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twenty

"Happy birthday!" Ashton yelled excitedly. "I'm so happy that you're alive!"

I smiled weakly at the joyful boy, rubbing my eyes while sitting up in my hotel bed in Paris. We arrived here last night and I was more excited to be in this city than I was for my birthday.

"We love you so much Freya!" Michael said loudly before they both attacked me with a group hug. I laughed at their gestures, desperately trying to push them off of me.

"Guys, I love you too, but I can't breathe" I chuckled, shaking my head as they rolled off of me.

"We have the coolest day ever planned for you, you're gonna love it so much."

"Yeah, you won't have even a minute by yourself!" Michael chuckled before turning towards the door. "Come in now!"

And before I knew it, my uncle and a few people from our crew came into my room, singing happy birthday for me with a huge (and when I say huge, I mean fucking very huge) cake in their hands. Uncle Carl held up his phone, recording everything going on and I couldn't control the redness of my cheeks anymore.

By the time everyone stopped singing I must have looked like a tomato and I couldn't speak a word. They all stood in front of me with goofy grins on their faces, the candles on the cake flickering and Carl's phone taking pictures of the whole scenario.

"Happy birthday Freya. It is such an honor to be a part of your life, you are amazing." My uncle said before pulling me up from my spot on the bed so he could give me a bear hug.

"Aw no Freya, don't cry!" Ashton said, joining our hug and so did everyone else all of a sudden and I closed my eyes, taking in the feeling of being loved. And it was so beautiful that I really couldn't help but cry.

Since I can remember, my birthday was never that special to anyone but my aunt, Carl and... well, him. My parents were gone all day as usual and the only thing they left me on the breakfast table was poorly made pancakes, because they thought I liked them (but I always preferred waffles) and some expensive present that basically was supposed to make up for the lack of love they gave me. The love he made up for, not the stupid presents.

Just the thought of him made me cry even more, so I clang onto my uncle for dear life, letting the tears fall freely.

"Calm down, princess. You have to blow out the candles." Carl whispered, stroking my hair repeatedly until I finally stopped crying.

I wiggled out of his grip, awkwardly glancing at the people staring at me before wiping my tears away. I decided not to cry anymore today, and as I blew out the candles I wished for only one thing. To be happy.

*•*•*

"Can I take it off now?" I asked impatiently. We were driving for half an hour and then started walking somewhere but I had to wear this embarrassing blindfold, that made me look like some cliché from a movie, with Michael on my right and Ashton on my left.

"Soon" Ashton giggled. "It's supposed to be a surprise, and if you take off your blindfold you will immediately know where we are going."

"Is it the Eifel tower?"

"We're not that lame, okay?" Michael chuckled. "Only a few seconds and then you can take it off."

"It's so loud here, oh my god." I groaned, finally wanting to see again.

"Yeah, we're in the middle of Paris, of course it's loud" Ashton laughed once again before they both let go of my arms. I then felt a pair of hands opening the knot of the blindfold and after my eyes readjusted to the daylight I just stood there in shock.