it's your birthday,
not mine
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-

English had always been one of Emi's strong points. Even in Primary School, she was top of her class and delighted in writing all kinds of stories at home. She would often sit her older sister down and make her read them and, even though she was terribly busy and really should have been doing her own work, she read every single one.

Emi missed her sister, but travelling was expensive. Sometimes, Willa would come up and see her, but she never could stay long with her young daughter needing a lot of attention. Emi understood, but it didn't mean she wasn't sad about it.

They spoke on the phone every Monday evening. Willa would let her daughter, Chloe, talk on the phone too. She couldn't talk a lot of sense, but it was heart warming and understandable for a child aged five.

As she sat in the lecture, Emi tried her hardest to remain focused. But her mind was drifting away from her overly charismatic lecturer to yet another invite to a party from Kirsty. This was one she couldn't avoid going to. It was Kirsty's birthday and it was in the requirements of being a best friend that she had to go, or that was what Kirsty had said.

It wasn't going to be one of the usual flat parties. It was at a proper venue, with a high tier DJ and bartender and anything else Kirsty desired. She was the birthday girl after all.

Emi bit her lip, quickly scribbling down a few notes. She would write them up later, of course. That was how she worked: Messy in the lecture, clean it up back in her room, utilising a colour scheme and post-it notes.

It was something Kirsty always ridiculed her for, but she loved the organisation of notes. She always had done and always was thankful for when it came to examination time.

The lecture was over and Emi was thankful that it would be put online for later reference because she wasn't as focused as she should've been. Either way, she said goodbye to her lecturer and left to get a coffee.

-

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Sarah and Kirsty were already in the coffee shop when she turned up. They both had matching cappuccinos, but Emi just wanted an iced coffee to sip while she listened to whatever latest gossip her friends had to dish up.

While she never had anything new to input, she liked to be the one to offer the advice and hope to prevent either of them doing something stupid.

Kirsty was known for her short temper, especially when drunk. It was just lucky that her aim was shocking after a few too many shots. The outburst usually defused when she got distracted, or vomited.

Emi sipped her drink as she slid into the booth beside them, sharing greetings with her wide smile. She was known for being someone who smiled most of the time, not a bad name to have for herself. It could be worse.

"What happened last week, by the way?" Sarah asked, frowning. "I never saw you before you before you left."

"Some guy barged into me and my drinks went down me," Emi said, still annoyed. Not only did he hit into her, he was rude about it too. If he'd been apologetic, she would've smiled like he'd told her she was beautiful. "It wouldn't come out of my dress so I went home."

"Was he cute at least?" Kirsty cut in, her eyebrow raised. Of course that was the detail she was interested in. Typical.

"I didn't pay attention to that, sorry Kirst I know you like to know these things."

"It's fine, Lewis is still top priority anyway."

"You could've borrowed one of mine, you know?" She said, exasperated that she would give up on a party that easily. She leant back in the booth, pushing her hair over to one side.

"No, that's ok. I'm too short for your dresses anyway." She laughed, swirling her drink with the straw. It sloshed around in a milky mess of coffee and ice.

"I don't mind buying you a new one," Kirsty piped up, not looking up from reapplying her rosy lipstick in the camera of her phone. "The next party you'll be going to is probably my birthday anyway. You've gotta look straight outta Vogue. We all do!"

Kirsty always got excited for her birthday, but this year she was getting the party she always wanted and now her enthusiasm for turning one year older was through the roof.

"It's ok, I can pay," Emi said, not wanting to look as if she were leeching money from her best friend. It wasn't a friendship for the gifts, it was a friendship for the real things, like holding back hair when the other had drunk a little too much that night. "It's your birthday, not mine."

"Alright," Kirsty replied, slightly disheartened but not devastated. "But I'm coming with you when you pick it."

"As long as you don't pick all the expensive ones this time."

"Fine, I wont, I promise."

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I don't know how many chapters there's gonna be of this, but there probably won't be more than fifteen