We made our way down the stairs to eat after Liam agreed to my plan and let’s just say that our aunt wasn’t very happy about what happened in my brother's room. But she understood and sent us on our way to school.
Before we left the house I grabbed a button down, bright green short sleeve t-shirt from my closet and put it on over my tank. I left the buttons unbuttoned and headed out the door toward my best friend's Jeep that was parked on the curb (like always). When I slid into the passenger’s seat and Liam in the backseat Charlie thrust a small gift wrapped in newspaper at me. I started to protest and give it back but Charlie just gave me a look that said he wasn’t accepting take backs.
Sometimes I really hated him. But he’s one of my closest friends.
Me and Charlie have known each other since first grade but I always felt like I’ve known him my whole life. Every memory I have, he has never been far. I’m not going to lie, we kinda have a past too. In 5th grade we tried being more than friends but that only lasted for a few months before we realized that we were better as friends. Plus he’s good with Liam.
Charlie is kind of like an older brother to Liam. That’s why he hated when me and Charlie got together even if it was short lived. Liam won’t admit it but he loves Charlie almost as much as I do.
Almost.
“I want you to open it before school,” Charlie said, snapping me out of the past. I turned to him and found that he was looking at me expectantly with those rich, chocolate colored eyes.
“But what if I don’t want to? What if I don’t want it at all?” I challenged, narrowing my eyes at him. He knows how much I hate my birthday. Knows how much I despise gifts, yet here we are. Every year he gives me something and I usually love it but I would never tell him that.
“Oh you're going to want to. And you're going to love it.” He says, confidence rolling off of him in waves.
I roll my eyes and look down at the grift that was still in my hands. “Your gift wrapping sucks.” I tease.
He rolls his eyes but only looks at me as if he could will me into opening it with just his stare.
“C’mon just open it already. I’m going to be late if you keep arguing with each other.” My brother complains from his seat behind us.
“Your brother has a point. Like usual.” Charlie points out.
“Fine.” I say, giving in and finally opening the tiny gift.
When I look at what was in the tiny box I almost laugh. A simple silver chain winks up at me but that’s not what almost made me laugh. On the chain were little charms that resemble our friendship. One charm was a golf ball. Another was a pair of boxing gloves. There was a blue glass heart. A dreamcatcher. A book that actually opened to reveal tiny pages with scribbles on it, to resemble a story’s words.
Every charm had a memory behind it, kinda like the little makings of a great story between 2 people who were the bestest of friends.
There was a sting in the back of my eyes and my throat clogged with emotion. This was the best gift I had ever been given. Even though I never asked for it.
I slipped the bracelet on my wrist right next to my father’s watch that didn’t work anymore. The silver was cool against my skin but warmed quickly as if it just found the home it never knew it needed. And if I didn’t already know that me and Charlie were going to be friends until the day we die, this would have definitely sealed the deal.
I finally found my voice but I didn’t need to say anything because as soon as my eyes met his, he knew exactly how I felt. He smiled which then caused me to smile and we just watched each other for a moment before he roared his Jeep to life and we took off.
Charlie didn’t have any doors on and the top was pulled back (like usual). My hair trying to pull free of the bun I have it in and my clothes blowing in the wind, I let myself forget about everything and just focused on the here and now. How I felt here with my little brother and my best friend just…being.
And I felt happy.
Well at least for a little bit.
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