City Lights, Country Nights

46.Happy birthday!

Liora sat on her bed, her eyes fixed on the picture of her parents in the hospital holding her as a baby after she was born. She really didn't feel like facing the day.

She let out a breath as she set the picture down and got up, walking out of her room and down the stairs. She intended to leave the house as quickly as possible, but luck was not on her side.

"Liora May!" Jackie called, causing her to stop and turn back when she heard her middle name.

"What?" Liora asked, looking at Jackie. Jackie rolled her eyes as she held up a cup of tea, and Liora closed her eyes.

"You promised," Jackie said as Liora took the cup. "Look, I know you don't want to do anything, Rory, but I didn't plan anything big. Just tonight, I want to have a fire with s'mores. So please, can you just..."

"Okay, okay. But how is that going to be just us?" Liora asked. It's not that she didn't want them there; she just didn't want a big event.

"I don't know yet," Jackie said, looking down. "But would it be so bad if they know? I mean, it's your 16th birthday," she said, causing Liora to look down.

"It's your birthday!?" Both girls' heads snapped over to see Isaac. "I'm telling Aunt Katherine!" he said and ran out the door. Liora's eyes snapped to Jackie's before she ran after him.

"Isaac, stop!" Liora said as he stopped in front of Katherine and George, and Liora covered his mouth with her hand. "Anything, I will give you anything," she said.

"I want in on it," he said, looking at her. "Please let me come, Rory. You're like my best friend. I can't miss it. I want to be there, please," he said. Liora let out a breath.

"Uh, okay," Liora said. Isaac smiled and walked off as she looked back at George and Katherine with a small smile.

"What’s going on?" Katherine asked. Liora shook her head as she looked down.

"Um, Rory, will you go for a ride with me?" George asked, making her look up at him. "There's something I want to talk to you about," he said. Liora nodded as she walked with him to get a horse.

As they rode down the path, there was silence. Liora had become nervous as she looked to George again.

"So..." Liora said, looking down as she tightened her grip on the reins.

"Well, I called the school," he said. Liora closed her eyes and turned her head.

"I know, God, do I know," Liora mumbled, giving George a small smile. "You know I have been dancing since I was 2?" she said. George looked over at her.

"Thirteen years I have worked to get into that school," Liora said. "It was my life. I would go to school and become one of the biggest dancers in the world," she said. "I wanted to dance with famous singers and perform at the Super Bowl. That was my big dream," she said.

"Sounds like a very ambitious dream," he said. Liora nodded with a smile.

"It was, but my mom and dad were always supportive of it. So much effort and time went into it," she said, nodding and looking away. "Just for it to be gone over a stupid little thing," she said.

"What type of dances did you really do?" He asked, making her look at him. "I mean, there are different kinds, right? What did you do?" He asked. Liora smiled.

"Contemporary dance was my favorite," she said. "That's what I really did, and I loved it. The story behind every movement, the way it looked and felt, it was just... beautiful," Liora said, looking at him.

"And I made that. I did those beautiful dances, knowing the story behind every movement. I loved to tell those stories," she said. "But now I can't, and... it's more painful than I ever could have thought," she said.

"Rory, I can’t tell you how sorry I am about your school. I see it’s something you have worked very hard for," he said, making Liora look at him. "But you still have a chance to heal, and you could still dance," he said. Liora slowly nodded.

"I hope," Liora said, giving him a smile. "But until then, I need to look at other things," she said. George nodded.

"Well, whatever you decide, me and Katherine will support it, okay?" he said. Liora looked up at him and nodded.

"Alright," she said, shaking her head as she turned her horse around and looked around at the sun that was slowly going down. "I’ll race you back," she said and took off, making her way back to the house.

"Thank you," Liora said with a smile as she helped him put the horses back up before heading back, only to stop when she saw Jackie, Isaac, Danny, Lee, Nathan, Grace, Skyler, all of them sitting around a fire, all but Cole.

"What are you doing?" Liora asked as she walked up to them.

"Happy birthday!" they said. Liora couldn’t help but smile. "Come on, Rory, you really think I wouldn’t get them in on it?" Jackie said. Liora shook her head with a smile.

"Come on, sit and have some s’mores. Nathan's even going to sing 'Happy Birthday' to you," Skyler said. Liora's eyes wandered.

"You're going to sing for me?!" Liora said. He nodded. "Oh! I want to hear it, okay, okay!" she said, sitting down.

Liora sat and listened to him sing and play "Happy Birthday" on the guitar as they all sat and ate, eventually danced a bit, and all in all had a fun night. Soon, Liora found it to be just her and Jackie sitting there.

"Alright, Rory," Jackie said. "I did get you something," she said, handing her a bag. Liora looked at her.

"Jackie, you didn’t have to," she said, and looked in the bag. She pulled out a teapot, and it brought tears to her eyes. "Jackie," Liora mumbled as she looked over the white teapot that had a picture of their family on it.

"I know you miss them, Rory, and I do too, but it’s good to do things like this," Jackie said. Liora laid her head on Jackie’s shoulder.

"I love you, Jackie," she said.

"I love you too, Rory."