level twenty six
November 9th.
Neil received multiple phone calls in the morning, most from old friends that still stayed close to him over the years. Plans were made immediately. To drink. To eat. To catch-up. He promised them the weekends and that was the end of that. It may have been his birthday but it was a Thursday, too. Which meant work and seeing those bratty high schoolers he calls his students.
Heâll be nice today as his birthday treat. Just one detention maximum. Hell, maybe none. That depends if anyone was stupid enough to cross him intentionally.
His family planned to call too of course, but not until much later in the morning when theyâd knew he wouldnât be too grumpy. Promises of gifts being sent were thrown and questions about his plans for the future came naturally. He was still undecided for the most part, but he wasnât being rushed. Being the youngest had its perks.
The rest of the day wasnât too special. Greetings were exchanged, a few gifts, greetings... nothing special, really.Â
But he didnât mind. He already threw a party some weeks back and had more planned soon. For this day, he wanted to be by himself. Get a burger. No cakes. Pig out a little.
And when the day comes to an end, heâd be in his apartment, delightfully surprised after finding an odd batch of cupcakes waiting for him. He had a dislike for sweets, but this one... this one was different. It tasted terrible, but it had an odd kick. A spicy kick.
Only one person could be ingenious enough to think this would make for a great gift, and as much as he wanted to spit it all out, he ate everything. Of course he had to down a ton of milk to get rid of the horrid taste, but by the end of it, he caught himself smiling.Â
These kind of gifts that were just for him? He liked that. And as much of an asshole as he is, heâs grateful.
"Happy 26th birthday.â He stared at his reflection before retiring for the night, wondering what the difference was between 25 year old him and 26 year old him. Itâs been an interesting year, but with another year pass, that just means heâll have to make the next one just as interest, if not more.Â
Challenge accepted? Challenge accepted.















