by herself.

Adrian rushed out, eating a final birthday pancake on the way to the car. He opened the door and plopped down in the front seat, looking over at his best friend and trying not to steal too many glances at her more womanly qualities. "Hey," the blonde said simply, buckling himself in for the ride to school. His stepmother's offered bribe echoed in his mind and he swallowed hard, being a little quieter than usual out of nervousness while he tried to scrounge up something resembling courage. She was his friend, right? So at the very least he could count on her to let him down easy... but would things ever be the same.

"Hey yourself," the tall young woman said back to him, pushing him playfully into the door before putting the car in gear. She slipped her hand around his shoulder and used his body for leverage as she looked back, giving him a nice peek of cleavage as she turned his way. This was mostly an every day thing, and while a big part of him wondered why she didn't simply use the rearview cameras, a much, much smaller part of him was grateful that he was able to add these glimpses of boobs to the fantasy archive. She looked a little different today, he noticed: a little more makeup than her usual subtle accentuation, and her tee shirt showed more in the chest and at her waist. The tartan skirt was much the same, although today the green of it really brought out her eyes, as did the shimmering purple of her eyeshadow and the abalone hair clip he'd given her for her birthday a few months earlier.

"You seem quiet today. Is something on your mind bringing you down on your birthday?" Fern asked inquisitively, clearly remembering the date as the crossover popped into drive and pulled away. "Happy birthday, Adrian... by the way," she said with a big smile while the car picked up speed to leave his neighborhood for the school.

He murmured a thank you and stared for a few more seconds. "You can tell me what's bugging you. If you feel like it, anyway. Or you can keep your secrets," Fern added, mockingly imitating Elijah Wood with the last bit. Adrian's guard melted into a chuckle about the old movie, and he took a final moment to steel himself for the plunge.

"Well..."