My Geeky Boyfriend

Chapter Thirteen

"Awww! That's cute."  

"Shut up," I laughed, shoving his shoulder gently before going back to finishing the writing on the cake which read: Happy birthday Carla Bear. 

After recovering from his newfound online stardom, Hawk offered to help me in finishing the cake.

In his words: "it's the least I can do after all the trouble I caused last night."  

Although, he soon added that it was also because he wanted an apron too. That boy, I could never understand him.

"And we're done," I announced, reaching for Hawk's hands in a double high five.  

"I can't believe I actually made a cake, like an actual cake," he remarked with a proud grin.  

"Well...." I trailed off, smiling slyly at him.

"Fine, I know I just gave moral support," he admitted between chuckles.

"Well, you weren't all that bad though. If it wasn't for Carla, I wouldn't even know a thing about baking. She loves baking, she says it gives her joy to be able to create so many things from something as simple as flour. She taught me everything I know; I always loved watching her in the kitchen as a kid. Many times, she'd try to send me away, but of course, I never listened." I finished with a soft chuckle, memories of those times coming to mind. 

But why did I even tell Hawk all those things? I was the one who said we didn't need to know too much about each other's lives, and yet, here I was dishing out 'stories of my life.'  

But if Hawk minded, he definitely didn't show it.

"You must really love her," he mused. 

I wanted to tell him that she was the second most important person in my life after my mum; to tell him of how she was the only person I could turn to after my parents' divorce; of how she used to sit and listen to me, even when I had nothing new to say other than how much I missed my mum; of how she always knew how to calm me down after another one of my arguments with my dad.  Yeah, I really did love her. She was the one person in my life who I could rely on for stability. 

But to Hawk, I skipped all that and instead settled for saying, "it's hard not to. And besides, compared to what she does on my birthdays, this is pretty much nothing."

I lit up with a smile at the thought of the mountains of treats and delicacies which Carla always had prepared for my birthdays.

"On my tenth birthday, she made a chocolate fountain so big, Beck, Juliette and I were half passed out when we finally managed to finish it," I recalled fondly.  

"Lucky you. I got a T-shirt from my Uncle Bob for my tenth birthday. And the front had this big writing that read: always be a good kid, Hawkie."  

"That's pretty cute," I cooed, giving him a playful nudge. 

He chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess. Only problem's I've got eight more shirts like that."  

"How?" I questioned, my interest truly piqued.

"Did other people gift you the same thing as well?"  

He shook his head, his eyes Dancing with humor.

"I got the same T-shirt from him for my eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth...well, let's just say for every birthday since my tenth one. And they all have the same thing written on them - always be a good kid Hawkie. Now, when I see his name on the wrapping paper, I don't think of what it could be, I instead wonder what color the shirt would be this time."  

He finished with a laugh, with me echoing the sound.

"I still think it's cute though."

But he just made a face in reply, making me chortle.  

"Seriously, I really think it is. You know, I've never gotten something like that before," I admitted, meeting his gaze with a tight-lipped smile.  

"You've never gotten a T-shirt with a nickname that manages to be even worse than your actual name?" He fake gasped.  

"Not that," I tittered.

"I mean getting clothes. No one's ever bought me clothes before."

"That can't be right. How about when you were a kid - I'm sure your parents must have picked out your clothes then. You have no idea how many Scooby doo outfits my mum used to get me then."

Though he sounded somewhat embarrassed at the memory, I could sense the underlying fondness in his smile.

"So, is that why you decided to rebel when you could pick out your clothes, and chose SpongeBob instead?" I teased.  

"Of course!" He chirped; lips upturned in a smile. I shook my head with a small smile of my own.

Hawk could be such a weirdo.

"They didn't," I piped up after a few moments of silence, leaving Hawk to stare confused at me. 

So, I added, "they didn't pick out clothes for me. I always did that myself from the moment I could point at things. My mum had this whole theory about the importance of letting kids make their own choices."  

My mind drifted to my five-year-old self parading around stores, sorting through clothes like some little diva with my mum right behind me. I guess when you've started choosing your own clothes since you were two, you're bound to grow up to have a great fashion sense.  

"Wow! I thought with rich kids, it'd be raining designer outfits for every birthday," he mused lightheartedly.  

"Nah, it's mostly ponies and limitless credit cards," I mused between chuckles, albeit a bit bitterly.

I had no idea why, but I suddenly found myself wishing I could also get a T-shirt with some cheesy writing on it too.  I'd really never been bought any kind of clothing before - not even by my friends. I remembered Beck saying one time that getting presents for me, proved more difficult than anything else.  It was not because she had no money as the Lees' were pretty well off. It was rather because she felt she could not get me anything I couldn't afford. Especially given that my father was one of the city's richest men.

And I guessed that was the reason they never got me anything like clothing. Not even Juliette who was the closest to having the same fashion sense with me, ever got me anything like clothing.  

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'd certainly trade my shirts for a giant chocolate fountain any day," he remarked, making me chuckle. 

I wanted to say something more, but the sound of shuffling feet captured my attention. My eyes immediately sized in on the new arrivals to the room.  The maids - Maria, Anna and Kelly, then there was Andy, Daniel, or Danny as we liked to call him, Stephen our gardener, Ronald - Walter's apprentice as he liked to call himself, and even Walter.

Their ragged breaths followed them into the kitchen; an after effect of their running all the way here. It was Maria who was able to catch her breath first.

"Miss Stephanie," she started, in what was supposed to be a whisper. It wasn't.

"She's here!"  I immediately sprang into action.

"Quickly, hide!"  

And that was all it took for all our grown asses to race behind the kitchen counter. Hawk and I ended up bumping heads in our haste to hide behind the counter.  

"Ouch! SpongeBob, is your head made of rocks or something?" I whined, rubbing my sore head. 

He tittered between rubbing his own head.

"No, it's just made up of a brain, and some bones. You know, those hard things that form the skeletal sys..."

"I know what bones are," I huffed, eyeing him sharply.

But he just chuckled.

"Here, let me help," he offered, giving me no chance to respond before running his hands in soft circles around my sore head. 

The feeling of his hands on my skin felt strange, yet oddly soothing. It was hard to explain.  I could only watch him as his hands worked softly, eyes creased slightly in concentration. I took that time to really look at his features. He wasn't too hard on the eyes. He was definitely no Bryce or Kevin, but he definitely had a certain cuteness to him. 

His eyes suddenly caught mine, leaving me feeling self-conscious. Not just because I was staring at him before that, but because I suddenly realized how close we were squatting together. And with Hawk scooting closer to massage my head, our faces were barely inches apart from each other now. 

The situation was getting pretty awkward. The fact that in those cheesy movies, this was probably the part where the two leads would lean in for a kiss, made the awkwardness of it stand out more.  Hawk must have thought the same because he was the first to look away, laughing awkwardly as he did.

"Better?"  

I gave a quick nod, a bit too quick now that I thought about it.

"Thanks," I answered, adding a small smile.

"Yeah. I mean that's what friends do. Sore rub heads," he mused, before realizing what he said, causing him to hurriedly add, "I mean, rub sore heads."  

I gave a small chortle in reply. But my mind replayed what he said.

 Friends.

I'd never really thought to give a title to the relationship we had.  But I had to admit, I liked the sound of it - friends. He was my friend. It was much better than saying, 'he is the guy I'm dating so he'll help me fall in love with Bryce, and so he can get together with Holland.'  

"She's getting closer," Maria 'whispered,' breaking off my thoughts.

Maria really needed to reevaluate her definition of a whisper. But at the moment, I was too excited to care about Maria's apparent lack of whispering skills.  And from the looks of it, so was Hawk. Seeing him made me remember something I heard once - joy is infectious. I wasn't sure who I heard it from though. But my guesses were my mum or Sam. Sam could be an inspirational speaker when she wanted to be.

It was most likely because of all those self-help books she's read.  The footsteps drew even closer now...closer...closer...and then even closer. She was in.  I shared knowing smiles with the others before we all sprung up, screaming, "happy birthday!"  

A surprised laugh erupted from her lips.

"You guys...thank you so much."

I giggled and held out her cake to her.

"Now, the birthday girl has to make a wish."  

She laughed that same lighthearted laugh of hers that always exuded sincerity.

"Girl? Honey, I'm one step away from grabbing a walking stick."

"Oh, don't say that Miss Carla. You still look as young and fresh as a flower. And you have the delicateness and grace of a swan, and the gait of a pelican."  

Huh?

"And the finesse of a..."  

And that was my cue to step in and save Walter from himself.

"So, you're still a sweet, sexy mama, even at 52. I mean just look at that fine a*s!"  

I made a show of making to check out her a*s, earning an ear pull from Carla.  

"You were saying, missy?"

"Oww," I cried exaggeratedly.

"Nothing, I didn't even say a word."  

She chuckled at that, before letting go of my ear, leaving me to huff and rub my now freed ear.  

"Carla, you're still pulling my ears on your birthday?" I pouted.  

"It's my birthday, sweetie, it's allowed," she mused, grinning slyly at me. 

I couldn't help chuckling.

"Come on now, it's time to make your wish."  

"Make a wish! Make a wish! Make a wish..." The others chanted happily.

Yeah, everyone loved Carla. 

She blew out the candles and we all cheered, with me pulling her into a hug soon after.

"Happy birthday, Carla Bear."  

She laughed at my nickname for her.

"Thanks, sweetie," she cooed. 

When I was little, my favorite game to play with Carla was the try to steal the cookie game. Which wasn't actually a game, just more of my little self-dying to have one of Carla's mouthwatering cookies on the tray, which often resulted in Carla trying to block me by posing as a big bear who'd catch me, then tickle me relentlessly if I tried to take a cookie. Thus, the nickname, Carla Bear.  Although, in the end, I always ended up with lots of cookies whether I managed to get through her or not.  Everyone went over to give her hugs soon after I did. And when it was Walter's turn, I struggled to bite back a smile - I failed miserably by the way. 

Let me give you a quick run through about those two. I'd been shipping Walter and Carla for as long as I could remember, but those two were just too hopeless sometimes. Maybe they would have gotten together if Carla did something other than smile and blush whenever they were together, or if Walter could stop talking to her as though he were a royal guard from the 17th century.  

"Oh, thank you Walter," Carla said after they pulled away from the hug.

And there goes the blush and smile again.

"It is my pleasure to be of service to you, dear Miss Carla."

See? Totally hopeless.  

"Happy birthday, ma'am," Hawk said with an awkward smile which was returned by one of Carla's signature warm smiles.

 "Thank you, dear. But I don't think we've met before though."

I mentally face palmed myself. How silly of me?  

"Actually, Carla, this is my boyfriend, Hawk."

I scooted closer to Hawk, grabbing his hand in mine before staring back at Carla with a small smile on my face.  I could sense her surprise, but she was quick to get over it. She came over to Hawk, pulling him into a hug as though he was her long lost son or something. But that was just Carla for you.  

"It's good to meet you, son."

"It's nice to meet you too, ma'am."  

"Ma'am? Call me Carla, ok dear?" She said, cupping his face in her hands. 

I could see a sincere smile break through Hawk's face as he nodded.  

"Great! Now don't hesitate to tell me if this crazy girl of mine is troubling you," she added, causing Hawk to chuckle, and me, to gasp exaggeratedly.  

"How are you sure it's not the other way around. He could be the one troubling me."  

"As though anyone could ever trouble you." I huffed in reply, leaving everyone to just laugh. 

We cut the cake a few moments later, and soon the kitchen was filled with excited chatter and the clatters of forks against plates.

"You know, I almost forgot about my birthday?" Carla suddenly said from beside me. 

I chuckled.

"Why am I not surprised?"

Carla just shot me a playful glare in reply.  

"But then your dad called to wish me happy birthday this morning."  

I could only let out a small, "oh" in reply, choosing to play with Carla's hands than say anything else.  

"You know, he's a caring man. And he really does love y--"  

"Forget all that, Carla Bear," I cut in.

"We can talk about dad later. Today is all about you."

"Stephanie," she started, but I didn't want to give her a chance to continue that conversation.  

"So, what did you think about Walter's grand compliments from earlier?" I asked, wiggling my eyebrows knowingly and leaving Carla looking a bit flustered.

"Carla Bear, you look cute when you blush."

"Ouch!" I cried exaggeratedly when she hit the back of my head playfully.

"You're impossible," she remarked with an exaggerated huff, to which I just laughed - something she soon joined in."  

"But seriously, Stephanie, your dad..."  

Oh god, no! 

Trust Carla not to give up. She was probably hoping for me to say something along the lines of: "you're right, Carla Bear, my dad is the sweetest."  

If that's the case, her hopes sure were bound to be crushed. I was just about to find a way to cut her off, but someone else did it for me.  

"Carla," Juliette cried, coming to engulf Carla in a big bear hug, leaving the latter to let out a surprised laugh.

"Happy birthday," she added, her face beaming.  

"Oh, thank you, love," Carla chirped, kissing her forehead, and repeating the same with Sam and Beck who also wished her.  

"Carla, one year hotter."

I didn't need to look beside Andy to know who it was.  Kevin went in for a hug but stopped midway while yelping in an exaggerated show of pain.  

"Owww, my ear!"  

"Hotter, huh?" Carla asked, her face set in a playful smile.  

"No, that's not what I meant, I meant sweeter. One year sweeter," he said, earning chuckles from us.  

"Silly boy," she said between chuckles as she pulled him into a hug. 

Soon after, everyone was caught in a string of storytelling and laughter. Kevin being Kevin, thought it'd be a good idea to relate the story of that time when I was nine and tried to make birthday dinner for Carla, only to almost set the kitchen ablaze. With the only cooked thing there, being my face, which was cooked in smoke.  And everyone was having a good laugh about it. Although, I shot him a glare, I also couldn't help laughing at the memory. That day was horrible. 

I took a glance at Hawk to find him laughing alongside everyone else.

A smile found its way to my face at the sight. He seemed to be truly enjoying himself.  

"He's a good kid, I like him," Carla whispered from beside me. 

I stopped from resting my head on her shoulder, to stare at her.

"Yeah, I figured it out when you took his side," I said in mock annoyance. 

She chortled in reply, ruffling my hair as she did.

 "True. But you know I'm always on your side, sweetie."  

I smiled, resting my head back on her shoulders.

"I know."  She ran her fingers through my hair in that way she loved to.

"You know, this has to be my best birthday ever."  

"You said the same thing last year, and the one before that," I pointed out.  

"That's because to me, the best birthdays are the ones with the people I love. And it's even better when its shared with the loved ones of those I love." She used her eyes to gesture to Hawk, smiling teasingly afterward. 

If only she knew.  She may be way off base about the whole Hawk and love thing, but she was right about one thing; the best birthdays were with the people we loved.  And as I thought of my birthday which was coming up next month, I could only hope that this time, the person I loved the most would be able to make it.