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New Beginnings

"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Samuella. Happy Birthday to you!"
Sounds of whistles and kazoos filled the room;
It was my birthday and I was with my family
My family consisted of my mom
My older brother Max, but I called him Maximus
And a black cat named Stormy
People speak of the myth how "black cats are bad luck"
But I didn't mind taking my chances;
I was sixteen now
They had a red velvet cake with nuts on it for me
The words in yellow frosting said "Happy Birthday Samuella Clarke"
And there were 1&6 candles on it
For sixteen
I hated everything about that cake
1. I was not a red velvet fan
2. I didn't do nuts
3. YELLOW FROSTING?
Who the hell came up with yellow frosting
But whatever, a cake was a cake
So I pulled a smile on my face and blew out the candles
My mother understood I was getting older but I know it still meant a lot to her for Maximus and I to be around.
Honk Honk
I heard outside in front the yard
"Alright, that's all my time folks"
"Sam you haven't even had any cake yet"
"Yeah mom, we'll have cake later. I promise. But I do have to go out with my friends."
"We love you!" My mom yelled
"Speak for yourself mom." Max let out.
"Bye love you too mom." Putting the emphasis on mom to show I didn't care about what Max had said.
"You be back here at an reasonable hour!" Max yelled at me
"Yeah okay, hey don't wait up!"
And with that I grabbed my jacket
Ran out the door
And jumped into the back of a getaway car

--------
Here I was, again
Getting sung Happy Birthday to in a diner
Instead having a cake
I had a chocolate cupcake
with sprinkles
And a pink star candle
And instead of with family
I was with friends--
Jordan Spencer, those were her first and middle names but she liked how they sounded together so that's what we called her
Em.
Just Em.
We didn't know his real name but then again we didn't ask
Appolonia, what can I say
I guess her mom saw that Prince movie and loved it so much she thought 'I'll name my daughter Appolonia'
Lucas Marcs, or Luke Marcs
But however you said his name the first and last went together
I don't know why but since I had met him, everyone called him Lucas Marcs
Except me
He was just Lucas
And me
I'm Sam, as in Samuella
Its pronounced Sam-U-L-La, emphasis on the Ella
First timers called me Samuel and I hated explaining it
So Sam sufficed.
It was short, I liked it and that's what I wanted to be called--

"What are you gonna wish for Sams?" Em, asked.
"Brown combat boots!" Appolonia said.
Scrunching up his nose and turning to Appolonia Em let out,"Who cares about stupid boots, she has some on her feet."
"Those aren't combat boots you idiot!" Appolonia hissed back to him.
"Um guys, I think this is more of Sam's moment than yours, okay?" Jordan spat out.
She was the levelheaded one
She'd always save the day
"What are you gonna wish for hot stuff?", Lucas leaned in and whispered to me.
I turned to him and shrugged
I didn't know
But whatever I'd get it over with and wish for something
So I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply
"Make a wish, make a wish, make a wish", my friends started to chant
Banging on the table in the diner
Ruining everyone else's meal
The waitress named Judy turned to us and shook her head at us
"Those damn kids" she whispered to herself
Or at least she thought she had whispered it to herself because I had heard her
"Guys!" I yelled out, "You're ruining my concentration."
"Oh yeah sorry", Em said.
I leaned in towards the lit candle, closed my eyes, and inhaled deeply
"Make a wish, make a wish, make a wish", they whispered.
I giggled to myself knowing they wouldn't let me have a normal birthday
I blew out the candle
"Wooooohooo", Em screamed
I opened my eyes and saw the smoke escaping from the candle tip
The smoke was finally free
Within the air
"What did you wish for babe?" Lucas whispered to me
"Now if I told you that it wouldn't come true now would it?" I said with a smirk on my face
He tickled my sides and kissed my forehead
"So who's buying dinner guys?" Jordan asked.
"Not I", Appolonia called first.
"Yeah we figured" I called out, we all laughed.
"Hey big man why don't you pay?" Appolonia turned to Lucas.
"How about I pay for me and Sams, Em pays for Em, Appolonia pays for Appolonia, and Jordan pays for Spencer." Lucas said laughing
Since Jordan liked to be called Jordan Spencer we sometimes spoke of her as two different people
It was funny
She didn't mind
Only we could make fun of her that way
Judy, the waitress, came over to take our orders after Em waved her over
"What'll it be?" She spoke
She had on red lipstick
Cigarette yellow teeth
And a mole with two grey hairs in it under the right side of her nose but just before her lip
Her cheeks dragged
Her eyes red and droopy
With a pink diner uniform on, a white apron with a white sailors hat, and knee high white socks with white shoes
"Double bacon and cheeseburger!"
"Veggie burger."
"Make that two double bacon and cheeseburgers one with mayonnaise."
"Plain hamburger please."
"Coffee."

"Just coffee sweet pea?" The waitress turned to Lucas
"Yes ma'am, thank you"
She jotted it down on her notepad
"And everything with fries please" Em smirked at the waitress
"Except the coffee" , he added
She rolled her eyes at him and then turned to me
"Is it your birthday hun?" She smiled at me
"Yes ma'am , it is." I smiled back shyly
"Well then your meals on the house."
She jotted on her notepad again and left

"Are we going riding later?" I leaned in and whispered to Lucas
"You bet we are", he whispered back and smiled
While tucking a piece of my shoulder length red hair behind my left ear