Author's Note: So some people will immediately notice that this story has similar themes to another Ronniecoln story I'm writing. That one is more episodic and has an emphasis on humor. This is a longer, slower, and more character driven story.
"Surprise!" A large crowd of youths and adults yelled as they pushed through a door and into a small bedroom. Ronnie Anne Santiago tumbled out of her bed and onto the floor. She wrestled with her blanket before jumping up with her fists raised. She put them down when she realized it was only her family.
"Seriously guys?" She rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Her bedside clock said it was only three past seven in the morning. Did they really want to start this day that early? It was even a Saturday! A camera flashed from within the group, causing her to flinch.
"Happy birthday Mija!" Her abuela came forward from the group to pull her into a hug. The years passed meant that now a hug from the stout woman only enveloped her below the shoulders. It was no less tight though.
"Happy birthday, Ronnie Anne." Her mother came in and joined the hug. She was still shorter than her mother though.
"Happy Birthday!" CJ said excitedly as he threw a big handful of confetti into the air, letting it scatter all over the room and into the three hugging females' hair.
"Okay, okay." Ronnie Anne squirmed herself out of both embraces. "I'm glad you guys are excited, but do we really have to start this early? We agreed it isn't a big deal."
"Actually," Her uncle tried to correct her. "15 was considered the coming of age in a lot of other societies, like-"
"Yeah, I agree with her." Carl cut off his father. He was rubbing his eyes and it looked like his family had dragged him out of bed for this. "What's the point until you can drive?"
"Well, I think we should celebrate!" Rosa insisted. The woman turned to her granddaughter. "Mija, I know you didn't want a quinceanera, but we can still celebrate?" She asked hopefully.
Turning fifteen was meant to be a really important event for a girl in Hispanic culture. It was supposed to mark that transition from a girl into a woman. A quinceanera was basically a big party celebrating that. Ronnie Anne's grandparents, lovable but old-fashioned as they were, seemed really excited about the prospect of one for her. Carlota had got one when she turned 15.
Ronnie Anne hadn't really been feeling up to it. She'd never been as interested or knowledgeable about traditions; her mom and dad never really raised Bobby and her on them and she'd kind of developed her own interests. She wanted a less festive celebration, like the kind she grew up with. Something casual. Everyone could just hand her their gifts and they could maybe have a big dinner and that was it.
Her abuela had picked up on her reluctance when she kept talking excitedly about it, and eventually extracted the truth out of her, that she didn't really want one. She seemed disappointed, but she respected Ronnie Anne's desires. No quinceanera for today, but she still wanted to celebrate in style if the wakeup call was anything to go by. The teenager couldn't deny her grandma that, and it wouldn't kill her to drop the tough girl act for a little while. She'd still wanted to do something on this day anyway.
"Fine." Ronnie Anne yawned. "Just let me wake up first." Her grandmother clapped excitedly.
"Good! Cause I already stayed up two hours making a breakfast feast!" She revealed. "Come out when you are ready. You can all have some now!" She told the rest of the family, and predictably they scrambled out of the doorway and to the kitchen. She followed them out, leaving only mother and daughter in the room.
"Forgive your abuela if she gets a little excited today." Maria told her daughter. "Quinceaneras are the only thing she gets excited for more than holidays."
"Yeah, I know." Ronnie Anne shrugged. "I just said I wanted something casual. I didn't say we couldn't do anything." Her mother looked relieved.
"Come have some breakfast after you get dressed." She told her, closing the door as she left. Left alone, the birthday girl took her time to really stretch and wake up. Fifteen. She smiled to herself. Her life through the years didn't change that much: go to school, hang with her friends, get into hijinks with her family, and skateboard. But she could still appreciate getting older, getting bigger, and new doors opening up.
She changed and made a trip to the bathroom before strolling out into the main area where the table was set up. It was absolutely stacked with food and everyone was digging in.
She plopped down in her usual chair and started digging in herself. At first glance, it looked like any regular breakfast. The whole family was here, as Rosa insisted on it even if half lived in another apartment. But there was definitely more food than usual. Still the same amount though: too much. There was something missing though, something that actually disappointed her.
"You didn't ask dad to come over for breakfast?" Ronnie Anne asked. Rosa dropped her spoon in surprise and glanced frantically around the table. Ronnie Anne's father wasn't there, nor had he been there all morning, she was just now realizing.
"Hector!" She scolded her husband. "I told you to go get him!"
"Forgot." The elderly man shrugged. Even after all this time, the two of them still didn't get along so well.
"Ooh, you men and your fights!" She fumed. "Don't worry, mija. I'll go get him right now." She promised Ronnie Anne and hurried out of the apartment.
"What?" Hector asked as his daughter and granddaughter gave him the stink eye.
Arturo had his own house here in the city, but it turned out he'd woken up early and was on his way over already. When Rosa called him, he was only a few blocks away, and walked into the apartment less than ten minutes after his absence was focused. Ronnie Anne jumped up to hug him.
"Happy birthday, Ronnie Anne." He hugged her with his free arm. "Fifteen. The years go by so fast."
"I'm just glad you're here to see them." He'd stayed true to his word. Four years and he'd never tried to go back to his old job abroad. She gave him another squeeze and let go. "Come on, abuela made breakfast." They sat back down at the table. Ronnie's dad and grandfather pointedly ignored each other. Her mother and father curtly acknowledged each other by name. They still weren't on the best terms, but they never let it show in front of their kids. Especially on one's birthday.
"Ronnie Anne, what kind of cake do you want?" Her grandma asked. "And dinner. It's your day, mija, I'll make whatever you want."
"Chocolate's fine. And can we just order pizza?" She asked. She liked pizza; she was a simple girl. Rosa looked slightly offended for just a brief moment before nodding.
"Of course!" She agreed.
Even though it was a Saturday, Ronnie Anne's parents still had to work. Medical services and charity organizations were open 24/7. They did important work, so she couldn't really fault them. The rest of the family would be here all day anyway. But they could end up working late.
When it had still just been her, Bobby, and their mom living together, Maria had always left her daughter's presents out for her to open on her own just in case she worked late. It was a bittersweet way of doing things. Now though? Both her parents were here. Everyone was up early. They could just do presents now. They got the little things out of the way first.
"I made you a card." CJ held out his homemade creation. She took it and opened it to see a drawing he'd made.
"Thanks, CJ." She put a hand over her heart to show her appreciation.
"I got you a card too, cuz." Carl smoothly spun one out from behind him, store bought instead of handmade. "Have some green." Ronnie Anne opened the card and quickly grabbed two pieces of money that fell out. Exactly…15$ bucks. How clever.
"Wow. Thanks." She said flatly. Carl, either oblivious or pleased with is wit, did some finger guns.
The adults obviously had better gifts.
Her parents had, separately, gotten her different items from one of her skateboarding catalogs. Protective gloves from her mother and a set of colored wheels from her father. Ronnie Anne was still really into the skating scene. She'd even participated in a few stunt contests last year, so she really appreciated it.
Her grandma had her stand up and, carefully and lovingly, put a silver necklace around her neck. Real silver, one of the magic trinkets the old woman believed in earnest. "It'll keep you healthy." She promised.
She expected her uncle Carlos would gift her a book. He was an academic and bookworm, after all. All her previous birthdays, she'd gotten books. But he'd been a skateboarder himself, so he knew exactly what kind of books to get her. The history of skateboarding. Biographies on famous skateboarders. Trick guides. And even manuals on modifying and creating your own skateboard. There was a great section in one of those books about making an electric skateboard she really wanted to try someday. And she was right-she got a big book again, but this time on some of the other outdoors sports she had a passing interesting in: bmx, go-carts, and others.
Aunt Frida was a wild card when it came to gifts. Three previous birthdays of her own and being there for other family birthdays made Ronnie Anne very aware of that. It was always sentimental, but it could range from bizarre to ugly or creepy. She got lucky this year. It was a t-shirt…of herself. A picture Frida had taken of her tearing up a halfpipe, but printed on a shirt. Pretty cool, even if she didn't see herself wearing it in public.
Carlitos had 'chosen' a gift for her. Stickers. It was not a childish item at all, it was actually very important to the style aspect of skating! But given that the subject matter of the stickers fit Ronnie Anne so perfectly, she was almost certain her aunt and uncle had picked those out too. Still, she played along and thanked the 5-year-old for his great gift.
But the best thing? Since it was her birthday, Ronnie Anne got full reign over the tv for the whole day. She wasn't going to use all of it. She intended to go hang in the city with Sid later. But she was content with spending the rest of the morning, after seeing her parents off, slumped on the couch watching sports.
Carlota arrived fifteen minutes to eight, on her own and carrying a large, unwrapped, box. Ronnie Anne got excited for a moment and actually jumped up. Carl took the chance to steal the remote, even if it was for only a few seconds.
"Hey, prima." Carlota pulled Ronnie Anne into a hug. "No fanfare?" She glanced around the apartment, looking as normal as it did every day. She let go.
"Hey, I wanted it casual." Ronnie Anne shrugged.
"You could've at least thrown up some balloons." Her cousin suggested. She rolled her eyes.
"That my present?" Ronnie Anne reached for the box.
"Yeah…" Carlota rubbed the back of her head while her little cousin pulled it open. There was a moment of silence as the birthday girl spent a solid ten seconds frozen over the open box before looking up again.
"A dress?" She asked incredulously. Her cousin knew she wasn't into fashion.
"Well…" Her cousin explained. "It's a quinceanera dress. I got it made it before you decided against having one. Come on, prima, every girl needs at least one dress." Ronnie Anne didn't like dresses at all. But she wasn't heartless and she definitely wasn't going to be a brat about it. Carlota had probably spent a lot of money and time getting this.
"You're right. Thanks, Carlota." Her cousin smiled.
"Wait till you're 18. I'll get you much better gifts." She promised. Both shut up when they noticed their grandmother approaching, thinking she was about to scold Carlota for such a suggestive promise. Instead, she tittered excitedly as she got a look at the gift Carlota had gotten.
"It's so pretty!" She exclaimed, picking it up so everyone could see. Physically, it wasn't much different from say, a ball gown. But it was really wide near the bottom. So wide that it completely obscured their short grandmother as she held it up above her head. It was also purple, the color motif Ronnie Anne had chosen for herself and stubbornly clung onto for the past half-decade. What could she say, she was a creature of comfort. Her abuela set it down and looked at her hopefully. The teen knew what was coming.
"Please, Ronnie Anne. Just try it on? One picture, that's it." She clasped her hands together hopefully. Ronnie Anne rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. She really didn't like dresses. But it was for her abuela. No one else would see. Hopefully.
"…Fine." She relented. The old woman hopped in excitement.
"Frida, get the camera ready!" She called as Ronnie Anne disappeared into her room. She came out five minutes later actually wearing the thing. Getting through the door and hallway required her holding onto the sides and holding them in. The only place she could wear it normally was by standing in the middle of the living room, much to her family's delight.
She stood there trying not to blush too hard as the compliments cascaded over her and her aunt's camera flashed repeatedly.
Then the apartment door opened and Ronnie Anne nearly bolted into her room. "Hey everyone!" She relaxed when she realized it was Bobby. Lori was with him, although surprisingly they hadn't brought either of their two kids with them. "Wow, Ronnie Anne, nice dress." Bobby complimented.
"Aw, she looks so pretty." Lori beamed at the annoyed birthday girl.
"I'm not wearing it all day!" She snapped.
"Ah hah!" Rosa pointed at her grandson in an accusatory fashion. "And where were you? I called four times!"
"Getting nini's gift." Bobby explained. "Had to wake up at midnight just to make the drive." He yawned to prove it. While Ronnie Anne was curious as to what her older brother had gotten her, she was suddenly more concerned with the evil looking smirk Lori was giving her. She got along with her sister-in-law well enough, but the woman had her moments of being the worst. And Ronnie Anne was getting that vibe right now. "See." Bobby stepped back to the front door and opened it again.
A boy with white hair stepped in, dressed in a red jacket and blue jeans to deal with the brisk temperatures outside. Lincoln Loud. Ronnie Anne's best friend/long-range boyfriend was somehow here. "Hey Ronnie Anne." He waved, blushing when he saw what she was wearing. "You…look pretty." He coughed, much to the amusement of the adult women in the room.
Now Ronnie Anne panicked. She didn't mind her family seeing her wearing something like this. But Lincoln? No way. Without responding, she turned and fled from the living room. She got lucky and managed to disappear into the hallway out of sight before the dress caused her to trip and hit the floor.
A loud "Mierda!" drifted out from the hallway, scandalizing the adults before the sound of a door slamming. But Lincoln found it funny.
"Hi everyone." He greeted the rest of the family while Ronnie Anne wasn't there.
"Hello, Lincoln!" Rosa greeted. "Did Bobby really drive you all the way here?"
"We arranged it with my parents weeks ago." Lori explained, putting a hand on her husband's shoulder. "He wanted to do something special for his little sister on her birthday." It was clear how touched she was by her man's thoughtfulness. Bobby confirmed it another nod and yawn.
"How sweet! The more the merrier!" The old woman said, grabbing Lincoln's arm and then Bobby's. "You two must be hungry after that long drive. There's still some breakfast leftovers!" She pulled them forcefully towards the table. "Eat! Eat!" She insisted.
"Thanks." Lincoln took the offer and sat down, using the opportunity to catch up with CJ and Carl. The rest of her family hadn't seen him in person for well over a year by this point. He didn't have any means of travel since Lori had moved out here. But they still remembered him fondly, both as a nice boy and Ronnie Anne's 'best friend'. The two of them talked on line practically every single day; They knew there was some kind of special connection between them.
Ronnie Anne came back out, now dressed in a pair of black jeans and a muscle shirt of the same color. She tried to act cool, like she hadn't just fled in terror and busted her face in the process. She strolled up casually behind the boy that had caused it and, gently, gave the back of his head a little shove directly into the plate he'd made himself.
"Hey, Lame-o." She said when he lifted his messy face up.
"Ronnie Anne!" The adults admonished her at once. But Carl and CJ were laughing.
"Mija, you can't treat your guests like that!" Rosa handed the boy a towel.
"It's fine." Lincoln said after wiping off his face. Then he reached around and punched Ronnie Anne in the shoulder and the two laughed about it.
"So how the heck did you get here?" She sat down next to him. In response, Lincoln pointed to Bobby.
"Happy Birthday, nini. I thought having another friend to celebrate with would make it better." Her brother had driven six hours just so the boy she liked could be here? That was really great of him.
"Thanks, Bobby." She said. Then she eyed Lincoln and went back to her usual self. "I mean, he's better than nothing." She elbowed him in the side, and Lincoln elbowed her back.
"Smile, you guys." Lori stood across the table from them and pulled her phone out to take a photo. Lincoln did beam. Ronnie Anne tried not to, but Lori did capture her with the ends of her mouth tilted up. Damn Lincoln and his intoxicating positivity.
She had a new plan for the day now. She went back to her room and grabbed one of her hoodies. "Come on, Lincoln. Let's hit the city like we always do." She grabbed him under his armpit and pulled him up.
Behind them, Rosa started whispering to her husband about something, but Carlota set her straight and said it out loud. "Abuela, it's her birthday. Let her spend it with her boyfriend."
"He's not." Ronnie Anne spun around and pointed an accusatory finger. Carlota just winked at her. Not wanting to argue the point and face further embarrassment, she addressed her grandmother.
"We'll be back later when my mom and dad are done with work." She swore. "Maybe we can have an actual party then? She suggested. Those were the magic words. Her abuela's eyes glowed in excitement.
"Of course, of course!" She said enthusiastically, suddenly all for it. "You two go have fun and we'll set one up. But bundle up!" She added quickly. It was chilly today.
"I know." Was Ronnie Anne's half-joking, half-annoyed response. She went around the table to hug Bobby and tell him have to have a nice day working the bodega. Then she came back around and threw her arm over Lincoln's shoulder in a very loose chokehold. "Let's go." He let her pull him towards the door.
"Have fun!" Carl made mocking kissing noises, causing the teens to cringe. They got out of there even faster.
Once they were out the apartment, and Ronnie Anne was satisfied no one could see them, they exchanged a much more friendly greeting. "It's great to see you, Lincoln." She gave him a hug.
"You too." He hugged her back. "I wouldn't have thought of this if Bobby didn't suggest it. Lori was worried I'd spoil it over our video calls."
"'Cause you're an idiot." Ronnie Anne snarked playfully. "And you're a little kid." She shrugged. "But I guess I can still spend time with you." Lincoln was the younger one between them by a few months, so he was still 14. For a little while at least, Ronnie Anne could brag she was a year older than him though.
"I'm still taller." He reminded her. She put her palm flat across the top of her head, then swung it out towards Lincoln, hitting his forehead with a little force. He was definitely taller.
"Whatever." She said when he grinned.
"That was a nice dress." He changed the subject. Ronnie Anne's eyes narrowed, and she leaned in towards him despite the just established height difference.
"What dress?" She asked dangerously.
"The one you were wearing when I walked in." He said fearlessly. "You looked really pretty." The scowl on Ronnie Anne's face trembled till she exhaled and gave up the intimidation act. The years had made him wiser. He could mess with her just as well now.
"Dang it, Lincoln…" She mumbled, turning around. She was sure Lincoln was laughing to himself behind her. To hide her embarrassment, she started walking downstairs, figuring he'd follow her, and got her phone out of her pocket. She needed to tell Sid they wouldn't be hanging out, at least not yet. Yeah, all three of them could've gone out together…but Ronnie Anne preferred just Lincoln at the moment. Her neighbor picked up on the third ring with a yawn. Even Sid didn't wake up early on a Saturday.
"Hey Ronnie Anne! Happy 15, girl!" But she could be awake and peppy in an instant. "You're up already?"
"My family woke me up. They wanted to celebrate it earlier than I did."
"And you wanna hit the town already?" Sid guessed.
"Change of plans." The Latina revealed. "Bobby actually drove Lincoln out here for today." She looked over at the white-haired boy as he caught up and smiled at her. "So him and me are going to go hang out for a while. We'll hang later."
"Oooh." Sid said excitedly. "You get to go out on a date on your birthday? You are so lucky."
"No." Ronnie Anne scoffed. She didn't like that term. Or boyfriend. Her and Lincoln were more than friends, but she was picky like that. "We're just going to hang out."
"You just want to spent the day with a boy instead of your BFF. Gotcha." Sid didn't resent it. She knew how close the two were. "But I want details tonight!"
"If you want me to bore you, fine. But listen. I agreed with my abuela she could throw a party when my parents get back later. We'll hang out then." Ronnie Anne told her.
"Sure, sure." Sid was getting her milage out of this teasing. "You and your boyfriend have fun!" Rather then give her the satisfaction, Ronnie Anne hung up with a huff.
"She say something?" Lincoln asked.
"Nope." She lied. "Now come on. I'm getting bored." They headed out.
Great Lakes City was big and crowded. You didn't have malls or giant grocery stores in the middle of town where everyone did their shopping. A lot of people lived on little shops just like the Casagrande bodega. There were hundreds of little stores like that all over the city that had everything people needed. Sometimes you even had more than one on the same block. The owners were different ethnicities and such, but all were savvy business people and very protective on their stores and stock.
In one of them, generic to outsiders yet distinct to the local residents that frequented it, business was slow. The only person in the building at that moment was the owner/cashier, browsing his phone in boredom behind the counter.
A bell above the door dinged as it opened and someone entered. The clerk turned his head to see who the newcomer was, and his eyes immediately narrowed. Whoever they were, they were wearing a purple hoody with the hood pulled up and pulled over their head where it could hide their face. They looked like a lot of the punks who tried to swipe and steal stuff.
The hooded figure kept their head down as they walked through the store, glancing down all the aisles like they were scoping them for people. The clerk rose from his chair and paced behind the counter, keeping the shifty person in sight as they went down one of the aisles. They stopped near the end and hovered near a shelf. The clerk lost sight of their hands as they put them in front of them.
The storekeeper had seen enough. This person was obviously up to something. His right hand drifted to an aluminum bat he kept behind the counter. "Hey!" He shouted. "I see you back there!" The shifty figure flinched. "Either buy something or beat it!" His hand tightened around the bat handle, just in case they tried to grab something and make a run for it. He'd chased down thieves before and he'd do it again!
Instead, the figure awkwardly shuffled up to the counter. The clerk could now see their face under the hoody. A boy. Couldn't have been older than 16. Looked scared out of his wits too. He set something on the counter, glancing towards the door and keeping part of his hand covering the object. The clerk pulled the object out from under the kid's hands to see what it was.
Condoms.
The clerk 'hmphed' and rung it up. Guess the kid had a reason to be acting shifty. He wasn't going to complain; he'd seen plenty of kids come in here with runts of their own that they didn't watch and just let make a mess everywhere. Kid was young, but at least he was smart. Could always use more like that. "$6.46." He put it in a bag. The kid tossed him a five and two dollar bills and grabbed the bag.
"Keep the change!" And he zipped out the door. Once outside, the hooded teenager rounded the corner and ran down the street, stopping to duck in between the two staircases that led to boarded up apartments. A little alcove that provided a bit of privacy.
"Took you long enough." Ronnie Anne said. "Can I get my hoody back?" Lincoln tossed the bag into her hands. Lincoln was already trying to pull it off. It was just as hard as getting it on had been; his girlfriend's size was obviously smaller than his. She had to grab and help him out. When he finally got it off, he sucked a great mouthful of air into his chest. He'd insisted on a disguise no matter how uncomfortable. Ronnie Anne slipped off his jacket and tossed it back to him.
"The guy at the counter yelled at me." He admitted as he put his jacket back on.
"Well, duh." Ronnie Anne rolled her eyes before putting her hoody back on. "You looked like you were going to steal something."
"I didn't want to be recognized!"
"You don't even live here!"
"I didn't want people staring either." He mumbled in embarrassment. He got a punch in the arm, a little harder than usual. "Ow."
"Toughen up, Lincoln. And lighten up. Seriously, half the stories you tell me about sound way more embarrassing." She opened the bag and glanced in. A flush of color cropped up on her face, and she closed the bag and stuffed it in her hoody pocket.
The contents of that bag was a culmination of over half a year of mutual, and at first hesitant and always awkward, curiosity and discussion. And guilty solo thoughts by each party for at least a year before that.
Lincoln had been raised in a modern and open family, and both of Ronnie Anne's parents were people of medicine and were thus intelligent and imbued with a sense of frankness. Both of their families had talked to them with good intentions about the serious subject of growing older and physically maturing. That was how they'd been able to be honest with themselves and the other when they finally had the courage the talk about it.
They were both teenagers. They had a strong personal and emotional connection with the other, even if they didn't like to label it. And they both had urges. What could happen was obvious. So obvious they'd already been warned about it by each of their parents. But that only meant the two had talked about it with the other cautiously.
But only talked, talked in hypotheticals. They'd planned nothing. They'd agreed on nothing. And even now they still didn't have anything planned for this improvised outing. Ronnie Anne had just pushed Lincoln to buy them just in case. They were going to be on their own for half a day. Anything could happen. Maybe they'd come up again. Maybe they wouldn't.
But anything could happen.
"Come on." They were standing in an awkward silence, but Ronnie Anne got over it first. It was still her birthday, so there damn well were things she was absolutely sure she wanted to do. "There's something you gotta see. Remember I mentioned they were building that two story arcade?" Lincoln perked up.
"They finished it?" He asked.
"Yeah. Well, sort of. First floor is open. They even got a food court. Let's go check it out." She suggested.
"It's your birthday." Lincoln reminded her. "So you get to decide for today."
"I always choose what we do when you visit." She reminded him.
"Yeah, I'd just get us lost." Lincoln admitted without shame.
"Cause you're a bumpkin." Ronnie Anne laughed. "Now come on!" She said impatiently, grabbing his hand so they could start running towards their destination.
The bag in her hoody pocket was forgotten for now. But the day was still young.
It wasn't till the evening that the two returned to the apartment, a little before Ronnie Anne expected her parents to be home, but close enough. No one observed it, but there was something different about them. They'd left arm over shoulder, but returned holding hands. Their smiles were a different kind of content. And both their legs were shaky.
When they got to the apartment door, all was quiet. Ronnie Anne pulled out her phone and texted Sid. "We're back. Ready to party?" She got a response only seconds later.
"Girl, your family's had me here for the last three hours. We are so ready." Sounded like her family had gone all out and thought they could spring a surprise party on her. She smiled to herself.
"Act surprised." She whispered to Lincoln. He nodded.
She opened the door and stepped into the apartment. It was dark and quiet, a state she'd never seen it in. As soon as she flipped on the lights…
"SURPRISE!" Her friends and family sprung out from hiding. All the family that had been here when they left this morning. Lori and Bobby had brought their toddlers over. Sid and her family were there. And so were Nikki and some of Ronnie Anne's other friends from school. Over a dozen people popping out and shouting all at once. There were balloons and other decorations hung up. A couple of boxes of pizza were stacked on the table. Her abuela had done just as she suggested.
There was another round of gift giving. More skateboarding stuff or just some money to spend. But it was over quickly. It wasn't a crazy party or even a refined one. It was a bunch of kids hanging around a tv playing video games and eating pizza. But that was her kind of party.
"Hey dude, your fly's undone." Nikki commented to Lincoln at one point. The white-haired teen went red with embarrassment and scurried off to fix it. "Dorks are funny to hang out with, huh?" She nudged Ronnie Anne, and her normally infallible friend actually seemed embarrassed by it.
Ronnie Anne's parents got back separately but within fifteen minutes of each other. They were surprised to see Lincoln there, but not upset. Maria knew he was the only friend her daughter had seriously made in Royal Woods and she could never get in the way of that. Arturo wasn't the stereotype of an overprotective father, but he was more confused about his daughter's white-haired friend more than anything else. He'd seen the way they interacted in public, and he knew his daughter wasn't really that mean. He couldn't comprehend why she put up that front and why Lincoln put up with it, and neither his daughter or wife could provide an answer.
"What did you two do all day?" He asked when he caught Lincoln alone at the table where the pizza boxes were.
"We…uh…hung out." Lincoln answered awkwardly to the perplexed man. While that was going on, Sid had taken the opportunity of the two being separated to question her BFF.
"Sooooo." Sid said expectantly. "What did you two do?"
"Well," Ronnie Anne talked through a mouthful of pizza. "We went to the arcade. Got chased by those cats. Lincoln got his sleeve caught in a door on the subway."
"Boring." Sid declared. "Anything interesting?" Her friend did a telling pause.
"No." She said. Sid grinned and waggled her eyebrows, soliciting a blush out of her friend.
"Come on, just tell me if you guys kissed. I promise I won't tell." She swore.
Both Lincoln and Ronnie Anne were under hard questioning, but they both got a lucky reprieve. Both of Ronnie Anne's parents were home, so the main event could begin.
Rosa finally brought out the cake on a massive tray, big enough that everyone could get a piece. It was chocolate just like she'd asked, and dripping with frosting. Literally so much frosting the bottom of the tray was bending. Some had started to slide and congeal at the edge of the cake. Two candles shaped like a 1 and 5 were already lit.
They all sung her happy birthday, trying to get her to crack a smile the whole time, and she made her wish and blew out the candles to great applause.
"Hey, Ronnie Anne." Lincoln tapped her on the shoulder. She turned her head towards him, and then Lincoln grabbed her head and gave it a gentle push right into part of the cake. Not far enough in to ruin the whole thing, but enough that a lot of the heaped-on frosting stuck to the side of her face and her hair. All the adults except Carlota went silent in shock. She was laughing with the rest of the kids.
Ronnie Anne stood back up and turned around to face the boy grinning dorkily at her. She raised her hand, scooped a big glob of frosting off the side of her face, and flung it right back at him. More raucous laughter. The adults made both of them clean up though, tutting at the immaturity. But forget that. If Lori and Bobby still baby talked to each other, Ronnie Anne didn't see a damn reason why Lincoln and her couldn't mess around like they had when they were younger too.
But everyone got over that pretty quick and the cake was served. Lincoln and Ronnie Anne willing ate the smudged part, whereas everyone else got clean pieces. And everyone kept on chilling out. The kids around the tv, and the adults taking time for themselves.
Another hour later, and it was becoming apparent that Lincoln was starting to get tired. To his credit, he was trying to stay awake, but every teen had their limits. He'd gotten up abominably early, traveled three hours to get here, and already spent at least eight hours today expending energy. He didn't acknowledge it, and no one else did either.
But since Lori was there, she was obviously looking out for her little brother. She noticed, and then she decided as one of the adults in the room it was time for the boy to go home. No refusals accepted. Bobby had spent part of the day napping, so he'd drive Lincoln back. She actually started to drag Lincoln downstairs when he wanted to refuse. The best part of Ronnie Anne's day was over. But she would at least go see him off.
It was past six and the sun had already set, making it chilly. But the two took their time on the sidewalk. "Weak." Ronnie Anne jokingly mocked Lincoln when he yawned. He smiled devilishly, and suddenly pulled her into a bear hug. "Hey! Lincoln!" She growled, trying to get free. But he hugged her tighter, and she just stopped and let him squeeze his face against her's.
"Aww, they're just like us." Lori commented to her husband behind them. Ronnie Anne groaned in annoyance.
"Okay, knock it off before I kick you." Lincoln listened to her.
"Happy Birthday." He told her again.
"Yeah, it was a pretty cool one." She admitted. They looked into each other's eyes for a moment, the events of the day flashing before them, and turned away awkwardly. "Talk to you tomorrow?" She held out a fist.
"Yeah." Lincoln bumped it. "Maybe I can visit again soon. I don't know how. But I'll think about it." That was Lincoln, always planning. They finally looked at each other again.
"Let me know when you do." Ronnie Anne glanced around to make sure the surroundings were clear before pulling Lincoln into a hug of her own and, angling themselves so Lori didn't catch it, kissed him on the cheek. Without waiting for a response, she spun him around and gave him a small kick in the butt to propel him towards Lori and Bobby's SUV. "Now get out of here before you fall asleep on me."
He glanced back and smiled and waved before climbing into the SUV's passenger seat. Bobby pulled out of the parking spot, and they were out of sight a couple of seconds later.
"Come on, birthday girl." Lori motioned to her. "You still got a few hours left to celebrate." Ronnie Anne shrugged and followed her sister-in-law upstairs. As far as she was concerned,the best part had already happened.