December 9th
For the first time in awhile, my mom had to wake me up this morning. On Thursday morning, an arm kept shaking me. I finally wake up to meet my mother's beaming gaze.
"Happy birthday, Hazel-bay!"
My eyes open slowly and I sit up with a smile planted on my face.
Mom has a cupcake I've been craving - rainbow. It has white frosting with colorfully shaped sprinkles all over it. It was small but I enjoyed blowing out the tiny candle.
I wish for the best birthday ever.
"Thanks, Ma." I take the cupcake from her hand and start eating the bread first. I loved to eat the frosting last, a habit I picked up from all the many birthday parties I've attended.
"You're welcome. Now get dressed." Her voice is still playful even though she just ordered me around.
I eat the rest of my cupcake and climb out of bed. My head was slightly throbbing with a headache.
I did not enjoy that.
My outfit is already picked out for the day, courtesy of Carly (outfit in side-bar).
The only reason I slip it on is because it's cozy, worthy to walk out in, and because I was feeling a bit nice. Usually, I'd throw it aside and pick out my own outfit.
I head downstairs with a hop in my step. It was in the cupcake.
Evan and Zach were talking animatedly on the couch. As soon as they notice me in the kitchen, they tackle me to the ground.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MUNCHKIN!" Evan screams in my ear.
"YOU'RE FINALLY SEVENTEEN!" Zach joins in.
I laugh despite being crushed by two nineteen year olds. Eventually they get off me, only to give me my birthday licks.
"No!" I squeal and run around the house as my brothers try to chase me.
Obviously, they get me in a matter of a minute. Both of my arms are in pain from the punches my brother's gave me. They thought it was all fun in games until I began to tear up.
"Sorry Haze."
"Yeah, we didn't know we were hitting too hard."
I smile slightly. "S'okay, there's no bruises."
After that, as a sorry, they drive to me to school in the family van. We joke and laugh the whole time. I forgot how fun it was to be around my brothers when they weren't trying to embarrass me.
"Wait!" Zach grabs my wrist before I could leave the van.
"You forgot this." Evan gives me a bright pink pin that reads: 'Kiss Me, its My Birthday!'
I wrinkle my nose. "I'm not wearing this." Unfortunately, I didn't have that choice. Zach yanks my shirt and forcefully pins it on. "Now don't take it off or else." He warns seriously.
"Fine," I sigh, even though I didn't pick up a fight.
As I walked through the doors, I'm a bit surprised no one looks my way. No one even bothers to glance at my pin. Well, should I expect a bunch of strangers to have a cake for me? Obviously.
High school at Brinch is so much more different than high school at Hushbud.
I get to my locker and find a nice surprise. My locker is decorated in hand-made posters. Most of it says 'Happy Birthday Hazel!' - 'I love you!' - '17 YEARS OLD!'
I laugh when I notice it's Miranda's handwriting. She deserved a reward for bestest friend in the world, and Iove her too. She was a great best friend.
"Happy birthday!" The girl herself tackled me in a backwards hug.
"Thanks Mir." I smile with genuine appreciation. "This really means a lot." And it did. No one's every decorated my locker before. Gosh, I'm so new at this!
"Good, 'cause it took all night to make!"
"Even though you were tired from the fruit?"
"Hell yes."
I throw my arms around her again. "You really are the best friend I could ever have! Hell." I pull away and talk again. "You're the only best friend who's the best.”
"Yes!" Miranda pumps her fist.
I laugh.
"Oh." She reads my pin. "Get any kisses yet?"
"Nope," I replied. "And I don't plan on getting any."
"Not even from your super duper hot boyfriend, Logan Holster?" A new voice asked. I turn around to meet my boyfriend's beaming face.
"I only reserve them for you." I said, kissing him quickly.
"Gross." Miranda scrunches up her face. She waves goodbye half-heartedly and leaves.
It's just Logan and I in our own little world. He has his arms wrapped around my waist and my hands sling around his neck.
The words that I've been dying to say were so close to falling out. His eyes just shined with so much love and hope in there. He should be thinking the same thing.
"You look beautiful today, birthday girl." He compliments.
I grin. "Thank you."
Our same cranky teacher is instantly at our side as soon as we're about to lean again. "No PDA." He barks. Logan's arms slowly leave mine and I step back a couple of centimeters.
"Oh," He grimaces at my shirt, "lovely pin."
"I love it, too." Logan smirks.
Thanks to Miranda, all three of my morning classes sang happy birthday to me. She was really enthusiastic over a birthday that wasn't her own. As much as I appreciated it, I couldn't help but notice Aiden not singing and get mad over it.
"What's the prob, Bob?" Miranda asked me on our way to lunch.
"Aiden didn't sing." I puff out my cheeks and furrow my brow.
"Don't do that." Miranda said, regarding my face. "And also, why do you care?"
I sigh and let my face fall. "I dunno. I guess because at one point, we used to be good friends."
"And now that's over with," Miranda replied evenly. "So get over it."
The sudden change of heart sends me on edge. Did Miranda not know how much it was hurting me that we weren't friends? How could she be so insensitive?
"What's your problem?" I asked her.
"Nothing," Miranda sends me a hard look. "I just think you shouldn't lead him on if you have a boyfriend. Get over him! You have someone, so don't have Aiden hostage for your own greed."
With that, she stomps away.
It felt like I'd been punched in the gut - the punch of truth that is. Damn, that was corny, but it was true. Well, I thought in line, she can go piss off.
I sit with Quinn, Logan, and Josh at the lunch table. They give me quick hugs and a 'happy birthday' homemade card before continuing their usual conversations.
The card was pink construction paper. On the front it said: HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAZEL! At the bottom: By: Logan Holster, Quinn Tyler, and Josh Anderson. Inside, there's a long heart-warming paragraph.
Hazel, when we first met you at the lunch table, we thought you were hot. At first, we thought you were into Aiden. Now you're with Logan. It's crazy how you changed our lives. And you don't know the half of it. Since we're guys, we don't put out our feelings so this will be short and sweet. We love you like a sister, Hazel! :)
"I love you guys." I smiled. Tears of joy were already blurring my vision.
"Oh no, are you crying?" Quinn's face looked pained.
"I'm sorry." I wipe them away as best as I can.
"Don't be." Josh smiled. "We get it."
Could I have better friends than these guys here? Miranda was my best girl friend (even though we're fighting at the moment) and Quinn and Josh were my best guy friends. Logan was my best friend and my boyfriend.
After school, Logan was acting really cheeky.
"Baby, what're you doing tonight?" His grasp on my hips were light and he was kissing all over my face in his car.
Not that I wasn't enjoying it... "Nothing, why?" He kisses my lips and grins into the kiss. "I might pay a visit." He murmurs against my lips.
I smile and pull away to look him in the eye. "What are you planning Logan Holster?"
"I said might."
His hands never leave me on the ride home. At stop lights, he frenched me. When slow drivers got in his way, he played with my fingers. What has gotten into him?
"Have a great birthday, baby." He kisses my cheek before I can exit the car.
I give him a weird look. "Thanks."
He smiles innocently. He drives off with a huge grin on his face.
What's gotten into him?
7:00 PM
Mom didn't have a date tonight. She stayed for a good half an hour with Carly, Zach, and Evan and sang happy birthday with a cake. Then, everyone disappeared after cake eating was over.
Mom had been invited to a birthday party. Carly was working on a project in her dorm. Zach was doing what he always did - party. And Evan went to visit his girlfriend.
Since we've moved here, I've been the designated house sitter.
I sat in my black short-shorts and white with blue flowers pullover in the living room watching TV. An assortment of gummy worms, sours gummy bears, peach rings, and any kind of chewy candy you can name was lying in a bowl in my lap.
The only thing keeping me awake was the Awkward. marathon.
Ever since seeing it at Miranda's house, I've been hooked. It was my favorite MTV show. And if you haven't heard of it, I suggest looking it up on YouTube.
It's the bomb dot com.
At around nine, there's a knock on the door.
Being so into the show, I fall off the couch in surprise. Who the hell's knocking at nine at night?
Obviously serial killers.
"Who's knocking on my fucking door?!" I demand in a deep voice, hoping to ward off the killer if they knew a manly woman lived here.
The person laughed on the other side of the door in amusement.
Huh?
"It's me," Logan said.
I unlock the door and slowly open it. Logan is in black shorts, a muscles shirt (oh god, someone help me), and a plate with chocolate covered strawberries wrapped in plastic.
"You just love to surprise me."
Logan grins and steps in. "I got lonely."
"Come in." I close the door and watch him set the strawberries on the coffee table. He turns back to me with want in his eyes.
I run-jump into his arms, knocking him onto the couch, and kiss him. God, I loved Logan so much. Why was he so irresistible? Why did all these thoughts consume me when we kiss?!
"Let's go upstairs." He whispers in my ear.
I hold the strawberries while Logan carries me up to my room. He closes the door and joins me to unwrap the plate.
"Did you buy this?"
"Yeah," Logan popped one in his mouth.
"My favorite," I grin and shove one in my mouth greedily.
Logan's hands fall all over me and we kiss once again. The plate gets moved to the table, my shirts being lifted off, and Logan's already in his boxers.
In a matter of minutes, we're lying in my darkened room, the sheets tangled, and the both of us only in our underwear. The skin on skin contact was making us warm against the chilly winter air blowing against the windows.
"Hazel." Logan grazes my chin and keeps our eyes locked. "I've been meaning to say this for the longest."
I peck him and bat my eyes. "Tell me."
"I love you," He whispered.
My eyes bulge out of my head, I'm sure. My brain completely shuts off after that. I grab his face, kiss him hard, and whisper, "I love you too."
After that, I don't remember the rest. All I can remember is getting fed strawberries, rehearing 'I love you' come out of his mouth as he thrusted into me, and falling asleep naked in my boyfriend's arms.