YOU ARE MY BLOODY VALENTINE

CHAPTER 19: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Barbara and Ayden's friendship became a complex mix of closeness and conflict. They found themselves entangled in petty squabbles over the tiniest of things. Ayden didn't tell anyone he saved her life, but when they were alone, he teased her about it all the time, their bond teetering between friendship and enmity.

As the year drew to a close, time seemed to slip through their fingers, leaving Barbara with a sudden realisation: the absence of her friends made the once cherished holidays feel full and lackluster. Even though they occasionally hung out, it paled in comparison to the vibrant camaraderie they shared during school days. 

Barbara hated a new year, she despised it so much, it filled her heart with an intense aversion. For as long as she could remember, she would stay in her room all day when it's new year, and this year she planned on spending New Year's Eve in her room. However, as fate would have it, she heard a knock on her window.

"Please don't be Hina, please don't be Hina." She whispered with a hushed plea lingering on her lips, as she cautiously approached the window. She slowly opened the window, her eyes rolled skyward in exasperation when she realised that it was Hina. A sigh escaped her lips, betraying her disappointment.

A mischievous smile danced upon Hina's lips as she deftly manoeuvred herself into the room, her fingers playfully pinching Barbara's cheeks.

"You don't look so happy to see me," Hina uttered, her voice laced with a teasing tone that only deepened Barbara's annoyance.

"Don't you ever use the door?" Barbara asked with furrowed eyebrows, which made Hina's smile widened reveling a faint dimple.

"Get dressed. We are going out." Hina declared, as she sat on the edge of the bed looking at Barbara who was still clad in her comfortable pyjamas. 

"I'm not going." She simply stated, as she crossed her arms defiantly, mirroring the stubbornness of a child refusing to eat their veggies.

"Huh? Yes you are, it's New Year's Eve."

"Exactly!"

"I don't have time for this Barbie, please get dressed."

"No!"

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want..." Before Barbara could complete her sentence, it was interrupted abruptly by a resounding knock on the door.

"Hide! Hide! Hide!" Panic surged through her veins as she urgently whispered to Hina, her voice barely audible, Barbara attempted to push Hina towards a hiding spot, but her efforts were met with stubborn resistance. Frustration welled up within her, and she let out an exasperated sigh, her hand inadvertently meeting her forehead. 

"I don't want to!" Hina's voice rang out, defiant and loud enough for the person outside to hear.

"Barbara?" She heard her mum call out from behind the door, her mother's voice queried, laced with curiosity and concern. Barbara, still struggling to dislodge Hina from her stubborn position on the floor. 

"I'll open the door soon, Mum."  She mustered a hurried response, her voice tinged with a touch of anxiety.

"Hina, please, stop being so stubborn," Barbara pleaded, her voice filled with a mix of urgency and frustration.

"Will you go out with me?" Hina asked, obviously enjoying what was going on, Barbara nodded her head vigorously and suddenly Hina felt light and Barbara pushed her to hide behind the curtain.

She opened the door quickly, revealing her mother's concerned expression as she entered the room. With a gentle touch, she wiped away the beads of sweat that had formed on Barbara's forehead.