Too Close

Chapter Twenty Two

Gianna's eyes fluttered open at the sound of her alarm. She squinted her eyes to hide them from the peeking sunlight and felt around her nightstand to stop the ringing in her ears. She turned away from her balcony's glass doors that let in the uninvited beams and stared at the opposite wall, trying to get ready mentally before physically.

The assortment of orange, green, and gold balloons swayed from the flowing air and the strings attached to gift bags on her accent chair caught her attention, interrupting the daydream that was coming on. Her lips curved into a smile as she remembered. It was her birthday.

She removed the covers from her body and found the strength to go to her bathroom. After taking care of her hygiene, she walked into her closet to find something to wear.

Doing too much wasn't on her to-do list, not yet at least. But, it was still a special occasion so she wanted to dress up more than the hoodies and sweats she usually wore, plus Miles was also taking her to brunch. He was purposely going to run late, so she had all the time she needed to get ready.

A white ribbed dress with long sleeves caught her eye. It was the perfect combination of cute, chill, and comfortable. She paired it with multicolored Nike dunks and an orange Telfar shopping bag. Her hair fell past her shoulders and in the middle of her back as she brushed it out of its wrap.

The second alarm went off, letting her know she had to leave and she was ready, but since she had some extra time, she couldn't leave without at least peeking into one of the gift bags. The smallest one piqued her interest the most and when she saw the velvet black box inside, she was even more eager to open it.

The diamond G pendant dangled from the silver chain that was neatly tucked into the fabric. Gianna excitedly danced a little in her stance as she took it out of the box and clasped it around her neck. She did a few poses in the mirror before finally making her way downstairs.

"Today starts your two weeks notice." Her dad announced as she walked past the living room. Gino sipped his coffee as he sank into the plush recliner and watched early morning reruns of In the Heat of the Night.

"A simple happy birthday would have sufficed." Gianna grabbed an apple and a banana before turning back to where he was. "And you guys love having me around. No need to pretend now." She smirked while patting the top of his head.

"Now it's five days." Gino swatted her hand away before standing up. "Happy birthday junior." He hugged his daughter and kissed her head.

"Thank you and for the gifts too." She smiled while looking up at him.

"Now why would I spend more money on you?" He said sarcastically, making Gianna laugh and roll her eyes.

"Goodbye father." She turned around and walked to the foyer.

"Don't be surprised when your stuff is in the driveway!" He made sure to tell her before she walked out of the front door. Gianna escaped the snowy weather and got into her car, starting her drive to campus.

After making it there, she stood in the hallway with the rest of her classmates as they waited for Miles to arrive and unlock the door. Brooke entered the building and caught Gianna's attention by singing Stevie Wonder's famous Happy Birthday chorus.

"Thank you, thank you." She said behind her giggle. Her smile widened as Brooke pulled out an assortment of her favorite flowers with roses mixed into the bunch from behind her back.

"Aww, you didn't have to get me anything." Gianna cooed as she admired them. It made her feel good that everyone knew what she liked, and she was accumulating enough dahlias to put along the walls of her room.