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Because today is my eighteenth birthday. Today is my day. Fuck everyone else.
Each step is a perky happy stride up the smooth concrete steps of the school. Inside the students are, as they always will be, suffocating pods of whispers. They’re with the same people, gossiping about the same things. Likely me.
My chin tips higher at the same time as my shoulders straighten, shoving that waning positivity right back in place.
Across from my lockers, the three who make it all the worse; Knox, Landon, and Reed, whisper together. They don’t notice me approach and I don’t make my presence known.
How the three of them are even functioning after this weekend is beyond me. The entire morning after the party was a chorus, harmonies and all, of men vomiting their ugly guts up.
I loved every moment of it. Not the puking part, because that’s just gross, but the part where they had to deal with misery caused by their own terrible decisions. Sucks to suck.
Not the twisted revenge I had really imagined but I guess it’ll do.
For now.
Today I’m not going to let them get me down. I’m not going to care about whatever it is that they have up their sleeves, because it’s going to be a good day.
It is.
I think.
Kylie walks up to her locker clicking away on her phone. I can’t help but wonder if she is messaging Knox for some stupid reason even though he’s clearly standing less than five feet away.
Instead of acknowledging her or listening to her sneer some stupid uncreative comment, I lean into my open locker.
I’m not hiding. Okay, maybe I’m hiding. But it’s for my own protection. I’m protecting the merriment of the birthday spirit.
I drop all my books that I don’t immediately need for my first classes and grab an extra notebook. Before I pull away, my locker smacks against the side of my head.
“Oops, must’ve bumped it.” Kylie laughs.
Protect the birthday spirit.
I close my locker and give Kylie a smile. “Don’t worry about it. It’s just an accident. Probably just those few extra pounds you put on that makes it hard to stay in such a small confined space.” I reach over, closing her locker for her with the evilest grin I can summon.
“Did you just call me fat?” she shrieks in a shrill voice, flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder.
“Yeah. I wanted to call you stupid, too, but I better get to class before I’m late.” The sweet smile I give her isn’t returned and her outrage just makes me even happier.
Kylie firmly closes her mouth without saying another word. Straightening my shoulders I walk around her, making sure to bump into her as I do.
My split lip still stings, bitch. But I can’t feel it at all in this moment.
Yes, I’m aware that was the most juvenile thing I’ve probably ever done… but damn does it feel good. Just to give her an ounce of what she has given to me.
Happy Birthday, Dee.
When I pass three boys who I’m all too aware of, I can’t help but glance up at them. Knox watches me with his cool, unphased attention. But Reed and Landon are both smirking, shaking with laughter.
And a little spark of heat warms my chest.
I hate how much I’m preening from their small genuine amusement.
But I don’t care. It’s my fucking birthday.
And I just don’t care about anyone else but me.
Not today.
