open ][ happy birthday darling, hold my hand
{Backdated to Friday, the 16th. Yes, I'm home from vacation and all other tagging will commence soon. I just wanted to throw this up.}
Growing up, Nellie usually had some pretty big blasts for her birthday. It was something her father thought she wanted, and he did like to spoil her. The parties weren't her favorite. There were really only ever two people she wanted to spend her birthdays with, and they were her dad and Ben. Aside from that she didn't care. She always went through the motions and put on a show of loving her parties, because it wasn't the real deal. All of the kids from her school would show up, and she'd be the social butterfly she was supposed to be. Even though she wasn't really friends with any of them.
Her favorite part about the parties though was that her dad would always rent the big inflatable bounce houses. She never knew what it was about them, but she loved them. She would jump in them all day if he let her. In fact, when she was thirteen and finally told her dad she didn't want the parties anymore, that was the only thing she knew she'd miss about them. The inflatable bounce houses. She would jump around in them like there was nothing that could stop her, and it would be damn near impossible to wipe the grin off of her lips.
Today is Nellie's birthday. She hasn't told anyone. She's trying her hardest to not let the day get to her because like every year all she really wants is to go out for burgers and milkshakes with Daddy and Ben. She misses them. She misses them more than she's ever known how to miss anyone. Add onto that the fact that back home getting older isn't really a good thing for her, and really...she's just trying to not think about the day too much.
Not that she hates her birthday. She doesn't. There are things that make her sad about it, like the longing she feels every year for her mother, but she doesn't hate it. She likes people making a fuss over her on her birthday. She is vain that way. But for some reason she just hasn't told anyone, and that's making the day a bit more lonely.
She's up early. She isn't sure what to do with her day, but she's thinking she might find a burger and milkshake later on her own. Just because. She figures that since she's up she might as well get out for a bit, so she's milling around Grant Park. It's gotten a little later into the morning, and a lot of people are out and about. She walks through the park, watching them, thinking, and taking it all in. But then something catches her eye and she stops.
There in the middle of the park is a giant bounce house with a banner strung across it. "Happy Birthday Nellie!". She freezes. She is no stranger to the kinds of things the Rift cooks up, but this is really the last thing she ever expected. She really doesn't know what to make of it for a good five minutes, but then music starts up and she realizes there are speakers on the bounce house.
A smile spills onto her lips in awe and she can't help herself. She's running and kicking off her shoes and climbing in. And she's jumping. She closes her eyes and jumps, and laughter escapes her. A kind of laughter that she hasn't laughed in a long time. It's amazing. It's free. She's free, and she's soaring, and she feels like a little girl again.
She might even be singing along loudly to the song that's currently playing.
No, she really doesn't care who's watching. This is the best thing ever.
Growing up, Nellie usually had some pretty big blasts for her birthday. It was something her father thought she wanted, and he did like to spoil her. The parties weren't her favorite. There were really only ever two people she wanted to spend her birthdays with, and they were her dad and Ben. Aside from that she didn't care. She always went through the motions and put on a show of loving her parties, because it wasn't the real deal. All of the kids from her school would show up, and she'd be the social butterfly she was supposed to be. Even though she wasn't really friends with any of them.
Her favorite part about the parties though was that her dad would always rent the big inflatable bounce houses. She never knew what it was about them, but she loved them. She would jump in them all day if he let her. In fact, when she was thirteen and finally told her dad she didn't want the parties anymore, that was the only thing she knew she'd miss about them. The inflatable bounce houses. She would jump around in them like there was nothing that could stop her, and it would be damn near impossible to wipe the grin off of her lips.
Today is Nellie's birthday. She hasn't told anyone. She's trying her hardest to not let the day get to her because like every year all she really wants is to go out for burgers and milkshakes with Daddy and Ben. She misses them. She misses them more than she's ever known how to miss anyone. Add onto that the fact that back home getting older isn't really a good thing for her, and really...she's just trying to not think about the day too much.
Not that she hates her birthday. She doesn't. There are things that make her sad about it, like the longing she feels every year for her mother, but she doesn't hate it. She likes people making a fuss over her on her birthday. She is vain that way. But for some reason she just hasn't told anyone, and that's making the day a bit more lonely.
She's up early. She isn't sure what to do with her day, but she's thinking she might find a burger and milkshake later on her own. Just because. She figures that since she's up she might as well get out for a bit, so she's milling around Grant Park. It's gotten a little later into the morning, and a lot of people are out and about. She walks through the park, watching them, thinking, and taking it all in. But then something catches her eye and she stops.
There in the middle of the park is a giant bounce house with a banner strung across it. "Happy Birthday Nellie!". She freezes. She is no stranger to the kinds of things the Rift cooks up, but this is really the last thing she ever expected. She really doesn't know what to make of it for a good five minutes, but then music starts up and she realizes there are speakers on the bounce house.
A smile spills onto her lips in awe and she can't help herself. She's running and kicking off her shoes and climbing in. And she's jumping. She closes her eyes and jumps, and laughter escapes her. A kind of laughter that she hasn't laughed in a long time. It's amazing. It's free. She's free, and she's soaring, and she feels like a little girl again.
She might even be singing along loudly to the song that's currently playing.
No, she really doesn't care who's watching. This is the best thing ever.