The head boy

Part 31 - Happy day-where-you-get-cake

(Three weeks later...)

"No no no, that's mine!"

"Nothing's yours I'm just lending you a bit of it,"

"What do you mean 'lending'? Do you expect me to vomit it later and give it back to you, you know what, that sounds like an amazing idea. Imagine you holding my puke in your hands!"

"Shut up and eat in silence...hey! That's mine!"

Are Lin and I speed-eating a cake in the head student's study before Tom and William come back so that we don't have to share? That would be extremely selfish! And that's exactly what we're doing.

"Where does this cake come from anyway?" I ask Lin, while chewing a mouthful of this delicious raspberry and lime cake.

"My parents sent it," she replies, "for my birthday,"

"IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY???" I choke and Lin casts a disgusted gaze in my direction as I cough cake, it's because of the shock!

"Yeah well, it's the day where I get cake," she shrugs. Typical Lin...

"We should throw a party, make something big!" I stand from Tom's desk, yes I was on all-four on his desk eating cake.

"Okay for the party but I don't want anyone to know...you know what," She whispers the last part like she's in Hogwarts and Voldemort comes up in an exchange.

"But...that's kinda the point of a birthday party," I'm confused, I must admit...

"Yes, I want to party, I don't want a party," She's so weird sometimes.

"So...I'm throwing a party for your birthday but no one must know it's for your birthday?" I have to make sure I understand what she wants because it's a kinda unusual request.

"Yes,"

"We're back," William exclaimes as the door slams open and both Lin and I try to hide what remains of that poor cake.

"Oh look at that, on the wall!" I point in a random direction, trying to distract them while Lin cleans the crime scene.

"I don't see anything..." William frowns and Tom just walks past him and towards his desk.

I see his eyes squint just a tiny bit as he spots crumbs and when his eyes meet mine I can't help but gulp. It's like his cold gaze is freezing me from the inside and I think it's a way for him to make people confess because suddenly I just blurt the first thing that comes to mind:

"It's Lin's birthday today! Dang it!" I slam my hand over my mouth as soon as the words are out, Lin looks unbothered, William's lips part and Tom remains stone cold.

"I knew this would happen," Lin sighs.

"Happy birthday," Tom says emotionlessly before sitting at his desk.

"Your birthday??" William shouts. He. Shouts. William is always so calm, I think he and Lin are close friends, that would explain his reaction. "How come I didn't know that?!"

"Let's all get back to work," Tom's words get lost in the middle of William and Lin's exchange.

"It's no big deal, it's only a day where I get cake," She echoes her own words from a few minutes ago.

I go to stand beside Tom who's seated at his desk and as the two argue he secretly takes a hold of my hand and squeezes it lightly under his humongous desk as he starts reading something. I can't help but smile, it seems so natural and yet so extraordinary in a way, this block of ice feels like holding my hand just because.