BROWN SKIN | BOOK 1

|| C H A P T E R . 17 ||

A/N: I don't want to post author notes anymore unless it's important, but I wanted to say this is one of favorite chapters, along with the next one, (I don't know if writers are supposed to say that) but I've wrote Ebonee's birthday three times until it sounded right. And it's a loooonggg chapter, really. It could be a short story. But thank you for all the readers that support this book, it means a lot. I don't get much love for this book but it's good for the few that do enjoy it. Happy thanksgiving.

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The days, months and years are tracked digitally on probably every countdown web source I could search for on the internet. The time moving faster before our eyes and the digits clocking to another.

I just wasted five seconds I'll never get back.

Even though another digit was added to my age, making me older, coming with it comes with being more responsible, more entitled, maybe even happier. I couldn't check all three that day. It was just another day, an eighteenth birthday that has gone by and time anxiously ticked away light and day like a tremor.

Jewelz didn't want me to spend it sleeping under the covers even though it sounded like a great idea in my head.

"Hey birthday girl," she chirped and tugged my dangled arm that hung over the edge of the mattress with Colleen on her hip. Colleen eyed me skeptically then rested her head against Jewelz's chest, tired. Jewelz got tired of trying and walked around to the closet, roaming through the clothes I've brought with me.

"What do you think about doing on your birthday today?"

"Uhm," I grumbled with an eyelid semi-opened, "Sleep?" Which seemed like the most reasonable and suitable answer.

The second I said that the sound of clothing racks stopped rubbing against the metal bars.

"On your birthday?" She reiterated, hoping pronouncing it out slowly would make a difference and I would rethink my answer.

"Don't you want to celebrate with some friends, have some nice cake or just got out for dinner?"

The effort in my shrug was lazy, uncaring. "Not really." But I did care. I just never dreamt of a fantasy birthday party for myself in any given moment or description. Mom hasn't given me much each year as I got older, maturing, birthday's meaningless to celebrate and not taking seriously in the petite apartment.

I never had relatives over to celebrate with and my dad would call on the occasion, wishing me blessings along with making Mom jealous over the phone. Texts from Mama always lit up my face as well. I had no pictures to look back on in the future; just my inattentive memory. No vividly-colored balloons that floated around the room, dancing. No glorious amounts of presents ready to be ripped open with enthusiasm or possible disappointment coated with a pageant smile. Singing the over-played birthday song was forgotten. Birthday wishes consigned to oblivion never coming true no matter how many candles I blew out.

It just wasn't too personal.

"You can check sleeping off your list because you've done that for ten hours already. What else?"

The sun rays spurred from the windows that blinded me as Jewelz pushed the curtains away, transmitting more daylight.

Or afternoon light.

I covered my face with the warmth of the sheets hoping she would go away and leave me be."C'mon," she urged and snatched the bed covers and sheets from my grasp to blow smacks on my behind. "You're worst than the little ones."

I lowly grumble at that.

Jewelz decided to plan my birthday as if she owned the day she was born on. She didn't take any of my exceptions which were pretty good by the way. Eat some popcorn and ice cream or study school notes for the exam. But no, let's do things Jewelz's way and manipulate Ebonee on her special day by forcing it upon her.