Spirited Away To You

Chapter-30: Shades of Blue

I dressed up for school in skinny tights and a loose t-shirt that had "You don't know me" labelled across it. Yep, it was my birthday but I had no excitement about turning eighteen but felt lonely and hurt.

Aunt made some pancakes for me, Uncle eyeing me through his newspaper. He didn't say anything. Great start for my birthday.

The school was practically deserted, with a few freshmen and juniors strolling around but no sign of Mikayla and Jaxon. The teachers even gave free periods. Some didn't even come to school.

I passed through the hallways, deciding to ditch lunch period and call it a day. I came to a stop when I saw Elijah putting a note in some locker. I stood back behind the walls, peeking t the sight. He glanced at both sides of the hallway before he slid the note and walked away from the sight.

My curiosity was killing me but I reasoned it could be Mikayla's but I knew her locker was on my row. I strode past the lockers and stopped at the significant one. The note was sticking out a bit, just needed a little tug.

I knew what I was doing was wrong but couldn't stop myself before I pulled the note and read it.

'Meet me at five sharp, at Rodeo drive on the 5th of November. It's urgent.'

It was scribbled in a chicken handwriting but had no saying to whom. The locker was nothing special that would signify to someone. I put the note in and I walked away, feeling as if the small scrap of paper had burned me.

I just had to go there and see who he was going to meet up with. But I felt like I already knew.

                            ☆☆☆

I walked down the streets, solemnly kicking rocks along the gravelled road before I saw an ice cream stroll. It was selling serves too. I sighed but made my way there and treated myself with a vanilla serve.

Trixie met me at the porch when I arrived.

"Hey, kitty, where's Aristotle?"

She just stretched herself and came around my leg for cuddling, or for tasting the serve. I just patted her and gave her the rest of the serve before unlocking the door and getting in.

"Aunt, I'm home-"

"SURPRISE!"

Mikayla and Jaxon jumped out from either side of opposite sofas with a birthday poster and blew out the colourful confetti. Aunt came from the living room with a huge, two-storied cake that was beautifully coated in deep blue cream and eighteen written with sticks helping it stand.

All too sudden, people started emerging from the rooms, my classmates from different classes and some others I talked to during the volunteering, singing the birthday song. Even Uncle stood in one corner with a bored expression, but sang along with everyone and clapped at the end.

Wow.

Words were stuck in my throat, disabling me in showing my gratitude for the things all of them had done.

Did they miss school for this?

Mikayla and Aunt pushed through the crowd and came in front of me.

"Do you like the surprise?" Mikayla asked.

"I mean, wow, I-I," I truly had no words.

The house was beautifully decorated in balloons of all shades of blue and the people even wore blue.

"Oh, sweetie, I kept a dress for you in your room, go doll up and then we can cut the cake with all your lovely friends," Aunt interjected before I could say anything.

I nodded and made my way, still speechless with Mikayla tagging along. I smiled at others and waved at Jaxon, who looked like a cartoon wearing a birthday cap on his head, "The lengths I had to go for you." We all chuckled at his words.

The dress Aunt bought for me was really pretty with butterfly beadings at the skirt of the spaghetti dress that went to my knees. Mikayla curled up my hair a little as I did some makeup.

"Now you look like the birthday girl," Mikayla chuckled.

I hugged her, knowing she was the one who planned all this along with Aunt.

"Thank you for doing all this, Mikkie," I said as she hugged.

"We are best friends, Abby, obviously I will do this."

We parted and went downstairs to see people amiably chatting but turned their heads when they saw us approaching.

"Here comes the birthday girl," Jaxon said as he helped me and Mikayla to the living room. Aunt handed me a knife and kissed the side of my head. I could see the tears but she wiped them away and smiled at me.

I cut the cake with everyone cheering and singing for me. I paused before taking the glass of champagne, facing every single person who made it here.

"I want to thank all of you for this wonderful surprise, it is absolutely beautiful and I'm so glad to have a family and friends like this. My parents would be very happy if they were here," I said raising the glass and clinking with everyone before taking a sip.

Afterwards, we all clicked pictures around the house and the photo booth they all had made and ate the delicious meal Aunt had cooked. I still didn't see Aristotle.

What if William took him and left?

The worry soon evaporated when Aunt said he might be in her room and I got indulged with my friends.

Jaxon and Mikayla stayed back while others took their leave promising of hanging out at tomorrow's Halloween party. By seven, Mikayla and Jaxon also left but not before we had a karaoke fight which Mikayla won.

I sighed in contentment and looked aside to see Trixie sleeping in a balled-up form. Aunt was back to her cleaning and told me sternly to go to my room because apparently I was not allowed to work on my birthday. Still, I cleaned around the living room and the kitchen.

Walking upstairs, I went to Aunt's room first but saw no sign of the golden retriever. Sighing, I walked back to my room which was dark except for the glow from the stickers on the ceiling that provided minimal lighting. Did William actually took Aristotle along with him? Turning on the light, I went around the bed to lay down for a while but saw a note on my nightstand.

It was a note from William.