terrible things e.s.

2 little bird

On the night of my sixteenth birthday, Ed, as he preferred to be called now, (I secretly liked being the only person who called him that. Now everyone did, its not as special anymore), snuck into my window as he now did most nights. I was already awake, expecting him as usual. I was unable to concentrate, the book in my hands serving only as a prop, like from a movie, as I read over the same line ten, twenty, forty times by now. When I heard him tapping on my window, I quickly put the book down, not caring that I lost my page, rushing to the window to unlock it and let him crawl through. I shut it back as soon as he was safe inside, a cold breeze blowing through.

"God, it's fuckin' freezing out there," he said. He was wearing a pair of dark wash jeans and a loose red shirt.

"Yeah, I know. It's, like, the coldest winter since '86," I sat back on my bed, pulling my knees up to my chest and picked on the on the sleeve of my grey sweater.

"Happy Birthday, Rory. I'm sorry, I didn't get to tell you earlier. Lacey was over and you know how she gets."

Lacey was Ed's girlfriend. She was bossy, she was controlling, she didn't like Ed talking to girls, she didn't even like him looking at me, his best friend. Friend. One thing I wish I was not of his. I envied Lacey. She got to touch him, kiss him, tell him that she loved him even though she was no good for Ed.

"Yeah," I wiped my running nose on my sleeve, I catch a cold like a newborn, "No, no, it's fine. It's not like I'm your best friend or anything. It's no big deal." I couldn't look at him. I was afraid I would kiss him. He deserved so much better than her. He was sat crisscrossed at the end of my bed, silent.

"Rory, you know it's not like that," he sounded stressed and I hated it. But he knew I didn't like her. I hated being this way with him, but I couldn't help it.

"Look, I'm sorry I'm being a bitch. Its just... I can't... it's my birthday, y'know?" My ears were getting hot and my nose was turning red and I just knew I was about to cry.

"My birthday," I whispered as the first tear streamed down my cheek.

"Rory," It seemed like the only thing he could say. I hated it. I hated everything. I hated him. I hated him for not talking and I hated him for making me cry on my birthday and I hated him so, so much but, God, I loved him. I was in love with my Bestfriend who had a girlfriend, who didn't like me like that.

"I think... that you should just go." I looked up at him, all teary-eyed and red-faced. Ed sat there for a second, not saying anything.

"Please."

Eventually he got up, put back on his shoes over his black socks, pulled a small white box out of the pocket of his jeans, placing it where he was sitting. He put a hand on the top of my head and brought his lips to my temple.

"Happy Birthday, Rory."

Without another word, he slipped back out my window into the night. By now, he was much better at climbing in and out of windows. I got up and closed the window back and locked it. I climbed back into bed, then seeing the little white box. I picked it up and threw it across the room, angry tears welling up in my eyes again.

I buried my face into my pillow and screamed. And then I cried for a long, long time. I cried until I had run out of tears and was only laying with my head on my pillow, staring into nothing. It was 4:27 a.m. and it was no longer my birthday.

At 4:31, a small, bright light came from the window of the house beside mine, where Ed's room rested. It was LED, like from a cellphone. Not a minute later, my phone buzzed on my night stand.

Teddy send you an iMessage

I opened it.

I'm sorry.

I typed slowly.

I know.

It buzzed again.

Can I come over?

I looked at his window.

ok

Teddy came over. He was in plaid pajama pants and his loose red shirt. I let him climb into bed with me and we laid there for a while before he spoke.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"So you've said,"

"I won't be able to sleep until I know we're okay. Until I know you're okay,"

"I'm okay,"

"How can I be sure your not lying?"

"You can't,"

He looked down. Taking a deep breath and letting it out in one huff.

"Did you open your gift?" His deep blue eyes stared into my brown ones. I shook my head and then turned my lamp on, stepping out of bed to go retrieve it from the floor. I tiptoed back into bed and placed it in my lap. Ed sat up beside me watched me intently. I removed the small poorly wrapped ribbon, then taking the lid off of the small box. Inside was a small necklace with a little bird on it.

"Ed...," I breathed, "it's beautiful." I gave him a side hug still gaping at him. I held the gold necklace in my hand and turned back to him, smiling.

"Help me put it on, yeah?" He laughed and clipped it on.

"Perfect," he smiled.

"Thank you, so much, Teddy. I'm so sorry about earlier I was just-"

"Being a bitch, yeah, I get it. Your welcome by the way."

I traced my fingers over the little bird feeling the smoothness of the white gold, "I love it."

"Yeah, cause you'll always be my little bird, right?" Ed said, referring to when we found a little baby chicken with a broken wing one day while walking. I wanted to keep it and try to heal it, but after we took a nap, and Ed complained about my makeup smearing on his favorite shirt, we found that it had died and I'd be lying if I said I hadn't cried.

"Yes, Ed, I'll always be your little dead bird," we both laughed. Soon after, we fell asleep.

We're okay.

I'm okay.

-

Chapter two. Vote if you catch the pattern of the chapters. Necklace in the media. Until the next update..