The different one

Chapter 9- happy birthday

I was sleeping soundly when I was awoken by the sound of yelling.

"WHAT ABOUT ZANE?! DO YOU NOT EVEN CARE ABOUT HIM ANYMORE?!" I heard someone yell.

"Of course I still care about him! Just calm down!" Someone whisper-yelled. I could tell that they were in the hall.

"YOU DON'T ACT LIKE YOU DO!!! WE'VE ALREADY RUINED HIS FUTURE! I DON'T WANT TO RUIN SOMEONE ELSES FUTURE! ESPECIALLY NOT FOR OUR SELFISH REASONS!"

"Stop yelling!"they whisper-yelled again.

"WHAT IF HE FINDS OUT?! THEN HE WILL HURT ZANE! WE AREN'T WITH HIM, ITS NOT LIKE WE CAN PROTECT HIM!" The Person continued to yell.

" if you don't stop yelling he will definitely find out." The other one said sternly

"STOP-I....you're right...I'm just scared...why did we both screw up so badly?" Someone responded cooling off.

"I am scared too-" the voices faded away.

"What was that all about?" I thought to myself. " Who's Zane? Why do I have so many questions?" I slid off of my bed and slipped on some clean clothes. "Time for another day in paradise" I said as I rolled my eyes. " I better go throw these dirty clothes into the washing machine." I grabbed my lantern and walked down the hall. I put my clothes in the washer, and then turned it on.

When I turned around Zeke was standing behind me.

"Zeke! You scared me !" I yelled.

"Oh I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you" Zeke replied with a friendly smile.

"It's ok, what are you up to?" I asked.

"Nothing much just getting some close out of the dryer"

"Sounds like a blast" I laughed.

"Definitely" he chuckled.

"See ya" I said as I walked away. He just waved back. I went back to my room and shut my door behind me. I put my lantern next to my bed and looked at my alarm clock as I did this. It read: 9:28 A.M
02/21/17

I didn't pay much attention to it at first, but then I realized that it said 02/21/17.
"I can't believe I didn't know. Today's my birthday!"I said to myself.

"I'm officially a teen ager today!" I smiled. My smile faded quickly though. I've never spent a birthday without my family, on my birthday if was different, it was my day, at least at home. Everyone at home was nice to me and every year mom would make chicken spaghetti for dinner and we would open presents by a fireplace, it was still usually cold out. Even though the cold never phases me, it's still nice to feel that really warm feeling next to the fire. This year would be different though. I don't think anyone knows it's my birthday, not even Matilda.
I blinked and a single tear rolled down my cheek I sat on the bed and put my head into the pillow, I realized how much I actually missed them. " I can't let anything happen to them. I can't let them be killed." I said to myself. "I have to come up with a plan. But how? I don't even know when the murder will take place. Ugh!" I cried.

There was a light knock on the door. I wiped away my tears and said " come in" while sniffing.

Joanne , Zeke, and Matilda were standing at the door, they all had gifts in their hands. "Happy birthday!" They said in unison.

"Thank you!" I smiled.

"Open your presents!" Joanne said sweetly.
"She's never been this nice to me before" I thought to myself.
Zeke leaned over to Joanne and whispered " I didn't know it was her birthday."

"I didn't either N- I mean Matilda told me" she realized I could hear.

Each of them handed me a gift

I got a pair of socks, another gown and a picture of my family.

"Thank you so much" I hugged all of them. Mostly thanking them for the last gift, not that I didn't appreciate the other gifts, but I mean I haven't seen my family's faces in days.

"You're welcome" Matilda said as they all hugged me back.

"Oh one second!" Joanne said and she ran out of the room. When she walked back in she handed me a cupcake that had a candle in it.
They all began to sing the toon of happy birthday that most people would recognize. Following that they said
"Make a wish"
I paused. And I closed my eyes. And for a second I thought about what my wish would be. I had two thoughts that popped into my head.
1. I wish that all of my questions would be answered. Or 2. None of this actually ever happened , I would be back with my family, It would've just been a dream, I thought that all of this that has happened would be a positive thing at first. I feel like I've just gotten more sad. Half the time I used to think it was my family and me being so different that made me so sad and upset all the time, but I was wrong, I miss my family, I guess just having them around lifted me up and now? Now someone at this place, I don't even know who yet, is going to kill them, I will never see them again. Not on this Earth anyways.

Now there's a choice that I have to make. Which wish. 1 or 2? I then realized that it doesn't even matter. Making wishes , whether it be wishing on stars, or as you blow out your candles, or as you blow all the seeds off of a dandelion, or an eyelash off of your finger, or just wishing in general is childish and after all of these years that I've spent on wishing I've realized none of my wishes ever came true , they never will. So there's no point in wishing in the first place.

So I decided to just close my eyes, make my lips in the shape of a tiny O and blow out the candle. Then I opened my eyes.

"What did you wish for?" Zeke asked.

"Oh..I..um..if I tell it won't come true...so I won't tell.." then I smiled hiding my emotions under the mask that is my smile.

Zeke chuckled and nodded his head to agree with my statement "that's true" he chuckled again.

Once again they all said " happy birthday" and hugged me tightly.