What I saw on my mirror stunned me. On it was words written in red marker.
Happy birthday to my baby panda.
so I'm his baby panda now...
On the mirror also was a card and a single red rose. I smiled to myself because I knew it was from Christian. I took the card and began to read,
"The day I saw you,my heart got smitten
The day I met you,my soul got sweetly bitten
The day I hugged you,my head got blissfully dizzily
Panda, I desperately hope that you felt the same way too."
I read the card over and over again before I squealed. I quickly dropped the card on the sink and rushed to get ready for school.
20 mins later, I was done, my dad had already left the house amd my mom wasn't home. I walked towards the kitchen to eat some cereal when I saw, on the kitchen counter, another card and rose. I smiled to myself again and I picked it to read,
"I think about you in the morning
Hoping you would find me charming
I think about you in the afternoon
Hoping that I,can see you soon
I think about you in the evening
Hoping that I can see you smiling
I think about you in the middle of night
Hoping to just feel alright
I just can't stop thinking about you
I hope you do too.
Oh. My. God
Before I could have my cereal,I heard Trish horn outside so instead I left breakfast and hurried to meet Trish.
"Happy birthday b." She says as I enter her car.
"Thanks."
'Well as the great bestie that I am, I got you this." She held out a small white envelope and I collected it with a smile.
"Thanks. You didn't have to." I said.
"Pffftt. Just open it would you?" I smile at her before I open it to see two movie tickets. I look at her confused but she just smiles.
"You know, King justice 2 is coming out this Saturday and I know you've been wanting to see it, so I got us tickets and I wanted us to have a girls night."
"Oh my gosh Trish. Thanks." I gush out and hug her.
"Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I know. I'm awesome." She says with sass.
"Yeah. Yeah."
"Quick question." Trish speaks up a while after we had left my house.
"Yeah?"
"Who owns the Porsche sitting on your driveway?"
"Oh my parents got it for me as a gift."
"WHAT!" She suddenly shouts and steps on the brake and I jerked forward. "You mean to tell me you own that car on your driveway?"
"Yeah?"
"Oh my god, Ashley. You lucky daughter of a pussy." She says nudging me.
"Daughter of a what?"
"Don't change the subject."
"So is that why you hit the brakes?"
"Yeah. Why else?" She asks and she resumes driving.
"You are one weird girl."
....
When we got to school, I received birthday gifts and wishes from people I knew and people I didn't even know. I had Calculus first which I bitterly hate, so I head to my locker.
I open my locker to see another card with a red rose laying on top and I smile again to check if Christian I around but I don't see him so I pick up the card and read.
"If someone asks me
Why I like you so
I'd have to think
For I don't really know
All I know is that
I like you like crazy."
The warning bell rings, so I put the rose and card in my bag before I grab everything I need for class and head there.
...
"Hey bitch." Trish called out to me on my way to lunch.
"I thought Mr Luca will delay you guys since he likes delaying a class by lunch." Mr Luca Rodriguez is our Spanish teacher and finds pleasure in seeing students late for lunch.
"Well sorry to burst your bubble, but he wasn't in class so we had a free sesh."
"Why?"
"Don't know, don't care."
"Have you seen Christian today?" I asks Trish, changing the subject.
"Nope. Why?" She asks as we almost reach the lunch room.
"Nothing. Just that he keeps leaving cards for me everywhere but I haven't seen him yet."
"Please don't tell me my brother is doing 18 reasons." Trish grunts.
"18 reasons?" I ask confused.
"Yeah. 18 reasons why he likes you." She says in a duh tone.
"How are you sure that's what he's doing?
"Are the cards like poems?" She asks and I nod." Are roses with every card?" She asks again and I nod. Again. "Then he's tots doing 18 reasons." By the time she finished talking, we had already lined up for food serving in the lunch room. I was about to speak when the lunch lady speaks up.
"Ashley Colton?''
"Yeah?"
"Here's your lunch." She hands me a tray and on it was a small round velvet cake, just enough for a person with '18' written on it, a small 8 in a box chop and a bottle of crispy orange juice. I looked at the lunch lady, the lunch, and then the lunch lady again.
"But I di-" I was interrupted.
"No. It's yours. Oh and your boyfriend I should give you this." She holds out a card and a rose to me.
"So Christian did all this?" I asks taking the card and rose from her.
"Yeah, now go away. You are making me sick." She sternly says and I move away from her. Trish already got her lunch before me so we walked to our table.
"So what does the card say?" Trish asks as we sit and I read the card aloud.
"I always wondered
What it's like to have butterflies in my stomach
I always wondered,
What it's like to pray for good luck
I always wondered
What it's like to have jittery and frayed nerves too
But ever since I met you
These things and I
Have been like1 and 2."
I smile as soon as I read I finish.
"I don't know whether to swoon or be disgusted at my brother's cheesiness." Trish breaks the silence.
"Shut up it's cute."
"If you say so." She takes out of my chocolate.
....
I want just about to sit in Biology class when I saw another card and rose on my table. I picked it and read. And of course I sat down.
"Forget the magazines
Forget the movies
A perfect girl isn't someone
In books or TV
The prettiest and cutest
A star and a beauty
In my eyes, it's no one but you
If you haven't guessed already."
I smile again and again until Mr Simon speaks up.
"Miss Colton, would you like to share with the class why you are smiling so much?" He asks but that doesn't stop my smile.
"Probably something she received for her birthday." I turn to see the person who speaks up for me and I see Caleb. I see him sitting a few seats behind me. Ever since I've been in Biology class, I didn't know I had it with Caleb.
"Mr Chills. I believe I didn't ask you."
"And I believe I didn't oh wait sorry, I don't care." Caleb speaks back giving me a wink and I just smile thankfully.
.....
I was currently on my free period by my locker getting ready to go to the library when Caleb walked up to me.
"Hey Ashley."
"Hey Caleb. Thanks for what you did in Biology." I say but he just shrugged.
"No biggie."
"Since when have you been having Biology?" I ask him.
"Since the day you have."
"Really?" I ask surprised.
"Yeah." He sounded amused.
"I'm so sorry I didn't notice you."
"It's nothing." He shrugged. "Anyway, Christian said I give you this." He hands me a card and rose.
"Where is he by the way?"
"Who?"
"You know who I'm talking about."
" Oh, you mean Christian?" He asks and I just roll my eyes. "Yeah don't know where he is."
"But you said-"
"Bye!!!!" He said and left me hurriedly leaving me all alone in the hallway I shook my head and looked down to read the card I was holding.
"Every time I look at you
My senses go out of control
My body starts shivering
I freeze up like a pole
Everytime I look at you
My palms get sweaty
My lips break into a smile
My heart starts to sing.
I read the poem over and over again and then walk towards the library.
I greet Mrs P who's at her desk and walk to the far corner of the library to my favorite place.
I get there and see another card and rose on the table and I turn to try to see if Christian is anywhere. I don't see him so I pick up the card to read and sit down.
I like everything about you
Especially you beautiful face
My heart will keep choosing you
Even if it has to put up a chase
I adore everything about you
Your personality and your wit
I hope that I've convinced you
That I like you every bit.
I smile to myself again and bring out my books to study. Even though I very much know I won't be doing any.