Falling Daisies

Chapter 20

The weeks rolled by, the air got crisp and soon Christmas was about to rear its head; and along with Christmas - came my birthday. I’d always hated it as a kid, having a birthday a mere two days before Christmas, because it usually meant that I only got one set of presents. That never seemed fair to me as Tess and Scott – both summer babies – got two. But as I grew older I learnt not to care. The past few in fact had just gone by like any other day. I’d had noone to share them with and my family was barely in the mood for celebrations; hell, we didn’t even have a tree last year.

“So what are we doing for your birthday?” Daisy asked eagerly as she sprawled out across my bed.

“Don’t even bother!” came Hazel’s quick reply.

The three of us were in my room one cold Saturday afternoon, watching a marathon of Christmas films and drinking Hot Chocolate after a busy morning decorating the house with Daisy delegating from the couch.  “I tried so hard to get her to do something last year but she was having none of it – she wouldn’t even let me buy her a cake!”

Daisy stared at me open mouthed, “No cake on your birthday? That’s positively criminal!”

I just shrugged. The truth was this year, I thought I might actually like to do something. I guess it wasn’t every day you turned eighteen...

As if reading my thoughts Daisy continued, “No you absolutely have to do something! It isn’t every day you turn eighteen! We’re going on a night out!”

I pretended mock refusal but then relented. A night out though? That sounded... Messy.

“Are you sure you’d be up for that..?” I probed Daisy cautiously. I didn’t want to tread on egg shells with her however there were some things I still didn’t know how to ask bluntly without appearing rude. This was one of those times.

Daisy gave me a disparaging look, “For god sake Lucy! I’ll be fine! I just won’t drink. I’m dying – I’m not dead yet!”

I bit my lip and didn’t probe further; worried I was going to induce greater irritation.

“So that’s settled!” Daisy declared. “So who is coming; you, me, Hazel, Ben, Scott... And Maggie?” I winced at her name, cringing for my brother and not for myself.

“Yeah, what’s going on now there?” Hazel questioned me.

I’d begun to fill her in bit by bit of the missing pieces of my life she had failed to be informed on, over the past few months. I’d delicately approached the subject of Ben and she had been both shocked and disappointed in me – I think she even had an issue with him for a good while – but she’d been a loyal friend and never brought it up again. It did make me feel awkward in situations including just Daisy, Hazel and I however; like there is some private joke not everyone is included in. Maybe I was just thinking too much.

“Eugh.” I began, rolling my eyes and grimacing, “Basically after that night he took her home, they’ve been super awkward with each other. It’s obviously that they like each other but between my brother’s condition making him socially awkward around other people and confronting his emotions without drugs and then the fact she’s ridiculously shy without alcohol in her system, they can’t seem to... Do anything. They’re texting all the time and she comes around sometimes to watch films but it’s uncomfortable to watch them! They just sit side by side, legs on the floor, hands in their laps and flinching every time the other makes a sudden movement, like their a wild animal about to attack. Someone just needs to bang their heads together!”

I really liked Maggie. Despite the fact her and my brother hadn’t done anything about their obvious feelings, she was proving to be really good for him. He was making more effort than ever to clean up his act. Although the further away from drugs he got, the more he began to go back to his old ways. It was milder now, I think he’d had enough life experience to know how to deal more with his behaviours and could control it. The planet obsession was back though; only this time – I didn’t mind it. The stars really are fascinating, if you think about it.