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Chapter Three: Sweet sixteen

Eight years later

California-

"Are you excited for your renaissance masquerade dance party?" Mrs. Brown asked the moment Eliyah join the others at the table for breakfast. Today was her sixteenth birthday. A few months ago she excited about it. Even though the theme was odd. She had invited a lot of people who were sure to bring more people. However, now Anna was no longer with them and now Eliyah had no want to dance.

Last month Anna go into a fight with the FP s and she ran away. Things had just gotten so bad. They were fighting every day. Anna could not please them, and they could not please her.

"Yeah I suppose," Eliyah answered with a shrug.

"Oh honey. I know you miss Anna, but this family is better without her." Mrs. Brown said as she poured Eliyah a glass of milk.

"Wow, why don't you tell me how you really feel?" She snapped. Anna was not that bad, and this 'family' was never much of a family.

"Eliyah, mind your manners," Mr. Brown said as she shoveled eggs into his mouth.

Eliyah was going to argue, but thought better of it. It was not like fighting with them would bring Anna back here. She was gone and now she couldn't come back even if she wanted to. This whole situation sucked.

Eliyah asked to be excused when her pocket vibrated. She had been secretly in contact with Anna. She would have gone mad otherwise. Once she was given permission to leave the table she zipped to her room.

"Hello?" She answered quickly and quietly.

"Happy birthday!" Anna yelled on the other side.

"Hold on," Eliyah whispered. She went to her stereo and turned it on, putting the volume as loud as she was allowed to put it. She then went into her small walking closet. "Okay. Thank you," She said to Anna. "How are you?"

"I am great Eli. You have no clue how awesome it is be ride of the FP s." She said happily. "It's drab that I can't be there for your big one six though." She added. Anna was always coming up with weird ways to talk. She used to do it to drive the FP s nuts, but now it is out of habit.

"I am glad to hear from you. I was getting worried." Eliyah said.

"Oh Eli," Anna said. Eliyah could almost see Anna waving her worry away with her hand. "I am perfectly safe. I have told you before, I can take care of myself."

"I know that Anna, but we have never been apart this long before. I am going crazy. I hate being here without you."

"Then leave Eli. Come be with me. We don't need them." Anna said in a hopeful tone.

"Anna you know I can't leave. It's not right. I am not like you." She said wishing she was. She wished she could be as fearless.

"I know. I just miss you to. It's like part of me is missing."

"I-," Eliyah was cut off by the bang on her door. "One minute!" She yelled out. "I have to go. Love you Anna." She said. She waited for Anna to say I love you back before Hanging up. With a sigh she went to the bedroom door.

They rest of they day went by boringly slow. Eliyah helped set up for her part and was drafted to help Mrs. Brown with the cake. Actually it was more like Talk to her has she decorated the cake. She liked to brag about how wonderful her cake was coming out. Like she had ever created a cake that ever was anything less them wonderful. The woman could open her own wedding cake decorator shop.

Finally after an hour Eliyah was free to go get ready. She went to her room and looked around it sadly. She used to share it with Anna. With a sigh she went to the closet and pulled out the ridiculously huge dress her foster mom bought. Everyone would be wearing them, it was the dress code, but it didn't make it any less huge.

As she pulled the dress out she looked to the one Anna was supposed to wear. Her own was white with silver trimmings. She never really wanted to wear white. Anna's dress was a dark red with gold trimmings. She knew it would make Mrs. Brown mad, but it didn't stop her from replacing her own dress and pulling out Anna's.

She did her hair and make-up. She pulled some of her long, brown hair back. She wanted it to look like it would have in that time. She added curls to it with tentacle hanging loose. She used eyeliner and pick eye shadow to make her blue eyes pop. She finished the look with red lip stick, which she was lucky enough to pull off.

She slipped into the dress, having to adjust her breast to fit properly. She called Hannah in to help her lace up the back. "You look pretty." Hannah said. She seemed to be more excited bout the party then Eliyah was. She couldn't for her sweet sixteen. Luckily she only had three years to wait.

Soon everything was in place and the first of the guest started to arrive. She could recognize a few people through their mask, but some she was not sure she knew at all. Not that it mattered to her. She got the look from her foster mom she knew she would get, which made her mood better.

She greeted all her guest, shook hands with her Fp s guest. She played the perfect host. At first no one was dancing, but as soon as the brave and daring got on to the removable dance floor everyone seemed to fall into place.

Eliyah danced with Kelly and Angie. Kelly had brought her boyfriend Fred, but Angie was recently single. It was find by Eliyah, she was boy-friendless too. She figured they could dance together.

"Oh my god! Cutie is here!" Kelly said once she reached them. Eliyah and Angie were standing near the drink table. They had to catch their breaths. Kelly pointed in the direction of the door.

Eliyah glance in that direction casually. "God he is totally mag!" Angie purred. She took Eliyah's hand. "You should totally go talk to him, Eli! It is your birthday after all," Angie said as her eyes lit up with excitement.

"No," Eliyah said shaking her head. She had all but one class with him and she had never said one word to him. She had examined him from afar and unfortunately he had cough her staring on more than one occasion. Kelly was not kidding when she said he was Cute. Hell cute was a bit of an understatement. The guy was gorgeous, polite and smart. He had a thing with proving teachers wrong. She always found herself trying not to laugh.

"Oh come on Eliyah," Kelly said threating her arm around Eliyah's. "Stefan doesn't bit. He's a sweetheart." She said pulling Eliyah through the crowed in is direction. Angie following behind with a smile on her pretty face.

"No," Eliyah protected, tying to pull away. "Guys I don't want to." She hated trying to talk to guys she found cute. She always seemed to get tongue-tied, then she would blush. It never went well. At least for the most part. If she had a good reason to talk to them other than just to talk, like a topic, then she would do fine.

"Oh where did he go?" Kelly asked standing on her toes to see over the crowed.

"I love your dress, Eli!" Heather called out, giving Eliyah a wink when she looked over.

"Can you let go now?" Eliyah asked. She tried to pull free, and Kelly let her go at the same moment causing Eliyah to stumble back. She thought for sure she was going to fall, but someone caught her.

"You okay?" A man asked as he steadied her.

"Yeah I'm great," Eliyah said turning to see who cough her. Her eyes grew wide when she saw Stefan standing next to her. His hands were still holding her arms.

"Hey, Stefan." Kelly said taking Angie's hand. "Angie and I were just going to go find my boyfriend. Bye." She said then they both disappeared into the crowed.

Eliyah looked at Stefan with slight horror. "I'm, um, Eliyah." She said holding out her hand.

He let go of her arms. "Stefan," He said as he took her hand. "We used to have every class together but one."

"Yeah, P.E thank god." She said then wanted to kick herself saying it.

Stefan laughed and Eliyah couldn't help but to join in. His laugh was just so light and it was like you couldn't not laugh. She composed herself, then cleared her throat. "Anyway. Thanks for catching me."

"I will always catch you." He said with a smile. "Just try to do it in my presence. I cannot catch you if you are not with me."

Eliyah laughed again. "I will be sure to do that," At this moment the music changed. It want from up beat to a love song. She looked at Stefan and smiled. Now she wanted to disappear. This was awkward.

"You care to dance?" Stefan asked as he held out his hand to her.

She took it slowly and the moment they touched, he pulled her to him and they started dancing. At first she felt a little odd. She sucked at any kind of dancing, but Stefan was great and he seemed to lead her well. She looked up in to his beautiful face. His brown eyes looked back down at her and her breath cough in her throat. There was something in his eyes. Something that was deep and meaningful. She felt her cheeks warm with the blush she could not fight.

Stefan smiled at her. He had watched her all year. There was something about her that had caught his eye. She was beautiful, but she was also different. She seemed to stand out in a crowed. She seemed older than she was. Not in a bad way. She just didn't do the who teen drama thing. Although he often wondered why she seemed sad. He had tried to talk to her few times, but she always ran of if he ever made any advances toward her.

"What are you thinking about?" Eliyah asked him. She was now aware that the song was over, yet they still danced slowly to the up beat music. At the moment she didn't even care.

"I was thinking how nice it is to finally meet you," He said. "I have been trying to do it all year."

"Really?" Eliyah said surprised. "Well it would seem that I was trying to avoid you all year. Sorry"

"You were? Why?" He asked.

Eliyah's heart fluttered in her chest. Why was she even saying any of this? "I have a thing about talking to guys I find...Cute." She said feeling the blush coat her cheeks. She needed to get over this. "Sorry." She said pulling away from him and covering her cheeks. "I blush easily. It's embarrassing."

He took her wrist in his hands and took her hands from her face. "It's charming." He said.

Before she could even respond her foster-mother called to her, "Eli come here please. I have something to discuss with you." She said as she took Eliyah's hand and pulled her away.

"Bye." She called over her shoulder. She got a wave and a smile in return. Leave it to Mrs. Brown to interrupt possibly the best conversation she had ever had.

"Are you serious?" Eliyah asked shocked. "You want to adopt me?"

"Well yes dear. You see we are going to be fostering twins and that means we will have six in-house instead of five. We would have adopted you sooner, but then we would lose the money we get for you." Mrs. Brown replied with a smile.

Eliyah wasn't sure if she was pissed or hurt. Maybe she was both. "You want to adopt me, but only because now you don't need the money?" She clarified.

"Yes dear, Be love you. Always have."

"No, I don't want to be adopted. Not by you."

"But, I thought you would have been thrilled. We raised you as our own." Mr. Brown cut in.

"Yeah but only for the money it brought in. That's all any of use is to you. I have always known it, but to hear it." She shook her head. "No I will not be adopted by you. I am old enough to have a say." Eliyah stepped back, bumping into the table.

"Watch the cake dear." Mrs. Brown said worried.

Eliyah stomped child like to the kitchen door. She looked back to her FP s. She had tears in her eyes and her stupid foster mom was worried for the cake? "I hate you." She said feeling as thought wight had been lifted.

"I worked hard on that cake. Excuse me for wanting to be able to show it off." Mrs. Brown said.

"I wasn't saying that because of the cake!" Eliyah snapped. At that same moment the cake exploded. Cake went flying everywhere. She heard her FP s scream. She ducked behind the door, saving herself from the spray of cake. With one last looked at the mess and the shocked look on her FP s faces she felt. She ran to her room, closing herself in before she let herself cry.

Once she composed herself she noticed the present sitting on her bed. She should have been shocked. All the other gifts were placed on the gift table and she made sure to lock her window. However it would have been more shocked if she didn't find one on her bed. She had found a gift on her bed since her eighth birthday.

She walked to her bed and picked up the small box. She opened the card first. It was a beautifully painted card. It looked homemade like all the others had. Inside it said :Sweet sixteen. You are another year older and another year more beautiful. You are a gem and a wonderful child to watch grow. The pleasure as been all mine. The gift I have given you is special. Be sure to never take it off, for it will keep you safe. I hope all your wishes have come true. Happy birthday love.

She smiled at the beautiful hand writing. She had always loved this handwriting. So elegant and pretty. She wished she knew who this was from. Who it had been from for the past eight years. She almost felt like she had a parent secretly watching her grow.

She set the card aside and picked up the small box. She opened it and gasped. It was a necklace with the most beautiful pendent design she had ever seen. She put it on, then went to the mirror. It looked good on her. Almost like it was made for her. There was a wonderful smell coming the necklace.

She smiled at her reflection. She loved it. It had an old feel to it, which made it even better. Her smile quickly turned into a frown. Her stomach tightened up. The way it did when something bad was going to happen. One name came to her mind. Anna. In the mirror she could see the phone light up on her bed. Blood drained from her face. She didn't have to look to know something was wrong.

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