18 Hours: A Worldwide Disease

2

"Happy Birthday to you.

Happy Birthday to you.

Happy birthday dear Finley.

Happy birthday to you."

I give a false smile at my family as they celebrate my birthday. Having just gotten into a fight with my brother, I wasn't exactly in the best mood. I begged him to stay for my birthday party, but his usual, teenage self went out with his friends instead. 

"Ellieeeeeeee," I teased him before he left. Ellie  was one of his "friends", but it was pretty obvious they were something more, I thought. 

"Shut up," he mumbled, rolling his eyes.

"Don't give me that sass!" I would always tell him, and he would just get even more angry, stomping over to mom as he was preparing to tell on me. Usual, sibling stuff.

As soon as my brother begged my mom to go and hang out with his friends, family members began to arrive. My mom finally gave in, just so Mitchell could get out of her hair, I guess. "Fine. But be back by eight tonight, no exceptions otherwise," she told him.

We invited the simple family members to the party - my grandma, grandpa, uncle, aunt, and my cousin, Sam, who was always bratty and controlling, even though he was four years younger than me. I remember absolutely hating his guts.

"Blow out the candles. Make a wish," my mom exclaims, my dad nodding enthusiastically, encouraging me to do so. I knew exactly what I wanted to wish for at that moment. I didn't even hesitate. My own brother didn't want to go to my birthday party? Are you serious? He's supposed to be there for me no matter what. That's what siblings do. Instead, he goes out and gives this girl heart eyes. I was annoyed just thinking about it.

I wish Mitchell was gone, I thought, blowing out the candles immediately after. However, regret filled the pit of my stomach. I was a very superstitious kid, and I believed everything on the internet, each chainmail post, each ghost story, alien story, and all of those stories about wishes coming true. 

I didn't mean it, I thought after. I needed my brother. I realized then that I wouldn't be able to live without him. We've spent so many days together and had so many happy memories - why get upset over one, small, stupid thing?

A few hours later, family members began to leave, and then I was stuck home with my parents. I went upstairs in my room afterwards, going on my phone and watching some YouTube - just spending some time alone. I never really was a social person. In fact, every time I did have to be social, I would be in the worst mood. It was better if I just stayed in my room, alone, blocking out the world.

But my parents didn't think so.

"Finley!" my mother calls me, "I need you!" 

I groan loudly as I slam my phone down on my bed, exiting the room and slamming the door behind me. Why couldn't they just leave me alone for five seconds?

"Can you please do the dishes? My back is killing me, and your father is mowing the lawn right now," she explains to me. All of the angry thoughts start to rush to my head. "

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," I mumble, turning on the sink and picking up a dirty plate, which looked like it had leftover cake smeared all over it. I was very sensitive to disgusting surroundings, so I cringed and kept repeating in my head, it's just cake, it's just cake, it's just cake. But, then again, if it was Sam's dish, he would have probably sneezed and coughed all over it.

Disgusting.

"Hey, don't give me an attitude about it. We just celebrated your birthday. Be happy for once," my mom says, slightly raising her voice.