Goldfish

Chapter 1

          When I was younger I never could keep my word or stick to anything I did... I say younger but I'm definitely still like that. I get the honor of having the nickname 'goldfish' in my family, thanks to my dad. This is also do to my short attention span and stubbornness.
        I was told all my life by teachers and friends that I would never get anywhere or do anything to change the world. I told them that they where wrong and I would do great things one day.. but I guess nobody wants to believe a goldfish.
     This is why I still can't believe my parents chose to spend good money on a journal, writing material, and a paint set for my birthday this year. "The big sixteen!Bout' time we stopped calling you the baby," my grandmother snickered while cutting my traditional red velvet birthday cake. I never really liked red velvet but nobody bothers to ask when every year I never eat the cake, and just skip to ice cream.
"Oh hush granny she's still the baby!" My mother pitched in with tears in her eyes. She'd always been an emotional person but I guess me growing up makes everyone emotional since I'm the last one in the Ronald clan left in school. My brothers and cousins all graduated several years ago, some even getting married, having children, graduating college, that kind of stuff. Yet I'm still here, being babied by granny and my aunt Sue. It's kind of annoying. In everyone's eyes I'm a child who's never to be taken seriously.
"Okay everyone say cheese!" My dad yells while holding the camera we've had since my brothers where still children. Everyone rushed over to stand beside my granny and I, by everyone I mean my mom, aunt, Charlene ( the only cousin who ever really shows up to family functions anymore) and her fiancé. I was told his name was Todd but he never really talks and my cousin goes through men like I go through shoes so I never really bother with them.
      My dad hit the timer and ran beside me to beat the three seconds he was up against. He made it by a half of a second and I'm sure, like many other pictures, he would be a little blur on the edge of the photo. After the picture was taken my mom packed everyone extra leftovers on a plastic plate and we said our goodbyes.. until the next holiday or birthday.
I joined my mother and father in the kitchen to help clean but they whisked me out and told me to go and enjoy my birthday presents. I carried them up to my room and noticed I had not opened one. It didn't have a name so I placed it on my bed and picked up my phone to answer the repeated dings that signifies another text, Facebook post, or snap wishing me to have a fabulous birthday. I rolled my eyes because most of the people wishing me well where family members I've never seen, school mates who I never talked to, and random people I don't even know. Yet being the kind and good humored person I am known to be, I replied a paragraph back to every single one of them about my gratitude.
I put my phone back on my bed, and went downstairs,thanking my parents for the party and for the great gifts. I was unable to sleep though, so I watched some tutorials on painting, although I had been known for my 'pretty' paintings and unique drawing skills. I was still a little rusty and thought for an instant, maybe if I stuck to it I could be a great painter one day, like Leonardo da Vinci.... I snickered and pushed the thought away, drifting in to sleep.