forget-me-nots [h.s.]

thirteen

Fall 2012 

"Happy Birthday," they sang. "Happy Birthday to Violet." 

My eyes scan the friends around me. We were seated at the kitchen table in our new apartment. Talia with her bright brown doe eyes leans in next to me, her smile bright as she sings along to the pitchy birthday tune. Ethan grins as his lips move to the song. Clark and Avery sit beside her. Teddy is at the end of the table repeatedly blowing a party horn. Terrance had Leah perched on his lap as they sang the infamous tune. 

Harry's bright green eyes gleam as he leans across me to light the candles. His soft voice humming the song--so soft that no one else could hear it, but I could. His long brown curls were held back by a hair-tie, and I think everyone was thankful that his curls would not go up in flames. 

The lights from the flames dance in his eyes; lighting them the way sunlight would light them. The green iris almost becoming a transparent pool as it is illuminated. The song comes to an end and he leans in, "Make a wish, Petal." 

Make a wish. 

So I did, and the candles flickered and then distinguished, smoke rising towards the ceiling.  The white frosting with the small purple flowers and lavender cursive look back at me. Everything around me was in a soft focus, and the clapping of my friends drew me out of it.  Stray hair dangled in front of my face and I brushed it away. 

"Vi?" Harry called softly. "Is that a gray hair?" 

His fingers pick at the loose strand and I push his hand away with a laugh. "I'm nineteen, not ninety." 

"You're lucky you're blonde, Petal," he teased, gripping my fingers in his hand. "The gray won't show." 

His grin made his cheeks buckle with indentations. I wrinkle my nose in jest as my own smile spread across my face. He let go of my hand and went to help Talia cut the cake. 

I looked around at my friends and my chest warmed with appreciation and love for this group of people. We all eat out slices of cake while telling stories and laughing. Once we are finished the boys end up a few yards away in the living room so they can figure out how to get my cable box to work. 

"Petal?" Harry asks quietly in my ear. I hum in response, he tugs at my hand leading me down the hall towards my room. He shuts the door softly behind us and I plop down on my bed. 

"Why all the secrecy?" I teased as he sat beside me. He looks so silly on the pale pink bedding of my twin bed. I watch as he fumbles with a small gift-wrapped box in his hands. 

"I just wanted to wish you happy birthday," he told me. A small smile spread across my face. 

"Thank you, Haz." 

"I--uh-- got you this," he stutters, pressing the box into my hand. I bite at my bottom lip as I carefully unwrap the small box. The box was for a ring, a small white leather box. I opened it and a small little silver ring sat in the box. I picked up the ring between my thumb and pointer finger to examine it. A small little flower decorated with purple gems, delicate and lovely. 

"Oh Harry," I say softly. He takes it from me and takes my hand in his. 

"I called your mom and asked your ring size," he smiles shyly, sliding the ring onto my ring finger. It was a perfect fit. "Happy birthday, Petal." 

"I--I don't know what to say," I stuttered. His green eyes were fixated on the ring on my finger, a soft smile touching the corners of his mouth. He looks up at me through his lashes, and his smile spreads. 

"You don't have to say anything, Vi," he whispers. He cleared his throat, his brows furrowing together. "I--uh-- bought it thinking that I could say something witty about you being named after a flower, and then your mom told me about how she actually named you after a Shakespeare character...Twelfth Night, right?"