The Love of a Stranger

Finish What I Started

"W-what?" His voice almost nothing, but I could tell there was a hint of anger.

"I found your old diary, under the floorboard."

"So you thought you could help yourself and just read through it?" His tone was harsher and his voice was louder.

"I didn't know it was your diary, I just got curious and opened it up, I swear I would never of read it if I knew it was your diary. I'm sorry." I sniffed.

You've gone and fucking done it now Laura.

"How much did you read?" His puppy eyes full of sorrow.

"Just one page, September 19th. And I can pretty much tell from that one single paragraph how shit school was for you. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but I just-" A deep sigh of frustration escaped my mouth. I looked away from Dan and bit my bottom lip refusing to cry. I couldn't even finish my sentence. I looked up at him with sad eyes which then led to him covering his wrist, he's must've done it so many times that it's just became one of reflexes, then my mental note that I made earlier popped up in my mind.

I reached out for his wrist that he was covering earlier when I walked in on him, gently lifted up the bracelets and festivals bands that revealed a couple of faint lines across his wrist that were darker than the rest of his skin, like a scar. Some were bigger, some not as much. I looked up at him with wide eyes, he could barely even look at me as he kept his gaze down at the floor. He pulled away his wrist covering it once again with his hand. So that's what he had been doing in his room.

"It was just a stupid one-time thing, I don't know why I did it, I guess that's just when everything was just falling to pieces for me and I regret it. I didn't want you to know." I placed my hand upon his cheek to comfort him, it must've been so hard for him to keep it all to himself, and to think if his mum knew.

"Don't worry about it now, it's in the past and I much prefer the life I have now, the life I have with you." He timidly smiled but still I kept the saddened expression on my face.

"Dan, I'm so sor-"

Suddenly the door swings open and in trudges a drunk Kyle.

Ca-ca-can we do caaaaake?" He said as he hiccups making me giggle lightening the dreary mood.

"Come on then." He smiled grabbing my hand and dragging me with him.

We all sat around the small coffee table that sat a well-lit cake and a cheerful Dan sitting behind. We all drunkly sang happy birthday with our arms wrapped round each other's bodies in one big circle. This is what I loved. Everyone getting along with each other, being happy, being with people I love, nothing quite like it. I had - what I thought - a great idea in mind and waited for Dan to move in closer to blow out the candles, and when the opportunity came, my hand clamped the back of his head and forcefully pushed him into the cake - like what happened on his 10th birthday - covering his now grumpy and shocked face with icing and cream. Fits of laughter filled the room including mine, I was weak as shit. I looked back up to see Dan wiping away the icing from his eyes and had turned to face me, I gave him a thumbs up while my obstreperous laugh tired out my lungs.

"CAKE FIGHT!" Kyle shouted as everyone reached in and grabbed a handful of cake and threw it any direction hoping that they might hit someone. It distracted Dan long enough for me to make my escape and head to the kitchen for cover. As I looked out, I saw bits of cake being thrown through the air, chairs and table being overturned as they were being used for cover. I thought about how much of a mess it will make and how I was probably going to be the one to tidy it up the next day but fuck it, it's a party. It reminded me of the fight at the end of Bugsy Malone.

My fear levels heightened when Dan walked into the kitchen, still with cake all over his face and now over his clothes and a rather large piece of cake in his hand.

"Don't even think about it." I pointed at him like a parent giving their child a warning.

"You started it!" He shouted with a big smirk on his face. He edged his way closer to me. I tried to hit the cake out his hand but he held it away from me out of my reach while his other hand somehow grabbed both of my arms leaving me defenceless. He spun me around so that my back was facing him and that he was towering over me. The next thing I knew I felt a soft, cold mixture being spread all over my face. Muffled noises came from my mouth, cake was repeatedly being rubbed all over my face. When he finally stopped he wrapped both arms around my waist holding my body closer to his as I wiped away the icing away from my eyes, nose and mouth. Payback's a bitch.

"I'm not even going to fight back." I admitted as I struggled to escape his grasp but I just ended up being turned around, inches away from his face. I wiped some cake off my face and ruffled his hair leaving his hair sticky and covered in blue icing then wrapped my arms around his neck. Not expecting the reaction I got from him, he sighed.

"I need to get you tamed."

"Another thing that's on my impossible list."

He rolled his gorgeous blue eyes and smiled down at me, he pulled me in closer and placed his sugar coated lips onto mine. His hands traveled around my back sending a wave of shivers through my body.

"Incoming!" I heard someone shout from a distance and before I could react I heard a loud slapping noise coming from in front of me then followed by a long, exasperated exhale. I opened my eyes to see Dans face yet again covered in cake. I could tell from his pursed lips and closed eyes that he wasn't happy, to say the least. He finally opened his eyes looking over the top of my head probably looking at whoever was responsible. After moments of giving a deathly glare he peered down at me and kissed the top of my cake covered head.

"Duty calls." He smirked and off he ran chasing that poor unfortunate soul.

Drunken, cake covered bodies danced around the apartment screaming, singing and shouting. I was definitely sure that everyone had had a good night including me, in fact I might of had too much of a good night by the way I could hardly keep my eyes open and not walk two steps without falling over. Eventually I stumbled over to bed and fell into a deep sleep immediately, I wasn't exactly excited about waking up tomorrow, the hangover had already started and the apartment was left in an absolute state.

I woke up again round about 4 in the morning and I heard the front door slam then silence, was that really the last person to leave? Peoples voices could be heard rather loudly from outside that had just left the building. I peered outside and saw a small group of silhouettes stumbling down the empty street singing. I moaned and went back to bed with a throbbing headache. As I tried to fall into a deep sleep I kept on hearing mumbling coming from the living room getting louder and closer. The bedroom door swung open with the hall lights blinding me. Dan danced around the room barely keeping his balance and humming to himself then eventually flopped into the bed beside me. His arm snaked around my waist and he pulled me closer to him. He whispered something in my ear slurring his words.

"Best birthday ever, I looooooove you." I smiled to myself closing my eyes desperate for sleep.