Happy Birthday…NOT!

Savannah

Walking into school, the first thing I see is a bouquet of balloons.

The kind that read “happy birthday,” but they have been poorly covered up to say “happen to be a day” like no one could figure that out.

Reid Daniels smiles from ear to ear, holding the balloons in one hand and a black plastic bag full of Ziplock baggies that held treats he made for me and a white chocolate frappuccino.

“Good morning, my goddess. I thought today would be a good day to say I was thinking about you.”

A look at Percy, who rolls his eyes and holds his hands out in surrender like he had no idea Reid was up to anything.

“Thank you, Puppy.” I moved forward and took the gifts from him.

The effort he puts into things for me is endearing.

Like now, he didn’t just make the snacks or go out of his way to get me a frappe or do the balloons. He dressed up for me.

His dress shirt was perfectly suited to his slightly bony body. The bowtie he has clipped on has my initials as the design.

His face is shaved and his hair is freshly cut. His shoes polished to a shine and he looks so sweet out here waiting for me.

Just like an adorable little puppy waiting on his owner to come home from a long day away.

“Anything for you, my goddess.”

He bows at the waist in front of everyone coming in. Reid is a good guy. I love that he doesn’t care about other people’s opinions.

I know it’s looked at as if he is less of a man for being a submissive to a female dominant.

It isn’t. That’s such sexist bullshit.

Taking a sip from my frappuccino, I let a loud moan fall from my lips to make Reid know I do appreciate it.

“You are such a good boy for me, my puppy.”

I pet his head and take another sip when I hear the sound of war coming in our direction.

The tone used in the way the door shuts makes it known what he thinks is happening is not liked.

~Not at all.~

Does Damon think I wouldn’t share my damn food with him? He’s such a snack whore.

Turning around as a shield for my poor Reid, I block Damon’s path, which only acts as a way to piss him off further. Sunshine and Moonpie take up at his sides like they’re the backup he is going to need.

The coldest glare I have ever received from my Angel almost makes me shiver but I stand tall and protect the boy behind me.

I will not let anyone beat up on Reid for gifting me things. Not even Damon.

“Damon! Stop it. He was just being nice.”

Percy making sure to add space between the three of us, taking the black bag of assorted treats and the frappuccino from me.

“Why the fuck would he be giving you a goddamn thing?” he fumes.

Sunshine gives me a pointed look like, ~well, tell him~. Moonpie looks completely impassive.

Damon, moving to the side, trying to look behind me to make the sweet puppy I have hidden pee himself.

It makes me mad to see Damon try and go all top dog when I ended things on a sexual basis with Reid when I got serious about wanting to be with this douchecanoe.

Reid doesn’t deserve to have his tail between his legs when he was just being a friend.

“Because…just because! He does sweet things for me and I’m not going to apologize for that. He is a fan of when I was a singer and I will not deny my fans from giving me chocolate pretzels or frappuccinos. Get your head out of your ass and I’ll share!”

Percy makes a slurp sound from draining my frapp.

~Gosh freaking darn it, Percy!~

“I don’t want anyone you’ve fucked around with giving you a damn thing, Savannah. You want whatever that drink is, I’ll get it for you. Fan or not, I don’t give a shit.”

His lips rolled in and pressed down in a white line. The flames of his anger singe the pale color of his face. His cheeks heat up and so does a strip of his forehead.

I’m pretty sure I can see smoke rolling from his nostrils.

I sigh in an act to show my stress level growing.

~Do I understand where he is coming from? Yes.~

~But it doesn’t mean I like it.~

Reid is my friend.

We never held the idea of a relationship, I didn’t even kiss him. He was used as a pet to make me cum and he was glad to do it.

Threading my hand through my hair, I give a sharp tug at my roots in a stress relief effort to work me in some type of relaxation.

Having Damon mad at me works in the favor of keeping him out of my birthday, but I don’t want him mad at me!

“Damon, for fuck’s sake. I—”

The classroom door to our right side opens with a perky smile on Mr. Mathers’s face.

“Ah, Savannah, good morning and a happy birthday! The big eighteen. Huzzah, birthday girl.” Holding his hand out, he waits for a high five.

The awkward silence is just enough to piss me back off.

I high five him and nod out a grumpy thanks before he walks off.

It’s not his fault he didn’t get a warning on the happy birthday express.

Damon’s angry face changes in the instant the words ~happy birthday~ were said.

His flawless features contort to a neutral void mask of emotion like he does whenever he is hiding whatever is going on in his head, the same thing King Lucien the world-class asshole does.

Turning away from him, I try my best to work up another thankful smile for Reid.

“Thank you for the not-birthday presents. I appreciate it. You’re a good boy, such a sweet puppy.”

I put a hand over my heart and try to pull the smile higher but it falls flat before I can turn back around at Damon.

“I heard you,” is all I say before I walk off.

I did hear him. From the legitimate words his devilish mouth spoke to the silent ones that fell on my unused ears.

I heard him.

Down the hallway and to my locker. The shuffle of my books is overlooked when Damon throws me over his shoulder and rips the bag from my hands.

Tossing it to the floor, he gives no explanation.

“Damon?!” I yell at him. Looking at Percy with wide eyes, he doesn’t offer any either. Instead, he helps Damon and not me, taking the books off the floor and adding them to his locker.

Opening my special treats, Percy pops a chocolate pretzel in his mouth as he waves goodbye one-handed. The empty cup of my frappuccino sticking out of the black bag like it’s a trash can.

I flip him off with both hands and yell back a loud “Fuck you!”

Percy, being an ass, turns the Ziplock bag up and lets it fill his open mouth with my treats. All the while waving goodbye.

Damon’s shoulder grabs me in my stomach, Moonpie and Sunshine opening the doors up for us. They offer no other help.

“Damon, what the hell? I have to get to class.” I punch his back and growl, but he just walks down the sidewalk to his bike.

“You are not going to school on your birthday. Want to pretend it’s not happening, fine, but no school.”

Damon sits me down on his seat, holding out the helmet.

“If I’m not going to school, then I’m driving my own damn bike.” I shove his helmet away and take off towards Percy’s and my parking spots.

Following behind me like the three musketeers, I lead them to my rainbow dirt bike. With a smile, I push my helmet on and wave a hand down the length of my brand new bike in joy.

“It’s from my Uncle Jonah. It’s pretty, isn’t it?”

The three of them chuckle and show teeth in their smiles.

“A dirt bike?” Moonpie points at my new ride like he thinks it’s a child’s toy.

“Yes. A dirt bike. Is that a problem?”

My hand on my hip, I challenge him.

“It’s…bright,” Sunshine adds in.

“And? What’s wrong with color? Just because you guys are basic and only have plain black rides doesn’t mean I can’t live my life in the middle of a rainbow.”

Damon steps forward as the leader of the three and takes a knee to check out whatever he is looking at underneath.

“You drove it?” He looks up with pride.

That same look he held when I kicked Daxon’s ass and rode with him for the first time. That pride sets in his dark eyes like the only star in a sea of dark blue.

“Yeah. All by myself.”

Damon rises to his feet, picks me up by the ass, and strains to kiss me through my helmet.

“Hell yeah, Shortcake.”

He kisses me again, this time biting my lip in our never-ending game of tag.

“Want a ride?” I jingle the keys.

Barking out a laugh, he shakes his head no.

“I will never ride bitch. Not even for you.”

“Oh right. Big Macho Man can’t be seen on the back of his girlfriend’s bike. What would that do to his reputation?”

Damon groans with his realization that I’m about to start picking on him.

“What would the world have to say about the biker prince holding his girlfriend on the back of her bike? Oh no. Equality? Disgusting!

“The tabloids would have a field day! The media would blast it on the news and you would be forever known as Savannah Madis’s biker bitch. Can’t have that, can we?”

I slap the glass shield down and climb on my bike.

“What are you doing now, woman?”

He facepalms.

“My uncle said I couldn’t race Percy, he never said anything about you. If I can’t go to class and you’re set on pissing me off, then I’ll just have to knock you off your pedestal, pretty boy. You’re not the only cool kid with a bike.”

Turning the bike over with the same junky thing it did when I started it up the first time, I yell “Eat my dust!” before I drive off.

Damon, Sunshine, and Moonpie running to their own bikes to catch up with me.

Out of the parking lot and onto the blacktop, I hear the sound of their metal beasts roaring to life and coming to chase me down.

~Bring it, Angel.~

I’m ready.