The second birthday kind of chapter is here! There is no better thing to describe in your book than birthday celebrations, right?
***
20th August 2014
Dear Diary,
Yes, I know, I haven’t been writing for a long time again, but I had my reasons… Has anything changed about Joe? Well… Brunet is no longer sad, and he’s doing a little bit better now. He tries to smile, but I can still see the immense sadness and pain in his eyes. I try to show him that he can trust me, and I try to bring his old joy back. Maybe I will succeed? Maybe not? Only God knows… When it comes to Alice… Something inside her is slowly cracking increasingly. What is the conclusion? They are like oxygen to each other… They are meant to be… Such little things make it clear… And what poor me supposed to do now?! For now, go ahead. It’s the only solution…
Let’s go back to our story. I was thinking of writing this memory from Brian’s point of view, but I think it’s going to be a bit difficult, so I will stick with writing on my behalf. If I were a writer, not just an actress, maybe I’d be up for such a challenge… Somehow, it’s easier for me to play female characters in front of the camera than to imagine how Brian might have felt on his twenty-first birthday. The fact that I know him very well doesn’t help… I guess it’s a special talent of writers of all kinds, and not, as I said, young actresses like me… I’m just playing what someone else has already written. Well, it’s just my role!
*
It’s been exactly three weeks since Sindy’s birthday and the accident when Joe broke his leg. What does it mean? That it was finally the end of October and Brian’s birthday came around! It was his twenty-first birthday. And there was still the cast on Joe’s leg… We continued working on the set, and he was supposed to catch up in three weeks. At first, he obviously had to have the cast removed and have a few meetings with the physiotherapist. Well… The advantage is that at least he could rest a bit… Yup, I was visiting him as he’d asked… In the meantime, we actually finished working on the series. Some of the scenes where he wasn’t needed on set were simply shot, and the scenes with Justin were moved for a further time. I remember that those two episodes were finished, and we had a few weeks, 2-3 weeks, I can’t remember exactly, of rest. In mid-November, we met again on the set to fill in the gaps with Joe’s hero. In December, work on the series was categorically over… But let’s go back to the beginning of the end…
It was almost November. Time was flying by for us so quickly then… I was sitting in my room and thinking about what to do for Brian’s birthday. It happened to be on Saturday, not on Tuesday like Sindy’s birthday, so something more could’ve been arranged. Literally everybody was free from any work. Hmm… “Maybe I can suggest Sindy to take him to any romantic place?” – I thought. But yep, I know, it would’ve been too much… “Wait a minute… Or maybe I’ll talk with him about it? Yes! Let’s go, Laura! … No! Definitely, no! I’d better call Tay, and it’ll be better like that… She’s got a good head for this sort of things…” – I kept thinking.
– Hello? – I heard a voice in the earpiece.
– Hey there, Taylor. Are you home now?
– Yes, I am. Why?
– Could you come over? We’d talk about plans for Brian’s birthday.
– Sure. I’m going.
– Ok. I’m waiting.
I hung up. I didn’t sit alone for a long time because Tay burst into my house literally a moment later… She was even out of breath… Ok…
– Here I am – she said breathing heavily.
– I see… Why are you so out of breath? – I decided to ask.
– On the way to you, Harry stopped me and wanted to talk about toilet paper. That’s why I had to run away before he even said anything – her breath became more peaceful.
– About the toilet paper?!
Wow! She always knows what to do to shock me! So does her entire family. I guess they all have it in their DNA! Yep… Such topics are remarkably interesting… I really understand why she had to literally run away from her brother… Yep…
– It’s normal for him! Knowing him, he would probably start talking about what a nice colour, smell, and the fact that there were flowers on it – she made a facepalm. – Okay, let’s not talk about it anymore… So, what are we planning for Brian’s birthday? Do you have any ideas? What about Sindy? Why do you always have to plan everything?
– I was thinking that Sindy might take him to any romantic place. There’s only one problem… I have no idea where… And I don’t know if it’s a good idea either… And the reason I always plan something is… Someone has to! That’s simple!
Good thing that Sindy dropped by in the meantime. She just wanted to ask me what to do, and she happened to meet the two of us. We finally decided we’d have a party at Brian’s house. Sindy, Tay, Mike, Pete, and Harry were supposed to plan it. And since Joe had a broken leg and was pretty much alone in the house all the time, except his brother and often visiting cousins, I was supposed to take him out for a date. I was already off work, so it was a great idea.
– It’s a great idea! I even know where you can go – Tay said with a twinkle in her eye. – Joe has a favourite spot. I can show it to you.
– Ok. We can go there even in a minute.
Funny fact that Taylor seemed to read my mind…
We left my room. I decided to ask Sindy while walking down the hall and then down the stairs:
– And you and the boys, what will you do? Do you have any specific plans for a party?
– You know… I don’t know… I have no idea…
– Maybe you can gratify his special requests? By the way, maybe we’ll also go to the pastry shop. Tay, what would you say about that? – I turned to my other friend. – I must pick up the cake and we’ll take it to Sindy after you show me that Joe’s secret spot already – the brunette just nodded at that.
– Sure. I think it’s a promising idea with these requests. I can already see Brian sitting in his armchair like a king and making up crazy stuff! – words of laughing Sindy.
After this statement from the blonde, we left the house. We were talking all the time about plans for that day, and in the end, Taylor called her family and Peter. She let them know what we came up with together. Eventually, Sindy went home, and Taylor and I were supposed to go first to the music store, then to the park, and finally to the pastry shop. As I mentioned, our first step was to visit a music store because Joe needed a new acoustic guitar. I think you remember what happened to the previous one, dear diary… We finally made it to the second place as well. It was a park. In general, it should have been colder then, but it wasn’t, and trees looked beautiful, but it didn’t mean that winter was coming… Well… After all, this is Los Angeles… It’s the place of never-ending summer! That special place looked amazing, indeed. Lots of different flowers everywhere, a small lake, and next to it a huge old oak tree with a used tire hanging on it. I walked over to the tree and hid the packed guitar in the huge hole in the trunk. “Joe will be surprised…” – I thought, and decided to say something in the end:
– Wow! This place is beautiful!
– I know – she said, laughing.
Soon after that, we were on our way to the pastry shop. The cake was all yellow with white fancy decorations and the words “Happy 21 Brian” written on it. The flavour of the cake was orange and lemon. Our black-haired friend likes citrus very much, so the cake had to be just like that…
An hour later I was back home. It was noon, and I made an appointment with Joe for 2 PM. I was hoping he’d enjoy the surprise… I mean the guitar hidden in the tree trunk… It’s so silly that I didn’t get it sooner, and I just remembered about it on Brian’s birthday… Well, life is like that sometimes!
I left my room and went to the birthday boy’s house. I was curious about what he would wish for… I was warmly welcomed there and soon after the first birthday request was made…
– Hmm… I want Harry to massage my feet.
– Ugh, ok, king. After all, today is your day.
Wow! No protests! That’s a miracle!
– You’re going to make me dinner, Mike. I want grilled sausages with garlic butter bread today.
– I see. So, I guess I must go to the supermarket for groceries today…
Brian smiled widely at him, closing his eyes slightly. How sweet he was then! Like a candy! Wait… Laura, hold your horses! It’s Brian! Not your Joe!
– You, Taylor, will sing for me before the bedtime. I heard you sing nice lullabies.
What?! Facepalm… I have a cool friend! There’s nothing left to say…
– You know… Even willingly – she said.
– You, Pete, will clean my house. What I exactly mean is this room – his gesture showed the living room we were currently in.
– You must be joking. Almost everything is fine here.
– Almost – he pointed at him. – And you, Laura, buy me that nice #SINGLE T-shirt from the shop around the corner. Once you see it, you’ll just know what I’m talking about. This will be a gift from you and Joe.
– What?! What about me?! – Sindy was a little appalled hearing it.
He looked troubled, and replied a little uncertainly:
– Sindy, my dear friend. It’s just a T-shirt – he smiled shyly at her.
– You’re actually right… – she said after a moment.
I started to wonder how it’s possible that they’re not a couple… After all, this chemistry was visible from a mile away! Especially at that moment! Facepalm… Wait… Or maybe they hid it from all of us, and then Sindy almost disclosed the information?! Oh my gosh… I must walk around the room, and I’ll go back to reminisce in a second… Wow!
I’m better now… I can continue writing.
After a while, he continued talking to me again:
– So? Will you buy it for me?
– Sure, buddy.
Brian smiled. There was a silence full of anticipation, but the boy said after a moment:
– Ok. Now everybody get out of my house! I want to bake my favourite cookies with Sindy in private.
– Oh, ok, ok. We’re leaving – everybody said in unison.
After a while, everyone left, including me. Then I went to Joe’s house. I really wanted to take him on a date that day…
*
Less than an hour later, Joe and I were in the park. It took so long because the boy insisted on walking, and yet he had to help himself with crutches… Well… Brunet was incredibly surprised that I knew about his secret place. The truth cannot be hidden from Laura. Buahahaha!
I walked over to the oak tree and started taking out a present for my boyfriend.
– Emm… Lau? What are you doing? People are staring at you…
I turned around and noticed a small group of teenagers our age. They were staring at me like I was crazy. Yep…
I hastily took out the instrument and walked over to the boy, saying:
– By saving me from Brian, you put yourself and your guitar in danger, so I think I owe you something.
When he accepted the gift from me, I gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek, and that group of people was like “Aww”. It was happening to us all the time! We looked at them and they rushed on their way… A comedy of everyday life…
– Thanks, but you didn’t have to.
Stormy clouds were gathering above us for a while, which in a moment were about to release drops of water called rain. At that time, the brunet began getting closer to my lips. As he was approaching, a heavy rain fell on us. I quickly grabbed the boy’s hand and ran away. I hate water, and Joe looked dejected. And that stupid cast…
– Come on! I don’t want to get wet and look like a wet chick! – I screamed.
– Yeah… I don’t want that either – he said sadly.
“I think I forgot about something…” – I began to wonder…
There was a gazebo in the middle of the park, and we hid there from the downpour. It was starting to rain harder and harder. “Well, great! How are we going to go to Brian’s birthday party now?! And by the way… Why did Joe get so sad? Think Laura, think! What was he dreaming about? Hmm… Ah, yes! A kiss in the rain! Wait… Now it’s raining and he wanted to kiss me, and I didn’t let him… Oh, no… Wise little me!” – such a stream of consciousness of mine…
I looked at the brunet who was waving his hand in front of my eyes.
– Hello? Laura? Are you listening to me at all?
– What? Where? Me? Ah, yes, yes. I’m listening to you!
– You know… I doubt it – he looked at me, and I saw sadness in his eyes.
– Sorry. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.
– Don’t apologize. It’s really nice anyway – he smiled slightly, and I did the same.
– Do you remember how we met? At the casting?
Hmm… Why did I get sentimental so suddenly? Sometimes I don’t understand myself… I just wanted to change the subject… But I could’ve said anything else…
– Sure. I didn’t think then that one day you would be as close to me as you are now.
– Me too. And honestly, you were even annoying to me at first.
– I love your honesty – he laughed and kissed my forehead. – And however, I know about it. It wasn’t hard to see. When you smashed my phone at the party, I saw that you liked my despair.
– You know… Let’s not talk about the past anymore… – these words made me a little ashamed. – Can you call Mike to come pick us up, huh?
– Hah, for you I’d do anything.
He blinked at me, then took his phone out of his pocket and called his brother. We only waited a quarter of an hour for him.
In the meantime, Joe was telling me about his band. Silver Trills were about to release their debut album soon. Cool! But at first, they wanted to release an EP which included four songs from the album. They wanted to see how this kind of announcement would appeal to people. Nice move, I must admit.
In the car, we of course talked about the birthday boy and after a while, we were safe and sound in our homes. There was going to be a little cake celebration in about an hour. “I can’t wait to see everybody at Brian’s!” – I thought.
Once I got to my room, I changed quickly. After all, it’s not proper to go to Brian’s party in wet clothes. Yep… After that, I decided to read a book, and then I went out to buy a present for Brian, and exactly at 7 P.M. I went to Sindy, and then we went to the birthday boy with the cake, plates, and cutlery in our hands. The blonde insisted on taking her fancytableware… We found our whole “family” already gathered there. Brian was eating his previously “ordered” dinner and the others were staring at him. I don’t understand how people can be like that… And the room was in such a flawless order that it was just shocking! It was obvious that Green did his best…
– Wow. It’s so clear here! Like never!
– The credit is all mine – Pete boasted with a disarmingly innocent expression written on his face.
I smiled at my friend and then I asked Harry:
– How was the massage?
– It’s a shame to talk. Brian whines like a girl.
– Hey! Without such there! – the black-haired boy, whose mouth was full of food, was appalled.
After that, the whole room burst out laughing. Eventually, they calmed down a little and I said:
– Okay… I brought the cake. Taylor, do you have candles?
The girl handed me them; I unwrapped the cake and everyone started to swallow loudly. Well, the cake looked wonderful… I put the “21” candles in the cake and the birthday boy came closer. Mike followed him and lit the candle with matches. After this action, a lot of wishes poured in from all of us and finally, the boy blew the flames out. Then Joe’s cousins started clapping, and the rest of us followed the example. Well, I must say, it was a bit strange habit… Pete even cried. Wow… Soon after, Sindy cut the cake into eight pieces, and everyone started eating theirs on separate plates. I got a piece with a cherry on top. As I was about to put it in my mouth, Brian came up to me. We talked for a while about the clouds in the sky and suddenly he just took the fruit from my cake and ate it. No comment…
– Emm Brian? What are you doing?
– Oh, Laura. This cherry was meant for me from the beginning of its existence. Don’t worry. Such things happen sometimes. Especially today – he put his hand on my shoulder, then smiled brightly and went to Harry.
Who do I live with…
Me and Joe also had a little moment which I think was adorable. We were sitting on the couch, and we were feeding each other a cake… Right after giving our gift to the birthday boy, he went home with Mike, so I had to persevere until the end alone… But that doesn’t mean it was boring! You’ll see what I mean soon, dear diary…
Fifteen minutes later, everyone had left Brian’s living room and Sindy was alone with him. Just the two of them… But I saw and heard everything! I stood behind the slightly ajar door… She approached the boy and whispered in his ear:
– Happy birthday again, my dear.
He blushed and then kissed her cheek softly wrapping his arms around her waist beforehand. He said happily:
– You are my best gift.
They were lost in each other’s eyes for a while, and finally, Sindy left his living room and walked over to me. I had to run home as fast as I could without her noticing me!
I didn’t stay alone for long because Sindy literally barged into the house a few seconds later. She didn’t notice anything, so I could go on with the comedy.
– How was it to be alone with Brian? Tell me NOW! – I sat on the couch, and she followed my example.
– Lau? Do you really think I’m gonna blab it all to you?
I looked at her with a “I know you well” look. She couldn’t take it, and I got a confession from her really quickly. I saw all of that earlier but whatever.
– All right, all right. Brian said I was his best gift.
After these words, she blushed, because how else could it be?!
– Aww. I knew this day would come someday!
– No, Laura, no… We are not together…
Well… I played a comedy that I didn’t know anything about it, and she played innocent… We’re good… Anyway, the game still goes on even today…
Later, we gossiped for about a quarter of an hour about various crap, and the blonde left in the end. After that, I got ready for bed. Somehow, I couldn’t sleep because I heard… Some girl singing? “If I get up right now and find them, tomorrow they won’t recognize themselves in the mirror!” – I thought. I was already out of bed when I suddenly recalled that Tay was supposed to sing for Brian before bedtime! Interesting that it was heard all over the neighbourhood! No… I can forgive her… I laid back down and tried to sleep. Suddenly that feeling of childhood innocence came back. Hmm… It was a bit strange… After some time, I finally drifted off to the dreamland…
It was a good day…
*
This is what Brian’s birthday looked like. Pretty interesting, isn’t it? It was so fun! In fact, that day was also the last good moment for me and Joe. Later our relationship started to fall apart, but we both didn’t know why… Maybe after all it was a mistake…? Stop Laura! It’s in the past! I won’t change my feelings for him anyway, and he won’t suddenly forget about Alice… Ah, it’s only getting harder…
P.S. “I just wanna believe in you and me”.
Alice sent me these words some time ago. This is a fragment of the song Scarecrow by Alex & Sierra. I actually like it too… Yep!
***
I hope you liked this chapter! And now I have some news for you… You can get any book you wish from my store with a 10% discount now! Just use the code ‘books10’ until 1st June. I’ll give you useful links below.
Laura’s Diary – My Awesome Life Collection
I’ll come back with the new podcast episode on Wednesday.
Love, A.A.
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