Maybe One Day

23: Taking down the enemy

*Slightly longer chapter but I hope you enjoy!*

"So, your birthday's coming up," Eli comments to the group.

"Yeah, and so are the deadlines for college applications that I have yet to complete," I counter.

"Oh come on, Liv, you're a straight A student. What college wouldn't want you?" Abbe encourages.

"You forget the fact that I totally sucked this year. There were a couple months I didn't even go to school. The whole first half of the second semester is a whole bunch of incompletes," I point out.

"Yeah well, who tries senior year anyway?" Maddie adds. "Colleges look at your junior year, specifically so us seniors, being the lazy people we are, don't have to do shit in our last year of high school except torment the freshmen. It's the circle of life," she concludes.

We all laugh as Eli mutters, "How the hell is that the circle of life?"

I smile as I lean back into him. I was finally with Eli. We were a couple, and I have to say, I haven't been this happy in a very long time. We called the group over - being Maddie, Abbe, and Luke - to Eli's house a couple days later to announce our news. Abbe, of course, freaked out and hugged me and cried and giggled. Maddie wasn't at all shocked, as if she had been expecting this from day one, and Luke, because of the fact he's been my best friend since I was two, took up the role of big brother by sternly looking at Eli and saying, "You take care of my girl, alright?" Which was fairly comical given the fact that Luke was a solid 6 inches shorter than Eli, and not at all as built. Either way, the thought was sweet.

"But seriously, what are we doing for your birthday?" Luke asks me now as we all sit on the floor of Eli's basement.

"Surprise party was done already for your coming-home party," Maddie reminds us. "So that's out."

I feel a small pang, as I remember the only thing on my mind at my coming-home surprise party was Isaac.

I push that small feeling aside and respond, "Guys, seriously I don't even think I deserve anything for my birthday after the shit I put you guys through."

"Fine by me," Maddie smiles.

"Oh shut up," Abbe smacks her arm. "We're doing something for your birthday."

"Well then you can figure something out, because I have college to prepare for." Luke tells her. "Something you little sophomores wouldn't understand," he adds with a smile, knowing it always bothered her when he talked down on her.

"You want me to hit you?" Abbe threatens.

"Aw, she's turning more into Maddie every day," Luke coos, to which Abbe grabs a pillow off the couch me and Eli were leaning on and shoves it into his face. He immediately grabs her wrists and pins them behind her back, pressing himself against her.

"If you two don't stop flirting, I'm gonna puke. I am forced to watch enough of this with these two," she nods her head towards us, rolling her eyes.

Luke slowly releases her and, slightly blushing, Abbe walks back over and collapses in her bean bag chair.

"So do you technically still go to our school?" I tap Eli's hand to indicate I was talking to him, since I was sitting between his legs and not facing him.

"I think so. I'm pretty sure they put my name back in the system, I was only out for a couple months."

"Longest few months of my life," I mutter, unsure of whether or not he heard. I got my answer a second later when I felt his arms around my waist tighten slightly.