Wren and the World

2.4 | Glittering Conversation

Today was the day. Sitting up straight out of bed I did not even have time to breath knowing that tonight would be my best acting yet. I had mapped out at least twenty different game plans for trying to entice Connor in some way, shape or form. I wasn't trying to sleep with him, but I knew that the position I put myself in was one that would come at some cost. A little making out, a bit of touching, and if I was lucky he'd invite me over after the party was over. Now the hard part of all my plans, comes down to hoping and praying I can listen in or 'accidentally' run into Mr. Black. There was a lot still unknown, because I had never been to the Black resident's and I didn't know if there would be a separate wing strictly for Connor, that eliminates his interaction with the rest of the household or not.

While I sat contemplating my life and its impending doom, my mom was busting into my room a face full of pure joy. My mom loved my birthday more than me, I swear she found it to be a holiday we could both revel in. I get it though, she's been a single parent so that means my birth set off the chain reaction that happened to be her life. A lit candle on a stack of waffles in one hand and her phone in the other. I'm sure I looked quite monstrous, but her wide smile and crinkled eyes pushed that thought into the back of my mind.

"Happy birthday baby girl!" She cheered, pushing the plate towards my face, "Make a wish!"

And so, I did. I wished for the strength to get me the answers I was looking for. I wished for the power to push through and preserver.

"Thanks mom" I smiled, blowing out the candle and letting her snap my photo. She would make this beginning of another scrap book. She's been chronologizing my life since I was born, I didn't have the heart to every tell her to stop, so 18 scrapbooks later we're still here.

"Get dressed, it's time to continue with tradition!" I forgot about our tradition with all the plans I've been scheming. Every year on my birthday my mom lets me skip school and we spend the entire day searching for a perfect outfit and get lunch at this little whole in the wall Thai place that has food like you would not even believe.

"Actually mom, I have a huge test today that I'd really like to not have to worry about next week, would it be okay if we put the tradition on hold for this year." I pleaded with her, as her smile fell a little I knew that I had hurt her just a little, even though it wasn't intentional. It just added to the list of things we no longer did together, and it wasn't because I didn't love her it was just that I had grown out of a lot of things over the years. No matter what though, she was still my best friend.

"Of course, honey, maybe I can pull you out early and we can go get some lunch later." She said with a halfhearted smile, leaving me to get dressed and ready for the day.

Shoveling the mound of waffles into my mouth, I scrolled through social media, to see no posts about me or my birthday. It wasn't that I didn't have friends, because I did. Except I didn't have really close ones who would gush about me on an Instagram post or tag me a stupid stuff on Facebook. I couldn't be upset because it was nothing new, although it is hard to not be when it is your special day. I was just lucky that I didn't have to share it with anyone else in my school, that would have made the emptiness feel a little worse.

I finally heaved myself out of bed, toward my bathroom to brush my teeth and tame my mane into something not so revolting. I tried some days to look nice, but today I was going to look amazing. I had gotten up early for strictly this reason, I needed to look my best for any wandering eyes, Connor's, so that I could get a certain boy, Connor, to look at me. Instead of my usual half up-do, I let my straightened hair fall down my back not a hair out of place. I still didn't possess magical makeup skills, so some mascara and powder were going to have to do today. Being unable to change my actually outfit, I picked out the shorter of the school skirts I owned so that I could pretend I was being scandalous for once. I wasn't trying to flash the entire student body, the length didn't even break the dress code, but it gave me an edge of confidence like nothing else. I even left the top two buttons undone on my top to show the slightest bit more skin.