Chapter 4 – Ten At Last!
Eva blew out the candles on her cake. There were ten of them. Her cake was shaped like a Nurasian sword.
'Happy birthday!' Maple and Canaan yelled.
'Thanks!' Eva grinned.
They were all at the sword practice room. It was lunch but she wasn't having a sword lesson today. Canaan had let Maple come and they were going to do something fun. Eva tucked into her cake. It tasted amazing.
'God, where did you get this?' she asked.
'My mum baked it. She knew it was your birthday and she knows what your dad is like, so consider it a present from her!' Maple smiled.
'Ah, I have a present for you now that Maple mentions it,' Canaan said.
He went over to the cupboard on the other side of the room. He opened it and took something out.
'Consider this a birthday present and a two month anniversary of starting sword lessons gift,' Canaan gave her the wrapped thing.
Eva laughed. On Nurasia, most presents weren't wrapped, but Canaan had tried. It had paper on it, both sides of it showing and it was covered in sticky tape. It felt sticky as well. But Eva knew how much effort he must have put into it.
She shook it slightly. She couldn't guess what it was.
'I suppose I have not done as well a job as Maple has,' Canaan pointed to Maple's neatly wrapped present.
Eva giggled.
'No you really haven't. You did your best though, even though it is sort of crap, no offence. The only question left is which one I should open first,' she thought.
She looked at each present. She put down Canaan's and picked up Maple's.
'Sorry but I have known her for longer. Besides, your one may take a while to open, and the bell could ring before I opened Maple's,' Eva cheekily grinned.
Canaan smiled.
'That is ok, you cheeky girl. You can't really tell what my one is anyway, to be honest with you,' he sighed.
Eva looked at it. It looked rather odd, it was quite small, but it was quite strange looking with bits pointing out in places.
She looked at Maple's present. It was so neatly wrapped…to hell with nice, pretty wrapping! Eva ripped the paper off Maple's gift. She grinned when she saw the T-shirt.
'I knew it was perfect for you. One look at it and I thought, that is something Eva would wear,' Maple told her.
It was black and red. It was long sleeved, with holes showing white underneath. It had on the front in gold lettering 'I am a rebel and don't forget it!' and it was the exact size for Eva.
How true those words are, Eva thought.
'Thanks Maple,' she smiled.
Maple grinned.
'Glad you like it,' she said.
Eva then picked up Canaan's present. She started looking for a free bit of paper to rip apart. It was all covered with sticky tape.
'Oh great,' she said.
'Did I put too much on?' Canaan asked.
'Well it sort of helps when you leave a bit of paper showing. Then you can rip that and get the paper off. I'll be here a while,' Eva sighed.
She looked for ages and found a bit of tape to peel off. She started peeling bits of other tape off until she freed a large enough bit of paper. She grinned evilly and after a few minutes, she had freed the present from the messy packaging.
She groaned.
'Canaan! You don't need to wrap plain boxes!' she moaned.
'Oh. Well, you got it out at least,' Canaan said.
'Yeah! Just open the box!' Maple grinned.
Eva sighed and tried opening the box. It was stuck.
'Crap, could someone help me?' she asked.
It then opened after another tug.
In the box was a necklace made of blue stones and a brown twisting metal. It looked so beautiful.
'Wow!' Eva said.
Canaan smiled.
'Do you like it? Nurasian girls have been traditionally given this as a sign that they are growing up,' Canaan told her.
Eva's eyes were wide with shock.
'I'm not ready to grow up yet! Being me is too much fun!' she said.
Canaan chuckled. Maple grinned.
'I know that but you must realise that a time will come soon when I'll leave. I'm only here for a few more months,' Canaan reminded her.
'Yeah, so he wanted to give it to you now, before he goes and can't give it to you. It only seems right,' Maple said.
Eva nodded and smiled.
'Could someone put it on for me?' she asked.
Canaan put it on for her. Eva looked in the mirror. It looked really nice on her. The bell rang.
'Oh shit, Maths,' Eva groaned.
She looked at Canaan.
'See you later at my free lesson!' she grinned.
Canaan nodded.
Eva left with Maple. They started heading for Maths. A few guys a few years older than Eva stepped in front of her.
'Oh, Eva's wearing jewellery form her Nurasian boyfriend!' one of them taunted.
All the others laughed. Eva was getting mad.
'It was a birthday present and he is not my boyfriend. Just because he is a whole lot better than the other bastards here,' she muttered.
'Eva's got a boyfriend!' the guys danced around her.
Maple shook her head. They were in for it…
Eva threw her fist at one of the guys. It landed on their eye. She then took out her sword. All the guys screamed like little girls.
Eva's frown turned into a grin. She burst out laughing.
'You scream like babies! Baby girls! Who knew you guys were so afraid of a ten year old with a sword!' she giggled.
The guys stared at her and still shook a bit from the shock.
'Come on Maple. Let's go. I think they have learnt their lesson. But if they do it again, I'll make sure they have a few holes in them,' Eva grinned evilly.
Maple smiled and walked off with her.
'God damn it, I thought she was going to kill us!' one of the guys said.
'Yeah she scared the shit out of me,' one of the others said.
The guy, who Eva punched in the eye, rubbed it. It was very sore and would leave him looking very stupid and humiliated when he had to explain later. It was going to be one very black eye.
'That's it. We've learnt our lesson. You don't mess with Eva.'