CHAPTER 18

HER BIRTHDAY

Friday night came to a close, and it was time for the weekend. Freya’s birthday party had been the talk of the net. Chat rooms were bursting with theories and talks about what was going to happen at the party. There was a small community of individuals pining over not being able to attend. The event was getting global recognition on the scale of the Velvet Carpet during their award ceremonies. This was of course due to Freya’s announcement that she would reveal who her boyfriend was at the party. Everyone waited with bated breath barely able to conceal their anticipation for the stream to start.

(Stream Starts in: 01:59:99)

There were less than two hours before the party and Freya couldn’t help but be nervous. Today she turned sixteen. It was her birthday and yet the only thing on her mind was what was coming after the party. She had never felt anxious like this before. Freya, Destiny, and the multitude of staff were at Fiore Gemello. The five-star restaurant the Young family had rented out for the evening. However, the building was more than just a restaurant. That was the first of the many events planned out for the evening.

“The countdown begins!” Destiny dramatically exclaimed. She looked over towards Freya, who appeared down and tapped her on the shoulder. “You okay?.”

“Yeah… I’ll manage,” Freya replied. Her thoughts were elsewhere. “Will I really be able to convince Reighley to stay? I can’t just ask him without giving him a reason. I… have to tell him how I feel before the night ends.” Freya looked at the time and wondered what Reighley was doing at the moment. She had barely seen him all week thanks to midterms. The two would have an occasional lunch every so often, but Freya was too busy helping class 2-D with studying. She requested that Herald pick out a nice suit for Reighley to wear for her party. She wanted to be sure that he didn't spend the money that she had given him at the start of their relationship.

(Stream Starts in: 01:34:29)

Reighley was at home, currently in a black suit and tie. He was looking at himself in front of a mirror in the bathroom. He thought he looked quite nice, but still couldn’t get his tie right. He tried to replicate what he had seen earlier in the week but it was no use.

“Need some help, sweetheart?” Jericho asked. She noticed Reighley in the restroom while passing by. He had left the door open. Jericho walked over to her son and turned him towards her to help him.

“Look how handsome my boy has become,” Jericho said with a smile, tying the tie.

“Thanks, Mom.” Reighley smiled back.

“You better watch out at this party. Those girls will be all over you. Don’t forget to beat them off with a stick.” Jericho laughed.

“As if. Most people at school are scared of me already.” Reighley played along.

“Well, they shouldn’t be. Also, be sure to take care of your sister. I’m counting on you.” Jericho asked.

“I will,” Reighley promised.

“Isabelle, are you ready?” Jericho shouted across the hall.

“I’ve been ready all week long! I can’t wait for this thing.” Isabelle said. Reighley sighed, he was coerced into bringing his younger sister to the party the moment she found out about it. She progressed very quickly from begging to blackmail. She began by saying things like “I’ll never be able to live on if I don’t go!” or “I have to know what fancy food tastes like. I’ll stop waking you in the mornings unless you take me!” Reighley couldn’t say no. Her happiness was the reason he had been working so hard. He knew that if things went according to plan, then this may be Isabelle’s only chance to experience something like this. Normally he wouldn’t blatantly spoil his younger sister but today was an exception. Freya was gracious enough to loan Isabelle one of her dresses that she had stored away, free of charge. Reighley suspected it was for some extra brownie points from his little sister but he couldn’t help but be a cheapskate when the time called for it.

“Mow!” Morgana meowed, as he pounced on Reighley's shoe. Reighley looked down towards his feline friend and picked him up, being mindful not to get any shedding fur on his suit.

“Hey, little buddy. Sorry, I can’t bring you today. I’ll be sure to introduce you to Freya next time for sure.” Reighley reassured. “Mom, take good care of Morgana while I’m gone.” He said handing the cat to his mother.

“I will. Now go eat your dinner.” Jericho said.

“And watch out for his claws,” Reighley warned.

“Right…” Jericho said semi concerned by the advice. Reighley and Isabelle ate their meal together while Jericho kept Morgana away from the two.

“Not bad sis. Looks like I’ll have to beat up some guys tonight.” Reighley said while taking a bite. He was only partially kidding with her. He had come to realize that his sister was growing up fairly quickly and he needed to be wary of guys with bad intentions.

“Please don’t go to jail again,” Isabelle said.

“I won't,” Reighley replied.

(Stream Starts in: 00:34:29)

Herald arrived at the Summers’ family household and sent Reighley a text, notifying them that he had arrived. Freya made it clear that Reighley and his sister Isabelle were to be privately escorted to the party before others arrived. Freya planned on introducing him to the rest of the world but wanted to keep Reighley a secret as long as possible. It was to have him all to herself. She knew that if the world knew about him then girls were bound to covet him and competition was the last thing Freya wanted.

“Isabelle, come on, let’s go. Our ride is here.” Reighley ordered.

“Ahh!” Isabelle screamed.

“What’s wrong?” Reighley looked as if his sister was struggling to pass through the hallway.

“I don’t understand how girls wear high heels all day. It’s like I’m walking on a tightrope.” Isabelle complained.

“I think it’s a bit much. A girl your age shouldn’t be wearing something like-”

“Yeah, yeah. Just let me be pretty for once, okay?” Isabelle remarked with a snarking tone. Reighley loomed over his sister and let out a sinister chuckle.

“It would be such a shame if a gentle breeze were to come and knock you over,” Reighley teased. He pretended like he was going to push Isabelle on the forehead slightly and knock her over.

“Hey! Don’t-” Isabelle said. Reighley instead flicked her on the forehead and moved along. “Ouch! What was that for?” Reighley had seen her aura. It was that of a princess in a gown. He didn’t want her to get in over her head. Becoming prideful before the party would cause issues. He knew the type of people that would be attending and it was inevitable that they would feel the same about themselves. He figured that sort of attitude would only lead to conflict.

“Be humble today. We don’t want to embarrass Freya. She went out of her way to invite us to this, so let's not make our family look any worse than it does.” Reighley explained.

“Yeah, yeah, all right,” Isabelle said, slightly demoralized. After saying goodbye to their mom and Morgana, the two went out towards the limousine awaiting them on the side of the road. Once the two approached, Herald got out and opened the door for them.

“Wow, special treatment today I see,” Reighley said to Herald.

“It’s a special day. Besides, both you and your sister are guests of honor.” Herald explained.

“Reighley, he’s so cool! Can we have a butler?” Isabelle asked. She admired the gentlemanly aesthetic Herald gave off. Reighley internally shrieked at the suggestion, as he could only picture the emptying of his wallet as well as his life savings as a result of such a purchase.

“Yeah, no…” Reighley said, lightly guiding his sister into the vehicle. Right after, Herald took the gift bag Reighley had in his hand and took off and the two made their way to the party.

(Stream Starts in: 00:08:29)

Eventually, the three arrived at restaurant Fiore Gemello with eight minutes left to spare. Reighley began to feel like he was on the velvet carpet as there were a multitude of press, and fans waiting outside. The building was enormous. The restaurant itself had a fortified brick wall built around it. Reighley found it a bit excessive but the venue was essentially enclosed behind the castle walls. While driving by, famous people began to exit vehicles in a line one at a time down the carpet. Herald however had an entrance point where the limousine could enter without anyone spotting them. Reighley noticed that the paparazzi became ecstatic when a young man exited a vehicle. The teen had blonde hair and blue eyes and would flip his hair and pose every few steps forward like he was a runway model at a photo shoot.

“I’ve never seen this guy before. I wonder if he’s a big deal or something?” Reighley asked.

“That is Deven Stallik. Freya’s ex.” Herald said.

“That guy?” Reighley got a glance at his aura while driving by. His aura was a burnt orange color and as enormous as his ego. Orange auras usually meant the person in question was very charismatic or good with words. The lighter the color the more altruistic the person was. The darker the colors the more narcissistic they would typically be.

“He looks obnoxious,” Isabelle said.

“You would be correct. Freya only stayed with the boy for twenty-four hours before she lost all respect for him.” Herald replied.

Reighley let out a laugh from the comment. “I guess you don’t need eyes like mine to see that, huh?” Reighley thought. He still felt a tad bit insecure. “Wait… am I jealous?” There was something primal in him that caused his heart to ache slightly. Like he didn’t want anyone else to have her. “If I break up with Freya, is there a possibility she could date someone new immediately? Come on Reighley, you have to be strong… You already decided you were going to burn that bridge, so just enjoy tonight while it lasts.” No matter what he told himself. The thought of Freya being with someone else ignited something in his heart that he could not extinguish.

The limousine pulled up to a side entrance of the building. There was a sliding reinforced garage door that kept unwanted guests out. Herald spoke into a speaker to the left of the vehicle and announced he was there. Shortly after, the door opened and the three entered the building. Once parked inside Herald opened the door for the two and the group proceeded to the venue doors.

“Reighley!” A voice said. Before Herald could open the main doors, Freya burst through them and lunged into Reighley’s arms. He was genuinely surprised by this. He caught her and hugged her back.

“Happy Birthday, Freya.” He said. Reighley fought the urge to flirt with Freya. Normally he would have said something like, “You missed me that much?” to her, but ultimately he held back because tonight was going to be hard enough as is.

“Wow, you must really have missed my brother, huh,” Isabelle said. Freya was embarrassed but nodded to Isabelle.

“Come on Isabelle. You’re not making this any easier.” Reighley internally sighed.

“Well, yeah. We haven’t had much time together thanks to midterms.” Freya explained. Freya then turned towards Reighley who had just let go of her, and began to pout.

“Ahh man, now what?” Reighley observed her demeanor. He now had the opportunity to take her appearance in and she quite literally took his breath away. She truly went all out for the occasion. She was wearing an aquamarine gown with curls and spirals that unfurled into flowers that poofed outwards from her gown. The dress complimented her eyes.

“You look amazing,” Reighley said honestly. Freya’s expression switched to a joyful one, once she got the confirmation she was looking for.

“Thank goodness… He thinks I look good.” Freya thought to herself. She knew that looks alone weren’t going to convince him to stay, but she hoped it would work in her favor.

“Freya. I’m nervous…” Isabelle said. She looked incredibly bashful. “What if they don’t like me?” Freya paused and looked at Isabelle. She saw a person too scared to come out of their shell. She knew just the fix.

“Come on Isabelle, I have someone I want you to meet,” Freya said while taking her hand. The two left Reighley and Herald in the dust and rushed towards the streaming equipment.

(Stream Starts in: 00:04:11)

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Destiny was hard at work. She was performing at a producer level. Multitasking and micromanaging the stream as well as the production crew. She asked Freya not to worry about the setup involved. Freya knew full well that Destiny was quite capable of whatever she set her mind to, so she trusted her best friend and left it as is.

“Destiny, this is Isabelle.” Freya introduced her. Destiny peaked her head out from behind a computer screen and noticed the young girl standing next to Freya. To her, she looked similar to Reighley, but if he was a girl.

“Freya. What did you do to Reighley?” Destiny exclaimed.

“Uh. This is Reighley’s younger sister. I think the two of you would get along well.” Freya explained.

Destiny took one long stare into Isabelle’s eyes. Her intuition told her the young girl had a mischievous look hidden behind her eyes. Destiny envisioned a future where the two would make for an unstoppable team. By a single glance, she knew that the potential in this young girl was boundless.

“Come here youngling. You have much to learn…” Destiny beckoned, appearing to sound like a wise old woman.

“Thank you for having me!” Isabelle greeted. She walked over next to Destiny at her set up and Destiny put her arm around her.

“Listen up, kid. You and I are going to run this show!” Destiny claimed.

“Huh?” Isabelle was dumbfounded.

At this point, Reighley and Herald caught up, and Reighley took a look around the venue. Looking up, he realized there was no rooftop, just a see-through glass dome above. The floor was covered in a soft astroturf. The venue itself seemed like a convention center, separated into sections depending on what one wanted to do. The west section had the restaurant with Gordan Romsly cooking in the kitchen as well as other attractions like mini golf and laser tag. At the east section, there was a specific area closed off that led outside. The area was highly guarded. It had the length of an airport runway. It stretched about a mile long and was shot far beyond the rest of the building. Above the exit that led outside was a sign that stated, One Hundred Zombie Run. This immediately caught Reighley’s attention over the rest of the things to choose from.

Coming from behind Reighley and Herald were Ulysses, Elise, and Lily. Lily was clinging to Ulysses's arm, holding him closely while the two were walking. Ulysses was tapping his fingers together, completely red as could be. The two were wearing matching outfits together.

“Hey dude!” Reighley noticed his friend behind him and waved.

“Help me. She won’t let go.” Ulysses began to mouth words silently toward Reighley.

Reighley noticed Ulysses was struggling and gave him the signature thumbs up that Ulysses would always give him.

“Good for you man.” Reighley mouthed back. He only wished his predicament could be that simple and wholesome. It had been a while since everyone had been able to meet up like this. Reighley could only smile while it lasted.

(Stream Starts in: 00:00:15)

Freya grabbed a hold of Reighley’s hand to make it clear to everyone that he was her boyfriend. She then looked at the young man standing next to her. For some odd reason that she couldn’t explain, Reighley was almost glowing in her eyes. He was all she could think about. His smile warmed her heart. His cheeks had a blush to it that she hadn’t noticed before. She was genuinely happy. It was like the two were a real couple. She knew she had to thank Herald for picking out such a nice outfit for him to wear. She made a mental note to have pictures taken of the two together before the zombie run.

(Stream Starts in: 00:00:01)

“Attention everyone. Open the gates!” Destiny shouted as the stream started. The staff did as they were told and Destiny couldn’t help but take pride in the fact she had power over the staff. Destiny pulled out a wireless microphone and began commentating. Isabelle was in awe of Destiny. “All right, stream! It’s ya girl, DJ Destiny! We have a multitude of events here! I’m here with my co-star, Frizzy Izzy. Can I get some excitement in the chat!?” Destiny pulled Isabelle next to the camera, and put up a peace sign. Isabelle became incredibly shy and could only wave.

Charlie_SL: OMG! She is so cute!

Assassin_Freed: I know her! She is from my school!

Apollo_Sky: HYPE! HYPE! HYPE!

Marine_Fan: Where is R?

The chat became ecstatic as the giant doors opened up allowing those at the entrance to come inside. Reighley recognized some faces from school entering the venue, but the majority of people he didn’t know. A strange phenomenon occurred to him. It was as if everyone's collective aura were floating above the room. It was as if the northern lights were indoors.

“That’s… odd.” Reighley thought to himself. He realized the color represented the atmosphere of the party itself. Unsurprisingly, the lights were purple.

Most of the people he didn’t recognize. For each person that entered, that was on the list, Destiny announced them to the audience.

“Known for his lady killer looks, here comes the boy wonder. Deven Stallik!”

Reighley watched as Deven Stallik walked in. He glanced at Reighley and gave him a side-eyed glare as he walked past.

“What’s his deal?” Reighley whispered to Freya. He already knew that he was competition but wanted to know what Freya thought of him.

“He’s an actor in my movie. Don’t worry about him. I only invited him here for the clout.” Freya reassured him, squeezing his hand tighter.

“Our next guest is someone I know you love. Here she is. The Symmetrical Savant. The Ice Queen of the Hill. Guinevere Pendragon!” Destiny announced. She then put her microphone up to Isabelle's face and asked her a question. “Frizzy Izzy, what’s your thoughts on this guest?”

“I think she is very pretty.” Isabelle quietly responded.

“You heard it here first, folks. However, there can only be one queen here tonight. Let’s turn our attention to the guest of honor. The mean, red, not green, crimson darling of the screen. Freya Young!” Destiny pressed a button that switched the camera over to Freya and Reighley. “Oh, and what’s this? Who is that stranger standing next to her? Is that… the mysterious R!?!?!” The chat began to overflow with responses. The viewer count had skyrocketed to over one hundred and fifty thousand.

“Freya, what’s the big idea… You know I didn’t want too much attention drawn towards me.” Reighley whispered.

“Just smile and wave. Starting today, you’re my official boyfriend.” Freya quietly explained.

Guinevere walked towards Freya and Reighley and looked above their heads. She used Reverie to read their thoughts.

“Now everyone can see how serious I am about you…” Freya thought.

“Ugh… I know what you’re trying to do… You want me to stay after tonight, right?” Reighley thought.

“Hmph!” Guinevere turned away after she read their thoughts. She then strutted towards the venue. “Hah! Reighley’s feelings are already beginning to waver. Looks like I’ll have my chance to steal him tonight after all.” Guinevere thought.

Once the rest of the guests entered the venue, Destiny briefed the audience on the events that were to happen tonight. First Freya had her photo taken next to her ice sculpture. She struck different poses for quite some time. Anyone who wished to have their photo taken with Freya had to wait in line.

“Not your typical birthday party is it?” Reighley asked. He stood next to Ulysses and Lily.

“No, it’s not. This is the life she lives outside of school. She’s always busy.” Lily answered.

“You’d better start getting used to it, young man,” Prismarine said sternly walking up to Reighley.

“Ah! Mrs. Young.” Reighley began to panic again.

“Again, that’s mom to you.” She said, smiling towards Reighley. “Look at my daughter. Isn’t she just the prettiest little thing?”

“Yep… She sure is…” Reighley complacently agreed.

“My husband should be arriving shortly. I’m not sure what you said to him, but his opinion of you seemed to have changed a bit.” Prismarine explained. “Good work.”

“Seriously?” Reighley was surprised. He half expected some sort of assassin hit to be placed on him. He figured it would be Herald who would end up putting him six feet under. As he considered he glanced nervously at the driver.

“Next thing on the menu, pun intended, is dinner!” Destiny announced. Everyone made their way to the west wing where the restaurant was located, and took their seats. Ulysses, Lily, Isabelle, Freya, and Reighley were all seated together and ordered their food.

“Could I join you?” Ash Fjord asked. She had arrived late due to work but had just got off in time.

“You came!” Freya replied. “Please have a seat.” Freya was beginning to have her doubts whether or not Ash would show up or not. She felt very proud that she was able to mend the first of many friendships. Ash took a seat at the table and many people began to snarl at her for having the audacity to sit with Freya. “Don’t worry about them." Freya reassured her by hugging her. She whispered in her ear, “Truly, thank you for coming. It means a lot.” The group began to eat a twelve-course meal and laugh together throughout it. Isabelle got her wish and was able to try fancy food. It put a huge smile on her face.

“Freya, you are the best sister ever!” Isabelle hugged her. She then gave her a sinister glare towards her older brother. One that openly read, “If I lose this, you’ll regret it.”

Reighley let out a sigh and reluctantly ate his dinner. “Isn’t this a bit overkill?” He thought. “I don’t think I could get used to this life…”

“Ah, shoot.” Destiny was in a pickle. She realized she had overscheduled the amount of things that were going to happen for tonight. She muted herself on the stream and began to brainstorm on how to fix the problem at hand.

“What’s wrong?” Isabelle asked.

“There isn’t enough time,” Destiny said, handing the schedule over to Isabelle. “We only have the venue for a few hours tonight. Gifts are next, but just looking at them tells me that it’s going to take way longer than expected.” Isabelle took the pamphlet from Destiny and gave it a look. She was right. If things kept going as is, they would fall way behind schedule. She looked at the events and an idea came to mind.

“What if we combined these two into one,” Isabelle asked.

“Isabelle. You’re a genius.” Destiny praised. Eventually, dinner came to a close and the group heard the commentator speak once again.

“I have an announcement to make!” Destiny said. “I’m sure you all have been looking forward to the Core Temperature’s Laser Tag, and the Zombie Run. Our dear friend Frizzy Izzy came up with the idea to have both at the same time! What’s better than running from zombies? Shooting them! Remember to keep your eye on the prize kids. Literally. For those who do not know, the winner of the zombie run gets a slow dance with Freya Young.”

“What!?” Freya choked on her food. She cleared her throat and whispered, “I didn’t agree to this. Destiny!”

“Why couldn’t tonight just go smoothly?” Reighley thought. The thought of anyone else dancing with Freya bugged him to no end. He knew he couldn’t continue to feel this way if he were to go through with his plan. In the middle of his thoughts, Reighley felt a hand grab a hold of his shoulder.

“Hello, son.” The voice said menacingly. Reighley saw Freya’s reaction and looked upward, only to have his heart drop. It was Jim tightly gripped onto Reighley’s shoulder and he bent down to whisper in his ear.

“You have no chance of winning, kid,” Jim said maliciously. He then stood back up and waved towards his daughter.

“Happy Birthday, Freya,” Jim said. Freya rolled her eyes at her dad, with no response. She then looked towards Reighley who was glaring at her. She couldn’t tell if he was asking for help or genuinely wanted her to say thanks, still she reluctantly replied.

“Thanks, Jim,” Freya said angrily. Immediately Jim let go of Reighley’s shoulders and walked towards Herald.

“Herald, make sure the team is ready,” Jim commanded.

“As you wish sir,” Herald replied and quickly made his way towards the closed-off zombie run area.

Lily and Ulysses were also sitting at the table eating with the group when a concern entered Lily’s mind.

“Are you going to participate in the run, Ulysses?” Lily asked

“I need to help my bro,” Ulysses said. “Let’s go! I said six words to her.” Ulysses thought.

“I see… You better not win, okay?” Lily frowned while she asked.

“Why would I want to dance with Freya when I have you.” Ulysses agreed. Lily was swooned by this comment even though Ulysses had no intention of being smooth when he said it.

“All right party people! It’s time for gifts! We have to let your stomachs settle a bit before the Apocalypse Run!” Destiny announced. All the attendees stood around Freya handing her gifts as one by one, she opened them. She received a multitude of extravagant gifts. Some families offered her unlimited access to their establishments, while others bought her designer clothes. Now and then Freya would look over towards Reighley.

“I wonder what he got me?” Freya thought. It was the only thing on her mind. The gifts she was receiving became more over the top as the night went on. From her first vehicle from her parents to a private island resort that belongs entirely to her. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder what Reighley had got her. She made the internal decision to like whatever it was that he got for her regardless of the price. She would treasure it, just like her bracelet. She knew he was thoughtful, but also knew that she didn’t need anything. Reighley however had his present for Freya in a small box in his back pocket. He thought it would be fitting to save the best gift for last, not for the dramatics, but as a parting gift.

“There really is no end to all that wealth, huh?” Ulysses said. He had walked up next to Reighley. He was sweating profusely through his white tuxedo.

“Yeah… It seems that way.” Reighley agreed.

“Would you be with her, even without all that money involved,” Ulysses asked.

“To be completely honest. The money is nice and all, but it complicates things. Too much drama. Like even this suit for example. It isn’t mine. I didn’t pay for it. I would rather she had been poor when I met her, but none of that matters after tonight.”

“What do you mean, Aniki?” Ulysses questioned.

“After tonight Freya and I won't be dating,” Reighley explained.

“What? Why?” Ulysses was astonished.

“It’s for the best. She and I belong to different worlds. I can’t be the source of her happiness. Things need to be right in her own home before anything else. I’m just in the way.” Reighley explained.

“I… don’t know what to say to that,” Ulysses commented.

“Well. You are the only one I’ve told this to. I trust you not to say anything to anyone else.” Reighley said.

“Dude, as your best friend… I won't tell a soul. However, I would like to at least try and give you advice. It’s okay to be a little selfish sometimes. I know we haven't been friends for long but I can tell that you always are putting others before yourself. I know it’s against your nature to think of yourself first, but you should know by now that no one is going to hate you for it.” Ulysses said. Reighley paused and took into consideration what Ulysses said.

“I think I am being selfish, this time at least,” Reighley said.

“Well… then… I got your back no matter what.” Ulysses said, placing a sweating hand on the back of Reighley’s suit.

“So… what about Lily? I see she finally let go of you.” Reighley questioned.

“She went to the bathroom, and it's a good thing too. I was having trouble just breathing with her that close to me. I don’t know how I’m going to slow dance with her in front of everyone.” Ulysses said. “And look at my armpits, I’m sweating just thinking about it!” he said, slightly raising his arms.

“Don’t worry man. You’ll do just fine, I’m sure.” Reighley said.

“Thanks… I’m going to freshen up.” Ulysses said as he scurried off to the restroom. Reighley waved his friend off and then after a moment looked back into Freya’s eyes. This is the thing that had him worried all night. Her aura. It was two of her streamer-like arrows that formed a giant purple heart aloft above her head. Several other arrows pointed directly at him. He had never felt affection directed towards him at this scale before. It made him begin to worry.