Page 96 of Landon & Shay: Part One

The hug she gave me in the cafeteria was more needed than she even knew. I was standing in the cafeteria while my mind was shouting at me, and I couldn’t move. Then, along came Shay with her embrace. Maybe she knew, though. Maybe she had become such a professional at reading me that whenever I was about to break, she knew to be there for me.

I found the notebook back in my locker by sixth hour with her next question for me:What makes you happy?

I left the page blank.

* * *

After the school day,the fantastic Four (+Raine) tried to talk me into hanging out at Hank’s house to celebrate my birthday, but I lied and told them I had plans with my dad. I didn’t feel like being surrounded by people that night. My mind was too loud, and I didn’t want to be the dramatic buzzkill for my friends.

I tried my best to not think about the fact that my parents weren’t there. Mom called first thing in the morning, which was late at night in Paris. Then she called again and again.

“I love you and I love you,” she repeated each time. “I’m so sorry, honey, I promise I’ll explain soon. Happy birthday. Please call me. Please text. Please. Okay, I love you, Landon. I’ll be home soon. I love you.” I didn’t answer her calls, didn’t feel like hearing her excuses for why she wasn’t around, but I sent her a text, because fuck me, I was pathetic and didn’t want her to worry too much about me that day.

Me:I’m okay. Hope you’re okay, too.

I would have bet that text made her cry. Mom was always so easy to make cry.

Dad hadn’t called at all. He didn’t even have to wish me a ‘happy’ birthday, because it was hard to be happy on a day like today, but a simple ‘birthday’ greeting would’ve meant the world to me.

I went home, hung with Ham, and played video games as long as I could. I heard things being tossed at my window, but my shades were drawn. I knew it was Monica trying to get my attention, but I didn’t have the energy to give her any of me that afternoon. I didn’t have the energy to give her any of me ever again.

When my doorbell rang around six p.m., I grumbled as I went to answer it. I was one hundred percent certain it was Monica coming to cuss me out for not answering her window call, but to my surprise, there stood Shay with a big box in her hands.

“Hey you.” She smiled wide, and I was falling.

I was falling so deeply in love with her, and this bet of ours was going to come to a crashing end due to me losing.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “Aren’t you grounded?”

“Yes, but I snuck out.”

“Chick…” I sighed, feeling a knot in my gut. She wasn’t the type of girl to sneak out. She wasn’t the type of girl to break rules, or to skip school, or to lie. And now, she was doing all of those things.

Why did I feel like my badness was rubbing off on her a little too much?

“Are you going to invite me in?” she asked, still smiling. “Or am I just going to have to stand here like a dork with this box in my hands?”

I stepped to the side.

She walked right in, heading toward the kitchen.

“What’s in the box?” I asked.

“A surprise for later,” she said, opening the fridge and sliding it inside. “No peeking.” She then turned around and I was still falling, falling, falling… “I figured we could hang out tonight and we should order pizza and watchFriends.”

A perfect day with a perfect girl.

I am falling in love with you…

“For sure.”

The nerves in my stomach were so loud, and I swore I would’ve been surprised if she didn’t hear my heart beating wildly.

We sat on the living room couch, and I was so damn thankful that she appreciated the gem that wasFriendsmore than her grandmother. Every time she laughed at something Joey said, I’d capture her smile in my mind. Every time she chewed on her T-shirt whenever Ross and Rachel were on the screen together, I’d capture her beautiful eyes.

“You always stare at people when they aren’t looking?” she joked, peeling a pepperoni off her pizza.

“Only you. Only ever you.”

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