Fiore Mortale (mxm)

31.

He's not here and I'm wondering if what I said really did bother him. Carmen has everyone singing me happy birthday in Italian, and the party hat string is cutting into my under chin.

I feel anxious staring into the brightly lit birthday cake, where seventeen candles stood in different places while the cake read happy birthday Eli. Yuri, Isla, Pericio, Narazio, Marie, Bebè, Gio, and Carmen sat around me.

Although Bebè and Pericio don't particularly look pleased to have to wear Dora the explorer party hats and hold slide whistles, that actually look rather petulant in my opinion, it looks as though this is how they celebrate together at least.

Something my home life didn't know anything about other than mother and I on occasion. There are a few presents from everyone wrapped in matching themed Dora the explorer paper. The cake, the cups, silverware, and streamers.

No one is even questioning Arsenio's absence, and I won't be the one to start.
"You need to blow out the candles and make a wish."

"A wish about what?" I ask, not really sure. I'd went to my friend's birthday parties, but as soon as they stop singing happy birthday, they'd blow out the candles. I didn't know there was any wishing involved.

"I don't know, about whatever you want. It's a magical wish." Carmen gushes making me wonder what she wished for when she was home. I'd found out from Isla, that Carmen goes home every year around her birthday, so all they have are gifts and a meal she likes upon her return.

I blow the candles out. Not making a wish because they don't come true. "What did you wish for?" Carmen asks. In my mind, a close family. But that was everyday.

"I thought it defeated the purpose of the secret wish if he told you." Yuri points out making her roll her eyes.

"Fine it's time for presents and the cake." She claps moving to the end of table for the boxes.

"Mine first!" Isla says handing me her box before Carmen can and I open it to see a book on modern fashion in America.

"Thanks Isla."

"That's a terrible gift, and I thought mine would be bad." Yuri says shaking her head making Isla roll her eyes.

Gio hands me a box, which holds pens, paper, pencils, and a small box on the side with daisy seeds in them.

"I like the seeds."

"Really? It's like you don't listen. I know you heard Arsenio talk about how much Eli doesn't like lessons and you buy him paper, pens, and pencils? Something he already has plenty of." Narazio shakes his head.

"At least he got the flower thing right." Yuri comments sarcastically.

"Don't disrespect my gift, it's better than what Isla got him! I'm not trying to win a competition." Gio argues.

"Well I am, I plan on having the best gift, even better than Arsenio." Carmen snidely remarks.

"You could've at least bought a tape recorder so he wouldn't have to write as much when Vinalla lectures him." Isla comments.

"Too bad, that's my gift." Narazio pushes me a small box that I hold.

"I like all gifts. I've never had a birthday party before where people buy stuff for a celebration of my birth." I interrupt the bickering for all of them to fall silent.

"Thank you, I'll need this for next weeks lesson." I say to Narazio placing the tape recorder next to my book, pens, paper, and seeds.

"Well mine is next." Yuri pushes her box towards me. I open it up to see a fully loaded gun with a silencer on the tip. It's the one I'd held that night on Roman's roof.