3: happy birthday!

I automatically went off my bed the moment I opened my eyes. It was already past five in the morning—my everyday time of waking up when I have school.

I'm paused for a while when it suddenly crossed my mind. That moment where I was about to be stabbed by an ice pick.

My mind suddenly went blank when I saw that ice pick. I was nervous as hell and I don't know what to do. I was nearly stabbed by it when someone suddenly came.

He grabbed the ice pick from the bad guy and kicked him on the face. The guy went unconscious in just one hit. I wonder who that guy was? He looks somewhat familiar to me but I just can't remember where I saw him.

I think that superstition about people with upcoming birthdays was a bit real.

I just shrugged my shoulders and head off my room. I already found my family at the dinning area having some breakfast.

"Happy birthday, Roma!"

They greeted me in chorus. Yep, today is my 18th birthday. I aged again. I just smiled at them as a response.

"So, what's up?" my sister asked.

I raised my brow. "What's up? The usual, nothing. Just like any other day that will pass," I replied while putting fried rice and egg on my plate.

"You're not having a debut party?"

I chuckled. "With or without money, there's no party that will happen. I don't like it."

They don't have an idea what happened that day. Because I know that they'll just get worried so I have no plans on telling them. I'm fine anyway.

I don't want anyone to get worried about me. Especially anyone who will think that I'm weak.

The usual, I got in school earlier than time. I found my friends at my classroom door.

"Happy birthday, Roma!" they greeted me.

I smiled. "Thanks."

"So, you really have a birthday. I thought you're just an alien who appeared on nothing," Evan jested.

I just rolled my eyes at him but I still laughed eventually.

"Do you have a birthday wish?" Josephine asked.

"Wish? I don't do wishing."

"Oh? How about love life? Don't you like it?" she giggled.

I laughed a bit. "No. Besides, as far as I remember, we have an agreement that AJ and I will be having a boyfriend if Jeyra got it first."

I noticed Jeyra frowned after what I said. Well, that's true. We have that agreement last year that Jeyra must have a boyfriend first before AJ and I. I just shook my head and smirked as I remember it.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure that you'll end up a single old lady if that's the case, Roma," Evan blurted.

Jeyra suddenly gave him a glare then pinched him on his waist. Evan groaned in pain from that pinch and we laughed because of that.

That ice pick incident crossed my mind again.

It was a man who suddenly came when I was about to be stabbed by that ice pick. When he successfully grabbed that weapon from the bad guy, he quickly kicked him on the face and the guy went unconscious. We also looked at each other for a while so I can still remember what he looks like.

He looked somewhat near my age. He was tall, maybe six feet. He has a well-built but not muscular body, a fair skin, and narrow-rounded eyes.

I can recognize him if ever we crossed paths again.

"Miss, you okay?" he asked.

I just nodded as a response. I heard a deep sigh from him after I turned around and started to walk away.

"Thank you!" he sarcastically remarked.

I just ignored him and continue to walk away until I went home.

Honestly, I want to thank him. It's just the force of not saying anything was stronger. Or should I say, my ego? I don't want to owe anything from a man that's the main reason why I'm making myself strong so I won't depend myself to other people.

I got annoyed to myself. If I just managed to save myself that time, I won't feel this way. I guess, I'm still weak after all. And it's frustrating the hell out of me.

After such time, classes have finally ended and my friends met me outside my room.

"So, what's our plan?" AJ asked.

My forehead wrinkled from that.

"It's your birthday today. Let celebrate!" Jeyra blurted.

"Celebrate?"

"Yes. Let's go!" Josephine beamed.

Josephine held my left arm, while AJ held my right. Then we went out of school and let them do what they want. They're my best friends after all. Even I'm not that interested on my own birthday, I still want to celebrate it with them.

Nothing bad about it, I guess.

We just went on a mall nearby our school. Just a couple of minute walk. They pulled me first on a boutique. We're enjoying ourselves by looking and checking out pretty and stylish clothes even we won't buy anything. I enjoyed looking at basic shirts with minimal to no designs.

Next was the arcade. That one with Tekken was already full, good thing Evan had managed to get a spot. We just played the basketball one and made a bet. The loser has the lowest point and will treat us at the food court.

As usual, Josephine got lost because she's timid and demure.

"I'm the one who lost. I don't have money," she complained.

"Then why did you join?" AJ asked.

"I don't want you to think that I'm a killjoy."

"If you don't have money, then let Evan pay for it. He's your boyfriend after all," Jeyra urged her.

AJ and I both laughed when we noticed Jeyra was smirking like a victorious villain.

--

"This is the only day that I'm going to treat you, okay? Because today is Roma's birthday," Evan stated who looked forced to pulled out a money from his pocket.

I guess he's saving money to spend during his dates with Josephine.

We're eating at the mall's food court and there's a lot of people here right now, so we need to raise our voices a bit when we're talking because it's also a bit noisy here.

After we ate, we decided to go to a department store even we're just doing window shopping.

While we're busy looking around, I told AJ that I'm just going to the comfort room. I head off from the store to go to the comfort room and good thing that it was just nearby. After I found an empty cubicle, I locked up myself here quick.

After peeing and flushing the toilet, I went out from the cubicle and I was surprised to see a lot of ladies here and most of them are touching up in front of the mirror. That's why it became noisy here all of a sudden. Sometimes I'm thinking how does it feel to be self-conscious.

I just heaved a sigh the moment I glimpsed my reflection on the mirror and quickly went out from the comfort room.

After a few steps from the toilet, I bumped at someone. Looks like a guy going to the men's toilet.

"You?" we both asked the moment we looked at each other.

"You're that guy. . ." I whispered while narrowing my eyes at him. I can't believe that I'm going to meet him again on this place.

"Yeah. And you're that girl who doesn't know how to say thank you," he replied sarcastically.

I pursed my lips and shifted my gaze away from him. I know that not saying thank you is rude but I don't want to. I feel like my pride will be stepped on and I'll always think that I'm a weakling. And I don't want to remember that I owe something to a man.

I was about to walk away when he spoke again.

"And you're also that girl who accused my friend of being a pervert."

It made me stopped all of a sudden. I slowly turned around to face him, then he languid his eyes at me while his hands were on his pocket.

I stared at him intently. I gasped with my eyes widened when I realized that he was that guy. I finally remembered why he seems familiar.

After that, I quickly went back to my friends and saw them together at a side of the store. Before we went home, they bought a phone furball bling and red was the color that I chose. Evan paid for it and said that it was their gift for me.

--

As I stepped my feet inside our house, I saw my parents at the living room and seemed talking something serious.

"Oh, why you're late? Your classes end at four," Dad asked me when he saw me.

"I'm with my friends. We just hang out a bit."

"How about you? It's still early for you to be home," I said.

"Ah, about that, Roma. . ."

My parents looked at each other first like their going to say something deadly. It made me a bit nervous.

Dad gave me a folder. Even I'm clueless, I just accepted it and opened to see what's inside it. It looks like a personal data of someone. My forehead wrinkled when I read what's on the paper.

"Morgenstern, Rendel Caden Baltazar."

Nineteen years of age. . .and no photo of him?

"Oh. What am I going to do with this?" I queried.

They looked at each other, then Dad sighed before answering.

"He will be your fiancé."

"Ah, fiancé."

I was about to enter my room when I suddenly paused after I realized what he said. I looked at my parents with my eyes widened.

"What?! My fiancé?!"