| WARNING: VERY LONG CHAPTER AHEAD. |
ZERO | THE PROLOGUE.
8TH FEBRUARY, 12:04A.M.
"Happy birthday to you!"
Clapping and hollering filled the room as the singing had finally come to an end. Everyone's eyes were on Jay, who slouched in his seat as he looked down at the 'HAPPY BIRTH-JAY!' on his birthday cake.
He sighed disappointingly at the pun written in bold red icing, causing a couple people to snicker.
"Make a wish." Monte urged with excitement as she panned her camera towards Jay.
Jay shot her a small smile before he squeezed his eyes shut and made his wish.
A chorus of hooting and hollering alongside a big round of applause echoed throughout the room as Jay blew out his candles and sliced his cake.
As much as Jay was trying to be present at his own party but as he was passing around his birthday cake slices to his friends, he found his mind completely drifting off at random times. He oddly couldn't stop thinking about the fight he had with Carson a couple of days ago and from how it ended, Carson was supposed to be the last person Jay should want to even think about and yet he has never wanted to talk to Carson so badly.
He missed his best friend.
Nicholas narrowed his eyes in suspicion when he saw Jay stumbling when he slipped out of the living room through the glass sliding door that lead to the backyard. He quickly nudged Tyler and gestured at Jay (who was closing the sliding door behind him) only to be given a quick shrug in response before Tyler returned to the game of beer pong he was playing.
Nicholas rolled his eyes.
"What the fuck - Nick, seriously? Right now?" Tyler retorted in disbelief when he realized Nicholas was dragging him away by the collar of his shirt.
Nicholas and Tyler stepped out onto the porch and as they slid the door behind them closed, the loud thrumming music from inside muffled instantly.
Jay acknowledged them with a nod as he emptied the beer bottle in his hand by pouring it out over the railing and onto his plants.
Tyler gasped and stomped towards him, snatching the bottle out of his hand, "Jay, these are ten dollars a bottle!"
Jay glanced at Tyler, who cradled the nearly empty beer bottle like it was a baby, with an unbothered look before turning to Nicholas.
"Jay? You alright?" Nicholas asked with an eyebrow raised.
"What's the birthday boy all moody about? Relax, you don't look a year past sixteen," Tyler said. "In fact, you never have with your inability to grow your stubble."
Jay sighed at the boy with the dirty blonde hair, "I'm not in the mood for your one-liners right now, Ty."
"Oh come on..." Tyler groaned, hitting his shoulder lightly. "What are you doing out here? You should be in there, dancing and drinking and celebrating being twenty."
Jay took out his phone from his back pocket and showed his empty home screen to his two friends.
"Not a single text or a call from Carson," Jay said. "Not saying I'm surprised since I had no right to have said what I said."
Nicholas sighed, "Jay, he had a right to hear the truth-"
Jay waved his hand as he shook his head at Nicholas, "No, he didn't. At least not in that way."
