NEXT DOOR: courtney and duncan; a love story.

chapter four

I sigh and collapse onto my bed.

They forgot.

I didn't think they'd forget my birthday.

I feel tears forming in my eyes, threatening to escape when I blink- but I hold them in.

Maybe they'll come early from their trip and this is all a huge surprise.

I hear a knock at my door and I perk up.

They're here?!

THEY'RE HERE!!

I rush downstairs, almost tripping as I reach the front door.

I take a breath and open the door.

"Happy birthday!" voices say, but it's not my parents.

Heather, Gwen, Bridgette, Geoff, DJ and Trent exclaim as they pull me into a group hug.

I kind of just let the fact that my parents forgot my birthday sink in.

My eighteenth birthday.

And they don't even care.

"You're legal!!!" Heather smirks as she clinks beer bottles together.

I smile but I don't think it reaches my eyes.

Bridgette walks in to the house, setting down the pink iced birthday cake with exactly eighteen candles (I counted) and 'HAPPY 18TH COURTNEY!' plastered on with white buttercream.

It's a nice gesture. Okay, more than nice- it's amazing, but I just wish my parents had remembered.

That'd be nice.

The day passed in a blur, I felt disassociated most of the day- like I was there, but I really wasn't, you know?

They'd told me that they'd been planning a party for me all day, and that Geoff invited like a bunch of people.

Naturally, I hesitated. People in my house?!
What would my parents think?!!
But then again, they did forget their only child's birthday, they deserve it- at least for now.

"Wear this one!" Heather shouts at me, practically shoving the tiny black dress I wore to the party last week into my face.

"No, no! I have the perfect thing!" Bridgette smiles and pulls a light blue shopping bag and hands it to me.

I quickly open it, revealing a long light green skin tight dress with spaghetti straps.
"Bridge, you didn't!" I smiled and hugged her.
"I did!" she exclaimed.

"Thank you so much." I smile and hug her once again.
"Your other presents are coming later." Heather winks.
"Now go on, try it on!" Gwen cried, rolling her eyes as they all pushed me into my bathroom.

The dress was beautiful, really. I was super excited to have my very own party.

As the night went on, heaps of people from my school spilled in and made themselves comfortable around my house. I tried my best not to explode when they started eating my food.

I hear a ring at the door and walk over to answer it, but Geoff is already on it.
"Hey, man!" Geoff exclaims, hugging whoever is out there.
I perk my head to see who it is, and much to my dismay- it was Duncan.

I hid to listen in on their conversation.

"I heard music over here, and just wanted to check it out." Duncan shrugged.
"You're welcome to join! Come on in, dude!" Geoff smiled as I rolled my eyes.