Page 17 of Mine To Possess
“Right. Let’s go down to the kitchen. There’s a lot of cleaning to be done still,” Justine says, wrinkling her nose.
I help her gather up the cleaning equipment, and we move to the end of the hallway and put everything away into a large closet.
She gives me a weird smile as we head down the stairs.
“What?” I ask.
“Nothing. Aren’t I allowed to just be happy?” she asks.
“Well sure,” I reply. “But that’s one weird smile you have going on.”
She doesn’t reply. She just looks away mysteriously. We reach the bottom of the stairs and go down a hallway towards the kitchen. At that point she does something strange. She holds back and nods at me to go in first.
I push open the door. The blinds are down, and the room is a little dark. Strange. This is always the busiest place in the house. I flick the light on and almost jump out of my skin when all the staff leap up from behind the kitchen island.
“Happy birthday,” they all yell together.
I cover my mouth with shock. Leanne walks out from behind a wall holding a cake with candles on it. I laugh and shake my head.
“Wow! Thank you,” I say, amazed. “How did you know it was my birthday?”
“It’s in your file. You had to fill out your paperwork before you started working here, remember?” Mrs. Brent says.
“Oh. Oh yeah of course.” I grin.
“Come and blow out the candles and make a wish,” Leanne instructs bossily, as she places the cake on the island.
10
AMELIA
Everybody starts to belt out a slightly tuneless but very enthusiastic rendition of the happy birthday song.
I look at their faces. I’ve only known these people for a month and yet they are almost family to me. This day last year, Mom had to work two shifts so I could hardly blame her for being too distracted to celebrate birthdays. I certainly didn’t hold it against her when she squeezed my hand, wished me happy birthday, and gave me a Starbucks gift card.
I don’t really know whether I felt sorrier for her or me, but I cried after she rushed off to work. When I heard my stepfather awaken, I slipped out and went to the bakery down the road, where I bought myself a red velvet cupcake and a candle in the shape of seventeen. Then I went to the woods, lit the candle, made a wish, and ate the cake. On my own with no one. It was a good cupcake, and that was the extent of my birthday.
This year, I have everything I want and so it’s going to be an easy wish. I wished for nothing to change.
I walk over and blow out the eighteen candles. Everybody claps. Leanne starts to remove the candles and cut slices from the cake.
“So, what did you wish for?” Justine asks.
How can I tell her I wished for nothing, but the continuation of what I already have. I grin. “I can’t tell you or it won’t come true.”
She laughs and shakes her head.
“Eighteen and you still believe that?” she teases.
“You’re never too old to believe in magic,” I say, making my voice sound enigmatic.
Mrs. Brent hands us each a piece of chocolate cake and we sit around the island eating and chatting. After a while most of the staff leave, only Mrs. Brent, Justine, and Leanne remain around the island. I feel conscious of the fact it’s getting late, and I can’t help feeling like I’m slacking when I should be working.
“Is there much left to do?” I ask.
“Put these paper plates in the trash and we’re done,” Justine says.
“But I just got here…”