Touch of Hellfire (Original Version)

☕️91☕️

"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear Heather! Happy Birthday to you!"

I was sat in the Rainbow Room and a big cake appeared in front of me. "Blow out the candles!"

I thought about my wish. Have a guess, please? Because I can't tell you what it is or else it won't come true.

I blew out the candles and everybody cheered. "The big two one!" I cheered.

"You're twenty one! I can't believe it!" Andrea cheered. This was a friends only party we were having.

We were eating cake at the table. It was me, Andrea, Rosa, Amilia, Sophia, Claire and even Tessa drove all the way from freaking Brown.

"You can now buy alcohol instead of getting me to do it," Claire laughed.

"So true," I laughed. "So true."

"So what did you wish for?" Andrea asked me. "Obviously for a certain someone to walk through that door in the next ten minutes," Tessa laughed.

"Oi!" I scolded them.

***

I got a phone call the next morning. "Hello?"

"Hey, how are you?" Rory asked me. "I am fine, my hip is lovely and purple but I can walk without limping."

"You remember the plan for our twenty first?"

"We'd go to Atlantic City, sit at the blackjack table at 11:59, we'd be playing twenty one when we turn twenty one, drink martinis, buy twenty one things with the winnings, wasn't there something with twenty one boys?"

"Yes but...Grandma is throwing us a party, it'd be extremely weird if you weren't there," Rory told me. "Grandma is inviting Andrea and I quote 'Heather's punk friend.'"

Yeah, Grandma was talking about Tessa.

"Sounds good," I nodded. "Is Mom coming?"

"Should be and the cake is chocolate praline crunch," Rory told me. "Right," I told her. "Happy Birthday Rory."

"Happy Birthday Hezzy."

I smiled and I hung up. "We're having another party Andrea."

"SWEET!" she called from her room. "Hey how's Dave? I haven't seen him lately," I wondered.

"We're on a break," she grumbled. "So don't ask?" I assumed. "That's the safe path," she told me.

"How about we have a proper game night?" I suggested. "Board game mania after the party, you, me, Tessa, the Golden Trio."

"Sounds good," Andrea smiled and hugged me. "You only turn twenty one once."

My phone was going crazy the next morning. "Hello?" I asked the phone groggily.

"You will never guess what I got lectured about last night?! By a reverend no less!"

"I don't know," I mumbled. "My virtue! My virginity! Which I lost a long time ago!"

"Hey I lost it first," I giggled.

"I am not looking forward to this," Rory grumbled. "It could be worse," I pointed out.

***

I woke up at three minutes past four, in the morning. I sent Rory a text, saying Happy Birthday.

I was the younger twin so once that three turned to eight, I'd be twenty one.

I looked until it turned to eight and my phone went off.

Happy Birthday Hezzy!!!!

Then the night of the party arrived. I haven't been at Grandma and Grandpa's for such a long time.

I had a dark green dress and I finally arrived at the door. I was stopped at the door because I didn't have an invite. "Where is invite?" the maid asked me. "My name is Heather Gilmore, I'm the twin...also my party," I told her.

"Heather!" Grandma pushed the maid aside and hugged me tightly, pressing on my wound a bit making me groan in pain.

"It still hurts?!" she asked me, shocked. "Yeah," I admitted. "Well come in," she ushered me in and I looked around.

Andrea and Tessa rushed over to me and hugged me. "Happy actual twenty first!"

"Thanks," I laughed. "Heather!" Lane came over to me and hugged me once she and Zack had finished doing the birthday greetings.

Rory also came over and hugged me. "There's two piles of gifts over there," she told me. "One for me, one for you."

"Wanna do the rounds?" Rory asked me holding her arm out. "Just to get it over with," I told her, looping my arm through hers.

Mom and Luke arrived. "Hey birthday girls," Mom smiled at us, giving me a hug. "How's the.."

"Sore but I'll live," I told her. "How much did you squeeze out?" Mom asked me in a low voice. "Eighty," I whispered. "That's my girl," Mom kissed the top of my head.

I walked away and I sort of kept to myself most of the evening. Until Tessa pulled me towards the cake and me and Rory blew out the candles together.

Once everyone had their cake, the atmosphere slowly started dying down. Everyone was mingling in the party, but all talked to Rory. I was kind of the outsider at my own birthday party...and part of me didn't care.

My phone started ringing suddenly and I looked around..to see who it could possibly be.

I looked at my phone and I answered it. I held it to my ear. "Hello?"

I listened to the voice on the other end and I smiled. "Thank you Jess."

My birthday wish came true.