Forbidden Hearts

Chapter 18

I dreamt that I was in a dark place. I could not see anything and the air was thin to almost gone. I clawed at the walls but I could not escape. I tried harder and harder. I can't breathe. I thought, after seeming like I would never escape. Then I heard my name. A whisper at first then it got louder and louder. I felt a hand on me. I jerked awake to see James standing over me, worry in his eyes. "What?" I asked, annoyed.

"I heard you screaming so I came in and checked on you." He sat beside me. "Plus, It's your Birthday today, so happy ninteenth Birthday!" He smiled, handing me a card. It had a wolf on it with its head laying down on the girls lap. The girl was leaning back against the tree looking like she was petting the wolf's head. I opened the card. In it James had wrote, "Happy Birthday and many more to come. Love, James." I smiled and gave him a big hug. He got off my bed and grabbed my hand. "Come on, mom's waiting downstairs for you." I sit the card on the bedside table and follow down the stairs.

Lydiya was standing in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on the cake. James led me towards the coffee table in the middle of the room and had me sit down on the chair. Once Lydiya started bringing in the cake with the candles lit, they started singing the traditional Birthday song. "Make a wish!!" Lydiya exclaims, setting the cake infront of me. I close my eyes tightly and blew out the candles. They clapped and took out the candles. "What did you wish for?" James asked.

"If I told you, it wouldn't come true." I said, smiling at him.

"Yeah, but I'm still curious." He pokes me in my arm and laughs. Lydiya cuts the cake and we each get a piece of cake and eat it. When I finish my piece of cake, I remembered what dad had told me. I stood up and grabbed James' hand. I led him upstairs to my room and closed the door behind us when we got into the room. "Do you remember when you said you didn't wanna lose me?" I asked.

"Yeah."

"How would you like to move to Montana and live with my dad and I?" I asked, smiling.

"Doesn't your dad forbid us being together?" He asked, confused. I smiled bigger.

"Forbidden hearts will always find a way. Nothing and nobody could tear them apart despite what anybody has to say. Besides, my dad agreed to you moving and living with us. In one sweep, he was up and wrapped his arms around me. He picked me up and twirled around me. His dark brown eyes shining with happiness. He planted his lips on mine and we stayed like that for awhile. After we broke off, Lydiya knocked on the bedroom door. She came in with a Birthday present. She held it out to me and I took it. It was wrapped with dark purple wrapping paper with a silver ribbon tied around it. I pulled off the ribbon and tore off the wrapping paper. I held up a long sleeved purple dress. It had a V neckline shape with silver lining along the neckline. The end of the sleeves flared out a little bit with silver lining around the ends of them. The dress itself was made of velvet and comes down just below the knees. "I love it." I said smiling. I gave Lydiya a huge hug.

"Well, if you love that then you'll love what James had gotten you." She said, hugging me back. I looked over at James and he handed me a pink present. I laid the dress down on my bed and took the present out of James' hands. I opened it up and held up a black, hooded cloak. I smiled even bigger and gave James a huge bear hug. I rubbed my hand against the soft velvet of the cloak. Then, before I could stop it, the tears had started to fall. Lydiya and James both wrapped their arms around me. "What's wrong?" Lydiya asked, laying her head against my shoulder.

"Remembering mom. I wish she could've been here to celebrate my Birthday to." I cried some more.

"She's with you. In here." James pointed to my chest where my heart is. I cried again and laid my head against James. Oh mom, I really wish you were here. You could've helped me with everything I've been through this year and nobody would've had to die because of me. Lydiya stands up and claps her hands together. "This is a party. No need for tears. Come on, let's go and get some lunch." We all piled out of my room and into Lydiya's car. We drove off and I watched the clouds go by. About a couple hours later, we come up to the restaurant. Lydiya parks in the parking lot. Foodtastica is the name of the restaurant. We go inside and wait to be seated.

A waitress walks up and shows us to our seats. James sits next to me and Lydiya sits across from us. The waitress, Kim, hands us our menus and pulls out her notepad and pen. "What would you like to drink?" She asked.

"I'll have a large lemonade." Lydiya replies. Kim looks over at us.

"I'll have a root beer." James adds, still looking at the menu.

"I'll have a sweet tea, please." I replied, finally deciding on a drink. Kim writes our drinks down and then walks off. I looked through the menu to see what I wanted to eat. I could not concentrate on the menu. I had another bad feeling and this time, it was strong. James noticed the look on my face. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know. That's the problem. The only thing is, I have a really bad feeling about something." I said, worry covering my face.

"Hey, whatever it is, we can get through it together." He replied, gently rubbing my back. I smiled at looked over the menu. The waitress, Kim, walks back over.

"Have you decided on what to order?" She asked, eyes staring intently at James. I could feel anger rising up from my gut. Lydiya spoke up.

"I'd like the salad with Italian dressing and a side of coleslaw." Kim wrote it down and looked back at James.

"I'll have the steak, medium rare, with a baked potato." He folded up his menu and handed it to Kim. Kim looked at me, unwillingly.

"I'll have the pasta salad, the Lobster with butter on the side, sweet rolls and shrimp." I said while looking at the menu. She wrote down the orders and walked away after taking my menu. She came back with our drinks and walked off again. Some great service she's offering. No smile, no good cheer. Just staring at James like she has a chance with him. I rolled my eyes and took a drink of my sweet tea. New York is full of crazy people. You have artists, you have the rich, you have the poor. There is absolutely no middle class anywhere. You have the people who are smart with their money and then you have people who are not and they wonder why they are broke all of the time. I know I will miss New York, but after everything that had happened I know I need a change.  Not to mention getting away from all the bad memories and trying to forget them. Except mom, I would never forget her.

"So, when you move in with your dad, what are you gonna do?" Lydiya asked.

"I don't know. I might become a vetinarian." I replied. James smirks, then looks a little scared.

"As long as you don't practice on me." He said.

"Why would she practice on you? You won't be there." Lydiya said, taking a sip of her lemonade.

"That's kinda what I wanna ask you mom." James tells her everything about what my dad had told me. She gets quiet for a moment. Her tears slowly creep up and she quickly wipes them away. She takes a deep breath.

"I'm okay with it. But, on two conditions. One, you both write to me everyday and two, come visit any chance you get. Promise."

"Promise." We both said simultaneously. Kim brought us our food.