A Certain Romance || Ashton Irwin

Sage's Birthday

"Happy birthday!"

Eighteen. Legally, I was free and could do whatever I pleased, like sleep in and skip school. Arrie had different plans for me when he jumped on my bed at 6:30 in the morning and pulled the covers off me. I was up until three last night in a trance of sadness. I had passed by my bedroom window and noticed something moving in Ashton's room from the corner of my eye. And as I focused on what it was, I realized it was him on top of Veronica, the two of them making out. I felt like he was purposely taunting me by leaving the blinds and curtains open. Like this was my karma for what Reuben had done at school a few days ago.

"Ah, you remembered." I chuckled, rubbing my eyes.

"You make it seem like I have a bad memory." Arrie had one of the best memories hands down. It could even be photographic because he had to study for a theology test and all he did was stare at a sheet of notes for five minutes then said he was ready for the test.

"I know you don't." I hugged him from the position I sat in on my bed. "Thank you."

I did the morning essentials: washed up, jumped around for a bit to wake up, them slipped into regular clothes instead of my uniform because school wasn't on my agenda today. Since I was thirteen I had planned to skip school with Michael and Luke on my eighteenth birthday and nothing would change my mind. Nothing. Not even Sienna.

Speaking of Sienna, she wasn't here nor was my father. The difference between Sienna and my dad, I knew my dad was doing what was important; work. I knew Sienna was most likely hanging around the Mud clubhouse, trying to spend time with Noland and whoever else she decided needed to be in her life today.

"Happy birthday!!!!!!" Luke and Michael shouted together, both tackling me into a hug from either side.

"Oh my God, I can't breathe." I tried to wiggle out from the holds of my two best friends.

"Sorry." Luke apologized, but only squeezed me tighter.

"So," Michael ruffled his own hair after letting go of me. His hair was lime green now. Luke on the other hand was still attached to me. "the four of us are totally skipping school and treating you to a lovely day of whatever you want to do."

"Perfect."

-

Breakfast was great and not just because it was my second breakfast of the morning, but because I literally didn't have to pay for a single thing and everyone became ten times sweeter when you told them it was your birthday.

Happy vibes were at every corner of the table we sat at. Calum didn't matter, Ashton and Veronica didn't matter, Sienna didn't matter, Noland didn't matter. And even though Arrie would have to work hard to turn The Trifecta into a quartet, the four of us felt like an unbreakable family with a strong bond. It was the greatest feeling of family that I had been able to experience in months.

"So are we officially going to Lydia's lake house?" Michael held the door open for us as we each left the restaurant we had breakfast at.

On a day where I willingly wanted to skip school I couldn't think of a single thing to do to pass the time, it began to annoy me.

"I told my mom Sage is going, so she was all for it." Luke hopped in the back seat of the Buick.

"Wherever Sage goes, I go." Arrie shrugged. Again he probably didn't want to hang out with teenagers for New Year's, but he was doing it for the sake of Sam.

"Nothing exciting ever happens here, so yeah, I'll be there." I agreed.

After breakfast Michael forced us to go bowling, I lost. Then we had lunch that consisted of ginormous burgers and way too many fries for anyone to consume in one day. After lunch Michael and Luke wanted to take me shopping so I could pick out my own gifts since both were terrible at picking gifts for anyone. Everywhere we went someone made sure to mention that it was my birthday, so I'd have about fifty strangers telling me happy birthday, the attention was not a necessity for me.