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You had the date marked on your calendar from the moment you heard it leave his lips, a large red circle marking its arrival in Sharpie pen. Getting Kevin to open up about himself had slowly grown to become less daunting the fonder he grew towards you. If there was anything you had noted about him in recent days, it was the fact that he enjoyed sharing stories about his life, like the time his parents decided to celebrate his birthday 7 months after it had already occurred.
You recall lounging with him in the teachers parking lot when he had told you. In the moment, you found yourself giving it a small chuckle, the thought was absurd after all. Thinking back on it now, though, you couldn’t help but feel a bit sorrowful over the matter. So of course, you being you, you decided to make him a little something for his birthday; A cake! That outta make him smile. Hopefully…
It was half past 12, the night growing thicker with each passing minute. There was a certain atmosphere that came with being up so late by yourself, not a soul in sight. The home’s ventilation system was the only sound keeping you company beside your soft breaths and the gentle buzz of the oven. At first, you thought keeping the noise down would be the hardest part, but waiting around like a sitting duck had you thinking otherwise.
When the timer you had forgotten you had set finally went off, you quickly launched it across the room, watching as it broke into a million pieces against the wall and hit the ground. Would It have been better to simply turn it off? Maybe, but you didn’t have the time to think about that right now. Pulling the cake from the summery oven, you quickly scurried to set it down before the heat melted through your gloved hands. Glancing at the clock, you knew you were running out of time. You were supposed to be at his house half an hour ago for Christ's sake!
Fanning the freshly made cake vigorously with a paper plate, you tried to get it to cool down faster but to no avail. Deciding to pull out the big guns, you decided to take the burning hot cake and bring it before the air conditioner. Not too long after, you got bored and thought ‘To hell if it cools or not.’
Idly tossing on some frosting all around the exterior, you shook on some sprinkles and tore open some candles, placing the few you had over top. Setting the pastry into a plastic container, you shoved a lighter into your pocket, threw on some boots and a coat, and bolted out the door into the cold night.
Inching through the snowy streets, you held the container of cake as though it were your only child, striving to make it to Kevin’s house if it was the last thing you did. Roaming through the darkness in solitude like this, the cold clinging to your skin, it always brought about that nostalgic feeling in your chest.
Sneaking out wasn’t a foreign concept, you were always coming out with excuses to see your friend, no matter the time. Since he hardly ever showed up to school and was either up to no good or in the slammer, nights like these were common.
Though you didn’t see Kevin as often as you’d like, you still treasured your friendship with him, just as you knew he did as well. The thought brought a small smile to your lips, softening your already weary eyes.
Climbing up to the window, you lazily knocked against the glass a few times, exhaustion weighing your head against the screen. It took some time, but eventually a messy-haired Kevin came to the scene, cracking the window open with a less than amused face. You flashed him a crooked and sluggish smile, holding up the container as a little plea. Kevin eyed the mysterious plastic holder, sighing in defeat before pulling you inside.
The subtle warmth of being out of the cold brought on an even greater layer of sleep to your more than fatigued state. Rubbing your eyes, you reminded yourself of why you were here in the first place. Turning to face Kevin, you were surprised to see that he wasn’t as bothered as you had thought he’d be, instead giving you a curious brow. Pointing at the container in your arms, he wondered if you had simply brought him more food.
“Word on the streets says it's your birthday. I wasn’t sure if you were gonna be in school tomorrow…Or if I’d see you at all…So I made you somethin’…” You explained in a low mumble, a yawn following soon after as you pulled off the top, revealing your crappy but well-intentioned cake. Plopping down onto his bed, you patted the spot next to you, wasting no time in lighting the candles.
Kevin had to take a moment to register what was going on, for he had forgotten it was his birthday. He merely stood there in shock, the gesture being far beyond anything he was used to. When had he even told you? He couldn’t recall. A part of him wondered why you had even put yourself to do all of this for him. In his mind, he thought of the possibility of you maybe playing a prank on him, but knowing you, it didn’t seem very likely. He hesitantly made his way over to the bed, taking a seat next to you. Just the feeling of your arm brushing against his made him feel nervous, enough to make him want to hurl. Where was the cough syrup when he needed it? His heart sped up in a way that felt similar, yet so out of place, his body suddenly buzzing. Was this all just a dream?
Blinking slowly, you eyed your hand as it lit the final candle, shoving the lighter back into your pocket. The warm orange glow of the mini fires brought on a new sense of amiability, the quiet surrounding the both of you only adding to it all.
“Ta-da…It’s a cake. Did I tell you I made it? I forgot.” You shrugged with a muttered tone, holding the container between the both of you. Kevin simply stared, his gaze captivated by the present with a newfound sense of curiosity and admiration. They were strange things to be feeling, genuine admiration being a sentiment he wasn’t very aware of. For a moment, you swore you saw a subtle tug at the corner of his lip. Your face relaxed into a heartfelt expression, a soft smile of your own melting onto your face as your attention panned over to the candles.
“Make a wish man.” You encouraged with a small smirk, nudging his side subtly. Kevin Rolled his eyes, returning his gaze to the cake just over his lap. He thought long and hard to himself. He could wish for anything, right? A few possibilities ran across his mind; 500 cigarettes, 12 bottles of cough syrup, his old man getting arrested again; but then his eyes met yours once more. You gave him the same look all the time. He never had anyone look at him the way you did, and to be frank, he didn’t have the words to describe it. All he knew was that it felt nice and confusing at the same time. In the end, he simply wished you’d stay his friend a while before blowing out the candles, the room filling with that grody smoke smell.
You clapped softly, a tender smile growing over your lips as you carefully leaned close to him. “Happy birthday, Kevin.” You murmured in a gentle voice, placing a small kiss against his cheek, your lips resting against his skin a moment before pulling away. Kevin’s eyes widened in shock, his body quickly tensing as a hand rushed to cover the spot you had just pecked. He practically gawked at you, utterly speechless. His cheeks soon turned a light shade of red, his eyes failing to keep their gaze on you any longer. Although he was turned away, it didn’t conceal the subtle smile growing on his face.
The rest of the night was dedicated to eating your homemade birthday cake and enjoying each other's company. You both spoke in hushed voices about anything and everything, and eventually you had fallen asleep to the sound of Kevin’s voice as he recounted more of his wildest memories. Lying beside him in his tattered bed, he instinctively wrapped an arm around you, pulling you close. He wasn’t too sure if this was the way to go, but he was starting to figure it out, little by little.
Shutting his heavy eyelids, he found himself smiling at the ceiling. Although he wished you had remembered to bring him a pack of cigarettes or some cough syrup, he still managed to feel his own form of happiness. He didn’t understand you or your intentions all that much, but seeing as you always came back for him, he assumed you at least liked him somewhat. With that, he got some rest, the taste of cheap frosting and nicotine still lingering in his mouth for hours to come.