Birthday

"Kaia! Max! Come on!" Caitlyn shouted, they placed a cloth on the ground and were arranging the stuff they brought in the bag onto the cloth.

"Oh. We are preparing a picnic themed birthday for Shia. Come on, let's go Kaia." Max jumped up and ran ahead to her shouting, "Don't eat all the cake!"

"We haven't even put the candles yet!" Aliya shouted back. "Faith! Do you want to put the candles?"

"Yes! I've always wanted to do that but mama never allowed me to."

"Then have a go at it." Shia placed the cake in front of her.

"Really? You'll allow me to? But it's your birthday cake."

Caitlyn laughed, "Shia is everyone's older sister, and she is the happiest when everyone else is happy. Go ahead. Kai-"

She stopped mid-sentence and looked at Kaia who was staring at the abandoned building in the distance.

Why does she always make such a sad face? And why does her smile always feel so off?

"Kaia~" Caitlyn ran and jumped on her.

Kaia grunted as she struggled to steady the both of them. When she couldn't, she covered Caitlyn as they fell to the ground.

"Are you ok?" Shia shouted from the group, trying to make her way there.

"We're good!" Caitlyn stood up and shouted, shaking the dust off her dress. "Are you ok, Kaia?"

Kaia still lay on the ground, staring at the holographic clock in the sky. Looking at it felt like watching a ticking time bomb. She needs to find that boy again. She pushed herself off the ground, Caitlyn stretched out her hand.

"Here." She grinned at her.

She shook her head and got up by herself. She dusted herself off while scolding Caitlyn for just jumping on her.

"What if you had gotten hurt?"

"Sorry. But why didn't you want my help in getting up?"

"What if you fell again?"

"I won't. I'm strong. See?" She flexed her little arms.

Kaia gave a frustrated smile. She really can't stay mad at her, or any of them for that matter no matter what they do.

"Let's go. It's time to celebrate Shia's birthday."

"Yes! Cake! Come on." She dragged Kaia by her hands to the spot.

"Thank you for your help." Shia teased.

"'Sorry. I'll help clean up.' That's what Kaia said. And I'm sorry too. But I won't help in cleaning up."

"Don't worry. I'm just teasing and you do know I can understand her right, Caitlyn?

"I do. But sometimes I just want to translate. It's like Kaia has her own voice."

" Alright. Now. Is everyone ready?"

"I got the knife!" Max came running.

"We forgot the knife and Max had to run back home to get it." Aliya filled them in. "Wait! We have nothing to light the candles with!"

"I'm not going to be able to go all the way back again." Max frowned at Aliya. "Why didn't you remember sooner?"

"At least I remembered it."

"It's ok. We don't need to light the candles. We can just cut the cake." Shia tried to calm them down before another argument broke out.

"No. You have to make a wish first." Faith said. "What can you wish on?"

Kaia took out the stone Caitlyn gave her and held it out.

Caitlyn gasped. "That's a great idea, Kaia! Why don't you make a wish with this stone, Shia?" She took the stone from Kaia and gave it to Shia.

"But remember to return it to her." She whispered to Shia.

"I will," Shia whispered back then looked to Kaia. "Thank you, Kaia."

"Make a wish! Make a wish!" They chanted together as she held the stone close to her heart and closed her eyes shut, making the wish.

"Yayyy!"

The sky above slowly started to turn orange as they finished eating from all the spread in front of them. Talking, telling jokes and laughing.

Caitlyn brought the juice, Aliya and Max brought the plates and cups along with pizza and fruits. Shia brought the cake and a box she said held a 'surprise' for everyone. They ate all of Kaia's spaghetti then cut the cake.

"Butterscotch! Delicious! Thank you, Shia!" Aliya practically devoured the slice whole.

"Yeah. Thanks, Shia."

"Thank you, Shia!" Caitlyn and Faith said in unison, laughing at their timing.

"Oh! Kaia also says thank you. Uh, not that you don't know."

"Yes. You're all very welcome. Eat as much as you want. Also, your spaghetti was delicious, Kaia. Thank you."

Kaia nodded her head, throwing a smile at her direction.

Originally, Kaia was holed up in her Safe Haven. She didn't dare come out of her house for another three days. Just aimlessly roaming around the empty and quiet space, sleeping and drinking water.

She should have come out at that time and met up with them, even just for a few minutes. But she really couldn't fault her past self, who waited patiently every day for her father to come back. When he finally did, he was dead drunk. She would help him clean up and tuck him in, just for him to disappear the very next day again.

"Ok." Shia clapped her hands together, pulling Kaia back from her memory. "Who's ready for the surprise?"

"Me!" Caitlyn, Aliya, and Faith shouted.

"Can I sit next to you?" Max asked Kaia, who scoots over to make space for him.

"What happened? Don't you like the cake?"

She looked at the cake on her plate, she had barely eaten it. She felt a lump in her throat every time she took a bite.

She handed the plate to Max.

"You don't want it?" He asked taking the plate.

"It's a little too sweet for me. But it's still delicious."

"More for me I guess." He gobbled up the cake slice in one bite, surprising Kaia.

"I have to ask you something." He wiped the corners of his mouth with a tissue.

"What is it?"

"It's abou-"

"Kaia. Your turn. Choose!"

Kaia turned from Max to see a box of cookies right in front of her. Her breath started to get short and heavy looking at the assortment.

"Have the choco-chip! It's your favourite right?"

She couldn't tell if that voice was real or from her subconscious but it echoed all around her.

Her vision clouded as her chest felt tight. She struggled to take in another breath. In her ears, she could hear her blood rushing.

She felt her stomach churn as the smell entered her nostrils and bile rose to her throat.

She had to leave, she had to get out of there. She backed away as fast as she could, with her hands supporting her body.

Her hand landed on a rock, making her lose her balance as she felt herself fall.

Her scream got stuck in her throat as she fell. Laying on her back she felt her body become still as her vision became obscure.

"Kaia." Max tried to help her up as the others stared confusion.

When Max pulled her up, she suddenly pushed him away and ran to the side of the playground where the bushes grew and started to throw up.

Her throat and chest burnt while the ringing in her ears refused to go away. She struggled to breathe and throw up at the same time.

When she finally stopped, she sat back on the ground, exhausted.

"Kaia?"

Hearing her name, she backed away in a panic again.

"It's me. It's me. Shia. See?" She took her trembling hands and placed them on her face.

She is real. Not an imagination.

Kaia calmed down a bit when she felt her warm cheeks.

"Better?"

She nodded.

"Good. Here. I brought water. You're safe, ok, Kaia? No one's going to hurt you. I'll make sure of it." Shia handed her a bottle and reassured her. "I'll give you some space now. Come when you're ready, ok?"

With that, she was gone.

Kaia looked up at the sky, its bright orange colour seemed to mock her. It looked so happy when she felt so miserable.

♣

"How's Kaia?"

They all gathered around Shia, unable to understand what just happened.

"She's fine. She just had a panic attack. Thankfully hers didn't last any longer than this. She's calmed down now. We should leave her alone for a while. Come, let's clean up."

Caitlyn stared at the bushes where Kaia hid.

"Worried?" Max asked. "Yeah. Me too. Though it seems that Faith is taking it harder than the rest of us."

Faith kept walking to the bushes then coming back, then walking to them again, then coming back. Aliya seems to have noticed how uneasy she was so she pulled her away from the place, talking to try and get her mind off her.

"What do you think happened?" Caitlyn asked. "Why did she look so scared?"

"I don't know. But I read somewhere that when something bad happens, people change and they also become more scared of everything."

"But why would she be this scared of cookies? She always loved the choco chips one. She looked at it like it would kill her." Caitlyn said, throwing the empty plates and cups into the bin.

"I don't know." He looked at Aliya and Faith folding the blanket up, Shia had gone to buy more water and whispered to Caitlyn. "What do you think about her appearance now?"

Caitlyn near fainted when she realised that Kaia changed her appearance. She understands Max's feelings about Kaia with this new appearance. She is pretty, very pretty; but it's just not the same. She doesn't look like the Kaia they know.

"I want to know why she did it. But with this face or the other one, Kaia is still our Kaia. As her family, we should be patient and understanding, don't you think so?"

Max smiled, "Yeah, she may be a little different now but I can still see our Kaia."

Ever since her mother's death, Kaia has been feeling different. Caitlyn knows that this is Kaia and she chose this but, sometimes she looks like she's carrying the entire world on her shoulders.

"Kaia sometimes looks so lonely don't you think?" Shia suddenly appeared between the both of them, a sad smile on her face.

The two of them shouted and jumped away.

"When did you get here?!" Max yelled at her.

Kaia ran from the bush to them, more panic in her eyes.

"What happened? Who got hurt? Is everyone ok?" She signed so fast, Max and Shia couldn't keep up anymore.

"Whoa. Slow down, Kaia." Max grabbed her hands, quickly pulling them away and scratching the back of his head.

"Look around you, Kaia. Is anyone hurt?" Shia said, her tone calm and reassuring.

Nervously looking around, Kaia saw Faith and Aliya making their way to them, the cloth in hand. They were talking and laughing with each other.

She then looked at the three smiling at her.

Convinced that they were ok, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Don't scare me like that."

"We'll try, ok Kaia?" Shia changed her tone to the rest of them, like a commander. "Finished?"

"Done, ma'am!" Aliya shouted, standing in attention.

"How are you feeling, Kaia?" Faith asked her nervously.

"I'm good. I really am sorry if I sacred or made anyone uncomfortable. And I'm sorry I ruined the party."

Everyone stared at Max as he translated everything she signed.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Kaia. But, remember, we're here to talk if you want to, right?" Shia reassured her, gently.

She behaves like an adult when I'm the actual adult in a kid's body. I really need to step up.

"Ok. Fine. But. I never knew that you knew sign language this well. Since when did you know?" Aliya looked like she just discovered a dark secret of his.

"I've been studying up. Caitlyn shouldn't have to always translate for us." Max shrugged, trying to hide his nervousness.

"Awww~ Max. Thank you." Caitlyn beamed at him.

"Stop. Stop. Stop. Who are you and what have you done to my brother? Give him back!" Aliya shook him as she shouted.

"Hey, careful."

"Look! The sun is setting." Faith pointed to the sky as the sun slowly sunk behind some hills.

"It's getting late, we should get going home now." Shia took the bag she brought the cake in and slung it over her shoulders.

"Faith. Are you going with Kaia?"

"Yeah. My uniform and bag are still at her house."

"Ok. Be careful on your way back ok? Especially the both of you. I hope to see you again, Faith. Thank you so much for coming."

"Thank you for making me feel welcomed."

"Aww~ it's our pleasure. See you later, Faith! Kaia!" Aliya walked away with Max in an arm-hold.

Max waved at both of them as they walked away.

"Take care of yourself, Kaia! Otherwise, I'll come and kill you myself." Caitlyn shouted as she walked away with Shia.

"Ok."

"Thank you for today, the two of you." Shia waved at them disappearing around the corner.

"Happy birthday again!" Faith shouted.

♣

"She's so pretty, oh my gosh." Faith couldn't stop talking about Shia on their way home. "Her skin's not light, like mine but she's so pretty. Right, Kaia?"

Kaia nodded her head, she felt happy seeing her enthusiasm.

The sun was still over the horizon when they made their way back. The orange sky stretched as far as the eye could see.

Everything was so warm and peaceful like all was well with the world and Kaia wished she could pause time at times like this.

"Mama is beautiful too but I have to say, Shia's much prettier. Don't tell mama though. Ok?"

Kaia put one hand over her heart and another up in the air and mouthed the words, "I promise."

After all the laughter died down, Faith turned to Kaia and said, "Thank you for introducing them to me, Kaia. You're a good person."

Kaia shook her head and was about to sign, but Faith stopped her.

"Nope. I don't want to hear anything you have to say. Oh, there's your house now. I think someone's waiting for you."

Kaia frowned when she saw the man standing at the porch.

Why is he here? He shouldn't be here until next week, according to my diary.

"Kaia! There you are. Where have you been?" He slurred, seeing her.

She could practically smell the alcohol from where she stood.

Good thing he is such a lightweight. He becomes so meek when he's drunk, falling asleep in seconds of laying on the bed.

"Who is that, Kaia?"

Kaia pulled Faith behind her, trying to hide her from him. But she was a little late, he already noticed her and was making his way to them with wobbly steps.

He stretched his hand out, unable to even stand straight. "Are you Kaia's friend? Nice to meet you, I'm her father."