Thirteen Summers

thirty-four

J O S I E

tw: mentions of self-harm scars

"So, how old are you, anyway? It's not fair you know how old I am and I don't know what you are."

Roman looked at me through the rear view mirror and then back at the road, smiling as though he wanted to laugh. "What makes you ask?"

"I just said." I answered, confusion in my tone.

Roman shook his head with amusement before answering. "I'm twenty-six."

"Hag." Caleb muttered, not looking up from his phone.

"Hey, no one can say I'm not a looker and twenty-six is still quite young." Roman defended himself, playfully. "You wouldn't like it if I called you a hag when you're twenty-six."

Roman was currently taking us to meet Aiden, we were going to the cinema and then to Aiden's house to hang out. Caleb's friend Reece was coming too, he'd be meeting us there.

"Well, I wouldn't really care y'know cause then you'd be like forty and then you're really old.." Caleb casually retorted.

I gasped, quickly coming to my older brother's defense. "He wouldn't be forty and that's mean, Caleb."

Then I thought for a moment, looking back at Roman. "Wait, would you?"

"Close, thirty-eight, nearly thirty-nine since I'll be turning twenty-seven soon."

"Wait, your birthday is coming up? When? What are you doing for it?"

"In a couple weeks." He informed me. "Just a family meal, nothing big."

Caleb's head turned to him, confused. "I thought you guys were going to Egypt."

I looked at both of them confused. "You're going to Egypt?"

Roman stayed quiet before telling us. "No, not anymore."

"Why?" Caleb asked him but Roman gave him one short glance that made my twin sit back, saying. "Oh."

"Oh? What does 'Oh' mean?" I asked and they both stayed quiet and realisation hit me. "It's because of me isn't it."

My upcoming assessment, it was ruining everything for him. Roman wasn't going to have the birthday he deserved and it was all because of me.

I looked down, biting down on my lip to stop it from wobbling. "I'm sorry."

I hated ruining things for people, it sent a horrible feeling throughout my body.

"It's 'cause of both of us." Caleb muttered, quietly.

"Stop, no one is to blame. I just decided that it wasn't the right time for such events, I can always go another time." Roman tried to reassure us but neither of us were having it as we stayed quiet. "Come on, don't be like this."

"No, you should go." Caleb demanded, annoyed. "We'll literally be fine."

"I can't do that." Roman shook his head. "Not at a time like this."

"Caleb's right, we're not kids." I folded my arms together, slouching in my seat. "We're literally fourteen."

"That's just it, you are kids." Roman softly replied. "All of you, Madi might be in college now but she sure is still a kid to me."

"Okay but we're responsible, we can stay home for a week by ourselves." Caleb started, then he shook his head. "Well, Kai isn't but the rest of us are."

"No." Roman shook his head.

Caleb groaned. "I am so tired of this."

"Of what Caleb?"