad smile, "Please, Mason. You have too."
"I hate to interrupt your intimate moment, but Hailey just locked herself in her room." our heads whipped toward Sophia in the hall, her eye darting to the door behind her, "And locked the window, according to Justin."
"Why?" Mason and I asked in unison.
"I don't know, but I'm scared." She mumbled, stepping out of the way when Mason and I rushed down the hall. He knocked first, stepping in my way so I couldn't get in if Hailey opened the door.
"What?" the quiet voice snapped from the other side of the door.
"Hail, what's going on? Are you okay?" Mason responded, his eyes wide as he stared at the white door in front of him.
"I'm fine, Mase. I just want to be alone-"
"Let's be alone together," He cut her off, "Let me in."
I was about to tell him there wasn't a chance she would, that she never let anyone in when she went into her "All by myself" spurts. The words died in my throat when the door clicked open and swung open a little, revealing my sister's figure in the doorway.
"Hey." Mason pushed into the room before shutting the door in our face.
**
"He looks like a little baby. I want to squeeze his cheeks." Sophia giggled beside me, making gestures with her hands as we stared at a lump of blankets on Justin's bed.
"He's eighteen, not eight, Soph." She huffed out a sigh, crossing her arms over her chest as I pulled the door shut to give him peace.
We were heading back toward my room, but stopped dead in our tracks in front of my sister's door. Sophia grabbed at my arm, hopping up and down as she pointed into the room.
Mason and Hailey were so close that their shoulders were brushing against each other, their faces inches apart, looking seconds away from letting them fall against each other. We must have made some sort of sound because Mason flew off the bed and hit the ground, Hailey stood up, blush rushing to her cheeks.
"We weren't doing anything!" Mason said, shaking his head, his own cheeks pink. It was Sophia who responded, her eyes still wide with excitement.
"Why not?"
****AN***
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~ChasingMadness24