We drove in silence for a couple of minutes — each of us comfortable in our own little world before I remembered that I hadn't called Josh since Jimmy dragged the phone from my hands. I wondered if he was waiting for me at the party.
"Are you going directly to Cole's or are you meeting Josh somewhere?" Jake asked as if he read my mind. I realized that I hadn't even been to Josh's house before.
"I don't know," I replied. "Let me give him a call." I brought out my phone from my jean pocket and dialed Josh's number. He didn't pick up at first but at the second dial, he answered.
I related to him the question Jake asked me but he told me not to bother coming to the party as he already went alone. I insisted on meeting him there but he told me not to worry and that he didn't want to disturb my weekend so I should take a rest at home. Reluctantly, I agreed and cut the call, not bothering to tell him about my birthday as I didn't see the point.
I rested back gloomily on my seat as a wave of sadness washed over me. "Let's just go back home." There was no point relating the whole phone conversation to Jake as he might have figured it out.
He glanced at me, "Does he know that today is your birthday?"
I shook my head. I wasn't really in the mood to say anything right now. Somehow I felt guilty about the whole situation and I didn't even know why.
He groaned, running a hand over his short brown center parted hair and continued driving forward.
Wasn't he supposed to turn backwards? "Is there somewhere you want to go to?"
"Yeah." He turned and gave me a warm smile that reached his brown eyes. "It seems like we're going on that birthday date after all."
•••°°°•••°°°•••°°°•••
I opened the door to my house and walked in. I was feeling very tired and I just wanted to have a good night's sleep. I had earlier sent Jake home telling him not to bother coming in as it was already late. At first he protested but he later succumbed.
The birthday date went well. He took me to a fancy restaurant where he ordered my favorite dishes which I savored hungrily as I hadn't eaten anything since morning. We also went to the park to receive some fresh afternoon breeze, watching people entering and exiting the park, children giggling and playing around and couples strolling whilst holding hands. It was the perfect place for relaxation and if that was the reason he took me there, it definitely served its purpose.
He also took me to a nearby mall where he told me to take anything I wanted as my birthday present and I chose a very pretty and colorful sundress. The date was really relaxing but as time went on I became tired.
I heard light shuffling coming from the living room which jolted me out of memory lane as my surroundings came into focus.
The living room was partly decorated in pink and purple ribbons and it was empty except for Jade who was sprawled on one of the sofas, reading a novel with her glasses on and blonde curls packed in a messy bun. She didn't even notice my presence as she was lost in the pages of the book, trying to get into a comfortable position for reading.
I left the doorway to another sofa in the room, the one beside her and laid down and that was when Jade looked up, "Hey you're back." Her face lighted up, "How was it?"
I nodded my head weakly not sure I could form any coherent word.
"He got you a gift?" She gestured towards the shopping bag beside me.
"Yeah, a sundress."
"Nice." Her face suddenly broke into worry.
"Are you okay?" She definitely noticed my weary look.
"Of course, just a little tired," I forced a smile. "And probably a slight headache."
"So what about your party?" She asked.
Party?
What party?
How did she find out that I was supposed to go to a party?
Did Jimmy tell her?
"Your birthday party that we were supposed to do as a family." She cut off my spiraling thoughts as she noticed my confusion.
"Oh," I mouthed, relieved that she wasn't referring to Josh's supposed party. "I'll pass. Just tell mom that I'm not feeling too well so I went to bed early."
I stood up lazily to emphasize my point and started heading towards the staircase.
"Okay then, but don't complain if you don't see any cake tomorrow."
I stopped immediately in my tracks and turned back sharply. "The four of you can't finish the whole cake." I said confidently but it sounded like I was trying to convince myself when I already knew that my family could actually do it.
"Really?" She gave me a knowing smile. "You know mom's obsession over sweet things, she can't stop at one bite even if you tell her that she would get fat. And dad?...well, he'll just keep telling mom to stop feeding him with more cake but yet if mom stretches her hand his mouth will hang open like a little kid." She chuckled before continuing, "And you know Jimmy, once he loves a food or snack, he won't rest until the last piece is gone. The both of you always fight over the last piece while I will just sit back and watch all the drama, cutting cake for whoever wants it."
"Darn, you're right Jade. I can't let Jimmy have the whole cake."
She smiled gleefully, warm brown eyes brightening up, "Of course, should I call everyone down and tell them that you're ready?"
"Or...you could just save a very large piece for me."
Jade's smile immediately faded into a frown. "Can't you just stay for the party?"
"I can't," I feigned a very sickly look, "Save a piece for me, will you?"
She rolled her eyes. "You're totally fine, aren't you?"
"I'm not" I whined, jutting out my lower lip into a pout. "The headache is no longer light, it's hammering."
"Whatever," she sighed. "But make sure you wake up early to take it. You know the first place Jimmy goes when he wakes up is the fridge...he will definitely sniff your cake out."
"I know, I always wake up before Jimmy." I let out a nervous laugh.
That was a total lie, Jimmy always woke before me but no worries, I'll just set an alarm and I will wake up early, right?
Without waiting for an answer from myself, I went upstairs to my room. Shrugging my jacket off and unpacking my hair, I jumped on my soft, welcoming bed and drifted off to sleep.
•••°°°•••°°°•••°°°•••
"Jenny, wake up unless you want to be late for school."
I tousled and turned in my bed as Jade's loud voice filled my ears. Groaning loudly, I sat up in my bed to see Jade beside me with a cross look on her face.
How long has she been trying to wake me up?
"What time is it?" I drawled, trying to get the sleep off my eyes with my hands.
"It's almost eight." She said, folding her hands over her chest.
"What?!" I jumped off my bed instantly rushing with uneven steps to the bathroom as I muttered inaudible curse words.
"You know, you really need to fix this habit of waking up late." Jade said just before she left my room.
"Believe me, I'm trying." But its just that this stupid alarm clock is not loud enough. I really need to get a new one.
I quickly showered and got dressed, parking my hair roughly into a ponytail. I was running downstairs to grab any snack I could find in the fridge when I saw Jimmy emerging from there with his mouth full.
"Good morning Jen," he said between chews as he stopped right in front of me, trying to form a smile with his full mouth.
"Morning." I smiled back walking past him towards the fridge by the dining area but I couldn't help but feel that something was off he smelt of... chocolate and cake.
Cake! My brain immediately clicked. The one Jade promised to keep for me.
"Jimmy." I called out before he went out of sight.
He turned back to face me. "Yeah?"
"It's chocolate cake you're eating right?"
Please say no.
"Yup, Jade is really a good sis unlike you. She happened to leave some for me since she knows I love cake." He winked at me.
"It's mine, I told her to keep some for me."
"Oops, how would I have known, she didn't happen to leave a note that says 'from Jade to Jenny' now did she?" He had a sly smile on his face.
I scoffed, "I'm sure you knew, you piece of- ugh!"
He chuckled, "Couldn't find the right words? Sorry, but not sorry" he winked again before he started to leave then he suddenly turned back. "And by the way the cake was absolutely, " he licked his lips for emphasis, "delicious." He turned and finally left.
Arghh! I really needed a brother replacement ASAP or better still an eraser. I was definitely going to get back at him. I just needed a good plan.
"Jenny dear, Jake has been here since, where have you been?." My mum called out from the kitchen just beside where I was standing by the fridge which faced our dining table, a wooden door being the only thing that connected it to the kitchen.
Oh man, I totally forgot Jake was picking me up today. Actually, he drives me to school everyday since I don't have a ride.
I erased every thought of Jimmy from my brain and grabbed a bottle of chilled drink from the fridge before checking out for Jake in the living room but he wasn't there. That's when I heard his deep voice coming from the kitchen and I peeped through the glass window in the wooden door and saw Jake leaning on the island in the kitchen while my mother was talking to him then he looked away and our eyes met. At first he appeared flustered but he immediately replaced it with a smile.
I smiled back, opening my orange fruit drink and taking a swig.
He turned back to my mother and said something before leaving the kitchen and walking up to where I was standing in the dining area. "Hey, are you ready to leave?"
"Yeah...what was my mother telling you?"
He shrugged, "Nothing special or serious."
"I'm sure it isn't. My mum just says the weirdest things sometimes. I just don't want you to worry about it."
"That isn't the way you should speak about your mother, young lady." he said, feigning a stern tone.
"But it's true, you should listen to her talk sometimes, it's really, really weird." We went down the three white tiled stairs from the dining to the living room.
"But she's still your mother, now let's get off to school." he gestured towards the door in the living room leading outside.
"Okay, dad." I mock saluted, walking out to the front porch.
"How many times have I told you to stop calling me that." he said in a frustrated tone as we went to where his car was parked.
"Well, I can't help it when you behave like him."
He opened the driver's door and went in as I in turn got in through the other door. He started the car and we drove off.
"What's up with Jimmy though, I ran into him as I was coming in and he looked really... gleeful. Never seen him that happy before."
I frowned. "He ate up all my cake. I didn't even get to taste my birthday cake or cut some for you and Sally."
He chuckled lightly, "Well I'm not complaining even if I'm really craving cake right now. I'm sure he did it because you spoiled his Xbox."
"And I did that because he used my life savings to buy it." The anger was clearly evident in my voice.
He laughed this time around, shaking his head. "The list goes far back, right? Will these pranks ever end?"
I smirked and faced the window as everything appeared to be moving backwards. "It will, if he gives up first."
And that would probably never happen.
__________