SECRET TAIL

CHAPTER ONE-BirthdaySurprise

'Chloe! Get up from your bed right now, or you will be late for school. Oh, and happy birthday honey.' I heard my mum say before going back downstairs. Lifting the blanket from my head, I sighed to myself, 'Happy sweet sixteen to me, how come I don't feel any different.'

Getting up to prepare for another boring day at school, I went to the bathroom to take a bath. I switched on the shower and as soon as the warm water touched my skin I instantly felt my muscles relaxing and started humming softly to myself as the water washed away the sleepy feeling from my mind, then the weirdest thing ever happened. I started feeling as if an army of ants was crawling up my legs, slowly starting from my toenails. It was that kind of feeling you get after a cramp, a very bad cramp, it crawled up my body, making me feel stiff and sick. I started to massage the muscles in my legs and arms with my hand, trying to stop the feeling, but it did not work, the pain gradually grew all over my body. As soon as it got to my head, I felt the worst headache ever, it was like someone took a sledgehammer to my head and just before I could let out a scream for help, I fell down in the tub and blacked out with my mouth still open.

I woke up to the sound of my mother shouting, 'Chloe, are you still sleeping? You have about ten minutes to get ready for school, or you will be late.' I used my hand to support my head as I was having a very bad headache and I tried to figure out what was happening to me and where I was. Slowly, I dragged my body up from the bath tub and to my room to get ready. Wearing simple blue skinny jeans and a black top with my favorite leather jacket and boots, I walked down the stairs and tried not to hunch over, so nobody would know what I was feeling. I would have loved to be sick and stay home, but it's my birthday and I don't want to be home all by myself.

Checking the time, I saw I was running late. I grabbed a sandwich to eat on the way and my keys. I kissed my mom goodbye before leaving the house. I entered my car and drove to school while trying to figure out what had happened to me, but at least I could feel the headache and body pain receding as I got closer to school.

I was not among the popular crowd in school, but neither was I among the loners, losers or geeks. I was just a part of that group that normally has no particular position in the social hierarchy of the school. Getting out of my car, I met up with my friends, and they screamed when they saw me, 'Happy birthday girl.'

I smiled feeling happy until they said, 'Since this is your sixteenth birthday, we are having a party and inviting everybody who is anybody in this school. It's going to be the party of the year.' I immediately rejected them, 'Nope, parties are not really my scene and I would not be comfortable there. I thought since it was my birthday you guys were supposed to make me happy and not miserable?' Hearing what I said, they wanted to argue until they saw the look on my face and they both sighed with Katherine saying, 'A girl can only hope. We felt maybe your birthday would make you more social, but I guess not.'

My friends were considered the life of the party and, unlike me who had no social status, both of them were pretty high up in the hierarchy, with Katie being a cheerleader and Jane, a member of the student council. The students always gossip about me being their charity case, and sometimes I wonder why they hang out with me too.

We went to class like every other day and after school we headed for the fast food restaurant called 'Johnson's', which was the local hangout for the kids from my school. Ordering a strawberry smoothie and French fries, Katie said to me, 'So now that you are sixteen Chloe, do you have any plans of getting a boyfriend soon and finally stop being single.' I laughed at what she said as I replied, 'Not everybody needs a man or a boy to make their life better or give it a meaning or purpose, some of us are confident in who we are and love our own company, and we are not ready to lose ourselves while trying to make a guy feel better about himself.'

"Well you must have thought deeply about it if you could give such serious feedback in such a short time, but I can't say I agree with the conclusion you arrived at," Katherine said. Chloe, you know not all relationships are like that. Some people find true love and people who motivate them to become better versions of themselves. You should drop your negative attitude, because it is not a good way to look at life. Don't only see the bad side of things'. Jane said.

'I understand what you are trying to say, but this is a high school filled with teenage kids. Tell me, how many teenage boys do you think know that they are actually supposed to value whoever they are dating and not just treat them like hand candy to brag about with their friends or just simply want to get into their pants? I have so many things on my mind right now, and I am planning to take my studies seriously, so I could graduate next year with a year to spare and get a scholarship to study marine biology like I have always wanted. I am so close to achieving what I want, and I can't do anything to jeopardize that, not when I am so close.'

They let out a sigh and said,

'We get it, but think about what we are saying, we know you want to achieve big things and have grand dreams, but don't let life pass you by while you are trying to achieve them. Learn to live a little and enjoy life to the fullest, okay. You have to be happy even while saving the world'.

'I know, don't worry, if I meet somebody that really makes me happy, I will go for it. And why are we talking like a group of old single people that are too busy with work allowing life to pass them by? We are just sixteen, for crying out loud, but anybody that hears our conversation would seriously want to take us for a checkup. I feel we are way too young to be having such deep conversations and worries, or don't you think so'.

'You may be young, but I am a mature lady and I need to plan for myself'. Katie said, and we all started laughing while goofing around.