uncool, stanley barber

9

9 - other birthday traditions include

my lessons were all fine. i failed a biology test and that's when stanley took it upon himself to decide to start tutoring me. he said "look, i know it'll be difficult focussing with this whole load of sexy teaching you, but we've got this."

at lunch, i got text from stanley saying to meet him on the bleachers. so i'm making my way there when i see, stan, dina and syd.

"happy birthday!" they all shout, with party hats on. even syd has a smile on her face.

"awh, guys" i couldn't contain the smile streaming across my face. i sat down next to them as dina handed me a present. "di-"

"it's your birthday, what was i going to do? not buy you a present? pft" she says, peering over my shoulder to see my reaction.

she got me a photo frame of us, it's a photo from one of the first days we met. it was summer and we were at the local lake, smiling in our swimsuits. the smiles are genuine, the photo was an accident.

"dina, i love it!" i hug her "thank you so much."

she kisses my cheek, which syd spots and frowns slightly. "anything for you."

syd hands me a 3 musketeers bar from one of the school vending machines. "i didn't know it was your birthday-"

"syd, seriously it's cool" i laugh "besides, i love chocolate." i hug her as she hugs back but cringes a bit. she's not the type to like human contact so i accept it.

"and i have a surprise for you later" stanley says when the girls stare at him. they then turn to each other and make a face.

"that sounds..sexual" syd laughs. i smile at him anyway, but then dina raises a brow. she's confused, obviously, so i take her hand and drag her away.

"okay, so i need to explain" i force a smile.

"why did i receive a text from stanley saying to meet for a gift giving for you at lunch? stanley? as in stanley barber, the stoner."

"yeah, well you know we both work at the bowling alley?" i mutter as she crosses her arms. "we just started to hang out one day. and we get on really well and we've uh, kissed-"

"what?!" she exclaims as i rub my neck. i go to shush her but stan and syd are too busy pulling dumb faces at each other to notice. "you've kissed stanley barber? since when?"

"like a week or 2 ago?" i think. "possibly 3, but pretty sure it's 2."

"and you didn't tell me? ella, why not?" she questions.

"you've been with bradley. i didn't wanna get involved" i look at my converse, kicking the astroturf.

"well, true i spose" she giggles "we've kinda, yanno" she raises her eyebrow.

"you've fucked bradley?!" i practically shout so the whole football field can hear.

"shhh-"

"why didn't you tell me, hypocrite?" i scoff. she laughs and pushes me slightly.

"okay, so i'm sorry. let's keep telling each other everything, please. the last guy you dated was freddie murphy and that was the ages ago."

true. "fine" we pinky promise as we return to the others, having a nice lunch together.

the end of the day comes sooner than expected as me and stanley go to work. we end up making out in the storeroom because he challenged me saying i'm not spontaneous enough. well, i think i proved him wrong.

after, i text my dad that i'm spending the night at dina's when i pull into stanley's driveway. he sneaks me downstairs, past his dad, as i'm greeted back into his basement bedroom.

"you ready for your birthday surprise?" stanley asks from the top of the stairs. i swallow the butterflies in my chest as he tells me to shut my eyes.

then i feel two hands pull me up from the sofa and hold me. "open" he whispers as i'm presented a small book.

it's brown and made with tatty leather. in the corner's 'S & A/E' that looks like it's been carved with a knife. i feel my eyes prickle with tears as i think i know what it is. "stan-"

"open it" he smiles down at me. i turn the page and am met with the words: stan & arabella's adventures.

i breathe out and prepare myself for this. the first page has the logo sticker of beaver valley bowl and a badly drawn beaver bowling, curtesy of stan.

the second page has his science notes stuck down with brackets beside it: (thanks for copying my work.)

the third page is a picture of his car with 3 stick people, being me, winnie and stan. the fourth page is a daisy from his flower crown i gave him.

the fifth page is a plaster with 'ARABELLA' written on it as i die a little inside. i'm proper sobbing when i turn the next page to it being blank.

"that's for you to fill out" he smirks as i wrap him in the biggest hug. i cry against him, when did i get so emotional? "shh, baby."

a scrapbook. i've never had nor made one, so i never knew how sentimental and powerful it is. i've never felt so gushy and loved.

"thank you, stanley" i say as i hold him. i kiss him, hard but it's passionate and meaningful. he feels it too.

after a while of just touching each other i stop and breath. "stan, let's do it."

"do what?" he smirks up at me. he knows, he just wants me to say it. but i don't. instead, i unclip my dungarees and take off my polo top. "yes, as long as you're okay. a woman's consent is the most important thing."

"yes, stanley barber. let's have sex."