Unforgettable

Part 13

Natalie

"Happy birthday to youuuuu, happy birthday to youuuuu, happy birthday dear Nat-t-t-t, happy birthday to you-u-u-u-u."

I sit up from my bed, rubbing my eyes as I stare into the bright light filling my dorm room. My friends stand in front of me, smiles adorning their faces, and party hats placed atop of their heads.

I can't believe it.

I slept through a birthday room decoration.

How?

"Thanks guys! When did you guys decorate? I can't believe I slept through it." I look up, my eyes scanning the bright decorations which surround my room.

"Lera only snuck us in a few minutes ago, we tried to do everything as quickly as we could so you wouldn't wake up." Melanie replies, tooting her kazoo as I stand from my bed. I walk over to each of them, bringing them into a tight hug before grabbing a party hat for myself. I sit back down on my bed, before presents are thrown in my direction from each of my friends.

"You guys didn't really have to..." I begin, but I'm soon cut off by 3 shaking heads, and one buzz of a kazoo coming from Melanie's direction. I laugh lightly, as I reach to pick up a square wrapped box. I flick open the gift tag, seeing it's signed 'Your favorite bitch, Mel xoxo', before I rip off the paper.

"A WAFFLE MAKER?!" I yell across the room, a bright smile on my face. "Thanks Mel, I love it." I coo, to which she simply waves my compliment away.

I place the box beside me, reaching across to grab the next present from Persephone. She's placed blue wrapping paper in a small, white bag, completed a bow. I untie the bow, and reach inside the bag, grabbing the gift from inside. I look up, catching Persephone's broad smile before I unwrap the gift. Out tumbles 2 notebooks, covered in colored pot plant and ocean designs respectively, and a set of fountain pens and grey-lead pencils.

"For your writing. I noticed your other notebook was getting full, and your pens." Persephone says, motioning to my withering pen cup, and lonely pens that'd been discarded on the floor after they stopped working, "were running a little low."

"Thankyou Pers, I love them." I laugh, blowing a kiss to her before placing Lera's gift in my lap. It's wrapped in green paper, with cartoon balloons dotted across it. I once again tear it open, my eyes filling with tears suddenly as I see what's inside. I pull out a photo frame, which has been decorated with an arrangement of purple stickers. Inside the soft frame is a picture of myself and the girls, smile basically reaching our ears as we pose in front of our dormrooms. We'd taken the photo on our third day together, where we all look bright and cheery-faced.

"I love it. Thankyou guys so much, for everything." I choke out, looking around the room at my inseparably friends. "Seriously, you guys have made me feel at home here, I couldn't ask for any better friends."

I stand from my bed, and bringing each of my friends into a tight hug. Sniffles fly around the room as we hug each other close, and I feel tears spring to my eyes. I pull apart from the group, wiping my eyes quickly before turning back to my friends.

"We love you too Nat, and we're so glad we got to meet you." Persephone says, smiling kindly at me. Melanie grins softly at me as Lera runs a soothing hand along my arm.

I really do feel at home here.

...

"Okay, so what's the plan for tonight?" Melanie asks from beside me as she bites into her sandwich.

Seeing as we all had pretty flexible classes today, the girls and I decided to meet up for lunch at one of the parks around campus. We got toasted sandwichs and coffees from a local cafe, before walking back to campus, which is where we find ourselves now. Lera swung by Christian's apartment before to pick up Claudia, who's tucked into my lap, silently sleeping.