Chapter Three: Birthday Wish

CHAPTER THREE:

"Happy Eighteenth Birthday, sweetie. Make a wish," Mom smiles while pushing a giant ice cream cake towards me. There's two candles letting everyone know how old I am, the wax dripping onto the cake while the little flames flicker and shudder against the soft exhale from my lips.

I look at everyone surrounding me and the table, and I sigh in frustration. Leaning forward I blow towards the candles and watch as the flames are replaced by a cloud of smoke.

I wish they would just break up already!

Emma and Grace, my only friends, sit next to me in the restaurant. Nikki and Dean are across from me at the table, their eyes focused mainly on each other. The parents in the room, that is my mom and Dean's parents, sit and talk amongst each other. I am surrounded by people, but I can't help but feel completely alone. It's my birthday, and I should be happy. But, I just feel an overwhelming sense of boredom. Like I'm waiting for this night to be over, so I can leave the boisterous sounds of humanity and soak up the silence of my room.

"Happy Birthday, kiddo," Dean finally set his eyes away from Nikki and focuses on me. My heart flutters a familiar feeling, and I'm left a blushing mess after one look from him.

Nikki smiles and kisses his cheek, her lips lingering. She wipes at the lip stick she left on his cheek, then turns to me with a genuine expression of happiness. "Happy Birthday."

I stare at her, shocked, until Emma gently nudges her elbow into my side. "You want to go hang out in the bathroom for a minute?"

"But, cake," I hold up my plate and pout.

"Emotional eating is bad, you should make a pass this time, Sash," Emma grabs my hand and forces me to put the plate down. Grace looks overly excited, standing up so fast that she almost knocks her chair over.

"Girls?" Mom says as we head towards the bathroom, her interest peaked at Grace's behaviour.

"Bathroom, and girl stuff," Emma replies sweetly and then pulls me along, not waiting for a response from my Mom.

"So, what are you going to do? He's been with her how long?

"Well, they're living together. So, yeah, a long time now," I tell them. I sit on the counter in the bathroom, and flinch when I hear a flush in one of the stalls. An older lady walks out and raises her eyes at us. I scoot over on the counter so she can reach the soap dispenser.

Grace looks at the woman with a raised eyebrow, her foot tapping the floor impatiently. The woman dries her hands with paper towel and then throws it into a garbage bin. But she doesn't move from her spot.

"You're in love, darlin'?" She says to me. I blush, and look down at my lap.

"Then go get him. You're young. Make the best of it," she nods at me then leaves the room. We look at each other and laugh.

"How is that at family gatherings by the way? Do you call him your brother in law?" Both girls asked question after question, not letting me have a chance to respond to either of them.

"It hurts like hell. I've loved him for almost two years," I lean my head back against the mirror and look up at the ceiling.

"At least you don't have to hear them f*cking anymore," Emma says bluntly, making me look at her in astonishment.

"What? He must be a good f*ck or vice versa. How could your sister keep his attention this long?" Emma shrugs innocently, but Grace and I blush profusely. I remember all those times I'd hear them across the hall, and all the times I pleasured myself thinking it was me he was responding to. His grunts of pleasure had been such a turn on I'd fantasize about it constantly.

But then I'd remember that it was Nikki producing those sounds from him, and that he loved her and not me. It broke my heart, a little piece of me shattering every time I'd see them together.

"Listen, guys, I know I don't have a chance to ever be with him. And it hurts me to say that, but it's the truth. I have to move on from whatever this is," I tell them, feeling broken. It's my birthday, and right now I should be celebrating instead of drowning in self-pity.

Both girls look at each other and then back at me, "It's okay. Maybe one day you'll find someone who will make you feel the same way..." Grace holds my hand and squeezes it. I smile lightly at her, grateful I have these girls as my friends.

"I hope so," I nod and bring them in for a group hug. I breathe in their perfume and sigh, but we all flinch when the door opens.

"Girls," I lean back and see Mom standing there with the door half open.

"I got the cake packed up, and we're all ready to leave."

...

"My mom will kill me if she found out I was sneaking out, especially at this time of night. She's going to smack my ass until I pass out," I whisper yell as Emma and Grace have me rushing out into the night, moving down the front porch steps in haste. Tyler, Emma's older brother, flashes his car lights down the street, letting us know it's him.

"Easy, she won't find out because you won't tell her. And your ass will stay pale and perky as is," Emma shrugs, earning a blank stare from me.

"Oh, nice logic there. My ass cheeks feel much better already."

"Good," Emma smiles, turning to run across the lawn towards her brothers car.

"Hey girls! Happy Birthday, Sasha. Are you ready to get shit faced for the first time?" Tyler winks at me as I crawl into the back seat. Grace follows suit as Emma sits in the front seat beside her sibling.

"Thanks, and I guess..."

"She's extremely excited, aren't you, Sashie?" Emma gives me her famous stink eye. She told her brother that all I wanted was to have a party, and that my mom wouldn't throw me one with booze involved. I actually wanted to have a small get together, as I don't know a lot of people. But Tyler doesn't know his sister made a little white lie for tonight.

And what he doesn't know won't kill him.

"Don't worry, I'm not drinking tonight just so I can make sure the three of you are safe. I got your backs, girls. You're Tyler's Angels tonight!" Tyler shouts, pumping his fist in the air as he drives down the street.

"Yuck, I'm your sister. Get a grip, Tyler!" Emma sneers at him in disgust, moving closer to the car door.

Tyler laughs in response, shaking his head. He quickly holds up his hand, efficiently blocking Emma's fist from hitting him in the shoulder.

"Watch those bony knuckles! Damn, stop, you need to cut your nails!" Tyler screams as Emma hits him repeatedly, the car swerving.

I wished I had a playful relationship like that with Nikki.

"Here we are," Tyler turns off the ignition and then opens the driver side door.

"You're getting shittered tonight, Sasha. So prepare your liver," Tyler shouts while pulling me from the back seat. I almost stumble from the car and onto the cement, but he catches me in his arms.

"Already falling for me, are you?" He smirks but screams when Emma runs at him and kicks his calves.

"You aren't going to f*ck my friend. Piss off, Ty!"

He holds up his hands and he smiles, a mischievous look falling over his face. "Much noted, little sis!"

Walking into the house, we are immediately stared at. Especially me, since I look the youngest of the group. A cluster of guys point, laugh, and then ignore us. The music is so loud that we can barely hear each other, the bass blasting a force that hits me right in the chest from the intensity.

"Let's get a drink and then hit up the living room to dance!" Emma shouts to Grace and I, leading us into the kitchen where Tyler left to. He grabs three cans of Palm Bay from the a cooler on the counter, handing us one each.

"Don't set this down and keep it with you at all times. Most of the people I don't know here, besides the guys who laughed at you earlier. They'll leave you alone. But others, even if they did know you're all with me, they'll still try and get into your pants. Stick together. Need to pee, go together! Alright, kids?"

"Yes, dad," Emma yells back, hustling us into the living room to dance. There is a crowd of people already doing so, some a little more excited than others.

"Damn, get a room!" Grace trash talks a few couples, making Emma and I laugh. Shrugging, we all start shaking our hips and sip the bubbly pineapple drink Tyler gave us. For once, my mind is off Dean. I ignore every little sad feeling and instead focus on the music and movements of my body.

I'd never felt so carefree