Today was the day. Every year on this very day, the twenty fifth of May, Wyatt would wake up and find it just a little bit harder than most days to get out of bed. It wasn’t because of the gifts or the kind gestures his friends at school would get or do for him if they remembered. Hell, it wasn’t even the singing of the song everywhere he went that was the straw to break the camels back because at least even that brought his mind off what really made this day so bitter.

It was his birthday. Today was supposed to be special, but how could it have been? Like the seventeen birthday’s before this one, his parents were out of town on the excuse of being business. He already knew the routine, even if there was still a small part of him that believed they would show. He hopped out of bed practically naked and went straight to the front door to check the porch for confirmation. Though they never made it in the past, they always sent him a gift as their form of complete compensation.

His heart sunk into the floor when he looked down and saw a little box from the post office sitting on the welcome mat. Wyatt sighed and bent over to pick it up, kicking the door closed behind him. He shook it in his hands trying to get a feel for what was inside, as if by just it’s mere weight he could accurately calculate what it was. It was a little heavier than he expected it to be. Probably expensive too. One of his favorite things to do was guess what was inside because lord knows he wasn’t going to open it to find out.

“Good morning Master Wye,” Vidian, the household butler, greeted with a redundant pleasantry. He had both poise and posture in his stance alone, which came with his age. “And Happy Birthday. I see you’ve already got the hint.”

“Yeah,” Wyatt smirked, dissolving all hope he had for his parents held in his gut, “Thank you, at least someone remembered.”

“If it counts for anything, they do send their sincerest apolo--”

“Save the spiel Vidian, the least they could do is tell me themselves,” he hung his head slightly, shaking it into a sigh, “I’m gonna get ready for school. Cassie’s here so if you wouldn’t mind starting breakfast for us that’d be cool.”

“Breakfast will be ready by the time you return. You have my word sire--”

“Thank you--”

If you asked him, Wyatt could tell you that Vidian aged very well. His entire life he had always looked the same to him. Vidian had been in the family since before Wyatt had even been born. He was a very tall, slender figure that was always covered up by the butler suit and slacks attire. His hair white and slicked back, his face and clean. His eyes however, were uncanny; one blue, one green. It was a rare genetic condition that he claims to run in the family.

Vidian had taken care of Wyatt his entire life, and himself too. Nearly from the day he was born. They had a special kind of relationship, one of a rich little boy and his butler. Due to his parents being out on business for most of Wyatt's life, Vidian was the closest thing Wyatt had to a parental figure.

When Wyatt got back up to his bedroom, he tossed the unopened present from his parents on top of his dresser and crawled back into the sheets with his girlfriend. He hugged her from behind, squeezing tightly as he placed a kiss on the back of her head. With a frank gesture, he wanted to make her feel special. Not only because he loved her, but because he wanted to let her know that he was grateful for the simple fact that she was here, present with him on his birthday. That was all that really mattered to him.

“Morning,” Cassandra giggled at the warm breaths against the back of her neck that slowly turned into kisses, “What’s this for?”

“What?” he said coyly, sending chills down every notch in her spine, “I can’t kiss my girlfriend first thing in the morning?”

“No, you can’t,” she teased, continuing to embrace each and every one, “Not without usually wanting something--”

“Not even for my birthday?”

She jolted up, reminded of what today was, “Speaking of your birthday, I got you something--”

Cassie reached under the bed excitedly and pulled out a little box, neatly wrapped and topped with a gold florescent bow. She rolled over to face him as he propped himself up on one elbow and hung his head at the sight. If there was one thing Wyatt hated, it was watching money talk.

“I know you hate getting gifts, especially from us poor people," she mocked playfully, getting a chuckle out of him, “But here, I got you one anyways because, what kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn’t--?”

“You really shouldn’t have,” Wyatt sighed, “Like, really, really shouldn’t have--”

“Shut up and just open it please--”

He reluctantly shed the little box of it’s wrapping paper and opened what was inside. Cassie looked at him nervously awaiting his reaction. From ear to ear, like a slow rising sun, a cheeky smile cracked across Wyatt’s face. It was a bracelet, one she had made out of a fancy kit she had bought online. On it there was a charm that read “Forever” engraved next to a heart.

“What do you think? I made it myself. I know it’s a little lame, and you probably could’ve bought like, something way more expensive and better but I just thought, If that's the case, then maybe I should get him something money can’t buy. You know? I hope you--” Cassandra’s nervous rambling was cut off by a kiss.

“I love it,” Wyatt said between kisses, looking at her in pure genuine content. “Thank you--”

“You do? You really mean it? You’re not just saying that?” she begged for reassurance.

“You were right. I probably could’ve bought something better,” he shrugged nonchalantly, “Something way more expensive too. But if I did, I know it wouldn’t feel like this. This is probably one of the most thoughtful things anyone has ever done for me--”

“If making you a cheap bracelet is in the running for the most thoughtful thing in your life,” she teased playfully, “You clearly need to surround yourself with better people--”

He pressed his forehead against hers, flashing his straight whites with a cheeky smile, “Guess I’ll start with you then--”

It had only been a month since they finally decided to make it official, but before then, they were somewhere -- somehow -- in between the lines of more than friends, less than lovers. Cassandra was one of the only real consistent figures in Wyatt’s life beside Vidian. Through thick and think, she had been around for as long as he could remember, and knew Wyatt sometimes better than he even knew himself.

“Where are you going?” Cassie asked as she watched her boyfriend get out of bed in just his socks and briefs. Wyatt walked over to his Evangeline dresser and grabbed a towel from the top drawer. “I don’t think I’ll ever get over the fact that you keep fresh towels folded in your dresser by the way--”

“What?” he turned to face her, leaning up against the doorway with a raised brow, “Oh, you mean your butler doesn’t wash and put your clothes away for you--?”

“Fuck off,” she grabbed a pillow from his bed and threw it at him, tickled by his sarcasm, “No he doesn’t, and he can’t afford a walk-in closet dresser or whatever the hell that is either--”

“Well that's a shame,” he chuckled, “I was thinking about taking a shower. You thinking about joining me?”

“That depends,” she fought the smile that begged to curl her lips, “How many quarters do I need to keep the shower running for ten minutes--?”

He laughed, throwing the pillow back at her, “Fuck off--”

The beautiful thing about their relationship was that nothing was ever forced or one sided. Despite being on opposite sides of the financial spectrum, they managed not to let it define them. Most people only saw Wyatt for the money he had access to. With his family owning the richest Airline in the world, there were very few things Wyatt couldn’t buy. He loved Cassandra for the sole fact that she was the only one who didn’t have it out for his money in some hidden agenda. To him it was relief. Everyday he already had to put on the gloves and fight the world. It was comforting to know that with her, he could take them off. He didn't have to fight her too.

After about an hour, the sound of the running water through the pipes in the walls finally let up. Wyatt and Cassie stepped out of the shower into the midst of their own steam, drying themselves off and getting ready for the school day.

Walking down the marble staircase of Wyatt’s parents luxurious estate always made Cassie feel like a princess. There was just something about the way they curved along the walls at the top, then met down the middle for a grand entrance. She could look down and not feel so small for once. From the first time she did it, when they were five, to this very day. In her head -- though she’d never admit it out loud, especially to Wyatt -- she sometimes liked to imagine herself in a dress, making her way down to all the common folk, gathered at a masquerade ball.

“Breakfast is served, as promised Master Wye,” Vidian met them at the bottom of the staircase, “Right this way--”

“Oh my god,” Cassie closed her eyes and smiled, lifting her nose to the smell in the air that pleased her sense, “Vidian that smells amazing as usual--”

“Thank you, m’ lady, I’ll be sure to pay the compliments to the chef--”

The long dining room table meant for twelve was set for two. Wyatt and Cassandra sat down as their water glasses were filled and the spices were adjusted neatly in front of them. Salt, pepper and couple of others Cassandra had seen but never used before. Two covered silver trays were brought out from the kitchen each by hand. Their covers were lifted, rising steam into a thick mushroom cloud and served with perfect poise.

After breakfast when the table was cleared and the kitchen was spotless, the time was eight o’ clock. There was a fifteen minute grace period until the first bell at school was due to ring. They hopped in Wyatt’s Black four door Hemi he got last year for his sixteenth birthday -- ironically the only gift he actually accepted from his parents -- and with a push of a button the engine came to life. He shifted his baby out of park and slowly pulled out of the driveway. With the GPS clocking their eta exactly at 8:15 am, he buckled up and raced the clock all the way to school.