Remember Me

Chapter 23

“Happy birthday!” I wake up to my mom screaming at me and plaster a smile on my face to make her happy. Her face is lit with happiness and excitement for the first time in forever. “Happy sweet 16, baby,” she gushes as she pets my hair and kisses my forehead.  

“Thanks,” I tell her with a cheerful voice like I know she wants and was hoping for. 

“What do you want to do today?” 

“Actually, I had plans for this morning. But if there was something you were wanting to do...” I trail off, hoping with everything in me that there are no plans in her mind.  

“No! No, go! Do what you had planned and have fun. You deserve and need it. I’ll see you later, and maybe we can do something then,” she tells me, probably just happy to see me actually wanting to get out and hoping I’ve finally made a friend.  

“Are you sure?” I double-check, not wanting to disappoint her since that would go against everything I’ve been trying to accomplish by putting on this façade for her.  

“Absolutely! Get out and enjoy your birthday. Make the most of it. Be young." She smiles at me from ear to ear then leaves my room, closing the door behind her.  

I get out of bed, go to my closet, and flip through my clothes until I find a spaghetti strap black tank top and ripped black jeans. I pull them on, then grab my black leather jacket. I put on my black choker with a crescent moon and do my makeup for a finishing touch then head downstairs. After I've hugged my mom, I head outside and begin the walk to the diner. When I get there, a feeling of disappointment washes over me when I see that it isn’t empty today. It’s actually kind of busy. Or at least as busy as it probably ever gets, considering it’s just an off-the-wall place that typically goes unnoticed. 

 Once I'm inside, I sit at the table that I sat at previously. Thankful that everyone that's here is sitting away from it. I look around and notice Connor waiting on everyone instead of riding on his skateboard and it only makes me miss the emptiness more. After he has waited on everyone else, he makes his way over to me. 

“What can I get you?” he asks, not even looking up from his notepad.  

“Hot chocolate,” I answer. 

His eyes snap up from his notepad to look at me as soon as he hears my voice, recognition lighting up his face. He nods then walks away to get the drink. When it's ready, he sits it in front of me and slides into the seat across from me. Stunned, I watch as he pulls out fifty dollars and puts it in the middle of the table before leveling a hard gaze on me. I keep my face impassive and stay silent, waiting to see what he does next.

“Why?” he asks in a low, hard, and deep voice that has the potential to chill someone to the bones. 

I remain silent for a moment, debating on whether I should try to deny it. “You were a good waiter,” I decide to say, shrugging my shoulders.  

He shakes his head as a corner of his mouth turns up. “Do you want to know what my theory is?” he asks, keeping his cool, piercing grey eyes trained on mine and almost intimidating me.  

I don’t say anything because I'm at a loss for words. I don’t even know how to act at the moment. For the first time in forever, I’m not the intimidating one. And trying to be nice isn't something I ever really do. So, I've never been in a situation where someone wasn't happy about it. I stare into his captivating eyes and try to figure out his next words, try to figure out him.  

“My theory is that this is pity money. Because I’m not a good waiter. And I didn’t get this for my skateboarding tricks. So, thanks, but no thanks." He pushes the money further to me. As I watch his hand, my eyes take in the black jacket string-like bracelets around his wrist and the veins leading up his forearms. Tattoos peek out from under his diner shirt sleeves and I wonder what they are for a second before I snap myself out of the weird trace I just found myself in.

Without giving me a chance to reply, he gets up, leaving the money on the table. My eyes follow him for a few minutes as he waits on other customers. I watch him until I can’t stand to watch anymore because, for some reason, how he acted hurt me. So, I borrow a pen from the woman that works here and leave a note. It’s not pity money. I leave it and the pen next to my untouched hot chocolate and the 50 dollars. 

                                                    ******************** 

When I get home, Riley is here, along with a few other people. Andrea is standing next to Riley, smiling. He comes up to me and wraps me in a hug, whispering in my ear, “Hey, birthday girl.”  

“You promised not to do anything,” I whisper back, embarrassed and angry.  

“No, I promised not to make it a big deal. I didn’t.” 

I can’t say anything else because the few other people that showed up were rushing at me and saying happy birthday until it's ringing in my ears. I have to fight the urge to scream. Riley stays by my side and it helps me somewhat get through it. I plaster the fakest smile I can manage on my face, but I’m just waiting for the first opportunity that I can get away. I open everyone's presents and thank them, even though I don’t understand why any of them would bother to get me anything. While everyone else starts eating cake, Andrea walks up to me and is about to try to start a conversation, but I’m saved by the doorbell ringing before she can be successful.

I look at Riley in question, but he shrugs and appears as clueless as me. I go to the door with him trailing behind me and decide to take this chance to say more to him while we’re away from everyone. When I look at him angrily, he instantly knows he screwed up. 

“Of all people, why the hell did you invite Andrea? Why would you even think any of this was a good idea?”  

“I didn’t invite her. She heard and just showed up. I was just trying to do something nice for you and make you feel special,” he rushes, trying to calm me down.  

“I don’t feel any of that. I feel cornered,” I whisper yell as I open the door. 

My mouth falls open as our eyes land on Colton. I look awkwardly at Riley and then back to him and see the box in his hand. I silently question him with my eyes as he stands on my doorstep awkwardly. I feel Riley lean into my ear.  

“I didn’t invite him either,” he whispers. 

I just nod, still looking at Colton. I clear my throat awkwardly then step outside, leaving Riley standing in the doorway. Colton silently hands me the box. I take it, my eyebrows furrowed.  

“It’s still kind of weird that you don’t just walk in anymore,” I comment and awkwardly chuckle.  

“It’s still weird seeing you being trailed by him everywhere I see you,” he counters in a low voice, shooting a glare towards Riley who is starting to step outside as well.  

“What is this?”  

“I couldn’t not get you a present,” he mutters in response.  

“I thought the baby thing was my present.” 

He chuckles and shakes his head. “It didn’t feel right. You don’t have to open it now, or at all if you don’t want to."

I see Colton’s eyes move back to the door, and I turn to see Andrea silently pulling at Riley, her eyes on us. She shuts the door behind them once she's pulled him inside. I roll my eyes and blow out a breath before sitting at the curb, feeling Colton sit beside me when I do.  

“Perfect timing actually. You’re saving me from being in there,” I mutter. 

I open the present and feel a small smile creep onto my face when I see what it is. I pull out framed pictures of the swing and the cave at the beach. After another minute, the smile fades from my face, and my brows furrow again as I look back at him confused.  

“I’ve been doing a little photography. When I saw your room, I figured you could use some new pictures. Bring back some color to it.” 

“Thanks,” I tell him, tucking them back in the box safely. “They’re great.” 

“Happy birthday, Nat,” he tells me, pulling me into a hug and kissing my cheek. He glances back at my house and shakes his head as he lets out a bitter laugh. “Your puppy keeps looking out the window. Probably making sure you don’t need to be rescued.” 

“Give him a break. He’s nice,” I scold him. 

“Oh, I’m sure he is,” he replies sarcastically, rolling his eyes.  

“You know, I really don’t understand you anymore. One minute you’re kicking me out of your life, then the next minute you're constantly showing up in mine and criticizing the only person that I haven’t managed to chase off yet,” I snap.  

“I told you, my intentions were good and I had reasons,” he said between gritted teeth.  

“And I’m supposed to trust in that when you won’t explain? Maybe I used to trust you blindly, but I don’t do that with anyone now.” 

“It didn’t seem to bother you last night,” he snaps, regret instantly flashing across his face. 

I glare at him but stay quiet. I’m fed up with having all of these questions and absolutely zero answers. I open my mouth and start to say something, but the sound of footsteps makes me stop. I feel someone stand beside me but my eyes are still fixed and glaring at Colton.  

“It’s not a birthday party without the birthday girl,” Riley says, wariness in his tone as he eyes Colton and me.  

“I better get going. Wouldn’t want to continue keeping you from your party,” Colton tells me before going to his car to leave.  

“Thank you for the present,” I tell him before I can stop myself.  

A small smile comes onto his face and he nods at me, then climbs into his car and drives away.