Chapter3
1621 Words
I got woken up by someone jumping on me. I opened my eyes to see Temperence grinning down at me.
“Time to get up, sleepyhead. It’s your birthday! b***h, you’re finally eighteen!”
I groaned and pulled the blanket over my head. “Please give me another hour. I’m still tired.”
The next thing I knew, the blanket was ripped away and I was being dragged out of bed and onto the floor.
“Really, Temperence? You couldn’t let me sleep?”
She smirked. “Of course not. It’s your birthday, and we need to get you all prettied up!”
Rolling my eyes, I pushed myself off the floor. That was when I noticed a gift box sitting on my desk chair.
“Temperence, what’s this? You could’ve waited until the party to give it to me.”
She walked over with a grin. “Nope. This one is for now. The rest are already downstairs with your mom.”
Curious, I opened the box and gasped.
Inside was the most beautiful dress I had ever seen, along with matching shoes and a necklace.
“Oh my God, Temperence. This is gorgeous. I look like a princess in this!”
I threw my arms around her, hugging her tightly.
“You’re welcome,” she laughed. “Now hurry up and change so I can do your hair and makeup!”
I wasted no time running into the bathroom. Pulling my nightgown over my head, I tossed it into the hamper before slipping into the dress. Once I had the shoes and necklace on, I opened the door.
“Can you zip me up?”
Temperence zipped the back of my dress, and when I turned around, her mouth fell open.
“Victoria, you look amazing. The boys are going to be drooling over you tonight.”
I rolled my eyes. She was always trying to push me toward getting a boyfriend.
“Now sit down so I can finish your hair and makeup,” she ordered.
I sat in the chair while she curled my hair and touched up my makeup.
“You’re lucky,” she said while applying mascara. “You barely need anything because you’re already beautiful.”
Once she finished, I looked at myself in the mirror.
I hardly recognized the girl staring back at me.
Temperence stepped back proudly. “You really are stunning, Victoria.”
I smiled at her. “You always know exactly what to say to make me smile.”
She laughed. “Come on. Your mom’s cooking, and it smells amazing.”
Chuckling, I followed her downstairs.
The moment we walked into the kitchen, my parents turned around, both staring at me in shock.
“Bug,” my dad said softly, “you look like a princess.”
Smiling, I hugged him. “Thank you, Daddy.”
My mother immediately started crying.
“Mom?” I laughed, walking over to hug her. “I’ll always be your little girl.”
She smiled through her tears.
Of course, Temperence ruined the moment.
“Mrs. Ambers, what are you cooking? It smells divine.”
My parents laughed and explained they made my favorite meal every year for my birthday—cabbage cakes. Despite the name, they didn’t actually contain cabbage. Apparently, the recipe was a family secret.
Excited, I hurried to the table.
“Come on, Temperence! Sit down so I can eat already!”
She looked at me like I was insane while my parents laughed.
“You better hurry,” my father teased. “Before she loses her mind.”
Temperence quickly sat down after that.
My mom brought over our plates while my dad poured my favorite juice and handed Temperence a glass of milk.
She was obsessed with milk for some weird reason.
The second my plate touched the table, I dug in, making sure not to spill anything on my dress.
When I finally looked up, everyone was staring at me.
“What? I was starving.”
They all burst out laughing.
My mother was the first to recover. “Would you like more?”
I nodded enthusiastically.
She returned with another plate piled high with food. This time, I ate a little slower.
After finishing, I carried my dishes to the sink before sitting back down.
“So, what time does the party start?”
Before my parents could answer, Temperence jumped in.
“Nine to midnight. Your parents approved it. We’re doing a bonfire in the backyard.”
I looked at my parents for confirmation.
“It’s fine, Victoria,” my dad assured me. “We’ll be here to supervise, but you should enjoy yourself.”
Excited, I jumped up and hugged them both again.
My mother started crying all over again.
“Mom, why are you crying so much today?”
Dad wrapped an arm around her until she calmed down.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I just thought you’d be angry with us about everything.”
“Mom, I’m not angry. I’m hurt that things were hidden from me, but I could never hate you. You and Dad made me who I am.”
That made my father emotional too, and I hugged him until he settled down.
“So,” I said with a grin, “what are we supposed to do until the party?”
Everyone exchanged amused looks.
“What?” I asked suspiciously.
Temperence stood up and walked toward the front room. I heard unfamiliar footsteps following behind her.
A tall man with bright green eyes and red hair stepped around the corner beside her.
He looked familiar.
“How’ve you been, squirt?” he asked.
My eyes widened.
Only one person had ever called me that.
“Dimitri?”
He smiled just as I launched myself at him.
“Where did you go? I missed you!”
He hugged me tightly before setting me back down.
“I’m sorry, squirt. My mom got really sick, and we had to move so she could get treatment.”
I stared at him in shock. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
He looked away. “Because you would’ve tried to help us instead of letting me protect you. That’s just who you are.”
Guilt twisted in my stomach.
“I only would’ve wanted to be there for you,” I whispered. “You left without even saying goodbye.”
Tears filled my eyes.
Dimitri gently wiped them away.
“That’s exactly why I couldn’t say goodbye. I didn’t want to see you cry.”
The confession caught me off guard, and he quickly pulled his hand away.
“I’m sorry, Victoria.”
I wrapped my arms around his waist.
“It’s okay. Are you staying for the party?”
His expression softened sadly.
“I can’t stay long. I just wanted to see you before I left town again. My mom still needs me.”
Disappointment hit harder than I expected.
We spent the next hour catching up until an alarm suddenly blared from his watch.
“s**t,” he muttered, jumping up. “I’m going to miss my flight.”
He pulled me into one last hug and kissed the top of my head.
“I’ll come visit again soon, okay?”
Before I could answer, he was already heading for his car.
I watched him drive away, my chest aching.
When I went back inside, Temperence immediately noticed my expression.
“How did it go?”
I looked down at the floor.
Without another word, she wrapped me in a hug.
“I’m sorry, Vic. But he promised he’d come back, right?”
I nodded weakly.
Before either of us could say more, the doorbell rang.
Temperence instantly brightened.
“The guests are here!”
She opened the door, revealing what looked like half the school standing outside.
“Head around back!” she shouted. “We’ll be out in a second!”
My father came rushing from the kitchen.
“We already started the food. You girls go enjoy yourselves.”
So we did.
Outside, Dad lit the bonfire while Temperence and I greeted everyone.
Sam and Adele were among the first to approach me.
“Happy birthday, kid,” Sam teased. “You’re officially an adult now.”
I rolled my eyes. “Please. You act younger than I do.”
Temperence and Adele burst out laughing while Sam clutched his chest dramatically.
“You wound me.”
The night passed quickly.
Music played, people laughed, and the backyard glowed beneath the firelight.
Eventually, my parents brought out trays of food for everyone.
I walked over to my dad.
“What time is it?”
He checked his watch. “Ten until midnight, bug. Didn’t you notice how bright the moon is tonight?”
I looked up for the first time.
The moon hung huge and glowing in the sky.
“Everyone, come eat!” my mother called.
The crowd rushed toward the tables, but suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my back.
I stumbled.
Temperence immediately noticed.
“Vic? Are you okay?”
“My back hurts,” I gasped. “Really bad.”
Concern flooded her face.
“I’m getting your parents.”
I could barely stand by the time they reached me.
“Victoria, what’s wrong?” my father asked urgently.
Another wave of pain slammed into me before I could answer.
I collapsed to the ground screaming.
Every bone in my body felt like it was breaking apart.
My mother dropped beside me, terror filling her eyes.
I tried to speak, but another violent spasm tore through me.
The world around me blurred as darkness slowly swallowed everything whole.
- Writer
