"If you want to celebrate in style...I CAN go buy us some alcohol or Champaign."
"No point...I have work in a few hours."
"Humph...you're no fun. Come ON, it's a new decade! LIVE a little!"
She smiled and shook her head, denying Sam again. "I haven't touched a drop yet and I'll wait till I'm legal to see what the big deal is."
"...You're such a square."
She laughed. She couldn't help it. The frustrated, shocked look on Sam's face was too much to try and get angry at for that comment. She leaned back in the chair she was always in and stared at light blue upside-down. "It's not like it's THAT big a deal. I'm only twenty. When I turn twenty-one, MAYBE I'll think about partying it up." She leaned back with a small frown. "If I'm not as busy then as I am now..."
"I HEARD that chica..."
A finger suddenly poked her right between the shoulder blades and she yelped in pain and whirled around. "That HURT. What was that for??"
Sam heaved a sigh and plopped on her daybed. "You're no FUN!" Hands waved about that blonde head. "If it was ME turning twenty, I would at least go out to dinner! Or at the VERY least...spoil myself and take VACATION!"
She gave her best friend a bored look. "I can't afford to take time off just for my birthday and you KNOW it. Not to mention we can't really afford to eat out anywhere fancy. There's -"
"Bills. Yes I KNOW." Sam flopped on her back with a grunt and stared at the ceiling. "You're worse than my MOTHER. Not even SHE'S this responsible."
She tried to hide a smirk and went back to her Anthropology homework. She tapped the pencil on a page and blankly stared at it. Sam's legs could be heard softly banging against the frame in the quiet. She knew Sammy wouldn't let her alone for this. Sure she knew this wasn't any other day, but what CHOICE did she have? She couldn't afford to skip homework OR work. There were too many responsibilities to let herself fall behind in any way. If only it fell on a Sunday instead of a Monday, MAYBE she would've relented.
That was...if she didn't do homework on the weekends...
She fought a sigh. Sam's whining about her being loose and carefree was starting to affect her. If she didn't buckle down, she wasn't going to get this done in time to get lunch made before Sammy headed off to work. It was only a little after noon, she had enough time to finish this and get downstairs.
Any other arguments thankfully died and she got back to it. This worksheet was cake and when she finished, maybe she'd give in a little bit and let Sam take her out to their normal sub place. She smirked.
Extremely soft pencil scratching, followed occasionally by an eraser, filled the air as Sam continued to stare at the ceiling. A comfortable atmosphere washed away the remaining amounts of frustration. She knew K wouldn't give in when she was right in the middle of homework. It was worth a try though.
A tiny smile appeared as Sam gradually turned and watched her friend's back. K needed to do anything to celebrate! Even if they just watched a movie or went and downed a quart of French vanilla ice cream together. She wanted to find SOME way to give K her birthday present...
She hoped K would like it. Well...of COURSE K would her present! Not only was K too nice to say no, they weren't best friends and roomies for NOTHING.
A quiet thump jolted Sam to the outside world and she jumped.
"All finished." Sitting up, light blue met dark green. "So...if you insist on me celebrating my birthday...why don't you take me down to our usual spot?" Green twinkled.
It didn't take long for the meaning to get through and Sam smiled. With a hop off the bed, she headed for the door. "Works for me. Anything to get you out of here for a treat! But since it IS your birthday...let's dress up!" Light blue sparkled as Sam turned and leaned on the door.
Her eyes closed as if in pain. Why did Sam have to bring up that? What was the point in dressing up when all they were going to do was go to lunch for an hour max and get all sweaty with the heat?? Sure the temperatures were in the low eighties anymore, but she rarely dressed up.
"Come on! Live a little. I mean, my god...you NEVER do anything for yourself to deck out!"
"I don't 'deck out', as you so eloquently put it, because I have no need to. I go to school and work; that leaves little time for me to dress fancy or paint my face."
Chubby, indignant hands went on Sam's hips. "Well today you ARE." Sam's eyes turned mildly pleading as she gave a puppy dog look. "Come ON...just for a little while? Do it for me - no wait, do it for YOURSELF. You'll feel much better, I know you will. I'm not saying you have to go full makeup and clothes, but just wear a dress this once!" Those eyes turned even more limpid. "¿Por favor?"
Sam could be very persuasive when she wanted to be. And she had to admit...a little of her DID wanna dress up after so long. "Fine. A dress, and...maybe a little eye makeup. But I'm NOT doing much with my hair!" She protested, wagging a finger.
Sam's hands went up in defense. "Hey, I didn't say a word." With a giggle, the elder whipped around and threw the door open. "Give me fifteen - no twenty - minutes and we'll be out of here. That enough for you?"
"Yup."
The door closed without another word and she went to her closet and threw it open. An arm pushed all tank tops, short-sleeve shirts, and few long-sleeve shirts out of the way to get at the back of her closet. Where she had the small amount of dresses stashed. She only owned four, but there was one that she was mildly interested in wearing. Even in the past, she never dressed up unless persuaded or it was a holiday of some type. She was a tomboy...she admitted it.
After stripping of boxer and tank top wear - what she wore more than anything around the house - she quickly donned the cinnamon-colored dress and smoothed it out. Polyester was not the right type to wear in eighty temperature weather, but this complimented her hair nicely. It picked up the lighter brown colors in the dark mass and blended. Not to mention it had tank top straps and a slit up to one thigh for aeration.
Moving across the floor, she went to the dresser and pulled a brush and hair tie off, putting part of her hair up in a small ponytail and leaving the rest down around her neck. That done, she grabbed the small plastic container holding the extremely small amount of makeup and grabbed eye liner and eye shadow. She knew makeup, she wasn't THAT alienated from it, but she was a simple person. Not to mention this would come off when they got back.
With a finger, she ran gold-like color over her lids and finished with a black line over the top of her lashes. Wiping her hands clean and putting everything back, she took a quick look in the mirror and allowed herself a smile. She was actually...pretty like this...
Experimentally, she fluttered her lashes and that smile widened. For a second, she wondered if she SHOULD do something else with her hair...
A knock sounded and she whipped around. Every girlish thought that previously went through her head went out the window as she headed to the door. "I'm ready." She announced, throwing it open. Green widened. "You...are a LOT more decked out...than I will EVER be." She mumbled, staring in a shock and awe at Sam's transformation.
One would think it was Sam's birthday by the way the girl was dressed. A skirt going barely to her knees; a pretty tank top and button-up shirt mix; and eye makeup that put hers to shame. She looked to her feet, feeling a little comely. Sam always managed to look better than her when they dressed up. Not only did Sam dress up more for the fun of it, the girl was way more feminine in aspects of the female mind than she would EVER be.
Sam flashed a clear, lip-glossed smile. "Maybe...but you still look pretty." A silver lid closed in a wink, getting a blush from the birthday girl.
She sheepishly grinned and followed Sam to the stairs. "Thanks..." She silently grabbed a pair of black sandals and slid into them as Sam went for the keys. "So what's our time limit anyway?"
Light blue went to the clock in the living room. "It's not one yet. We have at least two or three hours before I need to be back to change and get to work."
She nodded and went for the doorknob. Just as she swung it open, she received the largest shock of her life. A quiet shriek escaped as a hand went to her heart as if to keep it from escaping her rib cage in fright.
The hand posed to knock almost awkwardly dropped. "Ah...sorry! That wasn't how I intended on this to start. Uh - happy birthday?"
"HEY! Haven't seen you forever! How'd you get our address?"
As she tried to regain her normal heart rate, she speared Sam with a dry glance. Not bothering to respond when she met the girl's eyes, she turned to the doorway and held it open a little more with a gracious smile. "Come in, come in. What brings you here?"
A cocky grin rose. It took every bit to not laugh at how forgetful the girl could be at times. She was as bad as her roommate "Why I'm surprised K... You don't remember the letters I asked you to reply swiftly to a mere two weeks ago?" Dark green blinked at him and he sighed. A finger rose and tapped on her forehead. "In one letter, you remember me kidding about coming down to pay my respects?"
She could've slapped herself for her stupidity. She took in the plastic bag in one hand, and the wide strap holding a guitar against his back. Her mouth dropped, though a blush was working its way to her face. That was...so incredibly SWEET of him! "You drove all the way from Andytown...just to give me," Her eyes traveled to the bag in his hand, "a present?"
He grinned when she looked at him again. Was that so hard to comprehend? "Hey, it's a special day K. You don't turn twenty every day. Heck, you only turn twenty ONCE. You should live it up." He held up the bag for her, containing the multitude of presents. "I didn't have any paper to wrap this in, so I made do with what I could. But I hope you like them."
Her brows quirked. Them??
Hands dumbly rose to accept the bag, pulling the handles aside to stare inside. More white stared back at her and she only blinked back. She was finding this a little hard to penetrate her head right now.
There was an almost uncomfortable silence until Sam broke it. "So! You drove all the way from wherever you live in the mainland? How far away IS that anyway?" The girl strode over and congenially wrapped an arm around his.
He looked to the girl, taking in her attire. It was a shock to see K so dressed up...but he had to admit, she looked nice. As did Sam. "Forty miles or so. I don't know exactly with inside city limits. It wasn't like it's a long way here. I didn't want to worry about my presents getting broken. So...here I am." Dark brown twinkled.
Sam sighed. If K didn't start appreciating this boy for what he was worth, she WAS going to have to punish her!
Another smile popped up as Sam eyed the dumbstruck girl and nudged her. "So...do you have anything to say to someone who drove forty plus miles just to give you a present?"
"Actually I've got more than one...and I also drove down because I was going to give one that couldn't really be mailed."
She looked up and innocently met his eyes, blinking again. This was too much - she NEVER expected a single guy to be so thoughtful and sweet! And it didn't seem like there was anything attached to it at all! No hidden agenda or whatever.
With a smile, he disengaged his arm from Sam's and pulled an acoustic guitar from his back. His eyes shot from hers to his fingers as they positioned on the neck and found the right chords. "You said in a letter you wanted to hear me play...but I also sing too." He looked to Sam. "Would you care to join in?"
With an almost wicked grin, Sam nodded and leaned against the wall, giving the boy some arm room. For a split second, Samantha pondered singing purposely off-key, but wanted to hear how Inaki sang.
"Happy birthday to you...Happy birthday to you...Happy birthday Kalie Himmen...Happy twentieth birthday to you..."
"And many more!" Sam chirped, breaking into giggles.
She stared at Inaki as he strapped the guitar around him again and bit her lip. She blinked back tears and fought a blush at all this attention. It was just a birthday... Green went to the bag in her hands, and she stared into it again. A wide smile appeared as she looked back up, meeting those beautiful eyes. "Thank you..." Her mouth closed and opened a few times before she gave into the urge to compliment him. "You have a nice voice."
He looked away with a sheepish grin and fumbled with the strap over his chest. "Yea well...I try." He cracked, leaning against the wall.
"Well don't just STAND there! Open what Inaki brought you - I'm dying of curiosity!" Sam blurted out, hovering over the bag.
Her eyes rolled good-naturedly, but she waved the pair into the kitchen...making a mental note to show Inaki around for the first time later.
The bag set down with a quiet clunk, getting raised brows in confusion and curiosity. Plastic crinkling, she grabbed the first clunky object and was warned to be careful with it. Her wonder increased, though she was twice as gentle as she untied and unwrapped the bags. Finally a hand closed around something fuzzy and soft. Deep green shot open in surprise at finding a white Pomeranian puppy with a single pink and yellow rose - along with an iris - carefully tied together to the stuffed animal. Teeth bit her lip so tightly she thought she was going to draw blood.
'Don't cry - you'll ruin your makeup! Don't cry - you'll ruin your makeup!'
She blinked so quickly, it was like standing near a strobe light. She stared in silence at the dog for what seemed eternity before gently plucking the flowers from it and holding the adorable thing to her chest. "Thank you...so much." She whispered, sending a watery smile.
Her reaction touched him. It was DEFINITELY worth it to drive the distance to see her face. He smiled in return. "There's still one more thing you have to open." He softly answered.
She carefully set the flowers down and reached a hand in the bag. The adorable animal remained plastered against her chest. Where the dress didn't cover, she could feel the soft fur of the dog and it only encouraged her to hug it even tighter.
The mystery of the clunk was revealed when she finally unwrapped a three-piece candle set. Her eyes lit up in happiness as she brought one to her nose and sniffed. It smelled like vanilla...
Another wide smile went his way. This man...she never knew thoughtful men like him EXISTED! "Charmer." She muttered, hiding a smile behind the Pomeranian.
He chuckled and grinned. "Bred and raised." He cracked, leaning against a dining chair.
During the whole exchange, Sam watched in silence. Now staring at the presents and Inaki, she was suddenly next to her best friend with a tight grip on her arm.
"Sam, wha-"
Sam gave the arm a good, hard shake. "And you resolved to stay friends with THIS?? Are you NUTS?!" She cried out, gesturing to Inaki and the presents.
He couldn't help but smile at the girl. "Uh - I already have a girlfriend. Sorry."
Sam met his eyes in silence, a little shocked. It wasn't THAT big a surprise that a guy like him would be taken, but it made it all more unfair in her mind. Finally, Sam released the girl as hands flailed in the air. "Fate is so CRUEL!" She melodramatically cried, griping her hair. "SO not fair..." Her face buried in her hands.
She couldn't help but smile. The girl never changed. But that was a given...as she never revealed Inaki's dating status. It wasn't that big an issue anymore, not after they resolved it and were working toward something else now. "Ahem...well then...Sammy and I were just about to head out to lunch to celebrate." A small grin popped up. "Get a good look; you won't see me this dressed up unless I've been badgered like today."
A charming grin popped up. "I see nothing wrong with what you're wearing. You look good."
A heady blush stained her face as she looked away. "Ah...thanks. What I was getting at though was...would you care to join us?" She looked back to brown. "I mean, it doesn't make sense for you to come all this way and leave so soon. Not after we get to meet face to face for the first time in months and all..."
How cute could she be when she was so shy and unsure? Probably even more so when she looked pretty with even that little bit of makeup on and a dress that brought out her figure.
He mentally slapped himself.
He gave a quick nod, fidgeting with his guitar again. "Sounds like a plan to me. I don't really have anything to do today anyway."
She grabbed the flowers to put in water and headed for the cupboards. "You don't work today?"
Just the way she said that made it feel so normal. Even standing in their house for the first time, what he was a little unsure about with new territory and all, now felt normal. He watched her get the flowers in water and felt ordinary. Like he did something like this on a routine basis.
Mentally shaking himself of the feeling, knowing it would NEVER be routine for them, he gathered the rest of her things in the bag as she set the flowers on the table to be displayed.
An almost proud smile appeared as she stared at the three simple flower. Pink and yellow roses...and a purple iris... He thought of it all. She picked up the stuffed animal and hugged it to her chest again. Never had she felt more flattered and spoiled than at this moment. That little thought only influenced her even more to bring the Pomeranian with them to lunch. "So...let's head out. Sam, you can drive."
An evil grin sprouted. "Oh I see...you just wanna sit in the back with Inaki..." Sam kidded, nudging her side with an elbow.
She looked at Inaki for all of one second, before she pinned a fierce glare. "Will you CUT that out?? You must be dense AND deaf if you didn't hear that he's TAKEN." With a huff, she nearly stomped past the group and for the front door.
Sam gave Inaki another evil grin when he gave her a baffled look. "I just LOVE getting a rise out of her like that!" She whispered, breaking into giggles.
Spanish language will be translated underneath when it appears together. This language will be correct, as I have half put half a decade into learning.**
Translations: ¿Por favor?-Please?