Before reading, I wanted to do a survey of some sorts. In Chapter 30, when the so-called Elite are playing never have I ever at the party a question is asked. I phrased it so no one would know exactly who it was, until this chapter. So I wanted to see who your guess was. This was the excerpt.
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"'Never have I ever lost my virginity.'

I slowly took a sip, looking around at who also drank. Three out of the four boys from Clark's crew took sips-"
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So. Who's your guess? Please do comment, I wanted to know all of your thoughts!

Okay now you guys can read, sorry about that little segue!

Back to November of Junior Year...
(one month ago)

Every few years or so his birthday would fall on Thanksgiving.

He couldn't remember his first birthday, but he did have photographs of that day. A photograph that depicted a frowning baby boy, with pink chubby cheeks wearing a pair of navy overalls. He had been seated onto his fathers lap, as he pointed to the large floats that were passing through the streets of the city directly below them. Another photo of him grinning at the large inflated Clifford the Big Red Dog, mid clap. Then another with tears streaming down his face, the yellow outline of Spongebob Squarepants just barely visible.  

He remembered his tenth birthday, which was dedicated to all things Harry Potter. His father had flown in from England to celebrate the holidays, bringing along a genuine wand from the movie set, claiming that a certain Weasley may or may not have used it in the latest movie. It was definitely his favorite birthday to date.

And today. His seventeenth birthday had finally come around, bringing in cold winter air and empty hallways. The school had given Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday off so the American students could commemorate the holidays with their family.

Sadly, he wasn't able to celebrate with his own family. He was busy dealing with all things school, while both his parents were busy with each of their jobs. But with a FaceTime call and the promise of seeing each other in the coming month for Christmas, all was good.

He didn't necessarily love his birthday, but he didn't hate it either. He liked to think of it as a normal day where cake was involved. In an ideal world that could be everyday, but sadly, his trainer prohibited him from consuming anything unhealthy, so cake once a year would have to do.

As he walked through the hallways, whichever students had decided to stay back wished him a happy birthday. Girls and boys both tossed him compliments, some on his newest pair of shoes others on his haircut. He liked attention, in moderation. Just like cake. Some is okay, too much not really. So with every conversation he would throw in a quick thanks along with a rare smile, and be on his way back to the lounge. He really wanted a nap.

He was about to start making his way towards the lounge when his phone began to buzz with text messages. Reading them, he immediately smiled.

🌚: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
🌚: HAPPY BIRTHDAYYHY
🌚: also don't go into the lounge. needs to air out. Clark had an accident.
🌚: BUT ANYWAYS HAPPY BIRTHDAY PLEASE PARTY IT UP
🌚: MAYBE EVEN GET SOME BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY
🌚: BIRTHDAY SEX IS GOOD SEX
🌚: ESPECIALLY WHEN ITS YOUR FIRST TIME

He immediately dissolved into silent laughter. He didn't have a problem with his virginity, and he even joked about it amongst his friends, hence the birthday sex joke.

Deciding to sit on a bench and let his friends do whatever they were up to, he began to once again, think. 

Every once in a while, he would just sit and think to himself. He would always say, reflection is the best way to gather your thoughts. Because with every gathered thought can come a decision that changes the course of your life.

How poetic. He wasn't really poetic, just a romantic at heart. His father always would say, 'that's your mother's genes taking over.'

But he was fine with it, it was true. He is a romantic. He always thinks of how wonderful it would be to have someone he would be able to hold close. There were numerous girls that intrigued him, but none as much- no. He couldn't.

It started off as innocent. Just an admiration. Then when small talks turned into full fledged conversations, it became a friendship.

He didn't think anything of it, even going as far as to- along with his best friends- try and get her with their other best friend.

He was happy for them- ecstatic. He wanted them to be together, he knew they were went to be. With every quarrel between the two, he would push them back together. With every long glance between the couple, he would mentally fist bump. With every hug and kiss, he would share glances with his best friends, proud of what they were able to accomplish.

But then with time, along the lines everything began to blur.

With every glance he began to feel his heart beat stop. With every hug and kiss he would feel melancholy. With every quarrel he would feel a small, sickening, sense of hope.

But he knew it could never happen. And he would just try his hardest to ignore these pesky feelings, to not let them ruin a friendship with someone who was like a brother to him. To not let them ruin a newfound friendship with someone who finally was able to share a shred of understanding with him.

He wouldn't let himself fall in love with Blake Graham. That was a promise.

"Stop it, you're going to ruin the surprise!" Clark swiped his friend's phone, taking it away before he could text the birthday boy. Looking down at the illuminated screen, he groaned. "You don't just text someone 'come to the lounge asap, but take your time. no rush. nothing important or anything' and what kind of message is this? 'the lounge needs to air out Clark had an accident'"

"Why not? Also, because it was funniest blaming you."

"Because," Dominic stepped off the ladder, proudly looking at the banner he had spent ten minutes trying to hang. "Don't you think, if this was you, you'd get even a tiny bit suspicious if someone tells you to come somewhere but to take your time because it's not important? On your birthday?"

"Exactly." Clark pointed to Dom, before going back to carefully adding the seventeen candles to the custom cake. He was making sure not to make any miscalculations, because at the last minute they chose to get the birthday boy's face pasted on edible paper onto the cake.

"Where even is he? I'm surprised he's not in here napping or something." Blake poked her head into the room, taking a break from pumping all the balloons.

"He's probably talking to all the anxious girls and guys who are tripping over to wish him a happy birthday. He has fans, you see."

"Of course he does, but shouldn't he be here soo- oh fuck."

"What is it?" Clark asked, but a chorus of exclamations answered his question.

"Shit!"

"What?"

"Happy birthday!"

"How's it hanging?"

"Surprise?"

The newcomer looked at the group of teenagers with a perplexed look on his face. The room had balloons that were various shades of green (his favorite color) scattered all over. Multi-colored streamers hung on almost every corner, and a paper banner was crookedly hanging on the wall.

But that didn't stop him from grinning widely, the earlier feelings of guilt ebbing away to allow room for elation. All his friends were in the room, putting in effort, and doing different activities that they probably had never done in their pampered lives, just to make him happy.

What made him grin even wider was the assortment of Mylar balloons, floating in the air, attempting to recreate the Macy's Day Parade.

Bottles of cider sat on the counter, along with pies and other festive foods. Even a cake with a zoomed in yearbook photo from freshman year! How they got all of this? He had no idea. But all he knew was that these were the best friends he could ever ask for.

"Merry Birthgiving, Luca!"

And with that atrocious cheer, Luca knew for sure that their friendship was more important than any insignificant unsteady beatings of the heart. Besides, who knows? Maybe there would be someone who would completely flip his world onto its side.

But for now, all he was thinking about was his yearly slice of cake.