#nerdblogging

My 17th birthday officially sucked! I’d fallen out with Chloe, Izzy and Chop had broken up and Finn had moved to Leeds. Archie was the only person who made an effort to bother with me, arriving at my door with a bunch of flowers, a card, a balloon and a birthday cake…

“You really have gone all out” I chuckled as we stood in the kitchen, me organising the flowers he’d bought me into a vase

“Got to when it’s my best friend’s birthday, haven’t I?” he inquired

“Shame no one else thought to bother” I sighed, smiling at him weakly

“There’s still time left” he replied “you never know what might happen”

“I doubt it” I admitted “but as long as I’ve got you, I know I’ll have a great day”

“Well, Miss. Earl, how about you go and get yourself dolled up and then we head down The Swan?” he suggested

“Do we have to?” I questioned, raising an eyebrow at him

“You can’t celebrate your birthday without an alcoholic beverage” he proclaimed

“Fine” I sighed “give me half-an-hour”

FINN’S POV:

“Guys, they’re coming” Chloe informed Chop, Izzy and I as we stood in The Swan

“Are we meant to be hiding or what?” I questioned

“No, but just shut up or else she’ll hear you” she hissed

Sighing heavily, I shut up as she asked…

RAE’S POV:

“It’s dead for a Friday night” I proclaimed, shocked

“Yeah, maybe we should go somewhere else?” he suggested

“No, we’re here now” I replied “come on, let’s go inside”

Archie nodded his head in agreement and opened the door for me and I gasped in shock as I saw Chloe, Izzy, Chop and Finn stood around a table, party poppers being set off as we walked in…

“What is this?” I asked as Chloe hugged me tightly

“A happy birthday to our best friend” she informed me “and our way of an apology”

I smiled at her warmly, my eyes meeting Finn’s as I hugged Izzy and Chop simultaneously…

“Last I heard you were in Leeds” I admitted as I reached him

“Things didn’t work out” he informed me “I’m not cut out to be a scaffolder”

“What’re you gonna do then?” I inquired, raising an eyebrow at him

He shrugged his shoulders… “My calling will come eventually. Happy Birthday, Rae”

“Thanks” I replied, smiling at him warmly

“Right, birthday girl, get this down you” Archie proclaimed, handing me a glass of cider

“Thanks” I chuckled as everyone clinked their glasses together

Later on that evening I was opening my presents when I came to Finn’s. Glancing around, I saw he wasn’t there. Sighing heavily, I ripped off the wrapping paper, swallowing the lump in my throat as I came face-to-face with a record player. He’d remembered…

FINN’S POV:

I stood outside the pub finishing off a cigarette when the door opened, Rae making her way outside…

“You okay?” I questioned

“Not too bad” she informed me “wondered where you’d got to. Thought you’d done another runner”

“Nah” I chuckled “listen, Rae…”

“Can I? Before I lose the bottle?” she asked

I nodded my head, signalling yes…

“I’m sorry about that night a few weeks ago when you came to see me” she admitted, both of us recalling the night in question “my head was all over the place and then you dropped this huge bombshell, I didn’t know how to react or what to do”

“Dad said you came to see me the night I left” I informed her

“Yeah, I’d had a pretty shitty night” she replied “and I wanted to see you”

“Sorry I wasn’t there” I sighed

“You don’t need to apologise. You’ve every right to get on with your life” she informed me

“I don’t have a life” I admitted “I’m still as miserable as the night I came to see you”

She didn’t reply. As I was about to say something I was cut off by her lips on mine…

“What was that for?” I questioned, shocked

“Call it a thank you for my birthday present. I can’t believe you remembered” she admitted

“You babbled on about it for the entire time we dated. It’d be a crime if I didn’t” I replied

“Well thank you all the same, it’s the most thoughtful present anyone’s ever given me” she informed me

“You’re welcome” I stated “shall we get back inside?”

“Can we stay out here for a while? I like it, just the two of us” she questioned

  It was a coup d’oeil. I had a baffling superstition about my odd desire for watching the movie 16 candles again. This is shitty cheesy, but it turns out it was because my crush is back. 

  He’s not only back, he’s grown into a fine young gentleman. He looks like Michael Schoeffling for christ’s sake, with a sexy british accent. He stayed in the UK for the past three years and now he’s here, sadly, because his grandmother died. We were friends because of mtg, and I shamelessly still remember the exact date we first met and that he was wearing blue polo that day. We both were lol it was a training uniform. We were simple, civilized friends, until our common friends started teasing us. Right now, it’s actually hard to conceptualize why we became a sloppy love team in the first place. Nonetheless, I kept being in denial and saying he’s too tall for me that he looks like freaking Yao Ming and I was bonsai. Also, he is half british and apparently, I am half black African buffalo. Thus, the love team “rush hour" was born. What a wail! Although, it’s not necessarily as ominous as it seems. We actually became really close friends, like really close. He’s probably familiar about every single detail of my life, minus a few discrete girl talks and the fact that I might have been actually in love with him (of course). I was never obvious. People already knew I was a guy’s gal, so hanging out with him frequently wasn't really an issue. I mean everybody knows, I'm one of the lads, basic shirts and jeans and all.

  Back to the present. I haven’t had a crush crush ever since he left three years ago and perhaps, my friends noticed I haven’t also been very active in mtg after he left. So they actually set up a small surprise. Geb and Dean invited me to go out for a cup of coffee because I was feeling terrible. I was still sad because it’s really hard coping up after losing someone you truly care for. Anyway, as we arrived in the coffee shop, I noticed a tall guy pussyfoot to the other corner of the shop. I knew I recognized him so I asked Geb if he knew who was that guy who’s awkwardly facing the glass window. She started laughing and I had no clue why. Until I saw Dean hand the tall guy three stems of sunflower. And there he was. Holy sh*t.

  I could have fixed myself better, or at least combed my hair before heading out, if only they told me he's already back. I looked like bloody mary of christmas past. I was in a winter-ish sweater and my hair gave someone the impression that my hair probably got caught up in an ceiling fan.