Stronger than the Rest

Chapter 15 | Birthday

"If you're going to go through hell ... I suggest you come back learning something." - Drew Barrymore

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I woke up sweating on the day of my birthday -- recalling the events of the worst night of my life. The same night that I last saw my brother. I had the same nightmare I always do and my hopes for having a normal birthday, well, that is not happening today. I will never have a normal birthday for the rest of my life.

I can hear a FaceTime call coming from my computer on my desk against the calm sounds of early fall outside in North Carolina. I stay almost paralyzed in bed as my phone and computer continue to buzz and make noises. Megan, I assume is the one calling me. I can hear my mom and dad murmuring downstairs. I can hear Jack whining slightly outside my door waiting to say good morning to me. I usually let Jack sleep in my room, but I didn't want him to be woken up by my nightmare this time.

I lay in bed for what seems like hours before I am able to calm down and sit up in bed. My mom and dad come into my room with Jack a few moments later. They had put a little birthday hat on Jack as he jumped into my lap with his ears down giving me the sweetest puppy face. My mom and dad were smiling tentatively with a box that indicated they got my Munkin's from Dunkin Donuts. 

I look up at my parents, my mom with a solemn smile as her face. I smiled warmly at them, "Thank you, guys. I love you."

"We love you, too, honey." My dad replies as he kisses my cheek. My mom gives me another small smile before she stalks out of the room. I look after her, a little hurt that my mother still cannot stand to see me without Leo. My dad looks at me apologetically.

"She's never going to be able to look at me the same, not since he died, is she?" I ask my dad though I already know the answer.

My dad puts the donuts on my nightstand as he sits down next to me on the bed. Jack moves to lay his head on my lap while my dad takes my hand in his. 

"I honestly don't know, honey. She's still hurting and part of her is lost -- she doesn't know how to get past it."

I get so anger with my mother because I was the one who had to watch my brother die in front of me and it feels like I lost my mother as well. My whole life has been turned upside down and my mother won't even look at me on my birthday anymore. She's being selfish because she wasn't the one who was there when my brother was murdered. 

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Walking into school after the birthday donuts and puppy kisses, I kept a low profile with my outfit by just wearing Adidas soccer pants with a maroon muscle top. I put my hair in a side braid and opted for my glasses today. No one should know that it's my birthday today; however, I want to keep my interaction with humans to the absolute minimum. 

I round the corner of the hallway to my locker and I come to a complete stop at the sight in front of me: Landon at our lockers but a certain girl is pressed up against mine. 

I see Landon nuzzling his nose against the girl's neck. Once he moves his head, I catch a glimpse of the girl in question and I am not the least bit surprised when I see who it is.

Completely done with the day already, I go over to my locker and grab Landon by his hair to pull him away from Madison. I catch him completely by surprise as he groans and yells, "What the hell, Rosalie?" He pulled five feet away from Madison and I while glaring at me, rubbing the back of his neck.