Pairs - A Dolan Twin Fanfiction

Chapter Fourteen - Julia's Birthday

Julia's POV

January 31, 2017

My face gets a weird feeling, like someone's rubbing a sponge or something wet on it. I open my eyes, and see a huge snout in my face and puppy eyes, and I realise that Luna's licking my face, and I sit up from my fetus-like position on my bed. I wipe my face, my long, dark brown ponytail also whipping me in the face, causing my eyes to get irritated and water. When I finally open them, Luna jumps onto me with a Happy Birthday! Cone-hat on. This must be the work of Dan, I think, and scratch Luna's favorite spot.

Speaking of Dan, when I found out he was getting married, I was shocked. I mean, come on. He's one year out of college, and I know he's been dating Bella since High School, but that early? I'd at least wait two or three years into my job, which leaves me wondering the age-old question of what I'm gonna do with my life.

Today I'm seventeen. Sixteen's been a hell of a ride. Witnessing life, death, moving to a new state, meeting new people, winning the state championships, studying for my AP exams, and figuring out that I was 'extremely' attracted to Ethan, as Simone likes to say. And I can't help it. All that denial really wasn't healthy, and I've realised that I should just accept it, even if I stay friends with Ethan.

Kat and Dan come in, snapping me out of my brain, and like for every one of our birthdays, the birth-ee gets attacked by the siblings with an extreme tickle/pillow fight, which has been the running tradition for eleven years. "No, the worst part of my birthday!" I exclaim, and Kat and Dan look at each other and snicker. They jump on my bed and attack me with more pillows than last year, knocking the wind out of me. Kat tickles my neck - she knows I hate it and uses it to her advantage whenever she wants. "More like the best," Dan laughs in between my squeals.

"Guys, cut it out!" Dad yells from downstairs. I laugh and push them both off me, running downstairs in my pajamas. Luna barks and follows all three of us downstairs. When I walk into the kitchen, it's decorated with streamers and balloons. Dad's at the stove, luckily off of work for my birthday. He turns around, walking toward me and smushing me in a hug, my face also being squished in the process. "Happy Birthday Julie, I love you so so so so much and-" he always smothers his kids on our birthdays and so he continues to do this for at least twenty more seconds.

"Nonna and Nonno are coming, too," Daniel says, walking over to the stove and taking one of my birthday chocolate chip pancakes, his hand getting swatted by my dad in the process. My dad's side of the family is Italian, so we call my grandparents their Italian names.

After I've had multiple pancakes and my belly feels like it is satisfyingly going to explode, I walk back into my room and slip on a black and white hoodie and some lightwashed jeans. For the first time in a while, I let my hair fall to my shoulders, and brush my thick and long locks out. Kat once again comes up to my room, this time by herself. She notices my hair immediately, "Oh, your hair's down. It looks so pretty, even after being up in a ponytail for so long." She walks behind me from my vanity and messes with it. I don't mind, though. She always raves about how she wants my hair, but her blonde hair matches perfectly with her cerulean blue eyes.

- - -

I read my book at my desk, sitting in my chair with my legs pulled up to my chest. The main character in the book finally got to see the love of her life after months of being apart from him. She was ecstatic - because she stayed behind for her job and he left to serve in the military. I would hate to leave the person I loved behind, but if I really loved them, I would wait for them, no matter how long it took. And yes, I'd probably get multiple panic attacks or something of that sort - I've struggled with them for a long time, and these past few months have been my calmest.

My feelings for Ethan are quite deep, and I see that now that I've stopped repressing it. Maybe it stressed me out too much so my mind didn't want to deal with it. He could get a million girls if he wanted to, and so could his brother. How could I have a chance with him? I've seen what happened with Kat and their fandom. I'm just not sure.

The doorbell rings, and I know instantly that it's Nonna and Nonno. Daniel answers the door once I'm down there, and I see my short, stubby Nonna. Her short hair is combed and she wears a blouse and nice dress pants. My Nonno is a tall and lanky person, which doesn't really fit the Italian stereotype. I greet them both, and they kiss me three times, like many Europeans. A few minutes later, my Nonna calls me into the formal dining room and I oblige.

"Yes, Nonna?" I ask, putting a piece of hair behind my ear. My Nonna puts both her arms on my biceps, and I feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Look at you," She smiles, "You are a woman." I cringe but laugh to make it seem less cringey for me. "When it was my seventeenth birthday, my Mama gave me a present before I left with your Nonno," her accent is thick.

"I was going to give it to my first child, but he was a boy, your Padre." She giggles, and pushes her glasses up her nose, "So I waited for his first daughter. And do not worry, I have something for Katlyn too," she can't pronounce the th in her name.

Like she's reading my mind, she mutters, "I should have never let your father name her that. I told him 'No, Anna is such a better name. Easy for Italians and Americans.' But he and Elisha had to have an American name." She shakes the thought out, mentally and physically, and I mean she shakes her head.

"I love you," she smiles, and holds my hand. I feel something drop in my palm, and I let go and look at it. It's a beautiful silver necklace with three gems on it. They look like two jades holding in between them a diamond. I gasp, because it's so beautiful, "Thank you Nonna. I love you."

- - -

Later on, Toni, Sam, Caleigh, Ethan, and Grayson are here. We're all enjoying ourselves in the game room, which has Fooseball, A TV, and a huge couch for everyone to sit on. But I'm still sitting on the floor in front of the couch. I like it anyway. I occasionally catch glances of Ethan, and it feels weird to look a him now. Caleigh eyes me carefully the last time I do it, and I brush it off, watching Sam and Kat play against each other in Mario Kart.

Sam ends up winning, and it results in his large, round glasses extremely foggy and his cheeks rosy, which makes him look more like a living aesthetic, as I first called him. "Alright! Since I won, I get to pick who's next..." he taps a finger on his chin and looks around, then catches his eye on me, smirking. I roll my eyes. "The birthday girl and Ethan."

"I am about to kick your butt, Dolan!" I say, jumping up and grabbing a remote. Ethan steals the one from Kat, who is sitting next to Gray, who has his arm around her. Ethan grins. I stare at him for a bit longer than normal. He wears a blood red sweater and jeans, which flatter him. His face is unshaven and stubbly, hazel eyes still shining.

"I'd like to see you try, Hollis!" He sits down next to me on the floor, and I select Yoshi. I always pick Yoshi. He's my character. Ethan picks Mario, which I kind of expected. I don't know why.

Ethan's in the lead, and it's the last lap. I try desperately to get in front of him, but nothing seems to be working. I hit a powerup, and am instantly hit with luck. It speeds me up, and I zoom past him and through the finish line. "YES!" I scream, full of glee. "I beat you!"

"Pfft, I let you win." He laughs, brushing off his shoulder, face red. Grayson chuckles, and Kat does too. The other three stare at me, smiling.

"Yeah, yeah, cause it's my birthday." I reply.

"No, 'cause you're not irritated by me for once." He laughs.

"Hey, I've been getting better, okay? Remember, work-in-progress?"

"Okay, work-in-progress." Ethan agrees. I smile, and it's one that I've had on for the whole night.

Hi everyone! I'm back with another chapter! How has your day been? My week has been not great, but this always cheers me up! Also, thank you all for any votes you give me because it just makes my day! Anyway, here's the question of the day :)

Question #14 is...... what's your Zodiac sign?

Anyway, I gotta go guys! Ily all! Bye!

-Tashi xx