The Happy Birthday Song ✓

Chapter Seven

Tuesday, May 19th 2009

Fortitude Valley, Brisbane

6:22 PM

"Zee," she let out an exasperated huff, "will you stop squirming?"

The little brown-eyed toddler was giggling and clapping his small chubby hands in glee. For the past thirty minutes Junie had been trying to feed her younger brother but every time the spoonful of porridge came his way he would wriggle and turn his head away.

Scooping up some porridge with the spoon, Junie hovered it in front of his mouth but as expected he refused. He was being difficult and she suspected he was enjoying this. This had not been Junie's plans for her Tuesday evening.

After school, she had planned to go to the skate park with Dylan but Audrey needed her to babysit Isaiah because she had dumped with a night shift at the store. She wouldn't be back home until eleven.  She sighed and dropped the spoon back into the bowl of porridge. She stared at her little brother for a long moment.

"Fine, you don't want any? Then I'll have it," she said, scooping up some of the porridge and popping it into her mouth. A sharp and tangy flavour attacked her tongue and her face scrunched up at the disgusting taste.

Spluttering and coughing, Junie grabbed Isaiah's cup and guzzled down the milk. Her brother laughed, eyes alight with glee as he clapped his chubby hands erratically. Junie glanced at the bowl of porridge with a repulsed grimace, "God, that's disgusting. No wonder you don't like it."

This baby food, no matter how disgusting, was the cheapest they could afford

Times were hard, to be honest, times were always hard for the Bennetts. Audrey had been demoted from Assistant Manager to Store Clerk because the boss had caught Audrey giving sixty percent discounts to her friends. They were living off the small pool of money in both Junie's and Audrey's bank account and that wasn't going to last long.

Junie was already balancing schoolwork and a waitressing job at the cafe on Wickham Street. Taking care of Isaiah plus studying for school was beginning to take its toll.  But, what else could she do? As her uncle had always told her, when life handed you lemons, you throw them right back. You kept moving and you didn't stop no matter how much weight you had to carry. 

Junie was pulled out of her thoughts at the sound of the house phone ringing. She told Isaiah to at least try a bit of the porridge, before she left kitchen and came into the living room She went to the small table by the window and picked up the phone.

"Junebug!" Dylan greeted on the other line. 

Junie smiled in spite of herself. It was stupid and probably unhealthy, but even though she had seen him only three hours ago, she missed the idiot. "What is it?"

"Come to my place," he said.

"Why?"

"Today's your sixteenth! It's your birthday and we are going to celebrate!"

"New Zealand," Junie sighed, "I can't. My mum's not here, I have to take care of Zee."

"Bring him with you then," he said matter-of-factly.

She paused, humming in thought as she contemplated his offer.

"Junie, c'mon, I have a little surprise for you," Dylan coaxed, "It's your sweet sixteen, I can't let you spend your sweet sixteenth by yourself. So, I'll see you in an hour?"

She sighed once more, like she could ever deny Dylan Mercer of anything. She nodded, "Oh, Okay then, see ya."

She ended the call and rushed back into the kitchen, not too surprised to find Isaiah had the porridge splattered all over him, the little minx had threw the bowl onto the floor. Shaking her head, she removed his bib. She bopped his nose, a habit she had picked up from Dylan, and he giggled.