Candice
“Okay. Your turn.” I say with a smirk on my face.
“What the hell did you do? This is so unfair. Did you cheat?” Daniel’s face goes all red with frustration. He runs a hand over all the pieces of the chessboard and a few of them land on the ground.
“If you’re that bad at chess, just say that. Idiot.” I say picking those pieces up and setting them on the board again. He drags his chair back and then stands up.
“Yeah. Pretty face. Stupid mind.”
No. He can’t say that. Does he think I take advantage of my pretty face and yet have a dumb mind?
“Listen here, you freak! Don’t you ever call me that again.” I say, standing up too.
“Why? Is it too much truth for you to handle? Pretty face. Stupid mind.” He raises both his middle fingers at me and sticks his tongue out. I pick up a pillow from behind me and throw it at him but unfortunately, he dodges it and runs outside.
I yell “I hate you, you bastard.”
“I hate you too, pretty face, stupid mind.” He replies.
“What the hell is wrong with you both?”
My mother enters my room with her usual frown. “Are you both insane?”
“You should go ask that to him. It’s not my fault he’s an asshole and he doesn’t even know how to play a simple game.” I say with a frown, matching the one my mother has.
“Language. Candice Klein.” She says with her eyes bulging out of their sockets.
“Mom! Hear me out. I don’t care about anything you’re saying. Okay? I hate that motherfucker and no one can convince me otherwise.”
I pick my phone up from the bed and try to move towards the door.
Mom holds my wrist and stops me.
“You better fix your issues with Daniel or I won’t help you hide his body if you accidentally kill him.” She releases me with a jerk. Anger fills her body like ink in water.
“I assure you, mother, even if I kill him, I won’t ask you for help to hide his body.”
“Whose body are we hiding?” Of course, we need my sister here when we’re talking about hiding corpses.
“No one’s. Just that Daniel is trying not to be stupid when we all know Aunt Ellie dropped him when he was young and that damaged his brain at great levels.” I say trying not to look at Mom when I’m talking about her nephew like this. Aunt Ellie is mom’s sister and Daniel is her son.
Sia snorts “He isn’t dumb, Can. He acts dumb. He’s very fucking clever. I’m telling you. He’s trying to manipulate you.”
“Sia. Do you think an idiot like him can manipulate me? Besides, he is stupid. Believe me or not.” I say going out.
I resist the urge to gasp when I see his figure just outside the room.
Daniel, staring at me like never before. I observe a faint sadness on his face.
“I… I wanted to give you this.” He holds out a flat box placed on top of his hand awkwardly.
“What is this?” I ask him, confused.
“First of all, happy birthday. And, secondly, this is your birthday present.”
He says placing the box in my hand.
“Thanks. Asshole.”
I wasn’t expecting that. I feel kind of bad that he heard Sia and my conversation when he came to give me a birthday present. But the surprising thing is, he remembered my birthday. My birthday isn’t a big deal in our household. Even just birthday wishes are a gift for me.
“You’re welcome.”
Such a dry and sad response was never a ‘Daniel’ kind of thing. He turns around and starts to walk away.
“I’m sorry Daniel”
He doesn’t look back and keeps moving.
I go back to my room. Sia and Mom are already gone. I open the box. Inside it, I find a book and a photo frame. The frame has a picture of Daniel and me when we were young. His arm is wrapping around my neck and mine his. Both of us have a big smile on our faces. The book, though, is a romance novel with the title ‘The Fine Print’ on it. I’ve been reading novels since middle school and so has Daniel. That’s one of the many things we both have in common.
I get a knock on my door
“Come in.” I say. Aunt Ellie steps into my room.
“Dear. Can you come downstairs for a moment?”
“Yeah, sure. Everything alright?” I ask her.
“Yes, darling. Just come down.”
I go down and all the lights are turned off. I turn back but I don’t even see Aunt Ellie.
“Hello. Is anyone here?”
“Surprise!” Everyone yells and the lights turn on.
I look or maybe stare at the decorations in front of me. The main wall is filled with red balloons and a banner saying ‘Happy Birthday Candice’. The side walls are completely filled with fresh red roses and so is the table in the front. I place a hand to cover my mouth with shock.
“Oh my god! I thought you guys forgot it was my birthday today.” I say, still too stunned.
Our living room is a legit royal hall. A big chandelier hanging from the high ceiling. Dark walls and a stage in the front like a king’s throne.
Below the stage, a long red carpet is laid leading to the entry. That’s where I’m standing staring at the stage filled with balloons and roses. On one side of the red carpet, my mom, my sister, Sia, and my dad stand on the other side Aunt Ellie and Daniel are standing.
Sia rolls her eyes.
“We kinda did. Not gonna lie.” She says.
“SIA...” Daniel yells at her.
“What? I don’t even care about her birthday. It was Daniel’s idea anyway. I volunteered because he promised me a coffee.” Sia folds her arms on her chest with frustration.
“You know what? I don’t even want to argue with you at this point.” Daniel gets annoyed. “Let’s cut the cake and I’m not getting you a coffee.”
Daniel moves towards the stage and hops up, going to the table with a big, blood-red cake. I follow him. Black writing on the cake says ‘pretty face, stupid mind’.
“NO, YOU DIDN’T.” I stare at Daniel.
“Yes, I did. Now your majesty, would you mind standing here? We have other things to do.” He says dragging me towards the cake.
Everyone else surrounds me. My father, still where he was, least bothered by his surroundings, typing on his phone continuously. I cut the cake and eat the piece with 'pretty face' written on it. I cut another piece this time the one with ‘stupid mind’ labeled and shove it up Daniel’s mouth without even letting him think.
“I see what you did there.” He says, scrunching his nose, with his mouth full. I release a laugh. I take a piece of cake down the stage towards Dad. He stops me with his hand.
“I don’t eat cake. Besides, I’m leaving for work. This was fun.” He says flatly and walks towards the exit.
I resist my tears and move back on the stage, towards Mom.
“Do you like cake mom?” I ask.
“She might not, but I surely do honey.” Aunt Ellie slips between me and mom and eats the whole slice in one bite. Then she gives me a tight hug and says “Happy birthday Candice. You are my favorite niece.” She plants a kiss on my cheek.
Sia coughs. Aunt Ellie turns to face Sia.
“You’ll get your compliments on your birthday, dear. Until then be patient.” She smiles.
Aunt Ellie has always been there for me when my own parents weren’t. She would never let Daniel bully me. But, now that she knows we can’t live without insulting each other all the time, she doesn’t stop Daniel or me. She just laughs.
As I’m walking towards my room, I hear Aunt Ellie’s voice from Mom’s room.
“What is wrong with you both?” She says.
“It’s none of your business. Ellie. She has always been a troubled child. Always playing with boys, breaking bones, fighting, and insulting males. If she can’t be a decent daughter, why should I be a loving mother?”
“Are you serious? She has cared for you more than Sia or anyone else has. She discontinued her studies just because you thought millionaires have enough money. And I still hate you for that.” Aunt Ellie raises her voice. “Emma! Be better, before it’s too late.”
I run towards my bedroom; eyes filled with tears. I close the door and crumble in the corner, releasing all the tears I’ve held in for so long. Why am I so unlovable?
I pick the book up from my bedside table which Daniel had gifted. And I start reading. Escaping the reality may not be the healthiest thing to do when you’re facing problems, but it's very fucking effective.
“OMG. OMG. Rowen is everything.” I am kicking my feet and giggling for the past 5 hours.
“Are you dying, idiot?” Daniel sneaks his head into my room.
“Hell yeah, man. Do you see this?” I step up from my bed and show him a conversation between Rowen and Zahra.
Zahra: Haha. So funny. Are you expanding your talents to the computer hacking business?
Rowen: For you, I’d consider it.
I jump up and down in excitement “OMG I’m totally simping over Rowen.” I say, still very excited.
Daniel holds my shoulders and jerks me a lot of times. “Rowen is so handsome. I wish I was him. He’s so fucking cool. Isn’t he?”
“Of course, he is. Thanks for introducing him to me.”
“Don’t fall for him too bad. He is literal ink on paper.” He says. I make a mocking face at him.
“You’re disgusting.” Daniel makes a disgusted face, a forceful one.
“You owe me a coffee, dumbass.” I say “For that shit you wrote over the cake. Although, I dealt with it pretty smartly.”
“A coffee it is then.” He says defeated.
I scoff at his defeat.
