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Happy Birthday

CHAPTER 4: Happy Birthday

August 1st! My birthday! I'm officially eighteen! I smell pancakes being made, bacon, and
sausage! It's my day, not Esme's! Finally! I run downstairs.

"Happy Birthday my beautiful baby girl!"

My dad shouts as he hugs me. I see Esme eating bacon.

"Is that real bacon?"

"Yeah. It's so good, try it."

"Why are you eating it?"

"I told mom to cook all of this for your b-day."

"But you're a vegetarian."

"I had cravings. I started my period."

So my mom cooked this because of Esme. Figures. I'm not going to let this get to me. It's my day. At least the attention is on me this year. Last year my sister went out to a party the night before. She didn't come home and her phone was off. My mom spent the entire morning and afternoon looking for her. Then she finally just stumbles in like everything is fine. All we ended up doing was cake at like 10pm.

My phone starts to ring. FaceTime from Cora.

"Happy Birthday Bitch!"

She screamed at the top of her lungs and mom gave me a look, but I didn't care.

"Thank you! I'm an adult now, so you need to be addressing me as ma'am from now on."

"Shut up! I'll be eighteen next month and I want you to address me as, Queen."

"In your dreams! You're coming tonight right?"

"Duh! Should I be dressing formal or casual?"

I laugh.

"It's my party Cor."

"So casual. Got it."

We both laugh together. We hang up and I start to eat breakfast. My mom can't stop talking about the party tonight. I just wanted a simple dinner and junk food, with music, my closest friends, but no, my mom invited her brothers and their families. She just does this to show off. The house, the big yard, the city, the neighborhood. Whatever. I get phone texts from Lani and Zeek. They wished me a happy birthday in a group text. Wow they are a couple who group texts now. This is new. Every time my phone vibrates I hope it's Jasper. I don't know why. He hasn't bothered texting or calling me since the 4th of July. He's such a lost cause, but there's just something I keep holding into. I don't know what it is.  He knows today is my birthday. I told him when he was cooking the steak at my house. Forget this, I'm an adult now. Wishing for someone to text me is teenage nonsense. If he texts me, cool, if not oh well. I like this attitude. My phone rings and it's Knox. A big smile is on my face and my family is staring at me.

"Oooo la la. Are you a human being now and dating this Knox guy?"

My sister says as she looks at Knox's name with a heart next to it on my phone.

"No. He's my friend from work."

"Right. A Friend with a heart by his name."

"Shut up Esme."

I hurry and run out of the kitchen to answer his call.

"Hello."

"Happy Birthday old lady!"

I laughed.

"You're older than me!"

"Barely."

"Are you coming to my house tonight?"