(Let me warn you that all this was written a year ago. I fixed it a bit here and there, but it's mostly just really old. Uh, don't judge me too harshly)

     Happy (super belated) birthday to John Laurens. I decided to write a special chapter to make up for my absence. Hopefully it's enjoyable. -S

*Directly after the events of chapter 40 or something like that*
  

     
John's POV

I woke up, not knowing what day it was, when Alex jumped onto my bed. "Good morning, sleepyhead," He said, barely keeping the excitement out of his voice. "Happy birthday!" He brought me into a tight hug.

"Thank you, but my birthday isn't important." I said groggily, still half-asleep.

     "Yes it is," He argued, tapping my nose playfully. "Just wait, the gang and I have something very special planned for you today."

     "Is that so?" I asked, running a hand through my hair, silently contemplating what to do with it.

     "Mhm. Now, get up, we have somewhere to be in less than an hour." I sighed before kicking off the covers and dragging myself out of bed.

     The second I pulled a long-sleeved shirt over my head, slid on a pair of baggy, blue jeans, and put on a pair of black combat boots, Alex dragged me outside to Herc and Laf's dorm. He opened the door, which was unsurprisingly unlocked, and I immediately noticed the lights were dimmed and the curtains were closed.

     Good Lord, this is gonna be one of those surprise things. I paused and noticed a scrap of paper on the table, so I grabbed it and read it over.

     'To find the answers you seek, you must first go to the temporary home of your very joyful friend who is as close as a sister. - The Anonymous Society of Anonymity'

      "Were these intended to be difficult," I asked Alex, who was standing in the doorway, looking amused. He shrugged. "That isn't a direct answer." I said, privately slightly resenting the little game they wanted to play this early in the morning. "Whatever." I said, stuffing the paper in my back pocket and going to the door.

"Where are we headed now, John?" Alex asked, humor in his voice. I rolled my eyes.

"You know exactly where." I said, sidestepping him and going to the stairs. I took them two at a time and left the dorm building, not bothering to look and see if Alex was following. "Idiots." I muttered to myself as I came to the girls' dorm building and pushed open the door.

Within minutes, I came to the Schuyler's dorm. I turned the doorknob and the door opened easily. There was another piece of paper sitting in the center of their dining table. Alex had disappeared, so it was just me. I grabbed it and read it quickly.

'You have done well, young grasshopper, but now you must go to the most popular park in the city. The answers you seek may lie there. -The Anonymous Society of Anonymity'

I let out an annoyed laugh. "Damn. How many more of these do I have to go through?" I muttered to myself, stuffing the paper in my back pocket. I got back us and left the dorm, closing the door lightly behind me. I took the stairs two at a time and went back outside, determining the quickest route to Central Park.

Eventually, I come to the only entrance to Central Park I've ever used and find an envelope taped to the bottom on my "favorite" bench. It really isn't my favorite, Peggy merely deemed it that after I sat on it once. Once. Anyway, I removed it and opened it neatly. There was a letter inside which I skimmed over quickly.

     'If ya ain't the animal lovin' guy who knows Legster, I suggest you put this back. Otherwise, imma track you down. If you are, congrats! You've made it this far. The only thing you need to do now is go back to your temporary "apartment" and this'll all be over. -The Anonymous Society of Anonymity'

     I let out a soft laugh. Peggy always knows how to make someone smile, even if it's just a little bit. I folded it and pocketed it, happy it's almost like over. I got up, stretched, and began the trek back to campus. Y'know, now that I think about it, I didn't have to leave my dorm at all to put all the pieces together. Whatever. I came to the gate that separated the campus from the sidewalk and walked through it. I quickly came to my dorm building, opened the door, and nearly ran up the stairs.

     I swear, if they plan to surprise me... I opened my door and stepped inside. The lights were dimmed and there was no movement. I let out a heavy sigh.

     "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!" The gang shouted, all coming over to congratulate me.

     "Holy crap." I breathed. Hercules punched my shoulder.

     "Hey, bud! Happy frickin' birthday!" He said, smiling. I sighed, but laughed.

     "Hey. Thanks for this." I said, turning to look at everyone else. And by everyone else, I just mean Alexander, Lafayette, Hercules, Angelica, and Peggy. Alexander came up to me and winked.

     "What'd you think?" He snickered. I rolled my eyes.

     "It was completely unnecessary. Did you really have to send me all the way to Central Park?" I asked. Peggy snickered at that.

     "Well, we did need a bit of time to set up." Angelica said, gesturing to the table that was now decorated with a medium-sized cake, a couple cards, and presents.

     "You lot really didn't have to go through all of this for me. I barely even remembered today was my birthday in the first place." I sighed. Peggy nudged me lightly.

     "Aww, don't say things like that. You're our friend and are super important to us." Peggy chuckled.

     "Okay, okay, enough of this sappy shit. Let's get this party started." Angelica exclaimed, pushing me closer to the table.

     "Only if you guys won't sing 'Happy Birthday' or embarrass me in any way." I said. She shrugged.

     "I make no promises. Now, who wants cake?"

(An entire cake later)

     "Ah, I'm stuffed." Hercules said, sprawled out on the couch. Lafayette laughed at him whilst I merely rolled my eyes. Alexander smiled at me before handing me a card.

     "Here. I know you hate gifts, but at least read the cards. You can open the presents when they leave." He said, patting my shoulder once before attempting to drag Peggy away from the fridge, presumably raiding it for ice-cream. I opened it and the first thing I see is a fricking gift card for a nearby pet store. That sneaky turd. I shifted it to the side to read the writing in the card.

    'Hey, John. Happy birthday. We've been through a lot together and it's kind of remarkable we've made it this far. Best of wishes. -Alex'

     I felt tears come to my eyes, but I quickly blinked them away. Short, sweet, and to the point. Count on Alex to make ya tear up. I slowly closed it and set it aside. Alexander was still trying to pull Peggy away from the fridge, and now Angelica was trying to help him. I laughed lightly and slowly looked through the other cards.

     'We love you John and we're always going to be here for you. We'll make sure Alexander treats you right. -Herc and Laf'

     'Always be yourself. Don't let anyone change you. Also, keep Peggy and Alexander in check. You're good at that. -Angie'

     'Angelica made us write separate cards. Oof. Anyway, love you! (Also, don't like go off and like die. I still need you. I won't be able to deal with these dumbasses otherwise.) -Legster'

     I laughed a little at the cards, but I completely understood what they were trying to say and be subtle about it. As the day dragged on, Angelica eventually managed to get everyone out of the dorm so Alex and I were alone. "You want to open your presents now?" He asked, turning to face me from where he sat on the couch. I shrugged.

     "Why not." I said, shifting from my corner of the couch, where I was curled up. He reached behind himself and handed me five wrapped gifts. I shot him a look. "Didn't you already get me a present? It isn't necessary to get me another." He laughed at this.

     "Of course it is, love. Besides, I think you'll like it." He replied, still chuckling. I rolled my eyes and proceeded to unwrap the smallest one, which was from Angelica. It was the hardcover collection of "Chronicles Of Narnia". I made a mental note to thank her later and begin reading it the second I get the chance.

     The second was from Hercules, which was a bunch of scarves and jackets wrapped up in a bunch. They were all dark colored, which I greatly appreciated. The next was from Lafayette, a few cheesy gay romance novels and rainbow themed stuffed animals and bookmarks. The second-largest was from Peggy, which was a bunch of dog stuff and a nice collar. The final was from Alex. I took extreme care in opening it.

     It turned out to be a few beginners song books for guitar, a certificate for a guitar at the Sam and Ash music store, and a notebook? I turned to him and raised an eyebrow. He shrugged and motioned to the notebook. I opened it and realized it was filled with writing. I read it over and realized this was his writing and that he was giving it to me. "I can't take this." I whispered, passing it back to him. He waved his hand and pushed it back towards me.

     "No, this is yours now. I figured it'd be nice to have someone else read my drafts than just myself." Alex replied, smiling softly. I searched his gaze for a moment before deciding something. I got up and dug underneath my bed for a moment before grabbing a sketch book. I dusted it off and handed it to him.

     "Here, then. If you're giving me your writings, I might as well give you something of mine." I said. He looked at me for a long moment before taking it.

     "It's funny." He laughed lightly, flipping through the sketch book.

     "What is?" I asked, looking up from his notebook. He looked up at me and smiled again.

     "It's your birthday and you're still giving me stuff." He replied easily. I shrugged.

     "Think nothing of it. If you're going to give me some of your writings, my apologies for the double negative, you can't not expect me to give you something in return." I said, silently daring him to argue. He sighed and nodded, a clear sign of defeat.

     In the end, we fell asleep curled up on the couch, gifts covering the coffee table. For once, I was actually almost happy to celebrate my birthday. Maybe I could get used to this level of affection after all, although it is a bit stifling now and then. However, it's appreciated and never overlooked, though it may seem so. I love those guys. They're my family.