70 Days Of Summer

Day 15

Paige jumps out of bed and attacks me with pillows and screams,
" It's my birthday!"
I glance at my watch and it beeps to signal an hour. It's 9:00 am.
" Just 5 more minutes" I say closing my eyes again.
" ohhhh, 5 more minutes! Well, I could wait 5 more minutes but the hot waffles calling our names, waiting for us to drizzle fresh homemade maple syrup on top in the kitchen can't wait 5 more minutes without turning into rocks," she says mockingly.
" Belgian waffles" I say interestingly.
" very Belgian. Not a hint of Americanness," paige says twirling around.
" ok let me just brush my teeth," I say getting up.
" oh and, happy birthday paige," I say realizing that it's her birthday.
" see you in 2" she says smiling weirdly.
I brush my teeth and walk to the kitchen where the smell of beautiful, sweet hot waffles await me.
Vanessa is wearing her bright green nightie and for the first time ever her dad is there. Like woah! He is very, very, very short! Catalina is taller than him. He has a shaved beard and his face is small and grubby. He is wearing track pants, a dirty blue t-shirt, and disgusting cheap brown leather slippers they sell in the roads of Africa.
There is a large plate full of waffles and whipped cream and maple syrup on a plate with a sign saying birthday girl. There is another plate with the same stuff but no sign opposite the other plate, which is my plate. My plate is right next to her dad.
" sit, sit girls! Happy birthday sweetie" says Vanessa hugging paige while frying a masala omelette for her dad. We sit down and I scootch to the edge of my seat, as far away from her dad as possible. He smells like cigarettes and tobacco and there is dandruff in his hair. He smiles at me with his crooked buck teeth which are yellow/brown due to all the smoking, and he says,
" hello."
" hi" I say quickly and start eating my waffles looking carefully for any loose pieces of dandruff. We eat for 30 minutes and change into our party clothes that we bought. I check my phone but there is nothing from Cassie. We hop into the minivan, with the party supplies and food and Yina comes with us. Yina is wearing a very pretty yellow swing dress with ruffles and yellow baby sandals. We rented a small area away from the pools and water slides so we can be in peace. We're one hour early so we set up the picnic, and piñata and relax. I decide to call Cassie just incase she has thought about my lecture yesterday. It rings and rings and rings and nobody picks it up. I sigh and go back to the picnic mat as the guests start to arrive. The first person is Catalina of course. She looks fabulous in a Chloe crop top and hollister high waisted shorts paired with a Marc Jacobs shoulder bag.
" hey" she says handing paige a very fancy black box with the words CHANEL printed on them and a black ribbon tying it together.
"Oh wow!" Exclaims Vanessa doing pretending to be shocked and falling back, but it only makes her tummy jiggle in her tank top.
" thanks" paige says hugging Catalina. Our friend Libby arrives, and she is one of our close friends. She is very punk and she shaved her head so that she has a flat mohock in the middle of her head. Her dad is a fisherman so they live in a very small cabin by the river, and her mum is a drug addict who is in and out of rehab. She walks over in black stockings, black skirt, and a black turtleneck even though it is 29 degrees outside.
" hi" she says dully handing paige a small box. Her dad never makes enough for holidays. The farthest she has travelled is Wisconsin. It's very awkward with all of us just staring at the grass. Our friend Mary-Beth arrives, and she and paige and I have had a rough relationship before but we are all pretty much friends now. Catalina does not know her very well because Mary is a serious good girl. She is wearing a baby pink and white striped button up blouse tucked into her white past knee skirt which is pulled up to her tummy. Her long blond hair is pulled into 2 pigtails, her dorky circle glasses placed carefully on her nose, and her Mary Janes are bleached white.
" hi. How are you?" Squeaks Mary handing Paige a large baby pink wrapped parcel. We all start to talk, Libby and Mary sitting far away from each other as possible. Partly because one is all frowns and the other is all smiles. Our friend Ashley arrives and she is very mean and a rich brat but we went to school with her when we were young and we love hanging at her house. She is wearing a Puffy pale pink Versace skirt, Pucci tank top, Gucci pale pink leather jacket, and white heels. Her hair looks freshly curled and did I mention she is extremely spoiled? " hello" she says snobbishly dropping a large box on the floor. She sits down carefully as if the mat is dirty and places her Dior handbag firmly on her lap. Catalina and Ashley are neighbors because they are both rich and their parents love each other even though they hate each other. Finally the last guest arrives. Brenda is our friend who we get into fights with very often. She is very anti-social but very happy and giddy and could never live without coffee. Coffee is her life. She is wearing skinny jeans and a Cami and sipping from her coffee bottle as she flip flops over squinting her eyes. She is not used to the sun.
" what's up guys?" She exclaims twirling around and throwing a medium size heavy box to Paige. We chat for awhile and eat at 1:30. We have sandwiches and punch and some snacks. I call Cassie after lunch and start to get worried. She is still not picking up. Wait. Isn't she the one who has to apologize?? We play pin the tail in the donkey and Brenda wins. After we break the piñata and Libby is the one to break it. It's 5 and there is still another hour of the party so we chat for awhile. I go on the side and call Cassie but she doesn't pick up. She has to pick up! I ring her multiple times but she doesn't pick up and I get worried. I hang up and get a a call from a random number and pick it up.
" hello" I say awkwardly.
" is this Clara Clipton?" Asks the voice non- chalantly.
" yes, who is this?" I reply nervously.
" it seems your sister, Cassie Clipton, was admitted to the 'sunny day' hospital some minutes ago unconscious," explains the lady.
"I'll be right over," I murmur tears dropping down my cheeks.
" Clara, what's wrong?" Whispers paige coming over to me.
" Cassie is in the hospital" I whisper crying into her shoulder.
" oh no! My mum can drop you there and I will only tell Catalina of that's what you want," offers paige sympathetically.
" I think I'd like to go myself, on a bus or something" I say not thinking clearly.
" ok" whispers paige letting go of me. I wipe my tears away and say bye and run to 'sunny day' hospital letting the tears roll down. I still can't think properly. Once I get there I run to the reception and scream,
" Cassie, Cassie clipton! My sister she was admitted.... I'm Clara.... Her sister, please, please I need to see her. How is she?"
The nurse tells me to calm down and I scream at her and then she tells me,
" it seems your sister has had an overdose of tobacco and she is not allowed any visitors. She is still too weak. Doctors are keeping an eye on her, but the only thing you can do is sit here and wait for awhile." She leads me to some chairs outside a room and I glance through the glass windows and on the room is Cassie looking lifeless and connected to machines and tubes. I hold back tears and ask,
" will she be ok?"
" we hope, but she seems too be doing very well. We are aware of your parents situation and I'm sure Cassie is glad to have a sister like you around," explains the nurse. I sit and wait outside watching people wheel by on tray lifters and doctors running around hallways. I get a call from mum and pick up.
" oh Clara! I've heard about what has happened with Cassie. Oh my! How could this have happened? She's always been a good girl! How could you let this happen? Never mind that! I'm sure you understand we have payed a lot of money for this retreat almost $50000 and to leave it would be a shame but you should know that your dad and I have already arranged a rehab area for Cassie after and you can stay with paige and oh dear there is too much going on! " blurts mum into the phone.
" okay mum, I have to go now, love you," I say handing up and walking into the room as the nurse leads me. I gasp and tears fill my eyes as I look closer at Cassie's pale face. I hold her hand and start to say sorry for screaming at her and saying all the horrible things. I stay there for a while and the nurse brings me a packaged burger. I'm too sick to eat but the nurse make me and I spend the rest of night talking to Cassie. Eventually I fall asleep my hand on hers, and heart with hers...