It's Someone's Birthday

I smile slightly as I watch my mother carry my birthday cake into the dining room. Her feet move in that manic way of hers as she scurries out of the kitchen. It's nice that someone still cares about me. The minute I died, it seemed as if everyone forgot about me- except my mother that is.

She was always by my side, so even though my mother was slightly eccentric (that would be putting it nicely), she was mine. Therefore, I was hers.

After hearing a commotion coming from the dining room, I hop off of the counter I'd been sitting on. With a sigh I make my way into the dining room.

I walk in on a scene I'd seen many times before. Mother is in the corner shaking uncontrollably while "father-dearest" pitifully tries to comfort her. The sight is almost laughable. My dad should know by now that the only one who can help mom is her son- me. As usual Natalie is sitting at the dinner table. Her head is held in her hands, her curly brown hair wild, and her lips moved in silent mutterings to herself. Poor kid I thought. As much as I mocked her, I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. I mean her family is pretty fucked up.

I was about to go over to my mom when I noticed something. More like someone. Sitting next to my sister was some kid wearing a Rasta colored sweatshirt. He had brown hair that just managed to hide his blood-shot eyes. Obviously the kid was a stoner. Why was my sister with a stoner? Of course Natalie manages to find the only person as fucked up as her family to date. Typical. Let's just say that as her older brother, I certainly don't approve.

Just as a loud sob erupts from where mom's standing, Natalie storms out, the stoner following close behind. For a moment I thought about following them to make sure that kid didn't try anything with my sister, but knew I had to help Dianna. She hadn't forgotten me, so I won't forget her.

Reluctantly I trudge towards the chaotic scene that was my mother. I can't help but feel deja-vu considering that this happened on almost every single one of my birthdays for as long as I can remember.

As much as I love chaos, this scene was getting old. For once I want a normal birthday with no crying or screaming. I wanted to be like a normal seventeen year-old. Of course that's out of the question, so I do exactly every year.

I head over to mom and wrap my arms around her small frame, urging her to stop crying.

"Shh, Mom its okay. Dad just doesn't understand," I say soothingly as I wipe a tear that had fallen from her eye.

As usual I blame everything on my father. He sees me. I know he does. He just chooses to ignore me, and I can't stand it.

"Am I crazy? Everyone tells me I'm crazy!" Dianna exclaims with a frantic look in her eyes.

"No mom you're not crazy. I promise," I say with a slight chuckle.

Once I see that she's calmed down, I begin to fade away. Before I completely disappear, I faintly hear my mom whisper,

"Happy Birthday Gabe."

X FIN X