Chapter 2

Still scared of the encounter with the animal, I arrived home. Looking behind me, if I didn't see it still rooming around. A sign of relief went through me when I didn't see anything that had followed me.

My first thought about what the animal could have been was an owl. Still, it didn't sit in a tree, and it was way too big for the size of an owl.

It also could have been a fox, but a fox was even tinier to describe what I saw.

Could it be a wolf? No way in this part of Belgium there were none. The animals were sometimes seen in other parts, like in the East or the south of Belgium. But never in the North. That made it even more scary.

Still overcoming the choke, I went inside for the next challenge of the evening, telling my mom about detention. I seemed to be lucky. When nobody seemed to be home.

Normally, my parents always left the light on because they knew I was scared in the dark, but they forgot. Inside it was pitch black and I felt scared. I tried to search for the light switch, but I couldn't find it. Leaving myself in the darkness, I felt more and more scared. Then, out of nowhere, the light went on. I was so startled I screamed out. 

'Who is there?' I asked no one in particular.

I got no answer, but then the door from the garage to the living room went open. Scared, I waited to be hit by something but, instead, people said, "Surprise."

They started singing, "happy birthday to you!" 

The feeling of being scared ebbed away. I knew what was going on. It was my birthday. Of course, it's the eighteenth of March. 

I had been so busy with school and the bullying that there had been no time to think about my birthday.

How could I forget my own birthday?

Continuing their song, I went inside the living room with a smile all over my face. It was the first time in a year I saw my family again.

I felt happiness all around. They missed me just like I did.

It all started six years ago. My family started a tradition. Normally, we go from Belgium to Forks in America to visit my family. But in March it rained there more than usual, and we couldn't do many activities. That was the moment they decided to come to Belgium. Because in Belgium, that period of year, it rained less. Also, here we could do the same activities. Like, for example, a big walk. Just because of the rain it was too difficult.

'OMG, thank you' I said in all my glory and tried to form a smile. 

Lying wasn't my best subject.

Everyone in the room was looking worried at me.

'Who forgets her 18th birthday?' My mom asked and everyone agreed with her. 

I sighed and with that the burden fell off my shoulders, knowing that they didn't know I was late.

But they did know I had forgotten my birthday.

Trying to make a joke about forgetting my birthday, I was now busted and answered, "I think I just did."

A few minutes later, to break the tension, my dad took the cake into the living room. I counted eighteen candles when he put the delicious looking cake on the table. 

It was my favorite. The chocolate banana cake from my mom. It was always the best.

My dad was impatient, waiting for me to blow out the candles while everyone was singing "Happy birthday!"

They stopped singing, and my dad gave the loudest applause. 

He hoped he would get the attention and the people would stop applauding, so he could start giving the cake. But he didn't get what he hoped for. They kept applauding.

After a long while, I also got impatient. I also wanted to eat the cake and finally, they stopped applauding, and I blew out the candles. Blowing as hard and long as I could, all the candles went out at one time. Now I can make my wish. I wished not to be bullied anymore in the silence of the room.

My curious aunt asked, 'what did you wish for?' 

'That's a secret, aunt Mera. Otherwise, my wish doesn't become reality.'

She gave me an annoyed look and begged me to tell her. But I didn't let her win, and we just went on with my birthday.