Lag

4.

 "Here you go sweetie." Mrs. Timberland thrusts a red solo cup in my hands and sits down next to me on her spacious couch. The living room and dinning room were filled with a lot of people I have never seen before but with all the similar genetic genes floating around the estate all of these people were family. And I was not. 

I glanced down into the cup and thanked her politely. I watched her study me from the corner of my eye as i tried to pretend to take a appreciative sip of the fruit punch I really didn't like. "I appreciate you coming today." She says quietly.

"No, I appreciate the invite!" I say mechanically. She looks into my eyes and seems to read my unease. A small smile flickers at the edge of her lips. "You don't know what it means to him." she grabs my knee and shakes it affectionately before standing up and walking off to entertain her other guest. 

I glance over at Keenan who sits in a desk top swivel chair looking uncomfortable in his own house. I wonder who is the most uncomfortable here. Me or him?

"Cake time!" A loud proud boom comes from the kitchen. Keenan's father's face peaks around the corner and beacons him with his index finger. Keenan glances up at him momentarily and smiles after a moment and stands up to walk into the kitchen. Before he reaches the archway that leads into the kitchen, Keenan looks back at me and beckons with a slight smile, for the first time, and I follow him into the kitchen.

Keenan

 The nerves that have been plaguing me since this morning momentarily subsided as I guided Camille to the kitchen with the rest of the family. A moderate cake sat on the island in the middle so everyone could see. From the corner of my eye I see Camille take a seat next to Robert to watch the festivities. 

Mom places a proud arm around me and gives me a little shake. I smile up at her as she smiles down to me. Dad walks up and punches my shoulder playfully. "Happy birthday, son." I return his smile and look back at everyone staring at me. I know none of them are here to celebrate, only out of obligation as family members, but I don't have much to look forward to and it makes my parents happy to have any kind of turn out like this. Despite that sad truth, it makes me happy.

As they all sing happy birthday and pass the cake out to everyone my smile doesn't leave. It was only until Aunt Jessica's present did everything get ruined.

Thirty minutes later I was opening all of the presents. For the most part I got what I had asked for. Freddie Mercury CD's, Dancing with the stars posters. An autographed Dirty Dancing tee shirt. "Patrick Swayze signed it himself. We had a short interview with jimmy fallon and I was able to catch him before he left." 

Mom was glowing. I held onto the shirt tightly and hugged her around the neck. Dad clapped me on the back happily. "She wouldn't stop talking about it for weeks. Wanted to give it to you before your birthday and I had to talk her out of it." 

I smiled at them and glanced back through the crowd. Everyone had fake smiled plastered to their faces. Everyone except Robert. And as I look to the right of him i realized it wasn't just him. Camille had a small genuine smile playing at her lips. She doesn't know whats going on really. She doesn't know these people. But shes sitting over there sitting in a pool of strangers with the same smile on her lips the first time she saw me lag. And the second time she saw me lag. And shes still here. And it made me feel good. Until Aunt Jessica.

"I didnt know what you wanted to the boys picked it out." She dropped a small package in front of me. I glanced over at her two sons before I opened it, their smirks still etched on their faces.

I open the package and inside laid a cake that read "Happy Birthday LAG". Although I wasn't surprised my heart sank as I closed the box quickly. 

"What did you get, baby?" mom asked trying to peek over my shoulder to get a closer look. I shook my head. "It's just a pastry, mom. I'll eat it later." I try to shove the box to the side but her quick hand shot out and grabbed it.