H.B. and Gypsy

Today was the day of my moms birthday party, and parties always mean family get togethers. I never liked them, because I always felt so awkward around my family. They were all so ignorantly blind to the kind of person my dad really was. It was disgusting to watch.

I am currently up in my room, pacing around nervously, waiting for my family to get here. Pretty much waiting to put on a fake smile and waste a whole three hours of my life pretending like I care about them.

Except for my Uncle Liam. He always seemed to understand me better then the rest of my family. If there was anyone I could go to for help if I needed it, it would be him.

Although, I wish that I didn’t have to go through today alone. I tried asking landon to be my shadow for the day, and keep me company, but he couldn’t. He has another appointment for his speech therapist, and he wouldn’t be back until later. He felt really bad because I told him how uncomfortable I felt around my family, so he told me he would make it up to me when he gets back. Which is probably around nine thirty tonight… Only four hours to go.

I hear a knock at my bedroom door. My mom’s head pokes in. “Hey sweetie, I know you’re not feeling up to it, but Everyone's starting to show up, so could you try and make an appearance? For my birthday?” My mom smiles.

“Yea, of course.” I smile and she thanks me, shuts my door, and walks back downstairs. I go and sit on my bed for a couple minutes, holding my head in my hands.

Just get this over with, Ever.

I sigh and take a deep breath before walking down the stairs to a night of awkward hugging and meaningless conversation. Exciting.

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Seriously, does lipstick not come of fucking skin? I have been in my downstairs bathroom trying to rub off about three lipstick marks from aunts and grandma’s kisses for about 20 minutes. All of them different shades of red. The kind that doesn’t want to come of the god damned skin.

My skin was beginning to sting after going through a couple pieces of toilet paper trying to get it off my poor cheeks. I give up and throw a balled up tissue into the trash can with a huff.

I open the bathroom door and walk out onto the patio where everyone else was, and sit down next to my mom at our outside table. I began nibbling on some cheese and crackers from a party tray my Aunt Jean brought. After I had been sitting there for about ten minutes, all the sudden the parents are telling everyone to go inside because it was time to open her presents. I started to get nervous.

What if she doesn’t like her present I picked out? Or what if my dad doesn’t like that I spent the money on it? I sigh and follow everyone inside to the livingroom. While everyone got situated, I sneaked up to my room where I hid my moms present. I had wrapped it up really nice and slipped the card that landon drew inside the bag.

The card that landon drew was so beautiful. He made it so it matched the music box. It was a drawing of a mermaid with pretty script and water. He drew it with colored pencils. I really need to do something to repay him soon…

I took it down stairs and set it in a pile of presents next to my mom, then took a seat on the couch next to her. Once she started opening the presents, I started to get impatient. I just wanted her to do it already.

So, after three blouses, one perfume, a dvd, and two gift cards later, she gets to my present. She reaches in and grabs the card and smiles. “Wow, this is such a pretty card, ever,where did you find it?” She asked.

“Landon actually drew it.” I smile at his name.

“Wow, He is very talented. Tell him I say thank you.” She smiles and reads the inside. Then she moves onto the present. As soon as she tore the tissue paper off it, she stared.

I don’t know if this is good or bad…

She blinked and observed it, and in no time, a smile appeared on her face. “Ever, I don’t know what to say…” I think she was tearing up. She turned it around and winded it up, and listened to the song. She looks like she is in some kind of a trance or something.

Does she not like it?

“I used to play this song for you when you were little, ever, how did you remember?” She whispers and smiles at me. I think she was in shock.

“I…don’t know.” I anxiously smile at her. “Do you like it?” I scratch the back of my head nervously. She just hugs and and kisses me on the cheek.

“This…is so beautiful. I don’t know how to thank you.” She smiles and wipes a happy tear from her eye. “I love you.” She finishes and gently set it down on the table, still gawking over it.

“Love you too.” I smile. She gets up and hugs my dad, then thanks him, since the card did say ”From Ever and Dad.”

Psh. Whatever. I did all the work.

Soon, we clean up all the present mess, like wrapping paper and all that nonsense, and take the so called party back outside. It was already dark, and after another hour, people started to file out and say their goodbyes. I kept a smile on till the very last relative and shut the door.

“Well, today was fun.” My mom smiles and pats my dad on the back. He nods and shoots her a fake grin.

I bet it caused him physical pain to smile. I try my hardest not to laugh out loud at the thought.

“Thanks again you guys.” She adds and goes up stairs to change into her p.j.s. My dad follows her.

Thank god all the aunts pitched in and cleaned up the party mess, leaving me with a clean house. I walk up to my room and start to unbutton the shirt that my dad made me wear today. It was one of those fancy button-up collared ones. I hate them. I undo the last button and slip it off, throwing in my laundry basket and falling onto my bed with a yawn. I lay there for about five minutes before sitting up and walking over to my dresser. I need to slip into something a little more casual.

Just as im pulling my sweat pants up to my waist, I hear my bedroom door creak open. I quickly turn around and see landon leaning against the door frame with a shy smile.

“Hey Doll.” I laugh and quickly go over to him and hug his small frame. He hugs me back really tight, and right when I go to let go, he wont.

“You ok?” I question softly to him as he hugs me for dear life. I feel him nod his head against my chest and quietly whisper “I j-just really n-need a hug f-from you right n-now…”

“Any parictular reason why?” I ask him quietly, stil hugging his waist. He nods again. “Want to tell me?” I continue and run my hand through his hair.

He nods again and whispers, “D-during my S-session, I talked a-about my dad…”

“And…?” I try and softly pry him out of his shell.

“I-It just made m-me think of y-you.” He lets go slowly, "Because, I-I don't kn-know...you m-make shitty th-things better f-for me."

Same here, kid.

I just held my hand out to him and take him to my bed and sat down with him.
“I hope you know how special you are. I don’t want it to go to waste.” I smile and give his cheek a kiss.

Just recently, I have started doing that. I don’t know why, it just seemed like the appropriate thing to do with him. I didn’t mind. It made him happy. It also made me happy. It would make him so fucking shy though, so I made sure I was careful when I did it.

Landon just blushed to himself. “S-so how was th-the party?” He asked with a smile. I scoff.

“…not too miserable. She loved her gift though, so that was a plus.” I smile at him. “Oh, and she wanted me to thank you for the card. She thought it was beautiful.”

“Th-thanks.” He smiles. I get up and begin to pace around my room. Landon just stares at me in confusion. “W-what are you d-doing?” He asks.

“Im trying to think of what you could do to make it up to me for not being my partner in crime today…” I smirk at him with a smile. He giggles.

“Y-you name i-it.” He smiles. I rub my hands together. This could be fun. He notices how I laugh to myself and holds his head in his hands. “Oh n-no, what d-did I g-get myself i-into?”

“Not sure, but Im excited.” I laugh and sit at my desk. He rolls his eyes.

“Lets see…” I think out loud.

“P-please not a-anything embarrassing…” He sighs and lays on my bed.

I just laugh. “Okay, fine. All you have to do is answer one question for me ok?” I go and sit next to him. He sits up. “O-Okay…”

“Well, my sweet landon…” I begin with a laugh and he playfully slaps me. “Have you ever…” I let out a chuckle.

“H-have I ever w-what?” He aks me. I take his hand in mine.

“Have you ever had a dream about… a guy? You know…” I laugh and he just looks at me like he wants to slap me, he is so embarrassed.

“W-why do y-you care a-anyways?” He sighs.

“Because! I do. So just tell me.” I laugh.

“Well, i-if you h-have to kn-know, yes.” He crosses his arms and huffs. I grin widely at him.

“Aw, my innocent little Landon is growing up…” I hug him. He pushes me off and laughs.

“Sh-shut up…” His cheeks were on fire.

“Who was it about?” I inquire further. He shakes his head.

“N-no, you s-said I only h-had to a-answer that q-question.” He smiles and lays down.

No. I have to know now.

“No! I take it back…” I say to him and look down at him laying on my pillow. He just laughs and shakes his head.

“Landon, I told you about that time I dreamt about us kissing! That was fucking embarrassing, so just tell me who you got excited over.” I laughed and pinched him. He gasped and slapped me.

“S-so! You d-don’t know h-him anyways…” He trails off.

Hell no. He was telling me wether he liked it or not.

“Fine, I guess I have to do this the hard way, love.”

He lifts an eyebrow.

I take that opportunity to quickly climb on my bed and sit right on his thighs, my legs on either side of his. I put my arms on both sides of his head and glared down at him. “You will tell me, Landon lee. Or else I will tickle you until you cry.”

He looked bug eyed. He was shocked. “Wh-what are y-you doing?” He asks nervously. My hand reaches his ribs ”N-no! Please…no t-tickling.” He whispers under me.

I look down at him. “Who was it, sugar?” My hand starts to dig into his ribs and he lets out a laugh and tries to push me off. “N-no!” He laughs and struggles against my hands.

“F-fine!” He chokes out between giggles. I let up and take my hands away and rest them on his hips. He tried catching his breath and finally looked up at me.

“His n-name was N-noah…” He whispered at up me.

“And what was so special about this Noah?” I ask softly with a smile and tuck some hair behind his ear. He blushes and rests his hands on my thighs.

“I d-don’t know…” He starts picking at a thread on my pants. “He w-was h-handsome.”

“Oh?” I smile down at him. “What did he look like?”

He rolls his eyes. “He h-had dark h-hair and g-green eyes.”

“Are you sure Noah isnt me?” I laugh at him under me. His hips shook with my laughter. He slapped my thigh.

“Yes I-I'm sure.” He laughed. I looked down at him or a couple seconds.

“Hey Landon?”

“H-Hm?” He glances up at me.

“Do you think im…um…like, attractive at all?” I ask shyly. He just laughs at me.

“Noah w-was nothing c-compared t-to you…” He whispers quietly.

“Really?” I ask. It made me happy that he said that. Probably more happy then it should make me.

“R-really. You a-are very B-beauitful…” He admits and hides his face bashfully. I peel his hands away from his face and smile at him.

“No, you are.” I grin at him. “Youre future beau is very lucky.” I admit.

“N-no…” He protests and looks down bashfully. I lift his chin up.

“Yes.” I correct him and climb off him. He sits up.

“Wh-what if I h-have no f-future beau?” He says to me. I turn to him.

“You will. Im sure of it.”

“S-sure.” He rolls his eyes.

“You never know. He could be closer then you think, doll.” I say to him.
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Who knew Landon could get so excited about scary movies. He made me sit through almost three of them, but during the third one, he started to fall asleep on my shoulder.

“Come on, bed time.” I tell him and carry him up to my bed.

As soon as he gets in my bed he was out. Same with me. I lay there for the last five minutes and look at him. It gets easier and easier everyday to be around Landon. He really was becoming my best friend I think.

I curl up to him and fall into a comfortable sleep.

__________________________________________________________________________

The next morning I wake up with nothing but worries.

I had another dream about me and landon.

But this time…We werent just kissing.