Starting Over Anderson || ✔

Seven: Skills to pay the Bills

41 days B.C.

Singing a birthday song isn't as easy as you think it is. It's the hardest song to get right, and every time I hear someone singing it, it's out of tune. Every time.

It's no different than when my friends and family are singing for me. I cringe, internally, as they fail to hit the high note and the whole song turns into a different key altogether. My ears are protesting by the time they are done and I force a grin onto my face., hoping it doesn't look pained.

"Make a wish, darling," Isa urges with a knowing smile. She knows how particular I am about birthday songs. "Quickly, before the candle melts into the cake."

I make a face. That's the worse that could happen to a birthday cake. Closing my eyes and putting my hands together, I wish for the one thing that I always wish on my birthdays, ever since I was four. I wish for my mother. I want her to come back and notice me. Love me. I know that it's not going to happen anytime soon, and probably needs a miracle, but hey, a girl can wish, can't she?

I open my eyes and sink my knife into the cake when I'm done. Everyone cheers. Isa kisses the top of my head and whisks the cake off into the kitchen to cut it into nice edible pieces for the rest of my friends.

"It's present time!" Rach calls, whooping loudly. "Here, open mine first!" She holds out a rectangular object wrapped grossly in hot pink with a light pink bow in front.

I laugh at her eagerness and takes the present from her, wincing slightly from the pink overload. Who could've guessed that the ultimate troublemaker at school is such a girl at heart. I tear it open and find a set of friendship bracelets and necklaces inside. I grin widely and hug my best friend. She giggles, threatening me to wear them everyday to school or she'd murder me in my sleep and dump my body into the sea. I just nod solemnly, taking her threat seriously.

Keith's is next. It's very big,, and bulky, and thankfully wrapped in normal birthday wrappers. I open it and coo when I see what's inside. A big brown teddy bear that would pass for Ted's brother. I can't keep the sheepish grin off my face as Keith ruffles my hair. I'm touched that he actually remembers my wish for a teddy bear when we pass by a gift shop at the mall at the start of summer.

I hug my new teddy tightly, loving the feel of it. No, him. "I'm naming him Lance," I declare, which sends giggles across the room. Isa returns at this moment and hands out cake to everyone. She helps me hold Lance as I go through the rest of my present.

Next is Call and Hannah's. My jaw drops to the floor when I open it and I start blushing furiously. I try to stuff them back into their wrapper but it's too late. Everyone has seen them and they are all laughing their heads off.

"Thanks a lot," I say sarcastically to the couple.

"The tampons are my idea," Hannah tells me proudly.

"And the condoms are a precaution in case you and Sammie start doing it," Call adds, a smug look on his face. This sends me to another round of furious blushing. I peek at Sam through my hair that is acting as my portable curtain and see that he is beet red as well. I shake my head to stop myself from thinking too much into it.

I throw the tampons and condoms under the couch before moving on to the next present. It's Sam's. It's the smallest compared to the others but I have a feeling that I'd appreciate it as much, if not more. I gasp when I find a Linkin Park shirt inside. My first ever band shirt!

It's black, with a white Linkin Park logo on the on the front, and the band name printed on the top of the back. It's simple, but I love it already. "Thank you," I tell Sam genuinely. "I like it very much." Because saying love makes everything sound weird.