Captive (Sequel to Infatuation)

Chapter 20

SONG(s) FOR CHAPTER: 

♬ My Demons by Starset ♬ 

♬ World War Me by Theory of a Deadman ♬  

CHAPTER 20

♕ HARRY STYLES ♕

IT WAS GEMMA'S fourteenth birthday. A bright Saturday afternoon with the sound of children's laughter laced in the breeze, prancing around the park with no care in the world. Everything as it should be. Normal. Playful. Safe.

I remember telling my old friend Micah how lucky Gemma was that it was sunny on her birthday. Here in London, sunny weather it hard to come by. It rained at my birthday party a mere few months ago, leading to the backyard picnic being moved inside. I hadn't minded too much, but I'd be lying if I were to say I wasn't a bit jealous of Gemma for having better luck than me.

I was around ten at the time, so Micah and I were sitting in the grass under an oak conversing about the fourth Harry Potter movie that we had yet been able to go see. It's been out about six months now, but Mum was on a tight budget and I definitely understood that. It was rough, though, to hear everyone else at school praising it so highly and chatting ecstatically when I couldn't even afford the book to hold me over.

Anyways, Mum had just called for the kids as it was present-opening time. It was starting to get a bit cloudy then, most people already leaving the park. But Gemma had the biggest smile on her face, one that could surely blind someone from beauty and brightness. I wished she were that happy all the time. I wished Mum were that happy all the time.

Micah's sister, Sarah, was Gemma's age and her altogether best friend. Gemma opened her present first which happened to be an assorted makeup kit that seemed excessively large, and a silver necklace with Gemma's birthstone in the middle of a heart—tanzanite. She put it on and the vibrant blue hue accentuated her skin tone perfectly.

She saved mine and Mum's present for last. Mum and I had agreed to get her a new pair of Heelys since Dad burned her old ones. She had forgotten to do the dishes one night after dinner, which obviously was a mistake. Mum picked her out a snug t-shirt with ripped jeans, and I burned her a CD. She was always talking about how much of a great music taste I had, so it was the most creative thing I could come up with.

Mum really wanted to get Gemma a new television or stereo system, but the Heelys were as expensive as we could get. Even then, Mum exceeded her budget just to make sure her daughter kept smiling on her birthday. I forked a few extra hidden pounds out of my drawer and secretly into Mum's wallet to help out. She'd never take my money otherwise.

Little did she know I took it from Dad. He could live without an extra beer or two a few nights. He never gave Mum enough money to spend for groceries, so what else was I to do? Let her and Gemma starve when money was being kept from them?

Resurfacing from yet another tangent, Gemma just reached for my CD I made her. Her grin only widened, if it were possible, and the hug she gave me next was considerably tight. But I relished in it. Unlike most siblings, Gemma and I hardly ever fought.

We needed each other too much to have time for pathetic skirmishes, even with our four year age gap.

Next, we all sang that irritable happy birthday song no kid can ever seem to go without at a party. Gemma especially loved it because all eyes were on her while she waited to blow out her candles. When the opportune moment came, Gemma reveled in the attention, knowing she wouldn't get it for long. I was always the opposite—I never wanted it.

However, right after she blew the candles out, the unmistakable sound of screeching tires on asphalt made everyone look up. Mum already looked near tears and Gemma and I exchanged worried glances, while everyone else observed from the shadows.