Another City Of Lights.

Chapter 5.

Samantha's POV:

If I could, I would skip my birthday all together. Birthdays just weren't for me, I had concluded. Each year, it just got worse and worse, and now I just didn't care much about it at all. Okay, so maybe I did care, but I didn't expect anything good to happen on this day.

I woke up around 6.30am, as usual. No one had wished me last night, I doubt my parents even remembered it, they hardly ever did anyway.
I got dressed for the day, putting some extra effort in actually combing my hair. There wasn't much I could do about my clothes, since we were only allowed to wear this white and blue uniform everyday.
I knew that my friends were putting an effort in to making this day somewhat cheerful, but I also knew that it was all useless. No matter how much you tried, you couldn't escape this curse.

I was sitting at the wooden table in the living room, eating my cereal in peace, when I saw my Mum emerge from her room. She looked half asleep and couldn't even walk straight. But she managed to walk towards me and pull me in a hug. She didn't say 'happy birthday' or anything, and she didn't need to. I could feel tears threatening to spill out of eyes as I hugged her back.
We weren't a touchy-feely family. Noone hugged anyone ever. It was almost awkward when someone did. And I had grown up thinking that there was something wrong with us. But there wasn't.
So, after getting this annual once-a-year hug from my mother, I left for school, not sure what to look forward to.

We actually had to attend the first two hours of classes before we could run away to the fair. Stupid school policies.

I was quietly walking down to the classroom, avoiding all eye contact whatsoever with everyone, when I was bombarded by a on-the-run Hailey.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!", She screamed and giggled, practically bursting from excitement.
"Thanks", I tried to smile, which I'm sure, came off as a little awkward.
"What? Aren't you excited?", She asked, as we made our way to the class.
"Uhm yeah, a little. Not really", I mumbled, wondering if I should've just played along.
"Well, atleast we all get to spend time together..", She suggested, shrugging.
"That's the only bright side", I said, as we entered the class and took our seats.

It was really boring and I couldn't focus today in class. Hailey was busy texting away on her cellphone, and everyone else was just waiting for the class to be over and done with.
In those two hours, I doodled all over my desk, and all over my notebook, making random anime characters. Noone understood my obsession with anime, and I didn't expect them to. But it was one of the things I loved most, and I wasn't letting go of it, no matter how much I aged.

By the time the classes ended, I was already bored out of my mind. I didn't like sitting randomly, I just always kept myself busy with something. Boredom was almost infuriating.

Hailey and I met up with a very excited Dash, and a sulky Aaron outside the school building, when all the teachers were piling the entire student body in two buses. God knows how they were planning to fit everyone inside that.
We didn't really get time to talk, as we were also pushed inside the overly crowded bus.
Hailey dragged me to the back, there was only one seat empty, and we both shared that, like we had any other choice. And somehow, I have no idea how, but Dash and Aaron managed to get seats infront of ours.
I asked them how, and they shrugged, saying that it was easy. I decided to let it go, it didn't really matter anyways.
"Well? Did you like your gift?", Dash asked, his eyes sparkling mischievously.
"What gift?", I asked, nobody's actually gave me anything today.
"You didn't give it to her? Did you lose it already?!", He yelled at Aaron, who looked at him and frowned.
"No, I didn't lose it obviously. Jeez", He said, and pulled out a small, pink, frilly wrapper from his pocket, and handed it to me.
"Happy birthday", He said, and I frowned.
Damn, this was awkward.
There was a necklace or a bracelet inside, I couldn't tell which exactly, but it had a tiny dog dangling at the end of it. A dog?
"Uhm, thanks guys", I said, trying to seem happy about it, but I didn't want to let Dash down.
"Don't thank me, this one got it for you", Dash grinned, pointing at Aaron, who narrowed his eyes and gave him a death glare.
Hailey snickered beside me, and I felt sat there feeling awkward and confused, both at the same time.
"Thanks, I guess", I mumbled again.
Nobody replied to that.
Aaron was conveniently glancing out the window, and Hailey and Dash were giggling about something. I didn't bother to ask the reason though.

"Where did you get this? Atleast I got something she would like", Hailey mocked Dash, and threw a book in my face.
It was embarrassing when it actually hit me on the forehead, even though I tried pathetically to catch it.
It was exactly the one I had wanted to get for a while now. Dan Brown's Inferno. OhmyGod. It was the original version too, not the already read ones you get for a low price.
This actually cheered me up. I shrieked and pulled Hailey in to hug, thanking her.
"Oh God, thankyou!", I said to her, overly excited.

But because I have such a way with everything, I almost threw that book out the window when I turned around and saw the look of gloom on Dash's face, and the obviously beyond pissed look on Aaron's.
I put the book down on my lap, and fastened that half necklace-half bracelet thing around my neck, truly hoping it was a necklace, to avoid more embarrassment.

I smiled genuinely at them.
"Thankyou guys. For everything, seriously", I said.
Hailey gaved me a sympathetic look, knowing exactly what I was doing, but smiled back. Dash glanced at the necklace and burst out laughing. And Aaron just looked at me as if I was mental, but didn't say anything.

I pulled my head out of the window, and waited for this bus ride to be over soon.
The sooner, the better.