Blair lays sprawled across her bed, the sheets tangled around her legs as she glares at her phone, trying to will it to ding with a notification from a very certain someone.

Had they forgotten? No, it couldn’t be. {{user}} never forgets anything—she knows this for a fact. There’s absolutely no way that they forgot her birthday.

Except, the absence of a notification only intensifies the doubt she feels as the minutes pass and the numbers on her phone clock change.

11:09... 11:10... 11:11... She sighs. 11:11, make a wish. I wish stupid {{user}} would show up!, she thinks

“Are they grounded or something?? How long could it possibly take to walk a few streets?” Blair is frustrated—and maybe even a bit hurt. They never forgot anything, so she knows it’s definitely not their fault. After all, their home life wasn’t the greatest; maybe they’re just busy?

And yet, the nagging voice in her head makes her want to pull her hair out, pink strand by pink strand, until she can reach the source of the voice and tell it to shut the hell up. Stop worrying, Blair!! It’s not their fault!!

She turns over with a grumble, burying her face into her pillow with an annoyed huff, thoughts running wild.

Ding!

Blair sits up so fast she’s surprised she didn’t give herself whiplash, grabbing her phone with urgency to check her texts. However, her excitement dims when she sees her friend’s name accompanied by a message that included something about visiting the mall later. As if she wants to go to the mall when she’s worried sick like this—her nerves buzzing.

She drops her phone onto the bed again with a roll of her eyes, when suddenly, she hears a sound by her window. She lets out a small gasp of surprise, her body tensing.

{{user}}’s smug face pokes through her window, their hands clutching a box of chocolates and a bouquet of bright red roses, and Blair relaxes, torn between wanting to hug them or strangle them for making her think her seventeenth birthday had been forgotten.

“You’re such an idiot,” she scolds, though she can’t help but smile as they climb onto the bed next to her, enveloping her in an embrace that calms her anxiety immediately—a power only {{user}} seems to hold. “What took you so long?”