The night we met

Chapter 6: Birthday Playlist

I know what you're thinking. It isn't realistic to think that we can save people, that we can predict how they're going to think and feel and react to constantly changing situations, Clay thought to himself. But he had lived these moments over and over, he obsessed about these tapes for nearly 3 years and and countless more therapy sessions getting over them. He knew how they will all think and feel and react at this stage of their life, the things they're going to say, the way they will react to certain situations...how they will try to push people away when they feel vulnerable.

He had a plan for all of them, Courtney, Ryan, Justin, and even Bryce. Bryce, thinking his name alone making rage well within his chest. He was going to get what was coming to him. But that is another phase of the plan.

Today was phase 1 with Hannah's birthday, he had surprise number 3 all lined up, as soon as they got back from the concert all the important people in her life were going to be there including Kat, whom he had purchased a ticket for her to come and visit for a week and arranged for her to stay in the guest bed at his house so that he could properly surprise Hannah.

Surprise 4 was something he was nervous about, so nervous his palms were sweaty and he actually felt like he was indeed 16 again. He looked in the mirror as he brushed his teeth getting ready for the day and noticed how over the past few months the working out was really going well, his chest had filled out and he had abs now and definition could be seen all over his upper body.

"I guess that someday I might fill out finally came", he mused to himself remembering Hannah's words from the basketball game.

He was shot back to reality with his mom's voice from outside the door, "Clay? Are you talking to yourself in there? You really need better friends than that"

"No mom, I'm just reading a monologue from my memoirs," he jested back at her.

"Breakfast in 10 Ernest Hemingway"

Clay shook his head and leveled his gaze at himself. Today was going to be picture perfect, a few weeks back there was a college and career fair that he had missed and heard about the first go around. 

Luckily this time he had taken medication in advance knowing the migraine was coming and had secretly attended the fair intricately taking down the information and requirements for students looking to get into NYU and Columbia and what was needed to get access to financial aid from both of them.

Surprise 4's details were: dedicated tutoring time with him and sometimes a special guest (like the librarian that offered her the safe space for her to practice her poetry) for at least 1 hour per day. His 4th surprise and final gift to Hannah for her birthday was that he was going to ensure to do everything in his power to ensure she had a choice, she could simply go off to New York, or be inspired enough to continue her writing at somewhere like Boston University.

The strings on his heart were threatening to tug his heart into oblivion just thinking about all the possibilities ahead for her now. He yearned for a future full of possibilities and hope for her.

The concert was only an hour away and went as expected, Hannah jumping and screaming like a kid on Christmas morning that just found out they got the present they really wanted for months. The concert reminded her of when he parents used to take her on long road trips to carnivals at the next town over, she loved spending so much time with them away from the store as it was the only time they truly felt like a cohesive family.

They both of course danced around like idiots to the songs that were fast paced and stole kisses while swaying back and forth to some of the slower tracks.

The drive back Hannah just stared out the window with a massive smile on her face. As they neared Crestmont Clay decided to break the comfortable silence.