The wind whipped at my face, making my hair blow back and my eyes sting. I didn't care. I kept running. Soon, the tears were flowing down my face, reminding me of Fish's heavy downpour that would soon if he knew the truth. I had to get out here.
Hold up. You don't know anything about me yet. Let me back up to a few weeks earlier.
My name is Lia Taylor. I'm 12 years old, well, almost thirteen, and it's almost time to get my savvy! How do I describe a savvy? A savvy is, well, a supernatural ability, I guess, that you get on your 13th birthday. My sister, Mackenzie, already has hers, she can fly. I remember the day she turned 13, I was only 8. It was really surprising, considering she was the oldest, the first one ever in our family to get her savvy.
She decided to have her 'family birthday party' (a tradition with my family, we get 2 parties, one with family, and one with friends.) as indoor party, because it had just started raining an hour before the party started. Little did we know that would be to our advantage.
"What luck!" My dad had proclaimed.
We didn't let that get us down, though, we took everything that was outside, and put it inside; me, just watching, being 8 and having quite the talent for dropping things.
We were just cutting the first piece of cake, when suddenly, I heard a creak on the ground, but not a walking creak. It sounded as if somebody were being picked up. I looked to where I heard the noise, and noticed my sister's feet were floating higher and higher off the ground. She was floating to the ceiling! I remember seeing her in the top corner, being pressed up against it, her face contorted out of pure horror. Our family stared at her, mouths wide open. That was seriously weird.
Though, I suppose having a sister that can fly could be useful. I'm known to be pretty short-I'm almost 13 and still the size of a 5th grader-so when I need something off the top shelf, I'll know who to call.
But then something stranger happened. We got a call, about 2 years later, from my aunt. My cousin Madelyn Dover was petting her cat, Pancake-named by the littlest Dover, Carson, who is now 6-when suddenly, tabby-coloured Pancake turned pink and purple. An hour later, the colour just vanished very quickly and abruptly, so Maddy pet her again, and this time she turned yellow. 4 minutes later, she was back to normal. Suddenly the ground beneath her feet started turning all colours of the rainbow, purple, blue, orange, yellow, green, red! It branched out and touched all corners of the house. They ran outside and saw their house to be rainbow coloured. It was unnatural. My other cousins, of course, were practically on the ground laughing, but Maddy looked she might be sick.
If my savvy turns out like that, I think I will be sick.
Finally, the day before my birthday. I couldn't stand it anymore. The one day in an entire year where it's my day, nobody else's. Of course, being the centre of attention wasn't my one life goal, it was just nice to be admired for a day. Unfortunately for me, my birthday is in the summer, which while it's great for BBQ parties, and s'mores-along-with-cake, there's one reason I wish I had a birthday during school: my locker.
Whenever there's a birthday at my school, all their friends will team up to decorate their locker and fill it with 'happy birthdays' and streamers and once, I even saw a balloon! I'm pretty sure my friends wouldn't think of doing that, it's not that they're dumb, they're incredibly smart! It's just they wouldn't think to something that big. But it's alright. I don't mind. Sometimes.
Besides, having a birthday in the summer meant I could have a sleepover with my friends any day I wanted, whether my birthday is on the weekend that year, or if my birthday is a day in the week. Usually, that's what happens. This year, though, things are different.
My mom told me that until we figured out what was happening to us kids, we weren't allowed a party when we turned 13, and by the looks of it, never again. Ever.
The day started just like any other day-except, earlier. I was so nervous the night before, I tossed and turned all night! I was surprised I didn't sleep in until 4. But nope, that day I woke up bright and early, at about 7:13, actually. I got dressed, and ran out of my room, to find that my parents weren't even up yet! I would've gone out for a walk, but since it was my special day,-even more special than most-I decided against it.
Instead, I decided to go on the computer. I pressed the button, and the computer screen lit up, illuminating the partly-dark room. The brightness startled me, and I jumped back. Realizing nothing bad was happening, I opened up the internet, and immediately, a web-search site popped up. I typed in, 'Savvy' in the search bar. All I got was definitions and a couple company names. I tried again, instead searching, 'age 13, powers'. Nothing useful.
This went on for what seemed like hours, so I finally gave up. I wasn't getting anywhere. I checked our mail, and right as I stepped outside, I saw our mailman giving us our papers.
"Hi, Mr Fournier!" I greeted. "Giving out papers early today, huh?"
He laughed. "Lia, I've told you time and time again, Mr Fournier is my father. Call me David!"
"Uh, maybe one of these times." I grinned.
"And yeah, I have to go on a trip today, I'm going to a wedding, my buddy Lester's, so I decided to deliver these early to get going before the traffic gets heavy."
"Smart. How far is your buddy Lester's wedding?" I asked, purely out of curiosity.
"Well, his wedding is all the way in the states! He's having his wedding at a friends house, somewhere near Nebraska and Kansas. But don't think of coming along!" He joked. That made me laugh. "Yeah, he's getting married to a really sweet girl, Lill, she'll really do some good for that guy."
"Wait, why is he having his wedding at a friend's house? Why not a church, or on a beach or something like that?"
"He said it'll remind them of how they met, at that it'll probably calm his nerves when he laughs at the memory of that day. Well, he said it with a lot more stuttering involved." He smirked at the memory of his friend.
"Well that seems pretty cool. Have fun, I guess, and good luck with your papers!" With that, I grabbed the papers in his hands and waved goodbye before heading back inside.
I leafed through the mail. Bill, coupon, coupon, for mom, coupon, for the Taylors, bill… I stopped reading. My breath caught. 'For the Taylors?' Who could be sending us this? Most of the family who wishes me happy birthday usually just sings the song on the phone, or sends me an email. Who could this be?
I opened the letter, and it read,
Dear Taylors,
We have recently found out that, though disconnected by many miles, (we live in a little place wedged between Kansas and Nebraska!) we are related to you. I have done a bit of research, and apparently, it's soon your youngest daughter, Leah's 13th birthday. We'd like to wish her a very happy birthday, and a good luck for this special day.
Our girl, Gypsy, turned 13 back in April. We've had many 13th birthdays, probably more rambunctious than most. If you experience this amount of rowdiness, we wish you the best!
If you get the chance to, we hope for you to write back. We have a few questions to ask of you, but that is all.
Our family is a bit, well, different than others. We have quite a few unusual talents lurking in our side of the family. So if you ever decide to pay us a visit, keep that in mind!
Happy birthday and best wishes,
The Beaumonts, Kales, and O'Connells
Jenny, Abram, Dinah, Thomas, Autry, Mississippi, Fisher, Rocket, Samson, Gypsy, Tucker, Fedora, Ledger, Marisol, and Mesquite
P.S. Our dear friends Lester and Lill, whom at the time are getting married, would like to wish you a happy birthday as well.
That letter sent my head spinning. More family? I already had tons of family I didn't know spread across Wisconsin. Now I have unknown family living in someplace between Kansas and Nebraska? Suddenly, I remembered what Mr David Fournier had told me.
"I'm going to a wedding, my buddy Lester's-"
"-somewhere near Nebraska and Kansas-"
"But don't think of coming along!"
Well now, I might just have a good enough reason to come along.