Welcome to the Land of the Crazy

Chapter Five - 2Your ribs are NOT a secret place, Cal!"

"Make a wish, Noah!" Michael winked, hinting that he knew what Tony had done to me behind the ditch.

I sucked in a deep breath, and glanced down at the cake, which had over fifty candles on. I released the breath, only hitting around half of the candles. I sighed in frustration, and Caleb leaned forward, blowing out the rest for me.

"Hey, if you do it twice, your wish won't come true!" He claimed, challenging me to argue with him. I poked my tongue out my mouth in response, and dealt him a swift jab in the ribs. He was in easy reach as he insisted in sitting next to me.

"MAM! Noah poked me in my secret place!"

"I did not! Your ribs are NOT a secret place, Cal!"

Josie carefully eased a knife through the cake, trying to not make the jam squidge out the sides of the cake too much. She slid the first piece of cake in front of me, and every pair of eyes at the table was watching me as I bit into the cake.

I chewed slowly, teasing them. I swallowed loudly for effect, and smiled. "Perfect! Thanks Josie!" Josie smiled widely, "It wasn't me that made it, and Cal did. I was told not to say anything or I would get into fierce trouble, but I wash his undies, so if he knows what's good for him he'll keep his big mouth shut!"

My jaw dropped open in surprise, and I scrutinized Caleb's face. There was a faint pink stain on his cheeks, and he wore a sheepish grin which didn't seem to fit his usual tense face.

"Thanks Cal." I beamed, and he looked down and then sideways. I squeezed his leg to show my gratitude, and he met my eyes. "No problem, really." he quipped, raising an eyebrow and glancing at my small hand that rested on his knee-cap.

Tom cleared his throat, clearly about to make a speech, "Well, this has been an interesting past few days. I come home to find a little boy that I recently adopted, well, what my wife adopted behind my back, turned out to be a little teenage girl. It's only been a few hours, but it's like you've always been here, Noah. Maybe this year we'll be celebrating your seventeenth, and Cal will make you another stodgy cake, we'll all eat a piece, and get food poisoning. But yes, happy birthday, daughter."

Tony started sniggering through his cake, "I doubt you'll give Noah food poisoning, Cal. The rest of us, I'm not too sure. Nothing can take down Noah!"

I giggled as Blue licked my ankles and at what Toby announced, and shook my head, "You're wrong. I'm actually scared of water, and of bumper cars. Laugh all you want, but bumper cars scare me." Tony's sniggering increased in volume, "Wait. Tough old you is scared of bumper cars and water? Unbelievable!"

Everyone but Caleb understood that, they knew how many times I had nearly died, how many times the assassin had nearly been assassinated. Caleb just wore an easy smile, eyes glinting in the fluorescent lighting of the kitchen.

Tony curved an arm around my waist, and I suddenly felt cramped on the narrow bench against the wall. Caleb on one side, and Tony on the other.

I stole a look at Caleb, and saw him frowning at me, deep in thought. My brow furrowed, he had been doing that evening, staring at me while looking confused or just curious.

Could he have figured out who I actually was?

I stretched, causing my bangles to slide down my arm noisily. Tony took in the movement; his relentless stares were also getting to me. He caught my wrist, and traced the faint scar that marked the soft beneath skin of my fore-arm.

The scar was of a bite-mark. "That's an interesting scar, Noah, how did you get that?" Tony enquired, turning my small hand over in his own.

I sighed softly, "I asked my dad a few years back, on one of his annual visits. He said that the best friend I could ever have gave it to me on my second birthday. He never told me who that best friend was, or is. He did tell me though that I'd meet them one day, he promised me that, and then everything will make sense. Apparently, my best friend has a bite mark scar too, on their leg. Never met them, so I don't have any idea who it could be."