The new chapter is here at last. I combined the chapter one and two and make it in to this.

It's been so long since I updated this story. Tell me what you think.

I was woken up by the loud ring under my bed that literally made me jump. An annoying sound that makes me so badly to throw it out the window.

I shifted my position so now I'm facing the door while pushed some of the stands of my hair behind my ears unconsciously. The bed feels so cozy that I feel like closing my eyes and turning back to sleep again but the annoying sound keeps pulling me to stay awake.

Whoever was it that invented the alarm clock is an evil genius, he doesn't only knows how to ruin my sleep but also my entire mood.

Now that I can't go back to sleep even if I wanted to, I decided to stick to my Plan B and that is, get up, throw the alarm clock outside my window, and start the day with a scowl on my face.

I was stretching my arm when I heard a really loud knock in my door that once again startled me.

Seriously what's with today! They've been scaring me twice now.

The person on the other side knocks again but this time does it without stopping. Like a kid that won't stop bugging you unless you gave him a piece of candy.

I walk a big step to the door and open it with a big frown on my face. Eyebrows meet, angry eyes, and lips in a thin line. All that vanish when I saw what's waiting in front of me. Just then my cell phone began to ring too but I didn't move a bit.

For me it's the biggest gotcha of all time. My dad holding a banner saying "Happy 15th birthday", while my older brother was there holding a chocolate cake with vanilla icing trying to steal a lick from the icing.

I can't believe they're making a fuss about my birthday. I specifically told them not to do anything in my birthday. No cake, no surprises, no stupid present. I'm such a foolish for thinking that my family would listen this time to the favor I've been asking for years. I probably look stupid right now with my mouth hanging open, trying to absorb everything.

Of all the special holidays I could think of, birthday is my least favorite. It's a selfish day of the year when you expect everyone to treat you nicely. But what I hate the most about this day is that this is the day of embarrassment and humiliation.

I can already imagine how the day will turn out. I can imagine my brothers calling me "there's the birthday girl" every time and then clap or whistled every time they have a chance. I can imagine my dad hugging me telling me how my mom would love to see me all grown up now. Is living with them is not enough?

Just standing there looking at them I can already feel that this is going to be a long day.

OoOoOoOo

"Happy birthday little sis!" my older brother, Tsubasa, greeted me. His smile is so big that I swear for a second I hear an evil laugh come out of his mouth.

"There's the birthday girl!" Tono said smiling too. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Happy birthday honey!" My dad greeted me with a tight hug; I almost pushed him hard when he almost broke my ribs.

"Yeah," I said half smirking, "Happy Birthday to me."

"Can we go downstairs now?" Tsubasa said rubbing his belly, "I'm starving."

"Hey Tsubasa, is today your birthday?"

"No, but--"

"Then shut up."

We all went downstairs while I tried to keep myself calm from all the whistle my brothers' making. I'm an expert in this thing. They sang the happy birthday song (which I looked at them half-amused and half-embarrassed) and shouted protests when I refused to blow the candle in my cake.

After all the arguing on what to do first, they all decided on opening the gifts first which I refused to do again. See I'm a expert and a rebel here, nice huh!

"Ok, let's open my gift first," my dad said handing me a small, flat box, after they outnumbered me by two votes. "I hope you like it"

This better be good. I thought. For the past years they always gave me something a person will not appreciate unless you are stupid and not normal; like giving me a sanitary napkin in the shoe box the first year I got my period. They thought it would be funny if my friends see it. After the incident, I became a laughingstock in my school for a whole month that by the end of it my two brothers were beaten up badly personally by my doings. I thought that I finally stop the tradition of the bad birthday gift in the house but it never occurred to me that they might seek revenge.

As I tear the gift wrapper slowly all eyes were at me. I'm not used to all the attention that I'm receiving that it makes me uncomfortable in my own seat. It's like seating in a hot seat while people look and asks about your personal life. The faster the better I said to myself.

What the-- It is a pink mirror! No surprise in here. I put a fake smile and turn to my dad waiting for some compliment.

"Thanks dad, it uhmm really p-pink." That is the first thing I can come up with. I look at my two brothers holding their mouth trying not to laugh. Stupid brother, I murmured to myself.

Great, why the heck he will give me pink mirror. He knows I hate girly stuff. And for all the things he can give me, he chose a mirror?

"I know," as if he reads my mind. "You hate pink and girly stuff. I just want you to start you know...be a little more...woman….now that you're fifteen."

"Since when do you care?" The question turned out sharply than I intended.

"Ok, that's enough, Mikan, open my gift next." Tono said. He handed me a green paper bag.

"So, what is it?" I asked before opening it.

"Just open it, will you?"

I hesitated for a minute before I took out the gift inside the paper bag. Inside is a red notebook with a matching white pen. The gift is fine just one thing that makes me want to hit him so bad, the front page of the notebook had a word LOVE on it surrounding with hearts.

This is one of the reasons why I don't let my friends celebrate my birthday with this idiotic family.

"Do you like it? I can guarantee you it's better than last year."

I will never let Tono bury me in humiliation. Not today now that I woke up in a wrong side of the bed.

"Of course I like it." with an obvious sarcasm in my voice

"Mine is next, mine's next" Tsubasa said excitedly.

I don't want another piece of junk. Just one more and I'm done. Sighing loudly.

"Fine, give it to me" I said in irritation

"Can you be a little bit more excited? I get the feeling you don't want this gift." he said putting a phony sad face

I frowned at him, "If you want me to at least get excited then give me something...." I stop trying to look for the right word, "I don't know...something NORMAL!" I shouted at him but more to all of them.

"Yeah, like that's gonna happen." Tono said in a small voice just enough for me to hear it.

Tsubasa handed me a small square box wrapped in a messy gift wrapper with a grin on his face that makes me more irritated.

I open it quickly, already bored at this lame game. I was shocked when I saw a black and white beanie hat made just for winter.

"Oh my gosh, I love it" I said really ready to hug Tsubasa "Where do you get it?" I asked gleefully.

"Some connection." he said proudly.

I look at my new hat happily. Wait a minute--, this looks really familiar, and as I examined the hat I saw a letter M stitch inside of the beanie hat.

I turned to Tsubasa anger and said, "I cannot believe you stole my hat! This is my mine, I brought with my own money! I've been looking for it everywhere and you stole it?!" I said loudly enough for them to cover their ears.

"Yeah." he said wearing those winning smile as though he's not affected on what I just said.

"Urgh! I hate you!" I said as I walked out of the room, went upstairs to my room and throw the presents on my bed.

I will get them back someday. I promised myself, attempting to do an evil laugh but fail badly.

I'm fifteen, but didn't feel any different. Nothing changes. I'm lying in my bed like any ordinary day. I'm still the short tempered girl who was always the first one to walk out of the room when arguments start. There's nothing different about this day. That's for sure.

-;-

My mother died on the day she gave birth to me. My birthday, though I don't blame myself for it. My dad told me once that she was really sick the time she learned she's two months pregnant. He told me that she always wanted a girl in the family and was happy when they found out about my gender.

I heard that her mom, my grandma, was against the pregnancy. She taught the baby inside her belly, me, might die because of her weak health. She persuaded my mom into abortion that turn into a fight between them.

Grandma was wrong after all. Like she always is. It wasn't me that die but my mom. I don't know what happen when grandma heard the news regarding my mom dying, but there is only one thing I'm certain about this. I might feel sorry and agree with her if grandma wasn't a witch at all.

So the beginning of my story was I had to live at this pathetic house full of idiots. I have two brothers; my tonouchi (for short Tono) and Tsubasa. If I have to describe them it would be words that have synonyms with: annoying, lazy, obnoxious.

Good thing I keep this motto to myself; "I DONT HAVE TO LOVE THEM, I JUST HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THEM."

Since there isn't any girl in my house except for the annual visit of my grandma, I got in to the hobby of not caring about my appearance. My dad never made an effort to dress me like a doll (Which would be croppy if he ever did). It was my grandma's job. A job she's really bad at. I remember fake crying everytime she made an attempt to put an itchy and heavy dress on me. She would lecture me for hours and hours about how a girl who soon to be a young lady should act which was totally boring. Sometimes I would hide or run away everytime she visited.

Those times she's not within the radius of our neighborhood I learned how to climb a tree in our backyard, experienced to play video games non stop, and eat in the living room. Something my grandma would not approve of.

Those times are the best. The feeling of freedom. I can breathe freely without her telling me how a girl should breathe. I can do whatever I want without looking anxiously in my back to see whether she approve of it.

Now that I think about my birthday today is no exception. I know she's planning something for me. Thinking what her plan might be send shivers in my body that made me get up on my bed and paced around the room. Today is not an ordinary day after all. As long as I can feel her presence there is never going to be an ordinary day.