Trustfall

Chapter 16 - 15 Candles

It's my birthday today. I am turning 15 years old. I like birthdays, it's the best part of the year apart from Christmas.

I used to love Christmas, the food, the presents, not only do you receive gifts you also get to see the one you love to be happy about something you gave them, the family being together, it was that time of the year I knew mom always would be home. A lump forms in my throat at the mention of my mom. I shake my head and swallow the lump. I am not going to be sad on my own birthday, even though I haven't told any of them that it is today.

I walk down to breakfast; it's oddly silent if you think about that we are 21 people and the staff, well most of them are more to the quiet side, quiet but terrifying.

I walk into the dining room. The light is turned off, the only light comes from the sun through the windows. No one is here. I take a few steps inside.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" People jump out of their hiding places.

I scream in surprise, but they ignore it and start singing.

Alexander is holding a cake with 15 candles, the others are holding gifts, big and small gifts.

I feel the tears pressing but for the first time in happiness.

When they are done singing, I blow out the lights.

Dad walks up to me and kisses me on the cheek and wishes me a happy birthday.

I thank all of them. My previous birthdays have been me waking up, eating some breakfast with my family, going to school, coming home and Robin and I watched a movie while mom was still at work, like any other day, but he let me choose the movie.

"Okay, why don't Alessia start opening her presents, so we can get breakfast, I'm starving," Sabino says.

We sit down and presents get put in front of me. I have absolutely no idea of what any of them might be, they haven't asked me or anything, maybe they knew that I would say that they have already done enough and not get an answer anyway.

"That one is from me," Diego tells me and points at a present with light blue wrapping-paper with small yellow stars on it. coincidence?

I open it, black and pink boxing-gloves, boxing shorts, and a sports bra.

I thank and hug him.

"You can only use the sports bra in the house though, not outside the house," he says sternly. I giggle over his protectiveness.

I open a new gift this time from Alexander, its earrings, I smile and thank him with a hug.

I carry on with opening gifts, hugs, and thank you's until I only need to open the gifts from dad, Robin, and Matteo.

"Should we take mine now?" Matteo says and stands up not waiting for an answer. He walks out of the door and comes back inside with a giant brown teddy bear.

"I didn't know what to get you," he says and places the teddy bear in front of me.

"It's not like you have hidden one of your friends in there to scare me, right?" I ask him.

"No," he chuckles. Wait he chuckles, at something I said, even my dreams aren't that surreal.

I thank him and give him a little awkward side hug before we both sit back down.

"My turn!" Robin says. He sits with a white present in front of him, but he runs out of the door like Matteo but more enthusiastically, he comes back with a beautiful black bike, with a black handlebar basket.

He places it against the wall and makes jazz hands.

I laugh and hug him. "Thank you- "

"I'm not done," he says and runs back to his seat; I go sit back at my seat as well.