Sleep Soundly, Sabella [Finished]

Chapter Two

       That night I had trouble falling asleep. I had been stuck up until about one thirty in the morning struggling through the boring reading that was my summer homework. I never really understood why people, also known as my teachers, had to give out homework. Especially during the summer. I thought they were supposed to teach us whatever we needed to know in school. We shouldn't have to do any readings outside of school to "expand our knowledge" or whatever.

       After I had finally finished my summer homework, I felt a pull towards my computer. Sure, it was probably the worst idea ever to check the feeds of what people were still saying about me, but I couldn't really help it in a way.

       I wanted to, no I needed to know what these people were saying about me. Did they actually decided to come up with something creative? Or did they just stick with the same old same old ideas of calling me a bitch and telling me to die? Probably the latter, but I still felt the burning curiosity fill my stomach.

       Like I had expected, it was the same old same old. One thing did stand out to me, though, and it had been posted by someone who used to be my friend. It was a picture.

       I clicked onto it to make the post bigger. I remembered when the picture was taken. I also knew exactly where it was taken.

       The air was filled with laughs, everyone holding conversations with each other or running around, no one was being excluded. A 'Happy Birthday' sign hung above the door, hand made by my mom and decorated with different color paint and glitter. A small single layer cake was on the table that I was standing next to; it was chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. It had white frosting around the edges, as well as delicate cursive letters spelling out the two words "happy birthday" in a light purple frosting.

       The other teenagers there were running around and acting like little kids, while the few adults my mom had over were in the kitchen drinking alcohol. Apparently they were supposed to watch us. We were older and more responsible now, but my mom loved to have gathering with her friends, and this was the perfect excuse to do so. She still claimed it was because she needed more adults to make sure we weren't doing anything illegal, though.

       "Why aren't you participating in your own birthday party? I mean, you don't really look like you're having fun, babe." Ah, and that was my overprotective boyfriend Xavier, his right arm wrapping around my waist as the other brought a glass of punch up to his lips.

       "I like to observe, not do." Was my only response as I leaned back into his chest. His nice, solid, well toned chest.

       Yes, all these people were my friends. Melody was there, the one who had been with me through thick and thin, as well as my other close friends. Melody wasn't the only one who had always been there for me, though. I had been close friends with her and three other girls since kindergarten, and here I was. Turning sixteen and we were still together.

       If I had to pick the person I was closet to out of the group, though, I would definitely say it was Melody. Veronica and I had never really clicked, so she was the one I was most reluctant to share anything with. The others- Faith and Kristen- were two people who I could only trust to a certain extent. They were two of the biggest gossips in school, and I had always been afraid that they would let something I said slip out of their mouths one day.

       "I don't like seeing you so bored on a day that's supposed to be about you." Xavier set down his glass and wrapped his other arm around my waist as well, resting his chin on my head. "You don't seem happy when you're like this. When you're just watching, I mean. It looked more like you're longing to be apart of what's going on."