The Second Partizan - 2

Jamie's Birthday - Part 4

Days pass by, more failing at Partizan training until one day you remember the date, July 25th, Jamie's sixteen the next day.

You recall all the problems that link to Jamie's birthday, his misery, his loneliness, his ignorance towards ageing.

You ponder on whether to leave it or not. Knowing Jamie bringing it up could end horribly, but if you do it a specific way there's a slim chance it will be beneficial.

You're currently sat in an art lesson, painting an ocean of all things, when an idea strikes you. You grab a new brush and a pot of black paint, slowly applying it in strokes to the paper, it's an ocean with rocking waves and a night sky, so you paint the silhouette of a rock. You then continue and make a boy stood on the rock, his hair blows in the wind, water splashes up his legs. The boy stares at the moon on his rock. It's Jamie.

You sigh with content and lay back, admiring your work from a different angle.

"That and beautiful." A girl states, her English is rusty, but you smile appreciatively.

When the painting is dry you roll it up and tie it with a navy blue ribbon. It's not a proper present so therefore Jamie won't think of it as a gift so therefore he won't get mad or sad or bad.

Boom, problem solved.

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You wake up and rush into the shower, throwing on some clean clothes, it's Saturday and you charge to Jamie's bedroom, prepared for good and bad.

Lottie appears out of nowhere and stops you as you're about to knock.

Her forehead is creased with worry, "Y/N Haru's planned a party for Jamie."

"Oh dear," you grimace, "that'll change his whole mood."

"Are you about to speak to him?" Lottie glances towards your still raised fist before the door, then the scroll in your hand.

"What are you going to do..."she asks warily.

You laugh awkwardly, "Don't worry, I will not make everything worse. Okay?"

She nods reluctantly, "I don't want to lose him again."

Lottie starts to walk away and you watch her with a confused frown. 'Lose him?!' She can't have been as hurt as you, she didn't like him DID SHE?! No, surely not. Not Lottie, Lottie was just a friend of Jamie's, but you were just a friend of Jamie's too.

You're so lost in your thoughts you don't realise Jamie has already exited his room and is stood behind you.

You turn around and jump in surprise.

"Oh...hi Jamie."

"Hi." He leans lazily against the door frame.

"I have something for you."

His expression turns dark in the blink of an eye.

"Why?"

"Why?" You stifle a laugh, "well, because I'm your friend."

"It's a bit out of the blue isn't it y/n?" 

"Yep, just thought I'd treat you!"

"So it's not related to the fact it's my birthday."

"What?! It's your birthday?! Well that is a coincidence."

He gives you a tired look, already resting his hand on the door handle, ready to close it, "I don't want it."

You frown, "but you don't know what it is."

"Why would you do this to me?" Jamie's grip on his door handle tightens.