Desolate - h.s. ✓

° forty-five °

     When it was officially Harry's birthday, I had made a great plan to host a surprise party for him. Ethan liked the idea a lot, so he planned to get Reggie involved. Apparently, they were going to take him out to do something exciting — I wasn't exactly sure what and probably didn't want to know — but Ethan assured he would have Harry to our house by the party time.

"So, how has he been?" Ella asked as I hung balloons. "His arm?"

"He's doing fine. Harry's just upset that he can't help with that much. Like, he can still write and all, but he wants to play baseball and can't right now."

She nodded. "That does suck. The poor boy."

People started showing up a little later. It left us to finish the decorations. Blair and Lex had gone to get the cake and food. A couple of guys from the baseball team helped them carry it inside, Ella and I telling them where to set everything. By the time we were finished, the lights were off, and I made certain that all of the cars in the driveway belonged to my friends. Everyone else had parked at the park that was about a block away.

Ella was keeping a lookout for Harry, telling all of us that he was here. Everyone hid, the room of over forty people becoming slightly clumped, but I brushed it off. Either way, the door was being unlocked not much later, Ethan and Reggie walking in first. Once the lights were turned on, everyone shouted 'surprise,' Harry looking completely shocked.

"You guys knew!" Harry yelled at Reggie and Ethan. "I can't believe I fell for it."

"Happy birthday," I told him, standing closer to the boy than I probably should have. "Ethan and I thought we should throw you a surprise party."

"Are there going to be surprise strippers here also?" Harry asked.

"There shouldn't be," I scoffed, glaring at Ethan.

"There won't be!" Ethan laughed. "We brought him to a strip club, and now he is back. Jesus."

Harry shook his head, claiming he was hungry now. Ethan and Reggie walked with him to the kitchen, Ella walking over to me. I so badly just wanted to hold him, and wish him a happy birthday alone, but I knew that I would get the chance later tonight. Or, I hoped so anyway.

"Your brother isn't eighteen, how did they —? "I'm sure he has a fake," I shrugged. "It didn't surprise me that much."

" Ella, Blair, Lex, and I all hung out in my living room. We played games on one of the consoles, and I liked Mario Kart the best out of all of them. A group of people were watching us play, but it turned into us taking turns depending on the two people that lost. Overall, I was having a good time, but I ended up losing a while in, handing my controller to the next person in line. Heading to the kitchen, Harry was talking to a few people, my boyfriend excusing himself. I headed into the garage to get a drink, surprised when he followed me. My cheeks flushed when he used his good arm to stop me, the boy standing in front of me. He pressed a kiss to my lips, holding my face with his good hand. I smiled against him, pulling back "This means so much to me," he explained softly. "I don't know if you know that, but it does. Thank you."

"Happy birthday," I told him quietly.

"You look upset," he said quietly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I nodded, pushing his hair out of his eyes. "I'd like to make out with you, but you're broken."

"I'm not broken," he laughed. "I'm bruised. We can make out later tonight. I'll sneak over."

"Harry —"

"It's my birthday, and I'm spending time with you today, okay? I love this party, but if it was my choice I would have chosen to spend today making out with you.""