Author: Me.
Disclaimer: Roswell isn’t mine. Title from the song At Seventeen, by Tara McLean. I believe she covered it from Janis Ian.
Don’t own them, either. Summary: Liz turns seventeen, and receives an anonymous birthday card. Who sent it, and - even of more significance to her – why did that person chose to send it to her?
Author’s Note: Lol, okay. Before I begin, let me explain... This short, good-for-nothing story is dedicated to Elizabeth; our birthday girl! Happy birthday, sweetie! Thank you for your editing and amazing work, you truly are the best…
Of course, I couldn’t let Elizabeth edit this story, since it was supposed to be a surprise, so just ignore all the mistakes I made, okay? Okay. Thank you. On a side note: this really is a fluff fic. Nothing special. Don't be too disappointed afterwards, all right? <center>***</center>
‘Happy birthday, Elizabeth,’ the card said. The words were small and cursive, and the handwriting consisted out of bold loops and graceful dashes. Confused, Liz turned the card in her hands, trying to find a name or some initials.
The card itself was rather plain. It wasn’t decorated as brightly as the other cards she’d received, and there wasn’t a picture or any colored letters. Just an off-white card, a soft, yellowish border and a tiny heart embossed in its upper right corner.
Frowning, Liz turned the card around once more, her gaze resting on those three, simple but so significant words. Finally, she laid it down among the other cards she’d received, and ran a hand through her hair. Everyone from whom she’d expected a card had sent her one, except for Kyle, her boyfriend. The card could have been his; it would explain the little heart.
It didn’t make any sense, however. Why wouldn’t he put his name on it? Why would he call her Elizabeth? He had never before called her by her full name.
Maria’s voice reached her ears, and she quickly picked up the card and hid it underneath her pillow. For some reason, she wanted to keep it to her; solely to her. Maria was a great friend, and she could be trusted, but Liz wasn’t willing to share her secret just yet. She wanted to know who’d sent the card first, and then she would decide if she would tell her friend about it.
“So… where is she?”
Liz could hear her mother answering, saying that she was upstairs and, seconds later, Maria’s rapid footsteps could be heard. Her friend flew up the flight of stairs, taking two steps at once, rushing towards her bedroom.
“Happy birthday!” she cried out as she breezed into the room. After kissing Liz on both cheeks, she hugged her tightly. Pulling back, she pushed a flat present into her friend’s hands, and said, “Here, go on, open it!”
Liz laughed happily and peeled at the paper, the mysterious card momentarily forgotten.
<center>***</center>
When he noticed his girlfriend walking through the halls of Roswell High, excitedly chatting with her friends, he froze.
“What day is it?” he urgently asked Paul, who frowned, and, after hesitating a little, answered, “The seventeenth, I think. No, no, it’s the sixteenth.”
Kyle swallowed laboriously, and ducked behind a set of lockers.
The sixteent.
That was Liz’s birthday.
He hadn’t even sent her a card. He’d completely forgotten his girlfriend’s birthday. She wouldn’t like this. She wouldn’t like it one bit.
Man, what a moron he was!
Looking around the corner of the lockers, he saw her laughing with Maria, her eyes sparkling and her lips pulled up in an entrancing smile.
She was so going to kill him. He was a dead man walking.
“What’s up, man?” Paul asked, an amused grin playing on his lips.
Kyle groaned, and shook his head. “Liz’s birthday. I completely forgot about it.”
Slowly, Paul shrugged and looked at Liz. “Tell her you want to take her out tonight, you know, for her birthday. She’ll like that.”
“You think so?”
“Of course. Act as if you hadn’t planned sending her a card or giving her a present at all. Pretend to give her something huge tonight. That has to work,” Paul spoke, very self-assured.
Kyle closed his eyes and resisted the urge to throw his head back against the wall. “Okay,” he finally said. “Here goes nothing.”
Squaring his shoulders, he prepared himself for the upcoming battle and got ready to face the fire squad.
<center>***</center>
Two hands covered her eyes, and she squealed in surprise. “Happy birthday, Liz,” a voice whispered into her ear, and she had to keep herself from giggling.
“Kyle, you scared me!” she exclaimed laughingly, throwing her arms around him. “And thank you so much for your card…”
“My card?” he asked her, confused.
“Your card,” she tried to remind him, “you know, the white one, with that little heart on it?”
“Oh, that card!” he said, smiling awkwardly. “Ah, well, it really wasn’t that important,” he said, and shrugged unwillingly. “Anyway, are you free tonight?”
Liz shook her head, strangely enough not feeling all too disappointed. “Birthday party, remember? I invited you as well.”
“Riiight. I’m sorry.” Kyle shot an angry glare at Paul, then turned to smile at Liz again. “I forgot. Well, I’ll see you tonight, then.”
When he turned to walk away, she placed her hand on his lower arm and forced him to look at her. “Why did you write that on my card?” she asked him gently, her kind, deep eyes curiously staring up at him. She still couldn't understand why he'd called her Elizabeth instead of Liz. No one she knew did that. She liked the sound of it, but somehow, if it came from Kyle, it didn't seem right. She didn't long for him to call her that. It was a special name, one that she only wanted to hear from one person.
“Why did I write what?”
She shook her head, feeling confused. Something wasn’t right. “You don’t remember what you wrote?” she incredulously asked.
“I ah,” he started, running a hand through his hair, “I really should get going. I don’t want to be late for…”
“For English,” she finished his sentence. “I know, we have the same subject, remember? Why don’t you walk with me?”
He smirked, but nodded.
“Why did you write it?”
Sighing, he pondered over his options. He could either lie to her some more, and get tangled up in the cob web that was getting tighter and stickier with every lie he told, or he could tell her the truth, and risk a break-up. It wasn’t as if that possibility hadn't existed before today, but telling her that he had lied to her would only make their relationship more fragile.
“Liz… I… I lied…” he finally confessed. “I didn’t send you a card. I forgot about your birthday, and I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have-”
“You what?!”
He swallowed and stopped walking, not ready to enter their English class just yet.
Liz huffed incredulously and shook her head. “You lied to me about something so silly as a birthday card?”
“Well, obviously you make a big deal out of it.”
“Not out of the birthday card, you idiot! It’s that you lied to me about it.” Liz paused, searching for the right words. “That’s just pathetic, and… and… stupid. You could have just told me the truth, you know.”
Kyle sighed apologetically. “I’m sorry, Liz. I just thought that you’d dump me if you’d find out that I forgot about your birthday and-”
“And that I wouldn’t find out the truth? Kyle… This doesn’t work. I’ve said it before, and you know it’s true. We shouldn’t have rushed this. I…” she stopped in mid-sentence, noticing Max’s lonely figure walking down the hallway.
“Liz?”
“Huh?” she stammered confused, and forced herself to look back at Kyle.
“You were saying?” he asked her anxiously.
“I think that we should stop seeing each other. It’s not that I don’t like you, it’s just…”
“It just doesn’t work,” he said sadly, repeating her earlier words.
She nodded. “It just doesn’t.”
<center>***</center>
After he’d seen her leave with Kyle, he’d went to her locker and had opened it, carefully hiding his glowing hand from the view of others. He had placed the rose, along with the little box, inside of her locker and closed it again, a rush of adrenaline coursing through his blood. It thrilled him to think that she might wear what he gave her, that she might treasure something that had once belonged to him.
She was sitting on the other side of the classroom, her face turned away from him. He could see her reflection in the window, her pensive glance as she stared through it. Suddenly, her reflection seemed to be looking straight at him. Blushing, he ducked his head and returned his attention to his English book.
She could never know.
<center>***</center>
With trembling fingers, she pulled at the ribbon that was tied around the little box. She prayed that it might hold a clue as to who had put it in her locker, as to who had sent her that beautiful card.
Holding her breath, she opened the box, feeling her heart skipping a beat. Gasping quietly, she traced the outlines of the small, silver heart, fingered its collier.
“That is so beautiful,” Maria said, just as breathless as Liz. “Who gave it to you?”
Liz shook her head and smiled feverishly. “I don’t know,” she helplessly replied. “I don’t know.”
“Well, put it on!” Maria egged her on, a broad smile on her face.
Hesitantly looking down at the present, Liz answered, “I don’t know. Maybe I shouldn’t. Whoever gave this to me should be the one to put it on.”
“Ah, don’t be silly,” Maria chastised her, and took the necklace. “Here, hold still.”
She brushed some strands of Liz’s hair aside and, as she put the necklace on, Liz felt watched. Her eyes swept through the hall until they met a pair of amber ones, staring right back at her. Her stomach clenched, and she felt her throat go dry.
Max Evans was staring at her.
“There you go, sweetie. Let me see…” Maria turned Liz around, forcing her friend to look away from Max. “It looks wonderful,” she complimented. “Amazing, really.”
“Thanks,” Liz quietly said, fingering the little heart. Her eyes strayed from Maria’s face, trying to find Max’s face once more, desperate to see his eyes again. She knew they would tell the truth, that they wouldn’t belie his silence.
He was nowhere to be seen.
The End
<center>***</center>
Happy birthday, Elizabeth!!!! May many follow, and may you live a happy, love-filled life.
Love & many, many hugs,
Lynn xxx