Break Me If You Can (Anthony Padilla)

Chapter 6 || Birthday

November 14

Present Day

I walk into school with a new feeling of confidence.

I'm 18 now.

I walk up to my locker and see a sticky note plastered on it.

"Happy birthday," I read to myself. "From Anthony."

I smile to myself while I open my locker.

I put the note into a safe corner of my top shelf.

"Boo!" I hear someone say behind me.

I turn around and see Anthony, with a goofy grin.

"Did I scare you?" he says.

"LOL nope," I say jokingly as I get my books out of my locker.

"Well," he says back. "You should be a bit nicer to me, or you won't get a present."

"Okay, mom," I joke, pretending to roll my eyes.

We both laugh.

I slam my locker door and start walking to class, with Anthony next to me.

Right before I walk into the classroom, he takes his beanie off and puts it on my head.

"Something to remember me by," he says as he begins to walk the other way.

I smile, giving him a fake annoyed look, and we both go to our seperate classes.

-Part 2-

We both sit in my room after school, our backpacks spread out on the floor.

"So," Anthony says. "Do you want to see your surprise?"

I nod enthusiastically.

He reaches into his bag and pulls out a necklace chain with a key on it.

"Oh my gosh," I say. "It's so pretty! Thanks so much!"

He pulls out his necklace from under his jacket, which has a lock on.

"Your key opens this lock," he explains.

He walks over behind me and puts the necklace around my neck.

My heart flutters.

"You didn't have to get me something so nice," I say, marveling at my gift.  "I honestly would've been happy with a Hallmark card and some candy. Wow. Thank you thank you thank you!"

He hugs me from behind and kisses my cheek.

"No problem," Anthony says. "Anything for you."

He sits down next to me and I stare at him for a few seconds.

"You don't have to be so cheesy, you know," I say.

"And you don't have to be so bossy," he jokes.

"Oh shut up," I say, laughing.

We lean closer to each other, our foreheads touhing.

My eyes close.

I suddenly feel the same splitting headache I had a few months before.

I pull away from Anthony.

"Katia!" I hear his muffled scream.

I put my hands on my head.

Stop this, let me be, you piece of crap powers.

My headache stops and Anthony pulls me back to him.

"It's okay," I reassure him. "It's all over now."

We lean towards each other, getting closer with each movement.

No one else has ever liked me.

No one ever wanted to like me.

I wrap my hands around his neck.

Finally, I am somewhere I belong.

And we kiss.