"Jack! Stop it! Get off!"
"Well you need to wake up! It's your birthday!"
Jamie woke up instantly. I got off of him.
I had jumped on top of him to wake him up. I landed standing up and stayed there until he awoke.
The clock had said 7:00. Wasn't that late enough? I woke up at five after all… I would've slept longer but I had a bad feeling about today. It was an odd feeling but I could tell Jamie felt the same way under all his excitement.
We sprinted downstairs to Jamie's mom making fruit yogurt parfaits, pancakes, and sunny side up eggs. I sat down next to Jamie and started taking spoonfuls of my parfait. It was delicious and the fruit was ripe.
Sophie pouted when she saw me in her spot but then sat on my lap. I didn't mind much.
"Hey Jack," Jamie said with his mouth full, "Can you teach me how to do a backflip?"
"Sure. How about after we finish?"
He nodded quickly and we finished in record time. We sprinted back upstairs and I taught him the basics of the flip while Sophie hopped off to her ballet class. It was her first class so she couldn't skip it for her brother's birthday.
After we did that, I made sure my present for Jamie was nicely wrapped. It was something I knew he didn't have. I had to use it once for an added little extra to the present.
I added a bow onto the gift along with a sticker that read;
'To Jamie,
From Jack'
I knew three things for sure. One, he didn't have it, I checked with his mom and everything. Two, he would absolutely love it. Three, he is a spoiled brat and lucky I'm such a good friend.
A few hours later…
"Jamie!"
"Yea mom?"
Sophie came running in yelling 'PRESENT TIME!' whilst jumping up and down on Jamie's bed. I laughed in amusement.
We ran down stairs while Jamie's mother was telling him to open mine last.
After opening all the other gifts, he finally got to mine. He grabbed it and quickly tore off the wrapping paper; not even bothering to shake it like he did with the others.
Five
Four
Three
Two
One
"Oh. My. GOSH. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I have wanted one for, like, EVER!"
He ran up to me and latched onto my waist. I thought he would never let go until I told him that there's some videos and photos he might want to look at on his new IPad.
For the next three hours, we were watching the video nonstop and giggling like school girls. I thought and hoped this moment would last forever.
Jamie's mom came in with fresh tears in her eyes with the phone in one hand and the other motioning over all three of us.
She pulled us into a group hug and cried.
"Guys, I-I-I am so sorry. I-i-i-it's your father. He errmm. I don't know how to tell you this. But your father, Jamie and Sophie, is umm dead. A b-b-bomb went off. Terrorism they say."
I could tell she was starting to go insane when she broke into a full on laughing fit saying how funny it is to prank their family like that. To tell you the truth, she was starting to scare me. I knew that if it scared me, the children of this madwoman would be utterly horrified.
Then in a voice with a strength even I couldn't believe, I told her, "Emily Bennett, stay strong for your children. If you go mad, they will die of starvation. Either you calm down or I will run off with them."
1712
"Mom! Stay strong for us! Please! If you stay mad, we will die of starvation; you know how tough it can be! Either you calm down right. This. Instant or I will run off with Rosie and we'll live in the forest and never, EVER, see you again. Why would we stay with a woman who can't even care for her own CHILDREN! Mother, please, get everything under control! I love you mom! I do! Just get back to normal, PLEASE! Can't you hear my plea of help? We're suffering father's loss too! WE'RE JUST KIDS AND WE'RE ACTING BETTER THAN YOU! I thought that it would all be okay because you would guide us through this but I was NEVER more wrong in my life! Mother, I love you. PLEASE!"
Present time
I watched Emily Bennett grow up. I knew something great was attached to that young girl who played by herself. I watched her fall in love with a man who didn't mind her lonely way of life. I watched them have children. I also watched as she broke down in complete tears.
Only this time she hugged me, as now she could see me. Under certain circumstances, yes, but it felt different.
It felt similar.
My mother, not unlike Jamie's mom, had also broken down. My sister and I managed to get her well enough. Even though she was too broken to keep our family living, we didn't run away. I stayed with her until I died and awoke with no memories.
Luckily enough, Emily Bennett was different. She didn't completely break like my mother did. She calmed down and they stuck together as a family. We watched the prank I pulled on my teacher and all four of us had calmed down ever so slightly. It was only the beginning but I knew it would get better.
Now I knew that Emily will stick with her children every step of the way to getting back to their usual lives.
Even with his brand new, sparkling IPad, Jamie Bennett declared this birthday the worst birthday in the world. And I didn't even blame him.
After all, my father died on Christmas. In place of where he was buried, there was a single lone snowdrop.
I never guessed a million would be planted around the lake that I died in, but the day after I became a spirit, there they were. Along with a message on the ice that read in the messy handwriting of my sister,
'R.I. P.
1698-1712
Here lies Jackson Overland Frost
My dearest brother, I will never forget you.
When I die let's play a game
We could even play for the rest of eternity
Playing hopscotch in heaven
If you aren't there, I'll wait
I'll wait for you to climb out of that lake.
We will spread mischief forever in life or death
I will stay strong
You just have to believe in me.
I will love you forever
You saved me
Thank you
December will always be the hardest month for us all
I will meet you up later and we can be the best siblings the world has to offer
Hand in hand
Our father and mother chasing after us like the old days
Don't forget me…
I will NEVER forget you Jack'