You don't even want me

39.

[Camille]

I slowly opened my eyes, not realising where I was yet and it took a few seconds of staring in the darkness until I finally remembered what was special about today: it was my birthday.

I quickly sat up straight in my bed and stumbled blindly through the dark room to the light switch next to the door, turning on the lights in a swift move.

I sighed as I stared at my room, not wasting a glance at the flowers on my wall and quickly went downstairs, a nice smell coming from the kitchen filling my nose.

I rushed to the kitchen, noticing that my mother and sister had decorated the living room with colourful birthday garlands, and when I came into the kitchen, I noticed there were some at the large window as well. Chloe was standing behind the stove with a pan on it, looking at me with a happy face.

She immediately left the pan for what is was and rushed to me with open arms, hugging me the second she was close enough.

"Happy birthday, sis" she whispered as she squeezed me tightly and a broken sound left my lips as I hugged her back, a big smile present on my face.

Thanks Chloe" I mumbled with my eyes closed; she chuckled and patted my back. "No problem." We let go and she told me I could take a seat at the round table, so that's what I did and I watched her continue trying to make pancakes.

We started talking a bit about me now being 16 and how that was a pretty big deal, but I'd still decided not to do anything special, I just wanted to have a chill day at home.

Chloe turned the pancake around in the pan and widened her eyes while staring at it. She looked up at me and I just sat there, glancing at her confused until she finally explained herself.

"Eh, the first one's a bit burned..." she murmured slowly, ashamed of herself and her failed attempt in making me a special breakfast.

I chuckled and got up, walking over to her. "It's fine Chloe" I mumbled and she stepped to side to give me space behind the stove and I got the burned pancake out of the pan and put it on a plate, turning the heat of the stove down a bit. "You don't have to heat it that much, of course it gets burned like that" I explained and she sighed.

I grabbed the plate, some syrup, a fork and a knife and sat down at the table again, pouring the sweet syrup over the slightly burned pancake on the plate.

I started eating it and tried to keep my face together as it didn't taste particularly good, but I reminded myself that it was the thought that counted. I poured some more syrup over it in an attempt to get rid of the burned taste, and forced myself to take another bite.

"So..." Chloe started, making me turn my head to look at her with raised eyebrows.

"Are you going to do anything with James?" she asked me curiously and I stared in front of me, slowly shaking my head as I put my fork and knife on the table.

"No, I'm not sure if he even remembers it's my birthday" I softly mumbled and Chloe almost dropped the tool to be able to lip the pancakes, staring at me with widened eyes and an open mouth.

"But it's okay, I mean..." I quickly added a bit uncomfortable by her reaction. I didn't feel like I could expect him to know about my birthday when I hadn't reminded him, and he definitely didn't need to buy me anything. Plus, I wouldn't know what he could give me anyway.

"I don't expect him to know, we didn't talk about it" I explained and my sister nodded, still a bit in shock.

She stared down at her pan and suddenly seemed to realise that the pancake was ready. I got up after she'd told me to come with my plate and she put the new, better pancake on my plate. This one was much better than the first one, being the nice shade of brown it had to be.