His Tiny Dancer [COMPLETED]

XXXV

~Thursday March 24th~

Olivia tackles me as soon as I walk in the front doors of the high school.

"Happy birthday!" She exclaims as she squeezes me, the combination of her weight and our backpacks making my knees buckle slightly. I laugh as I try to pry her off of me.

"Thanks Liv," I say when she finally lets go.

"Happy birthday," a random senior girl - I think I had a group project with her last year - says to me as she walks by. Everyone must know it's my birthday after Olivia's excitement.

"Thank you," I say over my shoulder as she keeps walking.

"So, what are you doing today to celebrate?" Olivia asks me as she grabs my arm to pull me into forward motion towards our lockers.

"You mean after school?" Olivia nods. "Nothing. I couldn't think of anything that I would want to do. My parents will both be home so they're making me dinner. And since my mom is terrible at keeping secrets I do already know that she's gotten a cake. That's all though."

"Oh come on, that's no fun! You aren't doing anything on your eighteenth birthday?"

"You sound like my mom. She's begging me to get out of the house and find something to do, but I just can't think of anything."

"I'll help you think. What about... bowling?"

"I'm sick of bowling, I go too often. I'm also not any good."

"The movies?"

"There's nothing good out, I've already checked."

"Ice skating?"

"Not to be a downer, but I've never been a fan of skating."

"Yeah, there's nothing," Olivia gives up.

"Of course, I could always drop in and take class. At least I'd be out of the house," I say with a growing smile, knowing what Olivia's reaction will be.

"Oh come on, you are not going to dance on your eighteenth birthday."

"I'll think of something," I say. We both visit our lockers before approaching our classrooms.

"I'll see you during homeroom, birthday girl," Olivia says as she leaves me to head to her class.

"Bye," I respond before walking into my history classroom. I see him immediately, and am not surprised that he's already looking at me. What does surprise me is the small gift bag sitting on his desk, tissue paper spilling out of the top. I tilt my head to the side and drop my chin at him as I sit down. "Noah, you did not have to get me a gift."

"What? Oh, this isn't for you," Noah responds, gesturing to the bag. I am mildly embarrassed about assuming it was for me until I notice the evil glint in his sparkly eyes.

"You're so mean!" I say as he laughs.

"No, you're just too gullible."

"I'm not that gullible," I respond as he moves the bag from his desk to mine.

"Happy birthday," he says instead of arguing with me. I smile up at him and he nods his head toward the bag, telling me to open it.

"Again, you really didn't have to," I say as I pull out the tissue paper. He doesn't respond, but I can feel him watching me as I pull a small box out of the bag. I place it down on my desk and pull off the top.

On a white piece of styrofoam sits a dainty necklace chain with a pendant attached. The charm is two silver pointe shoes en pointe next to each other with a little stone in between the ankles. The stone is light blue and sparkles in the classroom lights.