*Leigh*
I do my best to paint the picture of Dan at his drums.
I've painted my mom from a picture, so this shouldn't be hard. It's only a little bit because it's not a portrait like I did of my mom. And Beth.
With my mom, I used the last picture we took of her when she was relatively healthy. She wanted us to take it and remember her that way, not nearer to the end of her life. Even though she was technically sick in the picture, it hadn't really hit her body yet.
I've been wanting to paint something for Dan for a while, I just didn't know what to paint for awhile. I thought it would be a little weird to give him a picture of just himself, so I thought this was a good compromise. Maybe he could even hang this up in his basement near his drums, who knows. He might want it in his room though. Or, I hope so. I hope he likes it enough to display it somewhere he'll see it often.
I gave Beth hers, and she loved it because it symbolized that night we chopped her hair off, along with her leaving her bad memories behind in her other life, and this was her new life where she could officially move on from it and live her life and be happy.
I was so happy for her that night, and she cried when I gave her the painting to keep. I did take a picture though for a possible near future portfolio. And I also took a picture of her with it, for her, and for me. It'll always be a very nice and special moment we share as best friends.
I painted Dan's a few times. I don't know why. I just wanted it to be really good. My dad told me the other two were fine. But sometimes I can be a kind of perfectionist, thanks to my dad, and the third one I painted ended up being the one for me. It was just, different than the others. It didn't bother my slightly perfectionist brain, and simply, I felt happy with it when looking at it. And I smiled at it big when I was finally done, so excited for Dan to see it.
We have a birthday friend thing for Dan, at his favorite Mexican restaurant. Then after, we go back to my house for dessert and cards/presents. My dad even got him a birthday card, which makes me feel good. He likes Dan.
Me and Beth got him a cupcake, because we knew that he was going to have cake with his family later in the night. It's a big cupcake though. Vanilla cake and vanilla frosting. Almost as big as Dan's face.
"Close your eyes!" I say when he sits at the table.
He laughs, "Oh no, why?"
"Shush you, just close your eyes" I laugh, he does after laughing, and I go into the kitchen. Beth laughs at us, as she usually does, and comes to help me, grabbing a candle and a lighter for me.
I put it down in front of him on a little paper plate, the cupcake taking up almost all of the plate, and I put the one candle in it. Beth lights it and we smile at what we've done for our friend, something small, but special.
"Open," I tell him excitedly and smile. It's always nicer celebrating a close friend's birthday. I prefer this, rather than my own.
He opens his eyes.
"Wow," He smiles a genuine smile with teeth, "Thank you guys."
We all smile, and then me and Beth sit on either side of him.
"We wanted to get you a little something, even though it's bigger than we thought it was going to be," I laugh and so does Beth, while Dan smiles. "But we knew you were having cake later, so a cupcake seemed like a good idea," I finish, smiling.
"I love it," He smiles at me with his teeth, which naturally makes me smile more, too. I love making people smile. I love making Dan smile.
He smiles at Beth, who smiles at him, and they fist bump. A common thing with them. They laugh and smile like always when they do this, and I smile at my two best friends smiling together, as I always do.
"Make a wish!" I say excitedly when he looks back at the candle on his birthday cupcake. My excited tone makes him laugh. It's like I'm a child sometimes. But neither of my best friends seem to mind.
He smiles at both of us, closes his eyes for a few seconds, and then blows out the candle. We clap like he's a little kid and he laughs. Then he smiles cutely, and takes the candle out.
We got him a cupcake so he could have it all to himself; but he ends up taking the paper off, splitting it into three parts and motioning us closer to him. We move our chairs closer because he won't take no for an answer. Then we all enjoy his birthday cupcake, after a cheers to Dan.
"Thank you for being the best friends I've ever had," He says suddenly, "You have given me an amazing birthday."
He's never used that word. And I don't unless I know the other person will reciprocate, because I've been in some awkward friend situations in my life at some points. But pretty much right after I met Dan for the first time, I somehow knew he was going to be someone special in my life. And for awhile now, I've felt like he's my best friend. We're a little trio now, and it feels natural and comfortable all the time.
We smile at him and he puts an arm around each of us. I cuddle into him a little closer, "No problem."
After our special little moment, Beth cleans up, a natural reflex for her, and I bring him my present. I come into the kitchen from my room with the blank side to him, holding it close to my body, a little nervous to give it to him, but I have butterflies of excitement at the same time.
I slowly walk over to the table again, and he's smiling already, in anticipation I guess. Which makes me a little more nervous.
But then I just bite the bullet, turn it around, and place it carefully on the table in front of him.
"Whoa," He says right when he sees it.
His hands are clasped and I notice his arms for the first time really, his sleeves rolled up. They look strong. Welp.
"Do you like it?" I smile big. Please like it.
"It's awesome!" He looks at it in amazement.
I smile bigger, "Yay."
"You're incredible," He looks at me and says it so seriously into my eyes. I almost don't think he's talking necessarily about the painting.
I giggle and smile, trying to hide my blushing, but most likely failing.
"Thank you so much, Genevieve," He says, seriously again, but he has a smile on his face this time.
I smile, "You're very welcome," Butterflies in my stomach.
Then he gets up, I back up a little so he can, and he comes toward me. More butterflies enter my stomach, and I'm sure my face is uncontrollably red at this point.
I don't easily get butterflies and blush like this. Sometimes I get nervous about my work, and revealing it to people, even my family. But it's never exactly like this.
Dan smiles, and then he just hugs me. No words after that, just another 'thank you' from him, but this time with affection.
I smile bigger to myself as I comfortably fall into his arms and hug. His arms feel nice, and they feel nice around me.
I hear Beth coming and I'm sure he does too, so the hug is cut kind of short. Not sure why it made us feel weird, not wanting to hug with Beth around. I guess because it was a personal and special moment just between us, even though Beth is also our best friend. This is the first time me and Dan have really hugged, seriously like this, at least.
We separate and share a smile, Beth is in the room now, but not intruding. She's just smiling at us, before joining us again to look at the painting.
We were successful, we made him happy.
And Dan deserves to be happy.
~*~