Lmao my next door neighbors moved, crossing my fingers to get a Peter 😂😂

Sky

I groan as I erase a part of my drawing again, I just can't get it right for some reason. I look back up at my computer and observe the picture I'm using as a reference and observe my own drawing to figure out where I went wrong.

I let out a tired sigh and take off my glasses to rub my stinging eyes with the back of my hand to make sure I don't get any graphite smears on myself. 

I get a sudden feeling that someone is behind me, so I turn abruptly only to see nothing. I could swear I just saw a shadow. Am I hallucinating?

Do I need to sleep or see a therapist?

I shake my head and continue my drawing. I've been procrastinating with my friends' Christmas gifts because I had no idea what to get them, so I'm drawing each person something they love. For Anna, I drew Pennywise, which was torture because I hate clowns. For Laura, I drew a mash up of characters from her favorite anime. For Nat, I drew her more characters from another anime that I know she likes. They all love anime, and they've tried to get me into it but it's just not my thing.

Unless one day I learn Japanese, that would be a game changer.

I'm currently working on the hardest drawing, which will be Peter's gift if I don't screw it up badly. Long ago I've taken a picture of him as he was adjusting his camera and it turned out amazing. I've never really shown it to him, so this will be a surprise. I made the picture black and white so I can draw it with pencils since it's my strongest point, and I still don't know how to color realistically.

I've drawn the majority of the picture, but his hair is too perfect to be drawn so I'm facing some trouble. But overall, I like the way it's turning out so far. It's not spot on, obviously, but it's kinda cool, and I'm proud of it.

In addition to the drawings, I made us some charms with polymer clay; each of us would get a pizza slice, and when we put them together they make a whole pizza. I've also bought Meg some scented candles, and a kitty charm necklace for Kat. 

My phone light up with a new text and I open it, seeing it's a text from my friend back in Jordan. We usually talk in English but sometimes it's easier to talk in Arabic.

Nada: YOU'RE 16!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY GIRL!!! 

Aww, thank you Nadoosh! But it's still not the 24th? 😂😂

Nada: Well, it is here in Jordan.

Oh, right, time zones are a thing lmao. 

Nada: Heba and Leen wish you a great year too. We really miss you 💖

I miss you guys tooooo 😭😭😭😭

Nada: I hate to say this, but I have to go, I still have some exams left.

Good luck! And thank you all again 💖

I lock my phone with a grin and stare at the mini Christmas tree on my PC case for no reason. I snap out of my daze and look around my room to ease the muscles in my eyes then refocus on my drawing.

I really hope they like their gifts. I'm giving it to them tomorrow when we meet up to go ice skating for my birthday, although we won't be spending the entire day together because I want to celebrate my dad's birthday too.

Born on my dad's birthday, isn't that cool? I'm literally a gift.

My mom came into my room to check up on me and laughed when she saw my drawing.

"Aww, are you drawing your crush?" She teases. "I'm sure Peter will love it!"

"Oh my god mom!" I exclaim with a laugh, a blush covering my face. "He's not- We're just best friends!"

"For now." She chuckles. "Oh, I wanted to tell you that we're going to spend tomorrow with the Thompsons, so bring Peter here once you're done with skating."

"Wait so we're not having a birthday for me and dad?"

"No you are, just with guests this time. You could invite your friends too, if they can come."

"Nah, Nat and Laura are going to their grandparents and Anna is picking up her sister from the airport."

"So it'll just be you and Peter then." She smirks. "Bet you're happy about that."

"Mom!"

"I'm kidding!" She laughs. "Not really. I'll be bringing out your baby pictures."

"Go ahead." I call out to her as she leaves my room. "I was a cute baby!"

Peter

Meg and I are out shopping for Sky's gift. I want to get her something sentimental, so Meg suggested I get her a charm bracelet with meaningful charms. I've already gotten her a snow globe because I know she likes them -I also got some perfumes for the rest of the girls- and I'm also going to write her a letter to thank her for being an awesome friend.

Although, something has been bothering me lately; Sky hasn't left my mind for a single second, she's always there. And I can't get over the fact that I think I love her; I mean, it's just too soon, yet I can't describe what I'm feeling any other way.

"Hey, Meg?" She hums in response. "How did you realize you were in love with David?"

"I knew I loved him when I saw him and dad get along perfectly." She says. "It was a moment, like my heart screamed at me that I'm in love, and for a while everything was surreal and it was like he was my everything, I saw a future with him, and here we are four years later still going strong."

"So it just popped in your head?"

"It was all I could think about." She nodded. "Why are you asking?"

"I think I'm in love with Sky." I admit to her. "Isn't this too soon?"

"Peter," She grinned. "There's no such thing as too soon; the heart knows what it wants. Now tell me, how did you know?"

 "When we were stargazing, she and Kat were bonding and everything was magical that night." I start. "I admired her more than I admired the stars, and she wasn't even wearing anything special but she just took my breath away. And the way she talked about the stars made me so happy, because the happiness was evident in her voice as she explained things to Kat. And the moment where I really knew was when she gave Kat her jacket and was tucking her in, it felt like time stopped and my mind went blank, the only thing I could think of was I love her and how she'd be an amazing mom and then-"

"Then what?" She smiled softly at me, urging me to continue my sentence that I cut off.

"Meg, I saw me and her together." I recall. "There were wide smiles on our faces and we looked down at a mini us...Oh my god, Meg, what is happening to me?"

"You're falling in love." She laughed happily. "I'm glad you've been getting closer to her, Peter. People like her don't just come and go, please don't screw this up."

"That's not exactly helping me as much as it's making me nervous." I panic slightly.

"I wonder what your old friends would think if they saw you this love struck." She chuckles.

"Ugh, don't remind me of them please." I grimace. "Good thing I blocked them all."

"We're here!" She exclaims, stopping her car at a jewelry shop. We get out and stroll into the shop as we admire all the shiny trinkets on display.

"Hello, how may I help you?" A man in a suit asked us with a smile. We smiled back at him politely and greeted him before I spoke up.

"Do you sell charm bracelets?"

"Yes we do." He smiles. "Do you want to customize one or choose from the ones we made?"

"Custom one, please." He nods and brings out multiple cases, one had chains and two cases had the charms in them.

I know this is an expensive gift, but I have a feeling this is worth it. I snicker as I remember that video of Sky reenacting the L'Oréal hair advertisement with a blow dryer. 

I pick out a curb chain and then try to find the perfect charms for Sky. I pick out a star, a book, a microphone, a snowflake, a sun, and a Spiderman logo.

The man attached the charms to the chain and put it in a velvet box, putting it in a bag and giving it to me after listing the price. I pay for the bracelet and wait for Meg to pick out something for mom.

Damn, I'm actually in love.