A Cute Little Moment: Chapter IX: Lexi's Sweet 16 Party:):):):):):):):)

 

Lexi’s Sweet 16 Party (Also known as the “The Moment I Knew” storyline)

I feel myself getting more and more excited as I nervously pin my curtain bangs back with a barrette. Couldn’t have them falling into my face tonight. Though, if Adam finally decided to kiss me tonight, him brushing my bangs out of my face might make it more romantic. Perhaps Adam would be in that mood, it almost being St Valentine’s Day and all. Him kissing me would make the best sixteenth birthday present. I brush some sparkly lavender eye shadow on my eye lids and some pink blush on my cheeks before putting my only-saved-for-ballet-recitals red lipstick. I know, it might seem kind of cheesy, but hey, tonight was going to be epic, and epic occasions deserve special things like red lipstick. I hear my doorbell ring and I give a little hop of excitement and run down the stairs to answer it as my hand runs along the Valentine’s heart garland that’s draped on the banister. Just as promised, my friends were here early to get everything ready with me. I open the door and fling my arms around Breanna. In her favorite red mini dress and boots, she looked like a country girl.  

“Hey!” I say excitedly as everyone else walks in, and I hug all of the girls.

“Happy sweet 16, Lexi!” they all squeal. When they let go, I walk over to Thaddeus and hug him.

“Happy birthday, Fangirl,” he whispers. “You look pretty.” I smile at him.

“Thanks!” I reply. “Um, I should go get dressed.” I really should. I was still in my shorts and t-shirt. Thaddeus nods and chuckles and the girls follow me up.

“So, what are you going to wear?” Breanna asks me eagerly. I grin.

“I was thinking my lavender dress with the flowers on it,” I tell them. Gabrielle squeals, fiddling with the skirt of her yellow sleeveless dress.

“Ooh! I was hoping you would wear that one!”

“Me, too,” Bridgett adds. “You look so pretty in that dress.”

“Aw, thanks!” I say. As we make it to the last step, Kaylee trips on it. Before she falls, I catch her hand.

“Woah!” she exclaims. “Thank you, Lexi,”

“No problem.” I say, smiling. A few minutes later, I was dressed in my lavender party dress with little flowers on the edge of the skirt.

“Let’s see you twirl!” Breanna and Gabrielle chorus. I once again marvel at how these two sisters could be so much alike, yet so different, as I twirl around my room.

“Oh, it’s so pretty,” Kaylee swoons as she brushes a finger over the silk skirt.

“Okay, we need to go set up downstairs,” I tell them and we all head down the stairs to the kitchen where my mom and Thaddeus were sitting at the table, having a conversation.

“Hey, girls! We’re happy you came!” my mom said, standing up and giving each of them a hug.

“We’re happy we came, too, Mrs. Pieper!” Bridgett said with her trademarked sweet smile. Soon after we put up the decorations (lavender ballons and banners, fake lavender plants, and a few St. Valentine’s Day things here and there), the other guests started arriving! There were people from my dance class, and classmates from school, all bearing wrapped presents or gift bags. They were all giving me a smile and wishing me a happy birthday. Adam had texted me earlier and said he was going to be late, so I guess I’ll have to wait. Everyone sat around in a circle in my living room, all of us laughing and playing Never Have I Ever and Truth Or Dare. (My friend from ballet dared me to do a triple pirouette in front of everyone.) After that, we started having a dance party where all of my dance friends were showing off. When I had danced for fifteen minutes with no break, I finally decided to go sit down on the stairs for a few minutes and text Adam.

Hey! Where are you? I type. In a few seconds, I get his reply.

What do you mean where am I?

I let out a short huff. My sweet sixteen party?

Was that today? Oh. My bad.

Uh, yeah! People’s birthday parties are typically on, you know, people’s birthdays!

It’s your birthday today?

I wanted to scream at him, but unfortunately, I can’t do that over text. Yes!

Oh. Well, that’s fun! Tell me how that goes.

That’s it. That’s all he says. How can he say that? It’s my sixteenth birthday, he’s my boyfriend, he should be here with me! Just as I’m about to let loose a string of curse words, my dad comes and sits down next to me. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”

I almost scream at my dad too, but I decide against it. It wouldn’t fix anything. “Adam isn’t coming,” I say quietly as I show him my phone.

“You know, it’s supposed to be fun- turning sixteen,” he replies as he turns to brush my bangs behind my ears, then realizes it’s all already pinned back. I lean my head against his shoulder and he puts his arm around me.

“I’ll be right back.” I tell him, and then run into the bathroom, fully intending to hide there for a long while.

I had been hiding in the bathroom for about fifteen minutes, when there’s a knock. “Oh, I’m sorry! I’ll be right out!” I shout, my voice breaking. The door opens and Breanna, Kaylee, Bridgett, Gabrielle and Thaddeus tread through the door. I almost break down as Breanna gives a gentle look.

“Are you okay, Lex?” she questions softly. I bite my bottom lip.

“Adam didn’t come.” I whisper, one stubborn tear breaking free from the trap that my eyelashes had created. Thaddeus shuts the door and they all gather around me.

“Do you want to tell us about it?” Bridgett asks, hugging my shoulders. I take a deep, shuddering breath as I do my best to tell them the story. After I’m finished, they all exchange looks before nodding at each other.

“We know it’s not quite time for presents yet, but we thought you should open this one now.” Thaddeus says gently, handing me a small package wrapped in white wrapping paper with lavender plants and purple butterflies on it. I smile a little before unwrapping a small DVD. I turn to Thaddeus, a bit confused. He gives me a slightly amused smile as he pulls his laptop from his lap and puts the little DVD in.

The video it plays is one that took place on a day that I forgot about completely. It transports me back to a time when I would be with my friends and the only emotions, I would feel was contentment and happiness and I would laugh and laugh until my sides were sore and I couldn’t breathe. The video displays four twelve-year-old girls, one smiling eleven-year-old girl, and one bespectacled thirteen-year-old boy who was quite lofty for his age, goofing around on Bridgett’s trampoline. Breanna, Gabrielle, and I were standing one side, and Kaylee, Bridgett, and Thaddeus were standing on the other side. Thaddeus was acting as Ben, I was acting as Mal, Breanna as Evie, Gabrielle as Lonnie, Bridgett as Audrey, and Kaylee jokingly acting as Chad. I gasp in surprise, nostalgia making my heart happy as I hear Thaddeus begin to sing.

“Did I mention that I’m in love you?”

Thaddeus is blushing and laughing uncomfortably from behind his hand as the camara pans over to Breanna, Gabrielle and I, me trying to act indifferent and trying not to laugh, Breanna and Gabrielle trying to get me into what “Ben” is doing.

“Oh! I forgot we learned the choreography to it!” I say, giggling as I see us all dancing and spelling ridiculous, me and Bridgett dancing it mockingly just because we both wanted to learn the dance moves, too. Thaddeus turns and grins at me and I can’t help grinning back.

“Do you still remember it?” he asks. I shrug.

“Uh, let me try,” I say, standing up trying to watch our younger selves doing it and after a few tries, I’m able to do it.

“Hey, that wasn’t half-bad!” praises Kaylee as they all clap and I laugh as I sit down again. I didn’t think I would be over Adam tonight, let alone fifteen minutes after he forgot my birthday, but my friends have done the impossible.

“Thanks for bringing this video, guys. I really needed this.” I tell them, putting my arms around first, Breanna, then Thaddeus. Gabrielle grinned at me.

“Don’t look at us. This was all Thaddeus’s idea,”

Thaddeus shot Gabrielle a glare, but I turn and smile at him. “Thank you, Thaddeus.” I whisper, hugging him.

“Of course, Lex. Anytime.” He replies, his arm around my shoulders.

 

After my best friends were with me, I felt emotionally ready to go back to my party and to dance the night away. When I had been out having fun for about thirty minutes, my phone started buzzing from where I had left it on the couch. When I see who it is, I scowl.

“Adam, you didn’t even bother to show up and now you’re calling me at my own party?!”

“Yeah, but have you seen my hoodie? I think I left it in your mom’s car. Would you bring it to me?” he asks me, sounding completely innocent. I laugh in total disbelief.

“Seriously? Seriously, Adam? You’re asking me for a favor right now? Sure, you can have your hoodie back! Because we’re done.”

“Oh, Lexi, you don’t mean that. Don’t be such a girl about it.”

Just as I’m about to scream obscenities at him, I start to wonder why I’m feeling so angry at Adam right now. After all, he had been at the party, but he’d had to leave early because his parents had left the house without telling his sister and he had to go home to take care of her.

“Oh, I hope your sister’s alright, Adam! You two have fun!” I say before hanging up the phone. I return to my party, glad to have a boyfriend who cared.