IV

I was at home reading on my bed when my phone rang, it was my brother. I answered after a second of contemplating on whether I should answer or not. It wasn't like I disliked my brother or disliked talking to him, I love my brother and enjoy our conversations, but whenever he calls and doesn't text, it's bad news.

"Hello?" I answer

"Hey Squeaks," My brother's deep voice spoke from the other side of the phone, "How are you?" he always sounds calm and collective

"Hey Mase, I'm okay. How about you?" I responded cheerfully, I missed talking to my brother every day

"Just ok?" he laughed, "I would've expected a more descriptive word from someone whose 21st birthday is in less than 8 hours," he told me

"I'm excited," I told him sounding much less than excited, "I can't wait to get to show my ID before entering a club," I laughed

he laughed along, "I actually called to ask you..." he sighed

'here it comes' I thought

"I've been talking to this girl recently, and I really like her," he started, "and I was wondering if I could bring her along with me to your party?" he sounded nervous like he thought I would say no

"Oh" my shock displayed on my face and within my lack of words, "Of course, she can come," I was just glad he wasn't bailing on me or something

"Oh thank goodness," he let out a loud breath, "I was also hoping to bring along a couple of friends with me, seeing as you have none,"

"Ouch," we laughed, "Yeah that's fine, the more the merrier right?"

"Exactly," he chuckled

We talked for about 30 more minutes before his roommates got home and we hung up saying we would see each other on Saturday.

I went back to reading and then after about a chapter or 2, I got bored and went to take a shower.

After my shower, Alissa called me down for dinner, she said it was her "super awesome birthday girl cheese tteokbokki with noodles"

"Thank you, Lis," I said as I sat down on the couch next to her with my bowl in hand.

I loved it when Alissa would cook me Korean dishes. Her mother taught her as her mom is half Korean and half Japanese. Her Japanese side inspired the photo I sold today. It was when she dressed Alissa and me in Kimono multiple times while growing up to go to many Japanese weddings and a few funerals.

We sat on the couch together watching iRobot while eating our food.

"Mm!" Alissa said with a mouthful to get my attention

I turned my head to her.

She chewed and swallowed her food and smacked her lips, "I'm waking you up at midnight to say happy birthday,"

I rolled my eyes playfully, "I know you've been doing that every year for 7 years,"

she gave me a 'sweet' smile before stuffing her face with noodles and tteokbokki

Once we finished our food and the movie, I washed our plates and went to my room.

I'm tired but I don't think I should bother sleeping now since I'll just be woken up in 2 hours.

Yeah, I'm too tired to stay up for another 2 hours plus extra time with Alissa and replying to texts. I got into my bed and snuggled up well into the covers, slowly going to sleep.

~

I woke up to Alissa jumping on me full force and screaming, "Happy birthday" at the top of her lungs into my ear

I sighed and attempted to push her away from me, "Your breath stinks," I groaned

she got off me and pouted at the end of my bed, "That's the first thing you say to me on your 21st birthday? Now every time I think of the event of you finally turning 21 that's the first thing I'm going to think about," she frowned and crossed her arms like a child

I sighed and sat up, "Thank you Lissy poo-poo bear, I love you so so so so so much," I mustered up the most sarcastic sweet voice I possible could

She rolled her eyes and pushed me but I could see the tiny smile she was suppressing, "Now pick up your phone," she pointed at the phone on my nightstand

It must have just started ringing, I picked it up to see who it was but it said 'Unknown Number'.

I answered the phone, "Hello?"

"Happy birthday, darling. Very excited to see you tomorrow," a deep sexy ass voice said from the other side

"Who is this-" I started to say but they hung up

I knew that was not Adam, because his voice was not that deep and I saved his number earlier as well.

"Who was it?" Alissa asked impatiently from the end of my bed

"I don't know," I shrugged, "They said happy birthday to me though,"

~

The day was pretty slow since my party isn't until tomorrow, there isn't really much to do. I just chilled with Alissa pretty much the whole day, taking phone calls from people who haven't spoken to me since my last birthday.

Not a damn word from my mother or father though.

I don't have a horrible relationship with my parents. Not even a bad one, just an... unstable one.

They didn't like that I left Georgia to come to school at NYU for a career that "wasn't an actual career", they just wanted me to be like Mason, as they always did. Since I was little my parents encouraged me to be more like Mason and less like me.

Mason got good grades, played sports, was popular, and had friends and good looks. He was the perfect person as far as anyone cared. Me? I got good grades, had 1 friend, flunked PE, got bullied and had green braces up until my second year in High school.

I was referred to as "Mason's younger sister" or "little one," to Mason's friends and teammates. I wasn't bullied in high school, but I wasn't really talkative, or the person someone wanted to be friends with. The only reason I wasn't bullied was that I was Mason's little sister and he constantly had his friends watching Alissa and me. Which was probably also why I had no friends.

The whole football team constantly had me in the random Snapchat stories, would pick me up and take me places if my brother couldn't and were like protective snakes when someone approached me.

I saw them as brothers and I still feel that way for some of them, they were even coming to the party tomorrow because we stayed in touch.

My parents just wanted more of me. They wanted to be able to brag about both children at family functions, not one.

I waited until exactly 10:32 PM before I got a word from my parents, my mother rather. She called me. She probably called so late in hopes that I wouldn't pick up.

"Hello?" I answered the phone

"Happy birthday, dear," My mother's voice said softly from the other side of the phone, "Sorry I didn't call earlier. I didn't want to distract you from your many friends," she ruined every ounce of hope that this call would be pleasant

"Thank you for calling," I said through gritted teeth

"Of course. How have you been, darling? With your photo taking?" She asked me

"It's been great, thank you. How have you and Dad been," I didn't care but this lady did push me out of her vagina so I could at least carry on one conversation with her

"We've been good. Your father is planning on retiring soon, we think," she told me

"Oh, that's great," I faked my reaction

My father is a judge. He's been a judge for as long as I can remember, and he works hard. He needs to retire.

"Yes," my mother replied

We sat in silence for a couple of seconds before I broke it;

"Well it was great talking to you, Alissa actually needs my help with something," I wrapped up the call

"Oh, okay," My mom said, "It was great catching up...I love you,"

I blew air out of my nose and hung up.

As much as I wish I could. I don't tell my mother I love her anymore. I do love her. I just cannot bring myself to say it to her, because I feel, she doesn't really love me

"Squeaks! Get your ass down here!" Alissa shouted to me

I came down the stairs while she was sitting in the living room with a large pizza on the middle table, drinks, candy and the TV on the page of the first Pitch Perfect movie.

"Movie Marathon?" she asked me holding up the remote with a grin on her face

"Of course!" I squealed and sat down next to her as we wrapped ourselves in the blankets and began watching the movies and stuffing our faces. By the halfway point of the second Pitch Perfect movie, Alissa was fast asleep with a packet of Skittles on her chest.

I paused the movie for a bathroom break. I went to the bathroom and as I was flushing the toilet, I believe I heard a knock on the front door.

I ran to open the door. I looked through the peephole and saw no one, so I slowly opened the front door. There was a present box at the doorstep, and it had a red bow tie. I looked around and saw no one so I took it inside, closed the door and ran to my room.

I placed it on my bed and waited for a second before taking a breath and opening the box.

there was a jewellery box on top and what looked like fabric underneath. I took the jewellery box off and took out the fabric. It was a beautiful red dress that was my size as well.

Underneath there was a letter;

Happy birthday.

Wear these tomorrow to your birthday party

with no signature or anything on it. I placed it back in the box and opened the jewellery box to see a beautiful diamond bracelet.

"what the fuck," I mumbled to myself

inside the box was a diamond tester, I laughed to myself

What crazy person is sending me real diamonds?

I tested the diamonds and they were in fact real.

what the fuck?