Lover // the fisher brothers

015

Eleanor 🎀

Every birthday I've ever had has been right here, in this house. It's like clockwork. Mom whips up those Mickey Mouse pancakes, the boys actually acknowledge my existence, and everyone showers me with presents. It's the one day of the year where I feel like the center of attention, and I absolutely love it. Today, I'm gearing up for my sixteenth birthday bash. Belly's still giving me the cold shoulder, and I'm doing my best to avoid Conrad.

"Morning, everyone," I announce as I stroll into the kitchen.

"There's the birthday girl, looking like a vision in floral," Susannah says, enveloping me in a hug. "Happy birthday."

"Happy sweet 16, Nemo," Jere chimes in, giving me a tight squeeze.

"Now Ellie's finally getting old," Steven quips between bites of bacon. Belly eventually makes her way downstairs, and Mom pulls us both into a warm embrace.

"Happy birthday, Belly," I say, but she acts like I'm invisible.

"Your Mickey Mouse pancakes are ready," Mom announces, gesturing toward the stack of fluffy goodness.

"Actually, I'm not really hungry," Belly mumbles, her tone distant.

"Shall we open gifts?" Susannah suggests, trying to lift the mood

"Oh, you're gonna love mine," Jeremiah says, a grin spreading across his face. The first gift is from my mom, a book full of poems, a first edition she got from a rare book dealer.

"It's a first edition. I got it from a rare book dealer," my mom explains, excitement evident in her voice.

"Thank you," I say, genuinely touched by the thoughtful gift.

"Turn to the bookmarked page," my mom urges, turning to Susannah. "It's your favorite poem."

"Oh, yeah, I remember Susannah teaching us to recite this," Belly says, a nostalgic smile playing on her lips.

"For whatever we lose," Belly and I say in unison, as Jeremiah joins in, "Like a you or a me, it's always ourselves we find in the sea," we all finish together.

"Thank you. I love it," Belly says, her eyes shining with gratitude.

"Okay, open mine now," Susannah says, handing us each a beautifully wrapped box.

"Oh, wow," Belly and I exclaim in unison as we open our gifts. Belly gets some pearl earrings, and I receive the matching necklace.

"They're gorgeous. Thank you, Susannah," I say, feeling overwhelmed by her generosity as she places the necklace around my neck.

"My mom gave me these pearls for my sweet 16," Susannah explains, a hint of sentimentality in her voice.

"They look great on both of you," Mom chimes in.

"Oh, I'm next," Jeremiah says eagerly, holding two small boxes in his hands. He hands one to Belly and the other to me.

"Thank you," I say, genuinely touched by the gesture. Belly opens hers first, revealing a good-luck charm to help her pass her driving test.

"Okay, Nemo, your turn," Jeremiah says, his eyes sparkling with excitement. I unwrap the gift to find a gold bracelet engraved with my name.

"OMG, Thank you so much!" I exclaim, feeling touched by the thoughtful present.

"You're welcome," Jeremiah says with a warm smile.

"Think fast," Steven says, tossing us each a present. I open mine to find a long sleeve shirt with "Princeton" emblazoned across it.

"Thank you, Steven," I say, appreciating the thoughtful gift.

"Wow, Steven, I can't believe you actually spent money on me," Belly says, teasing him.

"Relax. I just didn't want you stealing mine next year when I get in," Steven quips, earning a chuckle from the rest of us.

"I didn't know you were still considering Princeton," Mom says, intrigued.

"You know, I-I think I'm gonna apply for some scholarships, and Dad thinks I can get some financial aid. I-I don't know. I'll see if I get in," Steven explains, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

"Okay. Um..." Mom trails off, unsure how to respond.

"Conrad, uh, do you want to give Belly and Ellie your present?" Susannah suggests, breaking the tension. Conrad gets up and hands Belly a present, then sits back down. She opens it to find a teddy bear.

"I'm sorry, Ellie, I forgot," Conrad apologizes.

"Uh, that's... that's cool. Um... I wasn't really expecting anything anyways, so..." I say, trying to play it off.

"Here, Belly, I got you a present," I say, handing her a box. "It's a Polaroid camera so you can take pictures this summer."

"Umm... I forgot to get yours," Belly admits sheepishly.

"It's okay," I say with a smile, trying to brush it off.

"Oh, so I've got to go. Um, I promised Cleveland that I'd show him some knots today, so... happy birthday," Conrad says, excusing himself.

"Hey, why don't we take my car and practice driving before we have to pick up Taylor and Isla from the bus station?" Jeremiah suggests, changing the subject.

"Sure," I agree eagerly, ready for a distraction from the awkward moment.

Hey my lovelies, i need to revise for my exams and i actually dying.

Word count: 835 words