My Story

"Hooray!" I cried. I rushed downstairs, screaming at the top of my lungs I reached my sister's room and bashed my fist against the door. "Wake up sis!" I yelled at my eighteen year old sister. She was only a few years older than me, yet we were so different.

"What!?" Caitlin yelled through the door. She always got angry when I did this, she loved her beauty sleep.

"It's my birthday! Of course!" I yelled back. There, that would be loud enough to wake the family.

I decided to give them a little more time to get my gifts, they hid them well. I pranced down the stairs jumping the last few steps just like always.

I got downstairs and went straight to the kitchen, poured myself some cereal and sat down at the table. Today is going be a great day, I thought to myself. After all, my birthdays always were, nothing ever went wrong. The perfect day.

"Happy sixteenth birthday, sweetie!" My mother called from the doorway. She entered the room and started making breakfast for the rest of the family.

My dad followed after her shortly, sitting in the seat beside me, "Happy birthday, Holly," he slapped me on the back. Ow, that always hurt. "Here kid, have a gift on me."

"Gee, thanks dad, you didn't have to you know."

"Oh, I know, but I wanted this day to be special. Sweet sixteen and all that," my father laughed his dog laugh and tucked into the pancakes my mother had just placed on the table. She gave me some too but I was still eating my cereal.

I went back upstairs, to get changed and brush my teeth. On my way up I passed my brother, Adam. He was nineteen and a real bully, to me.

"Hey, kiddo!"

"Hey!" I said sarcastically, trying to step around him. He had gotten so big these last few months it was virtually impossible.

"Hey now, don't you want your gift?" he asked me in a mocking voice. Of course I did, he knew that.

"Fine," I said playing along and looking angry. I folded my arms across my chest and stuck out my left hand, palm up.

My brother placed a small blue box, complete with bow and card on my outstretched hand. I stared at it blankly. Last year Adam had given me a folded up piece of paper with the words 'Happy Birthday Holly' on it. But this year it looked as if he had actually spent money on me.

"What's this?" I asked bewildered.

"Just a little something," Adam replied, "as you know my band has really pulled it together this year and we've been pulling in the big bucks-"

"Big bucks?"

"Well, you know, bigger than usual and I thought you'd like something special for your sixteenth." Adam said, leaning against the wall.

"Well, thanks, Adam. That's really sweet of you," We stood awkwardly for a moment.

"Come on already, open it!" Adam screamed.

"Oh, right, sorry!" I pulled at the bow. It came off easily, I lifted the lid and it revealed a chain necklace, with a sapphire in the shape of a heart at the end. "Wow!" I exclaimed, "It's gorgeous, thanks Adam."

We were a few steps apart, I ran those steps and jumped on my brother. "Hey!" Adam joked, "watch the hair!" We both started laughing then.

"Hey! What is going on out there?" Caitlin screamed, opening, the bathroom door a crack. She had a towel wrapped around her self.

"Nothing," we said in unison.

"Well, shut up, then!" She said and slammed the door in our faces. We burst into another roll of laughter.

"I said, BE QUIET!" Caitlin shouted, through the door.

"Sorry," we chanted again, stuffing our hands into our mouth's to stifle the laughter.

"Here," Adam pulled the necklace out of the box, "try it on," he placed it around my neck, the chain was long enough for that. "A perfect fit," he seemed pleased with himself.

"Thanks again Adam, it's perfect."

"Don't mention it," then he jumped off downstairs. Adam was nineteen and had finished school, so he didn't need to get up early, which made me curious why he did.

I skipped off to my room, the necklace bouncing against my pajamas. When I had entered my clattered room I took if off and placed it on the bed. Then I went over to my desk chair to retrieve my school uniform.

After changing I walked over to my bed and sat down next to the necklace. I couldn't really tell, but there seemed to be something special about it. I traced the lines and bumps in the gem with my fingers, it felt smooth against my skin.

"Come on, honey," My mother called through the door, "you're going to be late for school."

"Right, sorry. Coming mum," I called back.