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Keevan sat up in bed and yawned. Sun was streaming through the window and she smiled, running her hands through her hair. This day was her birthday, and she was turning sixteen.

There was a knock on her door and her parents walked in, each holding a small gift box.

“Happy birthday, sweetheart!” her mother chimed, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Happy birthday,” her stepfather added, standing by her mother. Keevan smiled at them and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, sitting next to her mother.

“You guys didn’t have to get me anything,” Keevan said. “Really, it’s okay.”

“You don’t turn sixteen every day, hun,” her mom said, giving her a box. “Open it!” Keevan did. Folded on top was a beautiful royal blue scarf. Beneath that was yarn and knitting needles. Her last ones were too worn and were close to breaking, considering they were made of wood and she had made them herself years ago.

“Thanks so much!” Keevan said happily, picking up the scarf and wrapping it around her neck. She hugged her mother.

“You’re welcome, Kee,” her mother replied.

“This one’s from me,” her stepfather said, handing her another box. It was very small. Keevan opened it. Inside was a circular shaped locket with the astrological sign for Cancer engraved on it. Keevan smiled and stood up to hug her stepfather. Her sign wasn’t Cancer, but she found she was attracted to others with the sign of Cancer based on a horoscope test she took in a magazine once. Her boyfriend’s sign was Cancer, so she deemed it accurate.

“Thanks, daddy,” she said, hugging her stepfather tightly around his neck.

“You’re welcome, kiddo,” her stepfather replied, hugging her back and kissing her cheek. “We’ll see you downstairs for breakfast.” Her parents exited her room and closed the door. Keevan dug her favorite blue sweater from her closet and a pair of black skinny jeans. Once dressed, she did her makeup, brushed her hair, and wrapped the scarf around her neck. She wanted to wear both the scarf and the locket, but the scarf would cover the locket if she put it on. She studied it and wondered what could be on the inside of it. She opened it and saw it was empty. She decided to fill it by putting something extraordinarily wonderful inside. What that was yet, she didn’t know.

She clipped the locket around her neck anyway and grabbed her cell phone and iPod before making her way downstairs. She crossed the living room to the kitchen and was greeted by Gamzee, who was sitting cross-legged on the kitchen table while playing Happy Birthday on his guitar. Her parents were in the midst of making pancakes and chatting to each other. Keevan smiled and gave him a hug. Gamzee Makara was eighteen, a high school dropout, and didn’t get along with his parents, but he was one of Keevan’s best friends. Her parents loved him just as much as she did and let him stay with them whenever he couldn’t go home, the reasons varying from arguments with his parents to him just not wanting to be there.

“Good morning, Gam,” Keevan said happily, kissing his cheek. He hadn’t put on his clown makeup yet.

“Mornin’, birthday girl,” he said, hugging her with one arm. “Comin’ to our show tonight? I’m gonna present your gift on stage.”

“It depends on the location,” Keevan’s mother said quickly, turning around and glaring at him. His band usually ended up performing in bars, strip clubs, or just not nice areas of town.

“Oh, c’mon, Mrs. Khan,” Gamzee said, looking at her over his shoulder. “It’s not gonna be a bad place. And besides, odds are she’ll drag Jack along with her.” He made a bit of a disgusted face when he mentioned Jack, but hid it quickly. Keevan rolled her eyes and smiled.

“Where are you playing?” her mother asked again.

“Outside of the strip mall down Dolorosa,” Gamzee said. “Kee shops there all the time, anyway, so it’ll be fine.”

“That area isn’t very safe at night,” her stepfather butted in. “You better make sure nothing happens to her, son.”

“Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye,” Gamzee said, grinning. Keevan’s parents couldn’t help but smile at him.

 

Gamzee drove her to school after breakfast in his rust-bucket of a pickup truck. Once they arrived there, he asked her if she would need a ride to work.

“I’m probably going to walk to the library today,” she said, “but thanks for offering, Gam.”

“No prob,” he said, patting her head, “have a good day at school.”

“I will,” she said, opening the door. “You, too!” She hopped out and closed the door, pulling her book bag strap over her shoulder. She walked into the building. People she knew who walked by her wished her a happy birthday. She smiled at them and said thanks, and they would just keep on walking. Keevan headed to the place she went to first every morning when she got to school: the cafeteria. One of her best friends was always in there, at a table by herself, drawing.

Keevan walked into the cafeteria and looked around the crowded tables. She spotted her friend at a table in the far back corner. Keevan snuck around the cafeteria and stood behind her. Her friend was deeply focused on what she was drawing. Keevan quickly hugged her from behind and shouted, “Hi, Cari!” Cari squealed and dropped her pencil.

“K-Keevan!” she shouted. “I told you not to do that!” Keevan giggled.

“Sorry,” she said with a smile, sitting next to her. “What’cha drawin’?”

“You can’t see it yet!” Cari insisted, flipping the drawing over. “It’s your birthday present and I’m not finished!”

“Alright, alright,” Keevan said, leaning her elbow on the table. “I can’t wait to see it, though.”

“My art is horrible,” Cari said, tucking the drawing into her folder. “Your eyes will probably burst into flames at the sight.”

“Untrue!” Keevan said. “I love your art!” Cari snorted and tucked her folder into her backpack. Cari was about to say something, but she looked past Keevan and grimaced, turning away. Keevan wondered what she saw, but knew once she felt arms wrap around her from behind.

“Happy birthday, Kee,” her boyfriend Jack said, kissing her cheek.

“Thanks, Jack,” Keevan said, turning to look at him. His red hair looked especially red that day, for some reason. His sunglasses were resting on his head and his sleeves were rolled up. He leaned down and gave her a kiss. Cari coughed uncomfortably and tapped Keevan’s shoulder. Keevan turned to look at her.

“We should go to homeroom now,” Cari said.

“Okay,” Keevan said. “I need to talk to Mr. Hussie, anyway.”

“Alright, I’ll see you later, babe,” Jack said, giving her a quick hug. “I’ll give you your birthday present after school, ‘kay?”

“Okay,” Keevan said, smiling up at him. He grinned and walked away to his group of friends, who were making kissy-faces at Keevan.

“Keevan, you know I don’t like him,” Cari said quietly as they made their way to homeroom.

“I know,” Keevan said, smiling sadly. “You, Gamzee and Amantis are all against him. But…I’m sure I can change him, somehow.”

“He’s a total d****e,” Cari continued. “He just…I don’t like him. I don’t like when you’re alone with him. He’s…creepy.”

“That’s just your opinion,” Keevan said, “and like a good person, I’ll respect that opinion. You just have to get to know him.”

“I know enough of him, and I don’t like what I know,” Cari said.

“We’re done talking about this,” Keevan said, starting to get annoyed. They walked into homeroom and took their seats. Mr. Hussie was drawing on the whiteboard. In really big letters he wrote HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEEVAN KHAN and drew a weird troll thing underneath it wearing a party hat. His trusty puppet, Lil’ Cal, was sitting on his desk.

“Mr. Hussie,” Keevan said, walking up to him. “Can I ask you a favor?”

“Depends on what it is,” he said, setting the whiteboard marker on his desk.

“I’ve been scheduled to work at the library all day tomorrow and my boss wouldn’t get me out of it,” she said, “and tomorrow’s a school day. If it’s possible, if I give you the library’s email address, could you gather and send me my homework and stuff that I missed?”

He looked her up and down and tapped his chin with his forefinger.

“Well,” he said finally, “since today’s your birthday, I don’t see why not.”

“Thanks so much, Mr. Hussie!” Keevan said happily.

“No prob,” he said. “Have a good birthday.” He sat back at his desk and put Lil’ Cal on his shoulder. Keevan sat back down at her desk and glanced at the door. The bell was about to ring. More and more people trickled in. There was one boy who entered the room who she always noticed. He was Indian and almost always had a permanent scowl on his face. He wore the same red sweatshirt every day and constantly had an earbud in one of his ears, iPod in hand. His name was Karkat.

“Good morning, Karkat,” she said to him, smiling. He glanced at her quickly and ignored her, going to his seat in the back.

“Geez, what’s his problem?” Keevan muttered. She always said good morning or hi to him and he always ignored her.

“He’s probably just shy,” Cari said, taking her favorite book out of her backpack.

“It seems so,” Keevan said, leaning back in her chair. The bell rang, signaling for the day to begin.