Adopted by Heathers: The Sequel

Sweet Sixteen

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Catlynn, happy birthday to you!" my entire family and most, if not all, of my friends sung to me on my sixteenth birthday. I smiled like a goof as I blew out the candles. Most sixteen year old kids have huge parties for their birthdays with practically their entire school.

Me? I had a party at home with my family, my normal group of friends, Fritz, Ebony and Vera from my old charter school, and the kids I do theater with. A larger group of people than my normal birthday parties, but hey, I was sixteen!

"CAT'S ABLE TO DRIVE! CAT'S ABLE TO DRIVE!" my friends (and Evan and Ryan) chanted, marching around the apartment and making me laugh my butt off.

"Guys, stop. The drivers test isn't for a few weeks, it's not official yet, calm down." I said, laughing while shoving a slice of yummy cake in my mouth. Red laughed and threw her arm around me.

"God, I wish you were out." Red said, giggling slightly.

"Senior year, Red. In around a year and a half, I'll be out to my family. I promise you." I whispered as my family and friends were setting up Twister on the floor behind us. I giggled and crawled over Red to where Twister was being played.

"Hey, who's here?" Ryan said, pointing to a random gray car outside the window. The car was really nice-looking, and I was slightly jealous of whoever owned it.

I shrugged and said, "I don't know. Everyone who I invited is here already." Elle smiled sweetly at me and started giggling.

"Cat, that's your car." Elle said. "It was a gift from all of us. Happy Sweet Sixteen, Sunshine."

I felt like screaming. I had just gotten my first car from my mom. This was the best birthday ever.

"Wait, I don't have my license yet, so what's the point?" I asked. Elle laughed and said, "But you're taking the test in two weeks, right? When that happens and you officially get your license, you can drive up to all of our apartments in your car."

My car. My car. I never thought this day would come.

It was pretty obvious to everyone that Elle did not want me growing up. In her eyes, I was probably still that little twelve year old girl who was afraid of her dad trying to take her away from her new family who she loved to pieces. And in a way, I'm still that same twelve year old getting pinned to a wall outside of the New World Stages.

And in another way, I'm who I am now. The sixteen year old bisexual girl who has a girlfriend and plays saxophone and is slightly more extroverted than she was three years ago. The girl who still has to worry about Violet Gardner and her flute posse every once in a while, but has learned to toughen up and grow a thicker skin. The girl who knows how much she's been through...and knows how much stronger she's gotten because of it.

And having fun with my family and friends was exactly the way I wanted to spend my sixteenth birthday. And every other birthday for the rest of my life.

Truth be told, I was scared for when I was able to drive by myself with my friends and without an adult having to be in the car with me. Because of all the experiences I've had with car crashes. Jess and Ryan nearly getting taken from me and being asleep when it happened...Elle getting into a crash trying to avoid my dad and ending up with her breaking bones and me in critical condition.

But that stuff was all in the past. Three years dead and gone. If you looked at my family now, I don't think you'd be able to tell that anything has happened to us.

But on the inside, I know I'm a strong girl. My family reminded me of it every single day, and so do Red and the rest of my friends.

And now, on my sixteenth birthday, it's time for me to prove it.

AN: CAT HAS HER FIRST CAR, GUYS!!! This is a chapter I've been waiting WEEKS to put out, and now it's finally here! Hope you enjoyed! Catch ya later!