Cold.
"Ceres...Mama is sorry, you know she is right?" Serena whispered as she stroked her daughter's hair.
She was so cold.
Even though Ceres was being held so closely to her mother, she was cold. A mother's embrace was supposed to be warm, so why is it that she was still shivering?
Was she shivering because she was cold, or because she was scared?
Ceres had long forgotten. She only wanted to sleep but being in her mother's embrace had to be one of the most nerve wracking positions she could ever find herself in.
How could she sleep when she was so afraid? Afraid that her mother would lash out again, or do something even worse?
"Yes...I know" Ceres whispered and when Serena held her closer, Ceres let her eyes flutter shut.
She wouldn't sleep because she was tired. She would sleep to escape the fear of the woman who was holding her in faux affection. The hug she was receiving, she knew it wasn't one of love.
"Mama loves you...she does..."
So why does she continue to lie?
~ Present Time, Ceres P.O.V. ~
Warm.
"Happy birthday, Ceres!!"
I felt so warm.
It was like someone had lit a flame inside of me and the heat was just overwhelming me as I stood in awe at the sight in front of me.
There was a cake, no doubt made by Roman and Kade, and my name was written on it in cursive with 'Happy 15th Birthday' next to it. Although the icing of the cake was white, I wondered what flavor was hiding beneath it.
"Thank you" I said while giving the biggest smile that I possibly could. How could I not smile when greeted with such a sight?
The flash of a camera startled me and I saw Kade grinning at me with his phone held up.
"Another great photo for the album~" he said as he saved the picture.
"Come on, kiddo. Blow out your candles" Ares said nudging me and I closed my eyes for a moment, thinking of my wish.
I wished to be able to someday make everyone as happy as they've all made me.
With my wish in mind, I blew out the many candles on the cake and the sounds of cheers filled my ears as I opened my eyes.
Seeing the smiling faces of my brothers and Papa only intensified the warm feeling within me until I felt like I was a flower that had finally gotten the chance to bloom after a long and harsh winter.
"You can open your gifts when you get home from school" Papa said and hearing his mentioning of gifts, I suddenly remembered the ones I had for them.
"Please wait here" I said before going to the kitchen. I had stashed the chocolates in a place where no one, not even Lucas would look.
Behind an unsuspecting package of broccoli.
After grabbing the chocolates I came back and handed one to each of my brothers and Papa.
Upon receiving his gift, Lance let out a soft chuckle.
"Only Ceres would give out presents on her own birthday" he said and I blushed.
"B-But it's also Valentine's Day...and Diana said giving chocolate is a way to tell someone you love them so..." I said and towards the end of the sentence I had averted my eyes, feeling just the smallest bit of embarrassment run through me.
Did they not like their presents..?
That thought was kicked out of my head as soon as I felt the warm embrace of Kade who was a sobbing mess by now.
"Honey, you're too kind! Really!" He cried.
"Nasty..." Max said with a grimace as he looked at Kade and the others just let out chuckles.
"Man, I didn't think at this age I'd ever be getting chocolates. Thank you, Ceres" Papa said and I nodded happily with a smile.
"This was very sweet of you Ceres, please, never change the way you are" Roman as he gave me his usual kind smile.
Suddenly, I heard the sound of a relieved sigh coming from Lucas.
"Oh thank god..." I heard him mutter and we all looked at him confused.
"What?" I asked and Lucas gave a small bashful smile.
"When I saw you getting chocolate, I thought you might have been giving it to someone else" Lucas admitted and I held up my bag that still had the chocolate for Diana, Ross, and Hayden.
"I got some for everyone" I said.
"And who else is apart of...everyone?" Kade asked and I looked up at him.
"Diana, Ross, and Hayden" I said and when seeing the twitch in Kade's eyebrow, I knew that he wasn't really all too happy but surprisingly he didn't get upset.
"Because it's your birthday, I won't throw a tantrum" he justified and I thanked him with another hug.
"Well it's a miracle if that's the case" Ares said with a laugh at the end.
After giving my gifts, I had to eat breakfast quickly so that we would make it on time to school. I clutched the bag of chocolates in my hands tightly, feeling really excited to give them to my friends.
I really couldn't wait to give it to them and the happy reactions from my family only fueled my excitement.
When finally reaching school, I had left Max's side pretty quickly and went to find my friends. When I had found them, I had seen them huddled by my locker. What were they doing?
"Guys?" I said as I approached them.
"Oh! She's here!" I heard Diana say and in unison, the three of them turned. Hayden on the right with a card in his hand, Diana was in the middle with a cupcake that had a candle that wasn't lit, and Ross was on the right with a popper in his hand.
Ross opened the popper and I smiled as the confetti rained down on me.
"Happy birthday!" They all said in unison.
"We couldn't light your candle cause the stupid school won't allow it" Ross said with a frown and I shook my head.
"This is enough to make me happy for a lifetime. Thank you so much you guys" I said as I leaned down to blow on the candle, even though it wasn't lit.
"This is for you" Hayden said handing me the card and I took it.
It was a cute birthday card that was simple and somehow, I could tell that Diana wasn't the one who chose it. Knowing her she would have chosen something that screamed happy birthday at me.
I opened it and read the things that was written in it.
'It's your birthday you party pooper! Don't be afraid to let loose and do what you want for once! We're all wishing you a happy birthday, and I hope you enjoy your day' - Ross
'We may have only known each other for a short while, but in that time I've had the happiest moments of my entire life. I hope that we can continue to celebrate many more of your birthdays together' - Hayden
'Happy birthday, Ceres! You're my most absolute bestest friend in the entire world and no one can ever take that title from you! I'm so proud to be able to call you my friend, and I hope it's the same for you! I am truly happy to have met you, so let's continue to be friends forever and ever!' - Diana
"T-Thank yo...u..." I could barely speak through the tears and small hiccups I had let out here and there.
"Oh come on, you're the birthday girl you can't cry!" Ross said as he rubbed my shoulder.
"H-How can you expect...me to n-not cry...when you guys said s-so many nice things!" I cried and through all the tears, I could see the three of them still smiling at me.
"Let's get you cleaned up before we go to class" Diana said as she grabbed my hand.
Ross and Hayden had told us they would see us in class and Diana handed them my cupcake before we parted from the two.
As we walked, I couldn't help but continue to think of how happy everyone has made me today. I never knew that so much happiness could come from the simple fact that it was my birthday.
Everyone's kind words were some of the best gifts I could ever receive.
THIRD P.O.V.
Max felt like he was about to shit his pants.
Here he was waiting in the vacant art room where he had asked Julia to come meet him during lunch. He was scared out of his mind but he didn't think he could wait any longer.
He was afraid that if he did, Julia would leave him behind.
Julia was applying to many colleges, all of which she had high chances of getting into but what worried Max was the one school she had mentioned to him that might accept her on a scholarship. It was far away, somewhere that Max wouldn't be able to see her regularly, talk to her, or even listen to her constant rambles.
Max would be stuck at some boring community college because of his sucky grades, there was no way he had the chances of getting into the same schools as Julia. But he also didn't want Julia to feel like she had to stay with him which was another reason why he held off on confessing his feelings.
"Max?" Max looked up at the sound of his name and watched as Julia walked in with a curious look on her face.
"Why are we in here? It's lunch, we should be eating" She said and when Max didn't respond, Julia frowned.
"Max, what's wrong?" Julia asked as she stepped closer.
Deciding that he should just get it over with before he chickens out, Max held out the chocolates he had bought for Julia.
"Ch-Chocolate...?" Julia whispered as she looked at the small box held in front of her.
Max had actually went to go buy chocolate for Julia and used the excuse of wanting to get paint as a cover up so his brothers wouldn't bother him.
Max's blush only deepened as he prepared his next words.
"Listen well cause I'm only gonna say this once" Max started and Julia stilled in her spot as she waited for Max's next words, her heart hammering in her chest so loudly that she was afraid she wouldn't be able to hear Max.
"Ever since our first year together, I've liked you and I'm sorry that I'm being such a coward and telling you this now when you're figuring out what you want to do. I want you to follow your dreams but I also want to be there when you achieve them...shit, uh, this worked out better in my head" Max groaned and Julia couldn't help but giggle.
"W-What's so funny, huh?! I'm pouring my heart out here to you and you're laughing?" Max exclaimed and Julia quickly shook her head.
"No, no! I'm not laughing at you, I promise! It's just, you're so oblivious it's funny!" Julia said and Max's eyes widened.
"I've always liked you too..." Julia said, and this time it was her turn to turn red and the two had both become blushing messes when realizing that they had felt the same way after all this time.
"Really...?" Max asked and Julia nodded. Max could only explain this feeling that was blossoming in his chest as pure happiness. He felt like he was on cloud nine and he hoped that he would never come down.
"So...I'm waiting" Julia said with a grin even though her cheeks were still aflame.
"Waiting for what?" Max asked and Julia frowned.
"You really are a dunce! This is the part where you ask me to be your girlfriend!" Julia exclaimed.
"Oh...s-sorry....I'm not used to this y'know? You're my...first love" Julia leaned in to try and hear Max who had suddenly become as quiet as a mouse.
"What did you say?" Julia asked and Max shook his head.
"If you didn't hear it, it wasn't important" Max said and Julia gaped at him.
"What in the world kind of logic is that?! Your feeling are very much important to me you dipshit!" Julia said as she punched Max's shoulder, and not lightly.
"Ah, forget it! You're so violent, who would ever like someone like you?!" Max yelled and Julia glared.
"And you're so dumb that I'd feel sorry for whoever ends up with you!" She retorted and the two glared at each other.
It only took a second before Max's glare softened.
"This is so stupid..." Max said with a chuckle and Julia joined him as the two erupted into laughter.
"Hey...wanna...be my g-girl...friend?" Max stuttered out and Julia let out a squeal before tackling Max in a hug and Max groaned when the both of them went flying to the ground.
"I was really gonna leave to that college that offered me the scholarship if you hadn't confessed to me, y'know?" Julia said after a moment as she pulled away from the hug and Max frowned.
"You were basing your college career off of my feelings? Why would you ever do something like that?" Max said with a frown and Julia sighed.
"I guess I just wouldn't be able to keep feeling this way and knowing that you would never like me back. You were right, after all. I'm violent, I don't act all girly and whatnot, and I'm-" Max had cut Julia's negative rant with a quick but firm kiss, leaving Julia speechless which was exactly Max's intentions.
"You're the most beautiful, kindhearted, and amazing woman I have ever met. You looked past those rumors about me and continued to be friends with me even when I would be so mean to you that it would make any normal person cry. I don't ever want to hear you talking about yourself like that, you hear me?" Max said as he stared right into Julia's eyes that seemed to begin to mist over.
Upon noticing it, Max had begun to panic.
"H-Hey, why are you crying? Aren't compliments supposed to make you happy?" Max asked and Julia couldn't help but laugh through her tears.
"You really are stupid" Julia said and just hugged Max to which he didn't complain.
He let out a sigh of relief that he had been holding in the entire time. He was glad that everything worked out in his favor.
However, somewhere else, someone else was confessing their feelings. Except it isn't going as well as they hoped it would.
~ With Ceres, Ceres P.O.V.~
"I- uh want you to have this" Hayden said as he held out his gift, separate from the card that he and the others had gotten me for my birthday.
I looked at the gift in surprise.
"You didn't have to get me another gift. The card was more than enough" I said and Hayden shook his head.
"This isn't a birthday gift..." he said as he looked at me and I frowned.
If it wasn't a birthday gift, then what was it?
"It's a Valentine's Day gift. I'm giving these to you because I like you" Hayden said and my eyes widened at his words.
He liked me...? But wouldn't that only be normal if we were friends? I couldn't imagine being friends with someone who didn't like me.
My thoughts flooded back to Diana's texts and how she had told me that when someone gave you chocolates, it meant they were saying they love you.
"I can already tell that you're confused so I'm going to explain it in a way that even you'll be able to understand" Hayden said as he grabbed my hand and placed it on his chest and I was surprised to feel that his heart was beating so fast.
"I like you and not just in the sense of being friends with you. I want to hold your hand, I want to see you everyday, I want to make you laugh, I want you to be happy. And I know right now I'm still not capable of those things, but one day I will be. I will become someone worthy of your love, so please wait for me" Hayden said and when met with his serious gaze, I could feel myself start to blush.
I understood it. I understood what he meant very well. Someone that was just a friend wouldn't ask me to wait for them, or be willing to improve themselves to be with me.
But how was I supposed to respond to that? What could I possibly say that would be a suitable answer? Did I even like Hayden in that way? I mean, my heart isn't beating nearly as fast as his, maybe that was a sign I didn't?
"And as for the person who left the letter in your locker, it was me" Hayden said and I was left speechless. That was long before either of us had met, had he been feeling this way this entire time?
"I'm not expecting any kind of answer from you right now, but all I can do is ask you to keep your eyes on me. I want to show you everything that I'm capable of" Hayden said and this time it was accompanied with a confident smile and all I could do was nod my head.
So many unexpected things happened today and I found myself in a daze. Would I really be able to keep up with Hayden? He seemed determined to show me his abilities and I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to listen to his feelings as asked.
The thing I could start with however is accepting his chocolate, even if I didn't like chocolate.