What Love Feels Like

Thirteen | Birthday bets

Ariella

I groan in exhaustion, I am not a morning person. "I'm tired. Enough, Ethan. We've still got an hour 'till I actually fetch her."

He ignores me and continues pacing around the enormous living room fixing everything like the clean freak I only found out he is today.

This is the most animated I've seen him, ever.

By animated I mean Ethan level animated, which by normal circumstances, isn't animated at all.

"I don't think I asked. Now put the gifts on the table from biggest to smallest. Oh, and don't drop anything."

I scoff, my eyes narrowing. "First of all, Ethan. The only reason why I'm helping you at all is because of Thea. This is not a free pass for you to be comfortable and send me around by being mean." I cross my arms.

He gives me the dirtiest look ever.

"Well you want her birthday to be good, yeah? So please help-" He grimaces at the word help "-make her forgive me, she shouldn't waste her special day in a bad mood because of me."  The hint of vulnerability makes me slightly soften.

It's Thea's birthday, Ethan is special to her and she clearly is to him because he would rather die than ask for help.

"Fine.but don't be rude."

He rolls his eyes and walks to the other room to bring more gifts.

Is this guy rich?

He is.

We're just about done setting up the place in the most Thea way possible, when Noah comes in with a cake box in his hands.

I brighten up by seeing the cake, "Oohhh, lemme see it!"

His eyes twinkle in amusement as he shakes his head and sets the box down so I can open it.

It is beautiful.

It's shaped in a heart with icing ruffles around it. Best of all for Thea, it's decorated with strawberries.

He really thought of everything huh.

I guess I'll tolerate him a bit more since he's a big old softie for my friend.

Ethan may piss me off and get pissed off with me but for Thea, he'd just about do anything.

Young love.

I think as I wistfully sigh.

I sound like a fifty year old.

I should start doing something about that.

By that I mean stop acting ancient.

When it's time to fetch Thea from her extra classes, Noah let's me use his car begrudgingly after me nagging him for five minutes straight.

Nobody let's me drive. Ever.

Probably because I only started learning this year.

I think the only reason why he let me use it is because the place where I'm fetching Thea is close by.

She has no idea we're throwing her a surprise party, she just thinks I'm going to drop her home since I offered to give her a lift.

She sees me and grins, "Hey you! Thank you so much for offering to drop me home by the way.You didn't have to."

I roll my eyes, "shut up, you know it's nothing."

She grins.

We talk the ride 'home'  but she abruptly stops talking when she sees me turn the opposite direction instead of her street.