Teur Life xx

visalia 🌄 (important)

(Issa long one and a major one so yuh)

    SHE WOKE UP to the sound of singing. It wasn't necessarily beautiful singing- the shrill of echoey laughter was mixed in- although it was definitely joyous. Wondering what was going on, she climbed out of her bunk- God, for a second she remembered when she had a broken ankle...truly thankful not to have to deal with that mess anymore- and hurried out to the back compartment where she noticed everyone still in their pajamas and robes like her, including Scott, Mitch, Kevin, Esther, Mark, Beau, Leigh, the whole crew, Citizen Queen, and some of Avi's new band members gleefully singing a song she was too tired to understand. She was still half-asleep, to be fair. In the center was a white cake embroidered with green icing etching little trees and leaves all around. The center was a flower that glittered from the waxy candles poking into it, writing out, "30!"

Who was turning thirty? She pondered, looking around the crowd with blurred vision- the white spots and those dark sparks needed to stop happening whenever she rubbed her eyes- as she gasped.

It was Avi, of course. It was April 17th, for goodness sake, and he was now thirty. Had they planned this purposely so she'd have to endure this day- no, Kirstie, be nice...be nice like Essie told you too, or else you'll probably suffer under her.

"Happy birthday!" Everyone exclaimed in unison as Avi thanked them all, his eye catching the yawning girl, acknowledging her presence.

"Good morning, Kirstin," he said with a formal smile, though his jade eyes were still quite as bright as usual, deeper and warmer than the lush forests he claimed to love.

"Happy birthday, Avi," she said with a genuine grin. She should be nice. He was nice to her...she had to at least try.

"Thank you," he replied, gazing at her like they were the only ones in the room, the only ones, bright brown eyes meeting liquid green ones, twisted sensations of confused tenderness flames of flickering infuriation brimming her heart as well as the trembling tension traveling through her thoughts.

"So," Matt said, breaking the random silence, which he seemed to be the only one to notice, "want to cut the cake, Sensei?"

"Sure," Avi nodded, happily slicing the cake, giving everyone a huge piece.

He tried giving some to Kirstie, but she shook her head.

"No thanks, I'm good for now," she said, causing Esther to nudge her.

"Kirstin, eat," Esther crossed her arms sternly, as if she was her mother. Even Angelica wouldn't force her to eat if she didn't want to.

Yet she knew Esther was just making her do this for Avi.

She could be nice to Avi but she literally just woke up. Who eats right when they wake up?

"I'm fine. It's not as if I'm pregnant or anything," Kirstin kidded around, though Esther handed her a plate and a fork.

     When Esther was stern and motherly like this, one could tell she would blow up later today. Today was Avi's birthday; Esther would probably not want to do that right now. Or ever today...to be quite honest.

     Kirstie simply twisted her silvery fork around, stabbing the brittle cake in a bored manner, though once Avi started speaking, she tried to act interested. Actually, it wasn't that hard to act interested. She truly was interested because she knew she needed to figure him out.

     If Avi Kaplan was slightly confusing before he had left, now he was an ultra-complicated figure of pure puzzlement and cascading complexity. A jigsaw of the green-eyed man she had once loved years ago, something she knew she'd never admit to anyone except her mother, who already knew anyways.