As the candles on our birthday cake threatened to drip colorful wax and a variety of voices filled the room in multiple renditions of "Happy Birthday", I looked around and smiled at the group of loved ones.
On either side of me were the two girls that I had been lucky enough to call my best friends since birth, Ryder and Katie. It was their birthday too.
Ryder sung with her voice steady and her head held high. She was a natural-born leader and had wild blonde hair that matched her fiery spirit, which her mum always swore she got from her. She was pretty wealthy because her parents owned the huge restaurant franchise Rikki's (which was named after her mum), but she never let it get to her head. She wore normal clothes and only ever indulged in buying dirt bikes, which she raced competitively. She was more of a daddy's-girl since her and her mother butted heads all time. I wished I could be as outspoken and carefree as she was.
Katie sung softer, although she was the only one in the room with any real singing talent besides her mother. Katie Benjamin was a great surfer and gorgeous with a permanent tan and long blond hair, having inherited both from her mum and her dad. Katie had this laid-back attitude that was a refreshing break from Ryder's intensity. She was the sweetest girl ever and I could always count on her.
Ryder, Katie, and I had been practically sisters since before we were even born because our mums were best friends. I can't even start to tell you how many times I had heard stories about the invincible trio of Rikki, Bella, and Cleo, honestly, after awhile it got pretty sickening. I didn't know why they acted as if their lives were so exciting as teenagers. They sounded boring to me, but then again, what mums were exciting? All of our mums were young because they were just 20 when they had us. Ryder, Katie, and I also had almost the exact same birthdays, all occurring within a week of each other. I had heard our mums making jokes before when they thought I couldn't hear about us being conceived on a full moon, but I didn't want to even think about what that could be an allusion to. All of our families together made up a bigger, more dysfunctional one, and I loved it. Their families, the Benjamin's and Bennett's, were there to celebrate their daughters' birthdays as well as mine.
My mum stood at the other end of the table with the women that I referred to as Aunt Rikki and Aunt Bella, although we were not related by blood. They were glowing with a sort of happiness that people outside of their trio couldn't comprehend as they goofily swayed and sang. My mum stood in the middle, her hazel eyes shining with excitement over her oldest child growing up. Aunt Rikki had abandoned her usual cool attitude and played along, sticking out her tongue when I narrowed my eyes at her incredulously. Aunt Bella just grinned, her sweet singing voice ringing clearly above the rest.
The dads were scattered throughout the room. Mine was smiling, holding an ancient video camera to record the moment. He looked ridiculously uncool in his khaki slacks and fishing shirt, a blend of his profession and hobby, but I still loved him.
Ryder's father, Uncle Zane, was the complete opposite of mine. He wore a dress shirt with nicely tailored designer jeans. He was a young, handsome, and very successful man and this was reflected in everything he did. For example, instead of joining in the festivities, he stood in the corner typing away on his phone. I secretly wished he would come closer, knowing how much Ryder sought his approval, but shook the thought out of my head.
Katie's dad, Uncle Will was clowning around behind us, trying to ruin my father's video. He pulled funny faces and sung in an obnoxious falsetto in our ears. Uncle Will was always the most fun of our fathers and the one Ryder, Katie, and I went to when seeking permission for something controversial.
My little brother Max rolled his eyes at the song and went back to playing with Ryder's younger sister Ruby. The two of them usually didn't get along since Max was a kid-genius and Ruby was a total princess, but I guess they made an exception for our birthdays.
As the song drew to a close, the three of us collectively blew out our fifteen candles.
I, Ellie, was certain in my wish. I wished that this year would be the best of my life.
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"Allison? Alli, honey, wake up," I heard my mother whisper as she gently shook my arm.
I groaned back at her and rolled over in my sleeping bag. It wasn't exactly comfortable, but the thick polyester was welcome against the harsh cold of the Irish winter. There was no other furniture in our house, besides sleeping bags and lanterns. This moving ritual was fun when I was six when my parents and I pretended we were camping on an imaginary island called Mako, that my mom made up. Now, it was the beginning of all the troubles this move would bring me.
"Allison," she said, her tone sharper.
"What?" I snapped, sitting up.
"Happy birthday," she smiled. It was a tradition in the Dove family to celebrate as soon as the clock struck midnight. While this ritual had also been extremely exciting when I was six and got to wake up in the middle of the night, it was a bit bothersome at fourteen. Sorry, fifteen. Plus, this wasn't just a reminder that it was my birthday. This visit from my mom was a reminder that it was moving day.
"No, it's not," I said coldly, my words like a slap to her face. Her blue eyes grew moist and she bit her lip. The slip only lasted a few seconds, though, and she quickly regained her composure.
"Allison, you're turning fifteen, this is exciting! Come on, your dad and the baby are waiting in the kitchen with the cake." She got up off of the bare hardwood floor and dusted off her hands before offering one to me.
I knew this celebration was a peace offering- a way of showing me that the move to Australia wouldn't change the family, but I was skeptical. My parents had had been traveling for years now and one baby hadn't stopped them, so why would another make a difference? Why were they settling now, and why Australia? I was perfectly happy here in Ireland and had been for the past three years. I didn't want to be the new girl all over again. I didn't want Mom to think she had won, but I accepted the outstretched hand anyway, and followed her into the kitchen.
Standing in the doorway was my father, my infant brother in his arms. I didn't say it at the time, but I was jealous of Liam. He would get to grow up in a place that he belonged. I never had that as a child. When I was little, my parents and I had zigzagged across America, living in ten different places in my first ten years of life. I quickly discovered that I was not a wanderer like my mom and dad, and each move grew more difficult.
My dad sat down on the floor with Liam and my mom joined him, patting the space next to her. I sank with them, and Mom presented me with a cookie cake, my favorite. They sang a fast "Happy Birthday", though I tuned it out, choosing instead to focus on the contrast of the flicker of the primary colored candles and the blackness outside the kitchen window. Once the final stanza was sung, I blew out my candles.
My wish? For my secret to remain a secret, despite the move.
Hey guys, thanks for taking the time to read my story, I hope you liKe it! Let me let you in on a few things though before you get too emotionally invested and there's no way out:
1. I am very busy. I go to high school and college and play sports and have a job so things can get a little hectic so I
2. Write when I can. It may be a couple of days or a couple of months before I update, however
3. No matter how long it takes, I do intend to finish this story
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