Right Now

43.

"Eighteen. Wow." My mom says as we walk down the street toward our car. She took me to a fancy restaurant and we spent our time there. "Oh, I hope the cake didn't ruin in the car.

"That would just make a my entire day worse, adding to the crappiness. This day will go down in the history books." I say, wrapping own arms around my body and looking off. I don't really want her to know I'm upset, but I'd rather her know than feel the weight of all of it later.

"Why, babe? What went on today?" She asks.

"Ashton and everyone else ignored me all day because he wanted them to. He was mad about something. It was crazy, he's never treated me like that." I say and cross my arms.

"Why would he do that?" She asks.

"Because Missy is a bitch and I want to hurl myself off a fucking building" I say and feel my eyes burn with the tears that I'd become too friendly with letting out.

''Whoa, that is entirely too many cuss words for my liking. And just because this girl is trying to mess things up, doesn't mean you should let her get to you. Calum, too?"

"No, he talked to me." I say.

"Then that's all you need, right? Now, they made an exception on me coming home today for your surprise, but I have to leave again tonight." She says and we drive down the road.

I open the door to our house and on the couch sits Calum with a magazine in his hands. "Ten ways to lead a better life. One is don't skip out on your boyfriend on a school day. Two is to tell said boyfriend when you are upset. Three is this." He holds up a bag and my mom smiles. He tosses the magazine to the side and I smile, too.

"Keeper." She whispers and walks off with he cake.

I walk over and hug him. "I forgot today was my birthday." I say.

"How do you forget that?" He asks me.

"I've had other things to worry about." I say. He hands me the bag and I look inside. It's a necklace case, a bag of candy, and CD. And condoms.

"You never buy them so I did." He winks and kisses me quickly before my mom walk in.

"What have you got?" She asks.

I push the condoms to the bottom and I take out the CD, the necklace case, and the candy. He sits in the couch and I put my legs over his and my mom sits on the chair.

"The newest Green Day CD, skittles, and- oh shit that's so cool." I say and look at the necklace. "C-plus-E." I say. A black guitar pick with blue and white mixed in it. I run my finger over it and feel my heart swell with pure happiness, all directed toward Calum.

"Okay, truth is I learned about your birthday a while ago. I ordered this and it came in a couple days again, but I honestly forgot it was today, I won't lie to you." He says and I smile.

"You're forgiven." I say and I go to put it on.

"Hey, stop it," He says, taking it from me. "As the responsible guy I am, I'm supposed to put it on you." He says and I move my hair so he can put it on.

My mom smiles and I blush. "Want some cake, guys?" She asks and I stand.

"Yep. I'll be back, though." I say and walk for the stairs. I skip up to my room and look in the mirror at the necklace. It hangs at the base of my neck and I smile at myself. I set the candy down next the bag I bought myself, which is wrecked. The sides of the bag on either side are tore and I sigh, knowing the drunken boys I let in must have done this. I set the CD on the stack I've been collecting and toss the condoms in the bottom of my underwear drawer. I walk back down the stairs and to the kitchen, where my mother has already cut the cake and I gasp. "What the hell, did you forget me?" I ask them. Calum turns to me and slowly raised the spoonful of cake to his mouth.

"Of course not." He says and I roll my eyes. I sit down and she hands me a piece of the cake and I smile.

"Thanks, mama." I say there is a knock at the door and we all look toward it.

"Who do you think it is?" She asks and sits. We just sit there at the knocking continues.

"Well, there is number of people, really. It could be the Queen of England here to enjoy cake. Barack Obama here to congratulate you on the big one-eight, anyone really. Calum says the dumb comments in a serious way and my mom decides to chime.

"Johnny Depp here to finally marry me." My mom chimes in.

"It's Ashton. No one knocks that long and stays unless they are on a mission." I say and take a bite of the heavenly cake.

"Want me to get it?" Mom asks.

"No, I'll be back," I say and stand. I open the door, holding the bowl of cake with one hand and keeping the other on the door in case an emergency slam needs to be done. "Yeah?" I ask him as soon as I see him.

"Don't be mad at me, I'm sorry," He says and crosses his arms. "It's not fair. It should be my first strike."

"It's not fair to treat your best friend badly because you freak out, either. Especially not on my birthday." I say.

"On her birthday!" I hear Calum yell from deep in the house and Ashton grows a look. And having known Ashton since the beginning of time, I knew this look. This is the look he had when he wasn't proud of something he's done.

"I'm sorry, Em, I forgot it was today." He mumbles, rubbing the back of his next.

"It's a little late for apologies, don't you think, Ashton?" I say and I know the words followed by his whole name don't help either of us. My words aren't harsh or condescending, but I've grown too tired to hear the phrase 'sorry' again this week.

"Yeah, I suppose so." He says and stuffs his hands in his pockets. "How it go to this? Started out loving me and hating him to vise versa."

"What does that mean?" I ask him and frown. "I don't hate you. I didn't... I don't love you the way I love him."

"I know, it's still strange though, he's taken my place," He says and I'm still and as confused as before. "Maybe I'll come by when I'm not being an ass." He says and walks on and I shut the door, still confused by him.

***
I smile at my mom as she drives away and then to Calum, who gives me a smirk and drags me through my house.

"You remember the day our mom introduced us?" I ask him and he nods.

"Angrily on my front porch? How could I forget, I wanted to throw you through a woodchipper. You caused my mama to call my a bully."

"She wasn't far from wrong." I say and he drags my body closer to his. 

"Right now I'm trying to do other stuff, let's not talk about my mom."

"Oh really?" I ask him and put my arms around his neck.

"Yep. It's the other half of your present. You are legal now, so I can do whatever kinky thing I want to," He says and I feel my face blush. "I was thinking about something with a ball gag, handcuffs, whipped cream, a blow torch-"

"Oh God, just shut up." I say and press my face into his shoulder to hide it's bright red color. He only chuckles and places a gentle kiss on my neck.

"You know, you have a pool outside... " He trails off and I look back up at him. "The sun is setting, your mom is gone. Perfect timing."

"Your mom is next door and the creepy old man on the other side." I say, attempting to push him back but he holds on tightly and buries his face in my neck.

"My mom won't be home and who cares if the old man watches?" He mumbles as he kisses my neck. "I mean, I don't, I might do netter with an audience."

"I hate you." I say.

"Really?"

"No, not really," I say and he smirks. "But I think you are forgetting something." I say with a grin and his falls.

"Oh, my god. You got to be fucking kidding me!" He yells and groans loudly. He scowls and huffs. "I guess we're watching a movie with some intense cuddling." I laugh at him and pull him to my room.