Benefits

Ch. 96: Tongue Tied

Tongue Tied- Grouplove

"Take me to your best friend's house. Roll around this roundabout. Oh yeah. Take me to your best friend's house. I loved you then, and I love you now. Oh yeah."

-

2 weeks later

"I tried to make a smiley face." My mom tells me with a saddened smile. It's my birthday, and my mom so cheekily made a pancake with a failed smile on it with whip cream.

"It's perfect, mom." I eye the single candle that sticks into the cake.

"Make a wish." She folds her hands under her chin.

It's the first birthday without dad. I know this. She knows this, and I hope neither of us will make it obvious.

My past five birthdays were filled with awkward birthday dinners at home. My father basically forced my mom to make my favorite type of cake, which in each year I felt the love leak out the batter.

Another broken tradition also being Lauren would be there. I haven't thought about her in a few weeks, and it's mostly because I make it a point to ignore her. Alice, Reese and I sit in the library for lunch, and some of the times we join Jake and his friends from work. They're not so bad.

"What are you doing tonight with Lauren?"

I nearly choke on my pancake, "Mom, I told you we aren't friends anymore." I swallow some milk to help the batter to go down.

"Well, I thought you'd make up by now." She answers innocently.

"She did something unforgivable. Besides, Jake has something planned for me."

"Be safe." She kisses my cheek before heading out the door for her shift.

"Will do. Thanks for the pancakes." I holler at her before the door slams.

-

"Are we sitting with Jake today?" Reese asks me as we exit our English class. Jake's a few feet in front of us with Alice.

"Yeah," I grumble. "He's forcing me to, something about my birthday." I roll my eyes playfully.

"About not giving you a gift on your birthday..." she scratches the back of her head nervously.

"Reese I told you. I don't like gifts. I feel bad when receiving-"

She interrupts me, "It's a friendship bracelet. One for me, Alice and you." She pushes the jewelry in my hand. Three letters in rose gold are present on the charm. R-A-D. Reese. Alice. Dawn.

I can't be mad at her. This gift is cute, and I only assume she gave Alice one as well.

"Thank you." My cheeks redden, and I squeeze her side. She giggles in my ear, and we press on to the lunch courts.

Jake's coworker's, Fred and Tyrese are already sitting at the table, but before I could look at them any further, Jake is in front of me blocking my eye of view.

"What?" I furrow my brows up to him.

He grabs my chin with his index finger and thumb, causing my cheeks to redden. "Now I know you hate celebrating your birthday... just as much as me."

"Jake Dennings, you did not-" he stops my complaint with a peck on my lips, and I'm even more surprised at his affections then when he turns me around to the table. Balloons illuminate the table with a cake in the middle of it. "Jake," my voice is coming out as a whine. I don't like attention at all.

"Happy birthday, baby girl." His hands play at my waist, massaging my sides to ease my anxiety.

He pushes me forward to the table, and everyone around is familiar.