CHAPTER ONE - BIRTHDAY BLUES
"Absolutely No! Not a chance in hell!"
Caleb Danvers sat down with a thump on his bed in defiance.
"Caleb, you have to! Please? Do it for me?"
"I can't believe you of all people think that this is a good idea."
"Caleb it's your birthday!"
Caleb's girlfriend of almost one year was standing in front of him, holding up a tux in one arm and a tie in the other, batting her eyelashes playfully at him.
"Exactly the point, in case you don't remember, tonight at exactly 11:13 pm is my re-ascension."
Blake Francis folded her arms on her hips and pouted.
"Caleb William James Danvers, what would your mother say if I told her you refused to go to the birthday party I planned especially for you?"
Caleb glared at her and folded his arms into his muscular chest.
"It's not even a birthday party! It's the new students banquet for Christ's sake."
"Yes, and after that we're all going out to a nice fancy dinner. No objections, I've had to fight to get these reservations for months!"
Blake tossed the formal wear onto a nearby chair and walked towards Caleb, placing her hands on his knees and smiling at him sweetly.
"Pretty please? I promise we'll come home as soon as the clock strikes 11."
"Then what, my car turns into a pumpkin?" Caleb grumbled.
"Something like that," She cocked her head and grinned coyly.
"All right fine," he crumbled.
Blake gave a little squeal of delight and jumped up.
"But no other surprises!" Caleb said warningly. "I mean it, Blake."
"Not one," she winked and tossed him the tux and tie. "Here, you better get dressed! The banquet starts in half an hour."
Caleb sighed as he caught the garments in mid air with his gaze, which had now morphed from deep brown to black as he flew the clothes across the room and into his lap.
"You need to learn to aim better," He sighed.
"I'll be in the bathroom if you need me!" Blake called, ignoring his last remark as she skipped happily out of the room of their Cambridge, Massachusetts's apartment.
Caleb sighed heavily once more as he lifted up the tie to inspect it, he flipped it over to reveal it's shiny new Harvard crest. Despite himself, a grin crept its way across his face.
"I have absolutely nothing to wear!" Val Watkins whined, as she fisted through hangers of clothes in her closet, tossing garments aside without even looking twice.
"You're so cute when you're distressed," Tyler Simms remarked pleasantly as he lounged on their lumpy mattress. He had been ready about a half an hour ago, and now he was flipping absentmindedly through old photo albums he had found in one of many unpacked boxes.
Their apartment was still full of them; Val's packrat habit was proving to be difficult to break. But Tyler didn't mind, he had fallen in love with the old dusty, crumbling brick walled apartment the moment he had first stepped inside. He had surprised Val with the deed to the apartment for an end of summer present, shortly after discovering that they had been accepted into Harvard.
Tyler and Val, along with Caleb, Blake, Reid and Pogue had all been accepted into the law program, and Cass and Lena had gone into med classes. Life had been nothing but pure bliss and excitement.
"Really, what am I going to do?" Val scrunched her hands through her deep red hair and sat down on the bed next to Tyler.
"Well, I was going to wait until next week—" Tyler sighed.
"What are you talking about?" Val mumbled absentmindedly as she ticked off the dresses she owned on her fingers.
"Maybe I'll call up Cass, she'll have a spare dress that I can squeeze into. But I don't know, my ass has seriously gotten a lot bigger these days and—"
"Look under the bed." Tyler prompted.
Val frowned.
"I'm serious! Go! Look!"
Val shot him a suspicious glance before ducking her head underneath the bed and reaching down. Her hands closed on a crisp package and she pulled it out gently and placed it on her lap.
"Tyler Simms, what is this?" She said sternly before letting out a small gasp.
She had just noticed the Gucci label that was printed cleanly on top of the sheer white packaging.
Tyler shrugged. "Oh just a little present."
"Are you joking?" Val gasped as she tenderly pulled out a gorgeous sheer white ball gown that was the most exquisite garment she had ever laid eyes on.
"This must have cost—"
"Ah, ah, ah." Tyler raised a finger to her lips. "Price doesn't matter. Consider it an early one year anniversary gift."
"Tyler Simms you are far to perfect for me." Val sighed, still running her hands through the soft fabric.
"Well what are you waiting for? Go get dressed!" Tyler laughed, gesturing for her to get off the bed.
"Give me 10 minutes," Val promised as she hurried for the bathroom.
"I'll go start the car in 20." Tyler called, knowing that he would have a while to wait yet.
Reid Garwin stood outside at the doorframe of his Harvard dorm, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet and twiddling his thumbs. He stared down the hallway in hopes to find something to cure his boredom and petty impatience.
His crystal blue eyes landed on a pair of jocks from a nearby dorm, who were tossing random objects at the dorm door across from theirs. Reid frowned, knowing the door belonged to a nice but nerdy kid in one of his classes.
Casually swaying on the spot, Reid focused on the stapler that one of the jocks was now aiming at the door with. The jock wound up his arm and whipped it towards the door.
"Oww! What the fuck!"
Reid chuckled quietly to himself. The stapler had bounced off of the door with a subtle ease, easily smacking the rude jock directly in the forehead.
"Not getting into trouble are you?"
Reid spun around in surprise.
"Oh, Pogue it's just you."
Pogue was giving him an appraising glance and shaking his head.
"Oh, hey Lena." Reid added, noticing the olive skinned brunette who was smiling from behind her buff biker boyfriend.
"Hey Reid. Cass ready yet?"
"Are you joking?" Reid groaned. "You know it takes her about 10 hours to get ready for one simple outing. I'm surprised she even makes it to class in the morning some days."
"You wouldn't be talking about me would you?" Came a warning voice from the doorway. Reid jumped but recovered with ease.
"Hey beautiful," he grinned and kissed his girlfriend on the cheek.
"What do you think?" She asked excitedly as she twirled around, showing off her silk turquoise dress that showed off her astonishing blue eyes that rivaled those of Reid's.
"You look amazing, what else is new?" Reid teased, wrapping his arm loosely around her waist.
"So," Pogue said, still glancing down the hall at the two guys who were now arguing with each other over the stapler. "Let's head out, shall we?"
"Onward to party central!" Cass cheered excitedly, pumping a fist in the air and dragged Reid vigorously down the hallway, Lena and Pogue following suit.
"Baby you look gorgeous," Cass cooed as she absentmindedly picked a stray hair off of Reid's suave formal wear. "I just knew Armani would look divine on you."
"I do look pretty sharp," Reid agreed. "But no where near as gorgeous as you."
This sent Cass into a fit of giggles as Reid held out his arm for her with an immaculate gesture.
Pogue rolled his eyes and leaned in towards Lena.
"If I ever say something that corny to you, please punch me."
Lena smirked. "Oh I will. That's a promise."
The four friends ambled down the hall and out into the cool Boston night breeze.
"So what's the holdup?" Reid asked, peering down the near empty street. "I thought you said Blake was picking us up?"
"She told me she arranged a ride or something. I have no idea, you know how she is." Cass rolled her eyes dramatically.
At that exact moment, a posh stretch limo silently pulled up to the curb in front of them. The four shot each other raised eyebrows as one of the tinted windowed doors opened.
"Surprise!" Blake shrieked.
"Oh my god!" Cass squealed back. "You got a limo?"
"It's Caleb's 20th birthday, of course I got a limo." Blake said with a wave of the hand, as if it was a mere trifle. From behind her Caleb was sitting glumly in the backseat, still brooding over the birthday party madness.
"Hey there birthday boy!" Reid called, pushing past Blake and plopping himself down in the plush leather seats across from Caleb.
"Ahh, champagne! I must say Blake, you did it right."
Cass, Pogue and Lena eagerly piled into the limo. Blake, who was dressed in a stunning scarlet red dress accented with 5-inch stilettos and diamond earrings, passed around champagne glasses eagerly to all. Everyone accepted graciously but Caleb, who was still staring out the window.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Blake pouted at him. "Do you not like it?"
"Blake all of this is great, I appreciate it, really, I do. I'm just not sure tonight is a good night and—"
"We'll be back before 11, I promise." Blake said promptly, and forced a glass of bubbling champagne into his hand.
"Now drink up! You only turn 20 once, and the new students banquet bartender will be asking for ID." She winked at him cheekily and went back to babbling with the others.
Caleb sighed and slurped down the fizzing alcohol. She did have a fair point, he considered. Turning 20 only happened to you once.
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