Split

Birthday

It was finally here. The day that changed everything.
I was finally going to be old enough to move out.
My family had gotten together at a small restaurant for my birthday and even some college friends had joined us. I found that college was more excepting of the way I was and I was loving it. I was enjoying working with animals and was seriously considering going down the zoology route, and not just because Barry was there. I realised that it was the job I'd been looking for and I wanted nothing more than to be working with the animals... it was just a bonus that I'd get to keep an eye on Barry too. We'd been in contact since the night we'd spoken about everything but agreed to take things slow. He let Dennis see me twice a week, if I was lucky, and sometimes I got to say hello to one of the others. Barry spoke to me maybe twice a month when Dennis didn't have the light but that was it.
It seemed like a long time since I had taken my college options at school and first done work experience... over six months in fact.
But at least college was good. I had a distraction now.

We were all sitting round eating, we were almost finished with our main course, when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned a little reluctantly, expecting a waiter to be pulling me from the conversation with my friends, when I saw Barry grinning down at me. I leapt from my seat, causing the party to stare at me, and everyone went quiet. I forgot about my guests for a moment and wrapped my arms around his neck, joy filling my chest.
Then something odd happened...
As I pulled away, he kissed me on the cheek. A look of uncertainty was most definitely on my face so he quickly turned to everyone, raising a hand, "hi, I'm Barry."
Everyone looked confused-especially Susan (the woman I'd been staying with) sitting next to me, and she hesitantly got to her feet.

"Hi... Barry... I'm sorry, who are you?"

"Who am I?" His smile twitched, maybe trying to think of his next words, "well, I'm... I guess there's no easy way to say this... I'm Casey's... you know... we've been seeing each other."

Susan looked flustered and blinked at me, "you never told me you've... I mean..." She looked back to Barry, "I'm sorry, but how old are you?"

Barry smiled apologetically, "look, I get it, this is all pretty sudden... but we met while she was on work experience... I work at the zoo, I'm head of maintenence?" He put his hand out to her and she shook it reluctantly, "I'm sorry, I haven't given a very good first impression... I just assumed that she'd told you."

"I haven't heard anything about you," Susan said stubbornly and looked to me for answers.

I stood with my mouth agape, "I... I guess it slipped my mind... I, uh... I'm sorry, I should have said something."

"Yes, you should have."

Barry cleared his throat, "look, I should go... I just wanted to give you this," He handed me a wrapped box and smiled, turning to leave.

"Wait! You can stay here, can't you?"

"It's okay, I wouldn't want to intrude..."

"You're not intruding... You're... my boyfriend after all..." I almost let myself smirk and I saw the corner of his mouth curl a fraction.

"Maybe I'll stick around for a little while... if that's okay, I mean..."
I looked around at the dumbstruck faces that surrounded me and then back to him.

"Of course it is. Grab a seat and come sit next to me."

Susan sat down and he took a seat from behind us then shuffled next to me, not looking at Susan who was still glaring at him.
When he was next to me, I unwrapped the box and took off the lid. Inside was a key with a ribbon wrapped around it and I shut the lid quickly before my eyes darted to his. He smiled softly and I looked in the box again. I plucked it from the bottom, the ribbon falling away, and held it in my palm.
"Happy birthday," Barry put his arm around me and I grinned up at him, ignoring the look of disbelief on Susan's face.
"That's to a flat a few blocks away where I live..." He whispered to me, "oh, there's something in there from Dennis, too."

I put the key back and searched the bottom of the box, pulling out a silver ring. I laughed as I inspected it, stroking the shiny black button that had been very carefully stuck onto the metal, and slipped in onto my finger. It only fit my pinkie but I didn't care, "those are the best gifts I've ever gotten," I laughed and hugged him, "thank you. And thank Dennis for me, too."

"What, you think he'd miss this?" He winked when he sat back and then took my hand in his, "He wouldn't miss it for the world."
I smiled when I saw the familiar gaze settle on me and looked at the floor.

"That damn button," I laughed and he chuckled.

"I know," he said in Barry's voice, "but now you're keeping it safe it doesn't have to bother me anymore."

We both laughed at each other as my family and friends looked over with puzzled expressions. Usually it would bother me that people were watching- they'd probably be talking about me later...
But I didn't care.
I had my favourite person with me.