Chapter 36: Birthday

I wake up the next morning to a knock at my bedroom door, which is unusual. Usually my parents are long gone by the time I get to school. It's enough to put an automatic smile on my face as I call, "Come in!"- and for once I'm in my own room.

Both my parents walk in, smiling. "Happy birthday, Todd!"

I grin as they come to sit on my bed. My mom clasps her hands and starts. "Since it's such a special day, we decided to take the first part of the morning off work so we could say happy birthday to you before you went to school."

"And," my dad adds, "we made you a special birthday breakfast, so don't take too long getting dressed, or it'll get cold."

"Thank you. Both of you. You didn't have to do this."

My mom raises her eyebrows at me. "Yes, sweetie, we did. It's your eighteenth birthday!"

I blush a little and my parents spend a few more moments embarrassing me before leaving. It's really nice, though, to see them in the morning, before I go to school. And for them to make me breakfast.

I get ready quickly, before going downstairs. My mom beams at me, then says to my dad, "Oh, just look at how grown-up he looks. It seems like just yesterday that he was a baby..."

"Mom," I groan, and she laughs.

"So, son, how does it feel to be an adult?" my dad asks.

"Weird. It hasn't fully sunk in, yet."

"I can't believe we're not your legal guardians anymore..." my mom places a hand over her chest, looking emotional.

My heart hurts a little. "Mom, I'm still living at home. It just means less work for you guys. You don't have to sign forms anymore. That's all."

"Of course, of course. No huge changes. Just legal things. Let's focus on the important thing: it's your birthday! So, here's your special birthday breakfast!" My dad gestures to the table grandly, and I look over to see blueberry pancakes and scrambled eggs. A smile automatically takes over my face. Blueberry pancakes were always my favourite breakfast when I was younger- and honestly, they never really got replaced. I just started eating toast every day for breakfast at about junior high, since my parents started working early mornings around then.

"Blueberry pancakes! Thanks so much, you guys," I say, grinning as I go over to hug them.

"Oh, your mother did all the work," my dad says, though he's smiling as he hugs me back.

"I did not! Your father did the eggs, and he had the idea to do the special design," my mom protests, though she's also smiling as she embraces me.

I go over to the table to see that all of the pancakes are arranged with large number 18's on them, within a circular border of more blueberries to ensure sufficient blueberry-to-pancake proportions. I can't stop smiling (it actually makes it difficult to eat).

By the time I actually look at the clock, I realize I'm going to be late for school and jump out of my seat. "Heck, I'm going to be late for school!"

My parents both smile mysteriously, which makes me immediately suspicious. I hug them both, thank them for breakfast and tell them I love them so much, then go outside, figuring I'll probably have to run to only be a few minutes late.

When I open the door, however, I stop in my tracks.

Parked in the driveway is a gorgeous purple convertible. He's leaning against the passenger door looking extremely suave with his reflective sunglasses. When he hears the door close, he turns to me and smirks a little, pulling down his glasses to look over the rim and survey me like he's checking me out. I blush and roll my eyes, and he smirks a little more.

"Hey there, want a ride?"

I blush even more at his greeting as I go over to him, and he grins, opening the passenger door for me. It's impossible not to smile as I get in.

"Did my parents know about this?"

"Yes. I showed up and told them I was a friend coming to drive you to school." He reverses out of the driveway, pulling onto the main road.

"Which is the truth, right?" I ask cautiously, not entirely sure if he's planning on taking me to school if that's what he told my parents.

"I told you I wouldn't try to get you to skip class again, and I'm not planning on breaking that promise, especially on your birthday."

I eye him. "It seems like you're hiding something."

He smirks widely, showing his teeth. "You're figuring me out too, now?"

"Are you avoiding my question?"

That only makes him smirk more. "Stop worrying. If I am hiding something, you'll find out what it is soon enough."

"That's exactly what you'd say if you were hiding something."

"Sure, so I'm hiding something. Don't worry about it."

I continue to be suspicious, but don't bother questioning him further. He's not going to tell me.

"So, how does it feel to know you can legally drink now?" he asks, and I roll my eyes at him.

"I don't know if I want to drink. I haven't heard a ton of good things about it." In biology, specifically, where we learned in the nervous system unit that addictions to drugs and alcohol can leave functional holes in your brain.

"That's fair. I'm not a huge drinker. But I do like champagne. And you can do incredible things with wine in cooking- both for cooking, and to serve with a dish."

I smile at him as he talks about cooking. It's one of my favourite things about him, I think- his focus on it, his knowledge about it, and the way he likes cooking things in a pan, on the stove, not to mention his pride and inability not to smile when someone (rightfully) compliments one of his meals.

"What?" he asks, laughing a little, and I realize I'm staring at him.

"I love how you went from alcohol to cooking so fast."

"They're not too far apart. They're both consumed." he shrugs, and I smile a little more. He pulls up to the school, and gets a mischievous gleam in his eye as he parks. "Alright, birthday boy. Ready for school?"

"You're terrible at hiding things," I tell him as I get out. He scoffs and waves a hand, still smirking.

"You already know I'm hiding something, so why bother trying to pretend otherwise? That might be more suspicious."

"I doubt you could act any more suspicious than you are now," I tell him as he settles his arm around my shoulder, as usual, as we enter the school and make our way to English.

"Oh, you think so? I'll bet I could be worse if I really tried."

"Please don't. Any more suspicious would be bordering on cringey."

He smirks. "Most likely. Do you have any idea what it is?"

"No, because you wouldn't tell me anything."

"You didn't seem to try too hard to get me to talk."

"If I had asked more questions, would you have actually told me anything?"

He smirks a little more. "No."

"I figured. So I decided not to waste my effort."

"Whatever you say," he tells me, opening the door to English and entering first, removing his arm from around my shoulder as he enters. I follow.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU..."

I go completely red as he turns back to face me (to smirk at me). The entire class is singing 'happy birthday' at the top of their lungs, and I'm 100% sure it's his fault.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO TO-ODD, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOOOOOOOOOO YOUUUUUUUUUUU!"

Still blushing horribly, I go to my seat. He follows me, grinning radiantly at me.

Mr. Hawkes goes to the front of the class, smiling a little in amusement. "Good morning class, and happy eighteenth birthday, Todd-"

"Get drunk!" someone at the back of the class yells, which Mr. Hawkes chooses to ignore, as he continues on to how today is a work block and the last day for the assignment. Once he goes back to his desk, I give him a look.

"Is that what you were being suspicious about?"

He hums a little in confirmation, though without looking quite convincing. I give him a suspicious look but otherwise decide to let it pass.

Apparently, he wasn't satisfied with embarrassing me via the entire class singing 'happy birthday' to me in first period. I learn this in second period, when the exact same thing happens. And then he comes into biology with me, and Mrs. Lawrence doesn't immediately shoo him out- and the same scene repeats (he leaves once I've been sufficiently embarrassed). Finally, in physics, I am once again greeted upon entering the classroom by the now very familiar refrain.

By dismissal, he looks so pleased with himself.

Dedicated to @DeterminedClouds for commenting and voting on my stories! Your support is truly invaluable :)

What do you think of the chapter? Todd's parents staying home to wish him happy birthday before school, and making him a special breakfast? How about the millionaire driving him to school? And having all of Todd's classes sing him 'happy birthday'? Let me know in the comments!

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