I've been a bit frustrated in the last few weeks and the jackpot came on my birthday. Although Judy was trying to make this day pleasant for me, she had gone to the bakery very early to buy me a cake, I didn't feel like celebrating anyway. Even Zoey didn't have time to meet me, and I was very anxious to do so. Anyway, since that unfortunate date for which she helped me prepare, she moved away from me. She told me it was because of the excess of projects and backlogs, but I'd known her too long and I knew she was lying. I thought about sending Tristan to spy, but he had dropped somewhere too, and his absence made me more nervous.

I thought about that in the late afternoon and wrote to my friend's roommates. I lied that I couldn't call Zoey and that I needed to see her and I didn't know where to look for her. I quickly got the feedback that she was most likely in the studio, where she had been spending most of her time lately. I went straight to check it out. I was ready to take her away from work and make her come out with me. I just wanted someone to pay attention to me, especially on my day.

"Zoey, are you here?!" I asked as I pushed into the room where I expected to find her.

"Cami?! What are you doing here?!" She screamed scared and started hiding something behind her back.

"What is 'what'?" I sat down on the chair. "It's my birthday, I wish you could spend some time with me. My family doesn't like my presence because of my 'bad' aura." I made a quotation mark with my hands. "Only you are left with me, at least come with me for a walk and let's eat dinner together."

"What about Tristan?" She asked, baffling me a bit.

"Tristan? What does he have to do with anything? Recently, I see him less and less," I replied sadly. "And it pisses me off."

"I thought you'd be happy," Zoey said, doing something behind her back. I raised an eyebrow in surprise.  "You always said that you would like to get rid of him, now it bothers you that he is not there. Maybe you finally decide whether you want him next to you or not." Her voice was irritated.

"He was so annoying that I finally got used to him," I grunted. "He helped me a lot and sometimes he is funny. He's generally nice and lovable, and probably, if he wasn't dead, then..."

"Stop there," she interrupted suddenly and rubbed a hand over my forehead. "I'm tired of you, Cami, although I love you, you know it. The reason Tristan hasn't been here lately is here."

I didn't know what she was talking about until she showed me a handmade bracelet in her open hand. The beads were lumpy and a little misshapen, and there were no two of the same color. It couldn't have been Zoey's creation, she wouldn't have allowed herself to be so lacking in perfectionism. She finally explained to me that it was Tristan's work she had been helping him with. He couldn't buy me anything for obvious reasons or provide my friend with the money to do it for him, so he decided to make it himself. It was supposed to be a birthday present for me. There were tears in my eyes, he didn't have to do that, getting a hold of something that could achieve this must have cost him a lot of energy. I didn't want this fool to sacrifice himself so much for me because there was not any reason to do so.

"Why?"

"Cami, you're not that stupid," Zoey replied, even more irritated. "Don't tell me you didn't notice Tristan chasing you like a fool, falling for you more and more. He explained to me that somehow a relationship would be possible between you, and even if not, it would be easier for him if you didn't give him hope now and then."

"What hope, I never promised him anything," I said, enraged by her directness and the fact that I would have to admit she was right, and even less so I did not want to do that.

"So he made up all you did at Lucas's birthday party?!" She muttered sarcastically. "Cami, think about what you feel because I won't let you play with his feelings. Tristan doesn't deserve it. We just finished, and he is about to gather up some energy to see you later. Get hold of yourself until then."

I didn't want to argue with her that I drank a lot at that party and didn't remember what was happening there. I looked at the bracelet again, and suddenly images started scrolling through my mind. Another party attendant was getting a little bit on me, but I got rid of him by explaining that I had a boyfriend, meaning Tristan—memories of dancing together, and coming home while hugging. My hands are on his body, and finally the moment I tell him I love him.

"Oh, fu..." I said aloud, grabbing my bracelet and running out.