People Talk

08

I woke up to the smell of waffles cooking in the kitchen along with the radio blaring some random song. The waffles themselves were motavation to get up and I begrudingly did. The clock read 9:06 to which I groaned. The previous night, if you could even call it that I had stayed up late with Dallas, again. Until, 4 to be exact. After helping at the fruit stand once more, Dallas decided we should go back down to the lake.

And well, we spent a considerably long amount of time there. I would have stayed the night if my dad hadn't told me before we left I had to come back home. So when I crawled into bed, it had to be at least 5.

Needless to say, I was exhausted. But, the waffles smelled too good to continue lying in bed.

I stood and began to make my way into the kitchen. Dad had his back towards me, by the counter, shaking his hips to the rhythm. I sat down at the table, pulling up a leg, tucking it to my chest before resting my chin on my knee.

Dad turned with a plate in his hand, "When did you get here?" He asked as he turned down the loud music.

"Just now," I yawned. He handed me the plate, turning back to the waffle maker and stacked the freshest waffle on a tower of them. Slowly, trying not to spill the breakfast, he walked to the table and placed them in front of me.

I smiled, plating two for myself as he plated a few for him as well. Dad watched as I uncapped the syrup and poured almost half of the bottle onto my waffles before taking my fork and cutting a piece off. I don't know what he did but his waffles were always better than anybody's.

"What's the special occasion?" I asked, already cutting off another piece and stuffing it into my mouth.

My dad laughed as he poured syrup on his stack, "Funny, E." He commented.

I squinted, giving him an odd look as I took another bite.

"Wait really?" I only continued to stare, shrugging as to what he meant, "You do know what today is?"

"Not necessarily."

"Eden!" He scoffed with a smile, "It's your birthday!" Dad sounded astonished to how I could forget my own birthday but I truly had.

It wasn't anything I was excited for nor had I been excited for in years. It felt like any other day accept for the random family you didn't even know you had calling to tell you Happy Birthday.

"I guess I forgot," I sighed.

"What do you want to do? I could take you and Dallas to do something if you'd like."

"I don't know, Dad. You don't have to worry about anything."

"Don't have to worry? It's your birthday! Only 3 more years and you wont need me to do anything for you on your birthday." He sighed a hint of sadness flowing through it.

I took another bite, "Fine."

"Good!" Almost as if it had been timed a knock was planted on the front door, "I already told Dallas you two would hang out!" He smiled. I rolled my eyes, my own smiled peering through before I stood and walked to the front door, fixing my hair and checking my face before opening it.

"Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday?" Dallas shot at me before I could even open the door all the way.

"He didn't even know it was today!" Dad shouted from the table, mouth full of waffles.

"Really?" Dallas' brows creased to which I nodded. The taller boy burried his hands in his pockets as I moved aside to let him in. He shook his head, "I got you a present, you wanna come see it?"

I smiled, "You didn't have to get me anything."

Dallas groaned, "Just close your eyes and come here," I scoffed, following his directions, walking out onto the front porch with my eyes shut. "No peeking," He whispered into my ear, his warm breath tingling down my neck caused a shiver to run through me.

Dallas placed his own hands over my eyes, leaning over me, all the while trying to make sure I didn't fall down the steps. Once off of the steps, he pulled me by my shoulders to face the house, my back to the street.

"Okay! Keep your eyes shut!" I smiled, once more doing as he said by placing my hands over my own eyes. Dallas backed away from me, beginning to rustle with something behind me. The sound of the truck's tailgate falling open was followed by loud banging as Dallas pulled whatever was in the bed out.

With a huff he said, "You can look!"

I smiled, slowly turning around as I dropped my hands to my side. As I saw the huge grin on Dallas' tanned cheeks, holding my gift, my smile immeditaly faded.

"Dal," I mumbled, approaching him, "I can't take this, it's too expensive!" I whispered as I gripped he handlebars of a silver bike.

"You have to take it, it's your birthday gift! Now we can go riding together!" Our faces mere inches away as I looked for any hint of regret for this expensive present but all I could find was joy. Dallas lifted a hand to bring to my cheek. He cupped it, stroking it gently with his thumb, "Eden, don't worry about the price. I wanted to give you something you'd get your use out of."

"I'm going to pay you back." I stated causing Dallas to laugh heartily.

"You can pay me back on my birthday, how does that sound?" He cooed, dropping his hand from my face to push the bike towards me. "How about you get dressed and we go for a ride?"

An hour later, Dallas and I were off. I insisted we take the back roads since Dallas had installed training wheels on my present but he assured me no one would notice. As we passed town square, I was sure Dallas dragged me into town just to embrass me.

Since it was my first birthday in a long time spending it with a friend I was unsure of what we should even do. Dallas though seemed to have the whole day planned. We caught a movie a little while after riding into town, biked on some trails, and got icecream. It all seemed suspicious. Even more so when he asked to use my phone to call his 'grandpa', then he snuck off to talk to him and when he returned it, the only number in the past call list was my dad.

However, I brushed it off as a coincidence until we got home.

All of the lights were off and the door was locked even though Dad's car was parked out front. I unlocked the door, lead the way inside and just as Dallas' shut the door behind us, the lights turned on followed by a crowd yelling, "Surprise!"

Since my eyes were closed to sheild from the sudden bright light, I didn't see as the guests shot silly string at the two of us.

When I opened my eyes I found Leah, her parents, my dad and some other family I barley knew.

"Wow," I laughed, beginning to throw most of the string off, "Let me guess, you knew?" I smiled, turning back to Dallas.

Hands tucked in his pockets, he shrugged, a piece of the silly string that was once holding onto his blond hair fell to the ground. "Maybe I did."

"Happy Birthday, Eden." A female's voice said behind me.

I turned, chuckling, "Thank y-" I immeditaly froze when I realized who was standing in front of me.

It was none other than my mother.