the secrets of ocean shores - a paranormal murder mystery

Chapter 16

Chapter 16. Kella

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Erik yelled, jumping out and settling on the bed next to me. His light face was lined with sweat and continued to his sticky blonde hair. But, throughout all his exhaustion, his face was bright and his blue orbs shone with the strength of a million universes, every glimpse of them a little twinkling star in the vast night sky. 

The lights flickered and turned on. Costco balloons hung from every possible corner of the room. My friends popped out from their isolated island corners, streamers adorning their figures, hanging loosely as though to say they were bored. I blinked as a chorus of mismatched voices bellowed the happy birthday song. 

"It isn't my birthday." I protested, but my voice was only a little bird cheeping amid a flocking. They ignored me, including my very own sister, who definitely knew that it was not my birthday. Sabrina's dark hands gently set a large cake decorated with swirls of promising icing on my lap. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KELLA was spelled out in voluminous frosting letters,  with sprinkles adorning in a sugary haze.

A feeling of uneasiness rushed over me, an uneaten cake sitting on my lap in sadness, as Sabrina piled games into the middle of his expansive dorm. The sheer size of his single bedroom hit me in a blast of fury. "Let's celebrate!" He cheered, rattling a bottle of an unnamed substance that looked semi-illegal to me. 

"It's not my birthday!" I said it clearer and louder. It was clear that all of them could hear me, but a mere shrug was the only response that I got. 

It was clear that Erik was blind to my calls of confusion, so I strode up to Carolina, arms crossed. Her blonde hair, neatly twisted into a dauntless updo, stared down at me as I stared up into her sharp eyes. She was fitted with a purple tank top, loose and yet perfectly streamlined to her figure. A flair of jealously shot up my veins, and I wrapped two skinny arms around my thick body. "You know it's not my birthday." 

She rolled her eyes. "Lighten up, sis. I thought you might need some distractions." Although truth lay in her words, the sentence did not satisfy me completely. Her eyes still filled with uneasiness. 

"Drunk Erik is not the kind of distraction I need." I tossed her another worried glance, but her eyes shone with carefreeness and fun, and her expression read, I don't care, a quick opposition to the worry filling her hot chocolate orbs a minute ago. 

I sighed, and paced over to where Erik is, yanking the drink out of his hand. The mysterious sparkling liquid appeared to laugh at me, taunting me, drawing me into its cider scent. He frowned at me and clawed at the drink. "Give me back my drink!"

"Not until you give me answers." My eyes, cold as steel, grinded their thick axes into his ocean blue orbs. He gulped, the sound a deafening sigh of distress and submission. 

"It's what Carolina said. We wanted to take your mind off of murder or whatever. " He walked in a little dazed step. I grabbed his arm and pulled him towards me. His blonde hair quaked in fear, or possibly from lack of shampoo. 

"You're clearly drunk and I have work to do." I hissed into his ear. He shoved me away, and smiled slightly with his rose red lips. "Please, just for tonight, don't be the mom friend. Have some fun."

I debated leaving them all to their state of partying, but I caught Carolina's eyes from across the room, dark and cold as mine, and the slow drip-drip-drip of water in the kitchen sink, a warning to enjoy myself, drew me back into reality. "Fine."

He let out a loud whoo! "Want something to drink?" He held out the bottle. I inched away from its spindly golden top, and elegant streamlined figure. My feet edged at the wooden floor, and my fingers slowly turned the bottle with perfection. My plump fingers landed on the label, words spelling out in clear lettering, Blanc de Blanc. A type of fancy champagne. And words spelling out in my mind, ERIK IS 17! UNDERAGE!