Canon

It was November 15th – my nineteenth birthday. I roll out of bed as my phone rang exactly at 5:37 A.M. as it did every year since I met Rose. She takes pride in calling people at their exact time of birth.

‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I. LOVE YOU.’ Rose singsongs happily, ‘I’ll see you at school!’

‘Thank you!’ I beam, ‘See you later.’

I take a long hot shower before finally getting ready for class. I get dressed in a gray tee shirt dress with my ankle boots and high socks. My parents were waiting downstairs with Elijah and a giant stack of pancakes.

‘Good morning birthday girl.’ My mom cheers, ‘I can’t believe you’re nineteen!’

‘Don’t remind me.’ My dad groans taking a long sip from his coffee, ‘Happy Birthday Lizard.’

‘Thank you.’

‘Here – just an early present.’ He smiles pulling out a long black case.

‘I wonder what it is.’ I laugh shaking the box finishing off my pancakes.

Inside was a necklace with a diamond heart. I gasp allowing my fingers to carefully grace the necklace.

‘It’s beautiful daddy.’

‘I was hoping you’d like it.’

‘We can’t forget the one who suggested the idea.’ My mom smirks bouncing Elijah.

‘Of course not, thanks mom.’

I cautiously take the necklace from its box and place it around my neck.

‘Perfect.’ Dad smiles as I grab my backpack to leave for school.

‘I’ll see you both later.’

I make it to my car to see Rose had written all of the windows with one of those special markers. Bright pink balloons were tied around the driver’s side door handle. I untie the balloons before stuffing them into the back seat – mainly because I didn’t want to walk them back into the house. Once I got to school I search for Niall’s car but I didn’t see it in its usual parking space.

Don’t tell me youre skipping today (; - Lizette.

Running late – Niall.

Niall’s Point of View

I hit send to the reply to Lizette as I cut into another lane causing the slow ass driver to honk at me. I press down on the gas a little bit harder rocketing forward. I was up all night long trying to make Lizette’s birthday great. Usually I wasn’t huge on birthdays but she’s different. She actually mattered. Greg stumbled into my room after seven thirty this morning thinking I was already gone. He was raiding my sock drawer – fucking typical. I rushed throwing on this jeans that I’m pretty sure were dirty and the shirt I fell asleep in last night. I had been shopping for her birthday gift for weeks now and I think I finally found something for her. Something worthy enough for her. I skid into the school’s parking lot coming to a quick stop as I go to kill the engine Damon slides into the car.

‘Get out.’ I growl glaring at him.

‘I can’t believe you’re still into this school shit. I can remember the days where you and I smoked ourselves into the clouds right outside the school never bothering to go in.’

‘Yeah things change.’ I go to get out and he hits the lock on his side of the car.

‘Just a moment of your times – that’s all I’m asking for.’

‘Look I don’t have time for this. Someone’s waiting for me.’

‘Who Lizzie?’

‘It’s Lizette.’ I clench my jaw angrily.

‘How was it? Tapping that? I see the other day she finally let you right on in. She’s so pure and clean looking yet she rolled in the sheets with someone as dirty as you.’

The longer Damon talks the harder I grip the steering wheel. I held onto it so tightly that I could see my knuckles turning a paper white. I imagined how good it would feel to bash his smug face into the window. On the other hand, the car doesn’t deserve to be hit with such scum.

‘I knew a girl like Lizette once – just like her almost. She was fascinated with the tattoos, piercings, and the fast car. She liked how tight I wore my jeans and when I would blow smoke into her innocent little lips. She loved how I would knock out anyone that blinked in her direction. I found out that it was just a phase. She wanted to piss her dad off and that’s exactly what I did. He would hate to see me coming. Threatened to have me thrown in jail. Soon she grew out of her naïve bad boy stage. She didn’t want me. She wanted a man with a plan. Someone with the six figures and Mercedes Benz. We are much more alike than you would like to admit pal. Lizette and this girl are a lot alike too. It’s just a phase.’

‘Get the hell out of my car.’

‘And do you want to know the worst fucking part of it all? You, man of many walls, actually let someone in – trusted them even though its something you swore you never do. She breaks your goddamn heart and moves on.’

‘Leave.’

‘And all of those boys that she dated before. The clean cut, daddy kiss asses; will be the one that ends up with them. Just as expected.’

I unlock the car forcing my way out and slamming the door behind me. It wasn’t long before this leech was walking behind me.

‘Look, I need your help mate. I’ve already enlisted the other members of the old team, Louis, Zayn, John – we’re just waiting on you.’

‘I’m done with that shit and you should be too.’

‘Spare the advice. If you’re not in then that makes you one of my enemies. We do not tolerate those on the other side and I think you know that. We take everything near and dear to them. We make them suffer. I don’t want to make you an enemy.’

‘Somehow you don’t scare me.’

‘I’m not trying to scare you. Believe me, if I was you’d know. Now, Lizette on the other hand. She’s seems like she’s very near and very dear. I’m sure she’d be very interested in knowing all about you. Her father would just get a field day with throwing you behind bars.’

‘I swear to God – if you go near her I’ll crush every bone in your goddamn pathetic body.’

‘I’m not big on empty threats. I’ll let you think things over for a few hours and stop by your place later. Remember, I don’t want to make you an enemy.’

The bell rings as I yank the glass doors open wanting to send my fist straight through it. The entire History hour I was trying to come up with possible things Damon wanted to. For as long as I known him he was all about going into fancy houses and robbing the owners blind. I decided long ago that I was leaving that part of me behind. I was better than that.

‘Hey man.’ Fucking Zayn calls out flagging me after class.

‘What the hell do you want?’

‘I saw you talking to Damon before class.’

‘Yeah.’

‘Have you given any though to it?’

‘I’m done with that shit. If you don’t have a backbone then that’s your problem. Leave me the hell out of it.’

‘Do you think I want to do it?’ He hisses looking around to see if anyone was listening to him, ‘I can’t lose Rose. If he does anything to her trying to get to me I’ll never be able to forgive myself. Aren’t you worried about Lizette?’

‘No one’s going to lay a finger on her. I’ll make sure of it.’

‘You can’t fight em all.’

‘I can sure as hell try.’ I speak before walking through the doors of Trigonometry.

Lizette walks in shortly after looking out-of-my-league beautiful as she always did. Her smiles brightens as she makes eyes contact with me.

‘Hi.’

‘Happy Birthday,’ I lean down to kiss her forehead, ‘You look nice.’

‘Thank you. Are we hanging out tonight?’

‘If you want. I thought you’d be doing something with your parents or something.’

‘We’re going out for an early dinner at one of my favorite restaurants but I should be back so we can spend some time together.’

‘Has your dad said anything to you about me?’

‘No, why?’

‘I just thought I was still on his hit list.’

‘I’m starting to think that it’s died down.’

‘I guess my work here is done then, huh?’ I inquire letting Damon’s words seep their way into my head.

‘What do you mean?’ she questions curiously with furrowed eyebrows.

‘Forget it. That’s a really nice necklace.’

‘Thank you. It’s from my parents.’

‘Shiny.’

‘Is everything okay with you?’

‘Yeah.’ I sink down into my seat running a hand through my hair. ‘I’m just tired. I’m sorry for being an ass – it’s your birthday. Do you want to get lunch later?’

‘Will it be McDonalds?’ she teases with a small smile that drove me crazy.

‘Not if you don’t want it to be.’

‘McDonalds is fine.’ She assures me sitting down into her seat in front of me.

I wasn’t letting goddamn Damon or me ruin this day for her. Not today.