The Senior Project

Chapter Sixteen | Forever A Kid At Heart

CHAPTER SIXTEEN~
FOREVER A KID AT HEART

"Celia, Celia, Celia, Celia! Wake up Celia! Wake up!"

I groaned, waving my hand around in hopes of hitting whoever was trying to wake me up. I was having a perfectly nice dream of being part of the NCIS crew!

"It's your birthday Cee! Get your arse up!"

"No... Gibbs is..." I murmured sleepily, trying to cling onto the last images.

"Okay, you asked for it!"

A huge crushing weight jumped onto my stomach then, jolting me up from my sleep. Soraya stared down at me with a goofy grin.

"Dammit woman! Are you trying to kill me?" I demanded as I gave her a hard shove to the side.

She tumbled off the side of my bed and I took the chance to ease out from under my covers. I stretched as I walked to my dresser to grab a change of clothes.

"Happy birthday Cee!" Soraya chirped from behind me. "I'll be waiting downstairs!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," I mumbled, my toothbrush already stuffed in my mouth.

I took my time changing and brushing my hair just to annoy Soraya but eventually I had no reason to stay in the safety of my room. I sighed and opened my door. I trudged downstairs.

"Cee! Happy birthday!" another voice called.

"Happy birthday!"

How many people were here?

"Hey honey! Happy birthday!"

I scanned the kitchen. My dad, Soraya, Kenny, and a few other school friends surrounded the kitchen table. On it lay an unnecessarily big white cake with the words 'Happy 18th Celia!' written in blue.

"Hi! Thanks guys!" I exclaimed.

"Cee! Come cut the cake!" Soraya said enthusiastically.

"You just want to eat it don't you?" my dad teased. "You've been eyeing the cake since we bought it this morning."

"Guilty as charged, but not ashamed in the slightest," she agreed immediately.

"Are you ever?" I called.

"Nope!" She shot her lopsided smile at me and I grinned back.

"I've missed you," I said.

"I missed me too," she replied. Then she cracked another wicked grin and I braced myself for another stupidly conceited comment. "But then again, everyone misses me. Life wouldn't be complete without me!" she sighed dramatically. "Well, not everyone can understand my awesomeness."

I shook my head hopelessly. She walked over gave me a one armed hug and dragged me to the cake. Stuffing the knife in my hands, she pulled out a stack of paper plates and held one up.

"Big piece please," she requested with an innocent smile.

The whole group laughed at her love for food while I obliged, slicing out a large rectangle of cake for her. I grinned at the ice cream, chocolate cake and caramel insides. Soraya and my dad knew me far too well. I loved ice cream cake so much.

"Thanks Soraya," I murmured to her as I sliced out another piece.

She smiled knowingly in response and continued stuffing her mouth. I didn't know how she wasn't getting a brain freeze.