I think I'd like the whole idea of Valentine's Day more if it didn't fall on my birthday. Honestly, nobody wants to hear sentimental birth stories from their kooky, overprotective mother who-swears-she's-liberal because she whispers the word sex in my direction once a day. Not even my dad wants to hear it again, but my mom is adamant that everyone in the immediate family knows how I was supposed to born on February 15th but came 'three minutes early' because I was – and I quote – a child full of love. I can't make this stuff up.

I'd probably also like it more if I wasn't chronically single. However, this is my first Valentine's Day in which I have a significant other who plays a very big part in my daily life and I still don't know what to make of it.

"You aren't wearing that." My mom says when I descend the steps in the morning. "Oh no."

I look down at my holey sweater and ripped jeans. "What's wrong with my outfit?"

She shakes her head. "Alisa, you wear the same thing every day! It's your birthday! Your last Valentine's Day in school! At least wear a skirt!"

"Mom it's like seventy degrees out, I'm gonna freeze."

"Freeze?! Seventy is perfect weather! Right now in Michigan it's probably in the high thirties!" My dad says, coming out of the kitchen with a cup of coffee. He's wearing khaki shorts. "This is amazing weather!"

I look between the two of them, the smug expression on my mom's face and my dad's slight frown at his coffee and sigh. "Fine."

After (several) trips upstairs to change into something more 'birthday appropriate', my mom lets me eat breakfast. It's still kinda early, and I'm not expecting Ethan to come knocking for a while; he likes sleep. I sit down at the island counter and try not to mess up my nice blue sweater.

"You're so pretty!" My mom gushes. "Look at you, my little baby at eighteen."

Despite all the trauma she's already put me through this morning, I smile at her. "Thanks mom."

She beams. "Your brother's driving up after his class this afternoon, we're going to get sushi at that new place for dinner."

"Nice. When do I have to be home? Ethan wanted to –"

"Oh don't worry, Ethan knows our plans already." My dad interrupts.

I raise my eyebrows. "He does?"

"Yeah of course. We invited him to come tonight too." Mom explains. "Family dinner and all, we figured he should know."

I wait for them to explain but they just start talking about stocks like they didn't imply something super-duper weird. I guess that's the way we're going now anyway.

Ethan knocks on the door while I finish breakfast and I go to open it for him. He's leaning against the door frame, his cheeks flushed and one arm behind his back.

"Ew, have you been running?" I greet him. He grins.

"Happy birthday, Alisa." He says, then reveals a bunch of pink flowers. "And happy Valentine's Day."

I gasp, pleasantly surprised. Then I take pause. "There's no poison ivy in this, right?"

"Oh-ha-ha." He says. I chuckle and take the flowers from him, grinning. "This time I laced them in stinging– No, I can't even joke like that."

I turn my grin to him. "Thank you."

"No problem." He says, smiling back at me. We just smile at each other, like we usually do and then he leans in and hugs me tightly. "I gotta go say hi to your parents before we leave, okay?"

"Yeah, of course. And I'll go put these in water." I say, and hustle him inside. After I put the plants in water, I use my strength to tear Ethan away from my dad and their very animated discussion about the Lakers or whatever and start dragging him to his car.

"Hey, can you drive?" Ethan asks me.

"What? Of course I can." I chuckle and get to the passenger's side. "Why?"

"I've never seen you drive."

"That's because I don't own a car yet." I explain. "My brother and I shared one up until he went to college and I never really needed to get one because we live kinda close to school. Then you showed up and started taking me to school and other places."

"Oh. Really?" I nod. "You wanna drive my car?"

"Not really." I admit. Ethan gives me an exasperated stare. "What?!"

"So you can't drive." He says and gets into the car. I gasp and scramble after him, shocked at his audacity.

"I just told you I can?"

"Yeah, but you also just said you didn't wanna drive my car... which means you probably can't drive." He unfairly reasons. I feel my stress levels rising intensely as he pulls out onto the street. "You know, you could've just said. I wouldn't have judged you, Alisa."

"Ethan." I say. He starts smiling and I roll my eyes. "Even on my birthday you're insufferable."

He grins. "Don't act like you don't love it."

The school day goes by quickly. In homeroom, I'm bombarded with numerous happy birthdays from my friends and Mr Winter gives me a candy bar while he tells us all to be quiet. Janet and Anthony give me a giant granola bar with a decorative card telling me to 'Oat Up'. Janet then explains the joke to me at every chance she gets. I'm just relieved to see the two of them seem to have gone back to normal, so I accept it with smiles.

Ethan disappears for a while at lunch – something about the baseball team he tried out for back in November – but when he appears, he seems annoyed. I make a mental note to ask him about it later, and promptly forget when David buys me a pudding cup with the words 'happy birthday Alisa' hastily scribbled over the top.

"You're so lucky you have someone to spend today with!" Sarah says after the drama club has finished singing for me. My cheeks are heated, but I do admittedly love the attention. "What are you doing tonight?"

"My parents are taking me to dinner with my brother and Ethan." I tell them. We're still brainstorming for the spring play, which is set to premiere right after prom. "Think it's gonna be a chill night, overall."

"Yeah? Still, must be nice." She sighs as Savannah wanders over to us. "Hey, do you guys think Sweeny Todd is a good spring time play?"

"Not at all." I deadpan. Savannah laughs as we continue thinking up ideas.

After club, I walk home, thinking about everything that's happened today. I don't really walk anymore, mostly because Ethan's always around to be my personal chauffer, but it's nice to have the time to myself to think. This time last year, I never thought I'd be in the position I am now, but it's really nice.

I like not having extra baggage in the form of friendship. I like being with and around Ethan, even when he's being ridiculously annoying. I don't like not knowing about college but at least I'm going. I really can't complain about life right now. It's going pretty good.

My brother's in when I get home, practicing yoga moves with my mom. "Yo, it's the birthday girl!" He says, untangling himself from the lotus position. He gives me a tight hug and then a high five.

"Hey, how are you?"

"Hungry. Mom says we're getting fish for dinner though?"

"Sushi, Alex! Sushi!" She corrects.

He squints. "Who the hell eats sushi?"

I face palm. "A lot of people."

"Sounds false, but okay. It's your birthday or whatever." I mimic him and he sticks his tongue out me then nudges my head roughly. "Is your little boyfriend coming too?"

"You mean Ethan? Yeah, he's coming too." I push myself out of my brother's embrace and huff, aware my hair is messy, and very aware of Alex's eye roll. "What?"

"I didn't say shit." He says bluntly and pulls a face. My mom yells out for him not to swear and he mumbles an apology and wanders to the living room, going back to doing yoga.

I think of following him to ask what the problem is, but knowing my brother, it's probably useless. He'd most likely act like he didn't know what I was talking about even though he brought it up. Alex makes digs at me being old for pretty much the rest of the night, up until we have to leave. I remind him at various moments that he's only two years older than me and therefore has no argument here.

We leave the house around seven, and I text Ethan to let him know. Within seconds, he's coming out of his house, wearing a nice pink shirt.

"Hey everyone!" he says, shaking my dad's hand and giving my mom a hug. "Er... should I follow you guys in my car?"

"Oh, that would make so much more sense! We were gonna squeeze you in the back with the kids." My mom squeezes his cheek and he grins at her. "Alisa, you riding with Ethan?"

I share eye contact with him and his grin turns into a sly smirk. "Sure."

My parents and brother bundle into the car while Ethan and I cross the street and get into his. As soon as the door shuts, I turn to him.

"Where-"

"I bought you your birthday present." He interrupts successfully. I gasp as he shows me a small jewellery box. "I know I've been MIA all day, which wasn't fair, but it's just been a bigger thing than it should've been and I'm sorry."

I squeeze his cheeks like I'm my mom and he grins again. Then I reach to take the box but he stops me. "What?"

"Your parent's just pulled out and I wanna see your reaction when you open it."

"But – could you tell me what it is?"

He scoffs and starts following my parents. "Maybe if you were driving."

I roll my eyes. "That again?!"

We bicker a lot as he drives down to the sushi place, but it's nothing serious. By the time we're at the sushi bar, he's telling me about his baseball practice and I'm giggling like a lovesick puppy. David is right, the two of us are actually kinda gross at times but I obviously like it. And I think he does too.

Right before we get out, he hands me my present. I open it and burst into laughter when I see it's a little teapot charm, for my bracelet.

"Oh my God, this is so cute!" I say. I immediately put the charm on, next to the 'A'.

"I wanted to get you a pudding cup one, considering your addiction, but I couldn't find any."

"Okay, I am not addicted to –"

"Alisa. Shame the devil and tell the truth."

I roll my eyes but smile. "Whatever. Thank you for this, I really appreciate it."

As we get out of the car, Ethan links arms with me and we follow my parents into the sushi bar. "You look really nice today by the way." He says. "Blue really is your colour."

Alex turns around and mimes throwing up. My mom hits him over the head with her purse. "Thanks." I say and smile. "I like your pink shirt."

"My mom got it for me for Christmas. I thought it'd fit with the Valentine's Day theme, you know?" he pops his collar. "Don't I look nifty?"

"Nifty?"

"I'm glad you agree."

Dinner goes as smoothly as I expected it to: after I show everyone my new charm, my mom captures Ethan's attention for the most part and my brother is stuck texting his girlfriend, leaving me and my dad to talk theatre together. If it wasn't for his influence, I don't think I'd be as much of a musical geek as I am now. I wouldn't have it any other way.

My brother pulls me aside when we're getting ready to go.

"Alisa. I'm riding with you and Eric on the way back."

"You know fully well his name is Ethan." I correct, then realise the gravity of his statement. "Wait, what?! No you're not."

"Yeah I am. Ain't that right, Eric?"

Ethan looks very confused. "Alex, you've known me basically my whole life. You know my name's Ethan."

Alex wrinkles his nose up and folds his arms. "Whatever." He mumbles.

However, it turns out he was serious about the whole riding with us thing. He follows us all the way to Ethan's car and gets in the passenger's seat before I can. At first it baffles me why he's behaving like this but then it clicks and I really wanna yell at him. Alas, I can't.

"So Ethan, why are you into my sister?" Alex asks. Ethan actually doesn't seem as intimidated as Alex is probably trying to make him feel, which surprises me. My brother's not a small guy, and he works out as well as doing yoga with my mom.

"She's funny, cool and the right kind of dorky." He replies almost passively. I notice the blush on his cheeks though, mostly because I have a similar spattering across my nose.

"Dorky?"

"Alex, could you shut up?" I interrupt.

He glares at me. "I'm telling mom you told me to shut up."

"What are you, seven?" He mimics me. "So you're seven. Got it."

Ethan chuckles. "Alisa, it's no worries. I don't mind. And, she's the right kind of dorky. That's important." 

Alex goes on to grill him but Ethan keeps his cool surprisingly well. Despite my complaints, I'm easily ignored. Luckily it's not too long a drive from the sushi place to our neighbourhood so he's spared of any of the really awkward questions.

"Lastly, before I go. What are your intentions with my sister?"

Ethan's face suddenly loses all of it's normal childlike impishness. His eyes darken and his mouth straightens out from it's usual relaxed smirk. "Alisa is very special to me." He says very seriously. I raise my eyebrows.

"Just special?"

"Very special." He emphasises. "You don't need to worry about her when she's with me."

Alex stares at him for a long moment. Neither of them blink, maintaining eye contact until eventually, they reach a silent mutual understanding.

"Okay. Alisa say goodbye to your boyfriend and come inside the house." Alex gets out of the car briskly and heads to the front door. Ethan turns to me and I decide to climb into the front seat of his car.

"You know, you could've just opened the door and come in that way." He says.

"I know." I shrug and brush the loose strands of hair out of my face. "I'm sorry about Alex, by the way."

He releases a breath. "He scares the shit outta me." He admits. I gasp.

"I really would've never known! You looked totally relaxed!"

"Are you being sarcastic?" He asks, eyes narrowing.

"No, I'm serious. You looked like you didn't even care that he was asking you all those stupid questions. Like – the one about whether you were ready to fund my pudding addiction – come on!"

"I'm already funding it." He mumbles. I pinch him and he laughs. "He really does scare me, though. He looks like he could chew me up and spit me out, just because he wants to."

I laugh. "He'd never do that."

"I'm glad." Ethan says and looks out of the front of the car. I watch him for a moment, the almost setting sun casting a deep orange glow on his face. His eyes look darker and his jaw chiselled in the light. He looks pretty much perfect to me.

Eventually I look away from him, watching the sunset too. He takes hold of my hand and rests our fingers in my lap, squeezing randomly, like he's remembering I'm here with him.

"What's with us and sunsets?" He asks quietly. The sun hasn't finished setting – it's barely started. But we've been sitting out here together watching the pinks and yellows merge into darkness.

"We're romantics." I answer. He turns to me and shows me a genuine smile, mid chuckle. I smile back at him, just happy to be here.

Ethan leans in and kisses me sweetly on the lips. I touch his cheek, really savouring the moment. When he pulls away, he rests his forehead against mine, smiling at me.

"Happy birthday, Alisa." He mumbles before kissing me again.