that!”
Jackie squeezed my hand. “C’mon, baby. You deserve a proper birthday song.”
“He does,” Lucas said. “He kicked butt out there today.”
“We skipped my birthday last month,” Nick said. “We’re not skipping another one.”
Lucas nudged me. “You’re just lucky they don’t have party hats and noisemakers at the market, or I’d really embarrass you.”
I laughed. “I would’ve killed you!”
“He wanted to walk around in his birthday suit in honor of you,” Kate said. “I wouldn’t let him.”
“Aw, babe, c’mon,” Lucas joked.
“Cake or not, I think I’d lose my appetite,” I said. “Guess I owe you one for putting a stop to that, Kate.”
She winked. “I’ll take you up on that sometime.”
Everyone chuckled.
“Come on, everybody!” Grandma said, then led them in a very off-key chorus of “Happy Birthday to You.” It seemed a bit corny at first, but when I looked into Jackie’s happy eyes, I realized that for that brief moment in time, everything seemed normal. I remembered saying on the island that I hated normal, but I now hungered for it, and it felt good to experience it, if only for a few seconds.
I looked around at my smiling friends and family, the people who always had my back. We didn’t have the luxury of too many happy, unworried moments, so I tried to take it all in and enjoy every second of it, every out-of-tune note they sang. When I finally blew out the candles, I wished for the same thing any post-apocalyptic survivor would wish for: to get our world back.
“No telling now, or it won’t come true,” Jackie said, winking at me.
Everyone clapped and cheered.
“I’m so proud of you,” Nick said. “You never quit and don’t whine like some people,” he said, glaring over at Buddy. “You fight to win, and your uncompromising integrity never ceases to amaze me. Above all, you definitely have character, and I think you got that from Mom. It takes a special breed of warrior to combat the hell we fight every day.”
It took a minute for me to compose myself. Nick’s heartfelt words really made me emotional. “Thanks,” I said. “I actually lived to see my eighteenth birthday. I really wasn’t sure I would, considering all the lame mistakes I’ve made in the past.”
“You’ll live to see lots more. I promise you that. You’ve come a long way, grown up so much in such a short time. I couldn’t ask for a better brother.”
“I feel the same way,” I said, my voice wavering.
I looked around at everyone again. “Look, I’m not good at speeches or anything, but I want you to know that I really couldn’t ask for better friends or better people to spend my birthday with. Thanks for this...and for everything.”
Grandma handed everyone a cup and poured soda pop in them. She then passed out forks, napkins, and plates.
Kate’s blonde hair swirled in the breeze, her blue eyes blazing. “Let’s raise our plastic glasses to Dean, to friendship, and to birthdays,” she said, wearing the biggest smile I’d ever seen on her face.
“Cheers!” everyone said, smacking their Solo cups together.
“Well? How does it feel to be an adult?” Lucas asked.
“You would have to ask,” Val chuckled.
I laughed. “I really don’t feel any different.”
Nick handed me a box wrapped in blue and silver paper and tied with a big bow. “Here. This is for you.”
“Wow,” I said, shocked. “Did you wrap it yourself?”
He playfully punched me. “Do I look like freaking Martha Stewart? Val did that part.”
Val smiled. “Guilty as charged, but the gift is from everyone.”
I smiled at them all, then opened the package. “Whoa!” I said, happily looking down on a fancy pocket knife. “Now this is something I can really use.”
“Yeah, they do come in handy,” Nick said.
“We searched the empty, depleted stores until we found the perfect birthday present,” Asia said.
Claire grinned. “You’re lucky I went shopping with
Jackie squeezed my hand. “C’mon, baby. You deserve a proper birthday song.”
“He does,” Lucas said. “He kicked butt out there today.”
“We skipped my birthday last month,” Nick said. “We’re not skipping another one.”
Lucas nudged me. “You’re just lucky they don’t have party hats and noisemakers at the market, or I’d really embarrass you.”
I laughed. “I would’ve killed you!”
“He wanted to walk around in his birthday suit in honor of you,” Kate said. “I wouldn’t let him.”
“Aw, babe, c’mon,” Lucas joked.
“Cake or not, I think I’d lose my appetite,” I said. “Guess I owe you one for putting a stop to that, Kate.”
She winked. “I’ll take you up on that sometime.”
Everyone chuckled.
“Come on, everybody!” Grandma said, then led them in a very off-key chorus of “Happy Birthday to You.” It seemed a bit corny at first, but when I looked into Jackie’s happy eyes, I realized that for that brief moment in time, everything seemed normal. I remembered saying on the island that I hated normal, but I now hungered for it, and it felt good to experience it, if only for a few seconds.
I looked around at my smiling friends and family, the people who always had my back. We didn’t have the luxury of too many happy, unworried moments, so I tried to take it all in and enjoy every second of it, every out-of-tune note they sang. When I finally blew out the candles, I wished for the same thing any post-apocalyptic survivor would wish for: to get our world back.
“No telling now, or it won’t come true,” Jackie said, winking at me.
Everyone clapped and cheered.
“I’m so proud of you,” Nick said. “You never quit and don’t whine like some people,” he said, glaring over at Buddy. “You fight to win, and your uncompromising integrity never ceases to amaze me. Above all, you definitely have character, and I think you got that from Mom. It takes a special breed of warrior to combat the hell we fight every day.”
It took a minute for me to compose myself. Nick’s heartfelt words really made me emotional. “Thanks,” I said. “I actually lived to see my eighteenth birthday. I really wasn’t sure I would, considering all the lame mistakes I’ve made in the past.”
“You’ll live to see lots more. I promise you that. You’ve come a long way, grown up so much in such a short time. I couldn’t ask for a better brother.”
“I feel the same way,” I said, my voice wavering.
I looked around at everyone again. “Look, I’m not good at speeches or anything, but I want you to know that I really couldn’t ask for better friends or better people to spend my birthday with. Thanks for this...and for everything.”
Grandma handed everyone a cup and poured soda pop in them. She then passed out forks, napkins, and plates.
Kate’s blonde hair swirled in the breeze, her blue eyes blazing. “Let’s raise our plastic glasses to Dean, to friendship, and to birthdays,” she said, wearing the biggest smile I’d ever seen on her face.
“Cheers!” everyone said, smacking their Solo cups together.
“Well? How does it feel to be an adult?” Lucas asked.
“You would have to ask,” Val chuckled.
I laughed. “I really don’t feel any different.”
Nick handed me a box wrapped in blue and silver paper and tied with a big bow. “Here. This is for you.”
“Wow,” I said, shocked. “Did you wrap it yourself?”
He playfully punched me. “Do I look like freaking Martha Stewart? Val did that part.”
Val smiled. “Guilty as charged, but the gift is from everyone.”
I smiled at them all, then opened the package. “Whoa!” I said, happily looking down on a fancy pocket knife. “Now this is something I can really use.”
“Yeah, they do come in handy,” Nick said.
“We searched the empty, depleted stores until we found the perfect birthday present,” Asia said.
Claire grinned. “You’re lucky I went shopping with
Similar Books
