Broken Girls And Broken Boys

Chapter Twenty One: And they say life isn't a catwalk.

"You and Grant seem to be getting close," my mum observes, taking the small velvet box from my hand. I roll my eyes, brushing off her comment and take the present from her grip.

"Not really," I mumble, a hot blush beginning g to rise up my cheeks. I was wondering when it would make an appearance.

I swear it follows me everywhere.

My mum sets me with an unconvinced look and motions for me to open it. I comply, liking the fact she's changed the subject so easily.

This present has just fueled her fire.

Though in Grant's defence, it is my birthday present and so doesn't cause too much suspicion where my mum is concerned.

I unhinge the brass clip and let the box slide open. My mum, queen of overdramatics, gasps loudly and touches my shoulder tentatively.

Well, what she thinks is tentatively.

I almost fall off the bed.

Regaining my balance, I take a look at the contents of the box. Inside is a delicate silver bracelet adorned with different beads and charms. A smile begins to creep onto my lips and I feel tears spring to my eyes.

I bite them back, not wanting my mum to see my emotional reaction. Her frail hands take the bracelet from the box and she slides the chain around my wrist, careful as to not let the charms fly off. She fastens the clip before pulling me into a hug.

"Happy birthday Kendall," she smiles against my cheek, tears dampen my face. Another gift is shoved into my face, though this time a chocolate mouthed Caleb throws it towards me with a squeal, rather than my overly enthusiastic mother.

Taking the present from his grasp, I set it on the bed with a smile. Caleb joins me, shifting into the space my mum sat only moments ago. He jumps up and down, begging me to let him open the gift for him.

I let him, smiling at his eagerness to help me. "Kee Kee, I got you a record!" he exclaims, before he's even touched the princess wrapping paper. I throw a grin in his direction and pull him into a hug.

"Thank you, Caleb," I mutter, stroking his dark curls. He pulls away from me to thrash around with the wrapping paper; after some struggle a hint of a soft blue case comes into view.

"Ed Sheeran! Thank you so much!" I exclaim, reaching for my brother to plant a sloppy kiss on his forehead. Caleb giggles, trying to push me off and I let him, not wanting a jab in the ribs.

Lily gargles in my mother's lap, her arms tight around a gift wrapped in Disney wrapping paper. "Lily," my mum coos from the armchair in the corner of my room, "go give Kendall her present." She gently moves my sister off her lap and directs her towards the bed. Lily stumbles towards me like a drunken man and pushes the gift onto the duvet. I take it from the bed and slowly begin to unwrap it. My breath catches in the back of my throat and I stare down at the photo frame- three bright smiling faces stare back at me. I pull the photo to my chest and let a few tears escape down my cheeks. My mum runs over to me and pulls me into her arms.

"Don't cry on your birthday," Caleb says, staring up at me with his doe-like eyes. I smile through my tears.

"I'm happy. They're happy tears." I know I'm lying and I think my mum knows too but she doesn't say anything. I wipe away the salty tears with the back of my hand and pull a smile onto my face- its probably watery and fake but my brother seems satisfied with it; he starts to run off, shouting to my mum that he's grabbing all his Lego.

My room is going to look like the Windsor Resort any second now...

My mum takes the frame from my grip and places it on my bedside table. The photo was taken from the last time we went to Percy's Paradise theme park- around two years ago. Caleb is grinning from ear to ear and my mum is holding him around his waist. We're all laughing at something- my dad probably; he was always making funny faces behind the camera. My mum looks younger, happier, and definitely fuller- her baby bump is evident through her cotton top. My hair is a lot longer, my smile wider and around my neck hangs the pearl necklace Brett gave me for our second year anniversary. This photo contains so much, so many clues and yet you'd never really give it a second glance.