The Bucket List (Write Affair Finalist)

Chapter 23: Last birthday.

~ Chapter 23: Last birthday. ~

(Ok so I actually found a place where I could have wifi and I wanted to post this chapter because I really like this one, I hope you'll enjoy it too, it's a little longer. Let me know and don't forget to vote/comment! Happy holidays! Next update will probably be on Sunday :)
Songs I listened to while rereading the chapter:

Macklemore - Can't Hold Us, Thrift Shop, Same Love
Jessie J - Masterpiece
Chris Jamison - Velvet
Ed Sheeran - Runaway
One Direction - Clouds)

                                                                         *

Damon's birthday was coming up in four days, which also depressed me. Because it was the last one he would celebrate. I know, it's so awful, I can't even talk about it. But, because I was unconditionally in love with him, I wanted him to have a great birthday, to try to avoid him spending it drinking to forget it was his last. I didn't know if he'd actually do that but I think it was probably what I'd do so, better safe than sorry.

Jenny had given me the idea of organizing him a surprise birthday party but I wasn't really sure he was going to appreciate the surprise part of it. So I decided to talk to him about it. I went over to his house and brought out the subject.

"I don't feel like celebrating my birthday." He answered before getting up to get a glass of water.

"Look, Damon, I know it's kind of weird that you know it's... your last and... I think you'll regret it if you don't celebrate it. Let's just have a little party with the people you care about. Maybe we could invite Kara. But, if you really don't want to, then it's your choice."

"Can I think about it?"

"Sure."

We watched a movie and I could tell Damon wasn't really following the plot but was more spacing out so I just said I had to leave then made up some excuse and I left him alone. I was feeling so bad. I cried a lot in my bed then got myself together and started writing to take my mind off of things.

His last birthday. It would be his last birthday.

He came over at my house later and said he agreed for a little celebration like maybe over dinner or something, but he didn't want to have lots of people over. He wanted it to be, I quote, "casual". So, I thought about it and proposed to do a barbecue with his closest friends. So, we would invite Kara, Seth, Jenny (even though they hadn't spent that much time together, he liked her so whatever), Mathew and Jeremy (two of his old friends). He texted everyone and I realized that, besides Jenny and me, no one knew it was going to be his last birthday. Maybe it was better. No one was going to ask awkward questions that way. I was particularly worried about Seth, who didn't know when to shut up sometimes.

We did some things from the list during the three days before the birthday then Jenny and I prepared everything for the barbecue. We bought the meat, and then went in a store to try to find a nice present. I wanted one that would be special. I wanted an amazing thing to offer to Damon. I didn't have an idea right away so I walked around the mall to try to have some kind of inspiration. I had thought about it for the past few days but every idea was as crappy as the precedent one. Jenny bought him headphones and a head pillow special for planes. You put it around your neck and then you can sleep by just lowering your head a little. It's very practical and it fit the situation perfectly since Damon and I were traveling a lot.

We went in a coffee shop and then, finally, I had a tolerable idea. But it was basically impossible to realize.

"Jenny, do you know how I could get Macklemore to sing for us?"