We finally reached our destination and a tall white building stood in front of us and still with all that bickering in the car, my cake was safe and so was my pudding that survived the hand slip incident.
I ran straight inside leaving the cake in the safe hands of my co-passengers. Better safe than sorry.
"My Princess, why do you keep growing every year?" Was my father's complaint when I was within his reach.
He gave me his super dad's hug, a kiss on my head, a birthday wish, and a credit card in my hand without my brothers noticing. The grin on my face was automatic.
He had amazing skills in hiding stuff. Only if I could gloat in front of my brothers. It would make my day. No, it would make my year.
Next was Alvin's parent. Alvin's mom took me in her arms, squeezing me like a balloon.
"Aunt Samantha, are you trying to see if I would burst?" I asked wheezing and laughing at the same time.
"Maybe I am. This is your punishment for not coming to meet me for a long time," she squeezes me again and I squeak groaning painfully.
"No wonder uncle is afraid of you. " I joked painfully and she laughed, finally satisfied. She let go with a wish and a kiss on my cheek.
And last but not least, Uncle Carter. A somewhat older version of my best friend. He stepped forward and I took a step back on instinct. Everyone laughed at my reaction. It wasn't my fault through. Just imagine if Aunt Samantha was this brutal, then Uncle Carter would not let me go easily.
"Come here you, little pumpkin!" Uncle dragged me in a gentle hug which was surprising. "I think my wife punished you enough." he wished and I sagged in relief.
"Oh! I knew you were my favorite uncle for a reason." I grinned stepping back. Though we were not blood-related I didn't like them calling them by their names, hence uncle and aunt.
" That better be the truth!" he warned playfully, patting my head as if I were his favorite pet. That's a story for another time.
Well back to our dinner now. Currently, Lilly, my two brothers, Ricky and Richard, and My dad and Alvin's Parents were the ones present in the room.
We always celebrated our birthdays in a big hall. Big enough for all of us. Booking a room separately resulted in our parents not arguing about where to celebrate our birthdays. It was economical as well and stress-free.
We were not this rich once you know and some things are hard to leave even if you have money to spend now. So they contributed and booked the room. Still maintaining their old ways and rituals.
"I still don't understand why you are wasting your time with my son when you could be living off your amazing cooking," Uncle Carter commented his mouth full, whilst his wife smacked his arm repeatedly telling him to behave and eat like a civilized man.
I just grinned wider. I knew I made good food and I even had a degree in it but I was just taking my time off or you could say that I was collecting money to open my establishment. If I haven't told you earlier, my dear brothers and Alvin were partners in a software company specializing in gaming.
I was just here to earn some extra money. Also it helped that I had some basic knowledge of this work after following Alvin around for so many years.
Anyhow coming back to the present we have ordered our food and I was happily munching on mine when Aunt Samantha started grilling me about my love life.
"Tell me, Violet, have you been going out?" she had asked and I answered it without thinking twice.
"Yes of course Aunty, I have to go to work you know"
Lilly smacked her head, shaking it lightly. "She isn't asking about that!"
Alvin's mom laughed waving it off, "I am asking whether if you have been going on dates, pumpkin."
"Oh!" this was my reaction.
"So you have been!" she exclaimed excitedly gaining everyone's attention on our table now. Alvin was staring at his mom intently and without any expression on his face.
"Yes, Violet, tell her about it, "Lilly encouraged with an evil smirk.
"She doesn't seem to have any problem in that area." came a quiet but heavy voice from my right where Alvin was sitting.
"As if you noticed," I muttered yet again remembering that eventful day in the mall.
"Oh, I remember it explicitly. I was the one who witnessed your kiss you know," his gruff voice lowered even more.
Someone cleared their throat wanting to catch our attention and they were ignored.
I scoffed. "You are one to talk."
"What's going on?" Richy asked looking at both of us now.
"What are you talking about?" Alvin asked now, leaving his spoon on the table with a clank.
"Oh, nothing. It wasn't as if you were clinging to Khloe, arms in arms, in the middle of a store. As if you were in the middle of enacting a bedroom scene!"
Loud gasps followed in the room. My family definitely knows how to act as a part of dramatic melodrama.
"What! You and Khloe? Are guys back together?" Richy asked his mouth wide open.
"No, we are not! and no nothing happened between us." Alvin gritted irritated.
"Could have fooled me." I scoffed again. I tried not to show or to be jealous about that but it couldn't be helped.
"Care to repeat that?" Alvin closed in breathing on my face. It was rare to see him this riled up. It was once in a once-in-a-year event. Just like our fight.
Maybe I am overreacting but I-
"Did you guys fight? why are you sulking?" My dad asked. We ignored him.
"Dad, don't get caught in the crossfire!" Ricardo hissed, pulling him back.
"That is why you were being distant?" Alvin asked confusion crossing his face.
"I am doing what you asked me to!" I stated not looking at him.
"Don't turn your back on me damn it. Look at me and talk," he growled this time and everyone sank in their seat. I could see it.
His voice was already like a bomb and when he shouted it was like an atom bomb. I am sorry for my analogy but I was not getting anything else to explain.
"You said, not to touch you or come near you!" I breathed slowly at first and nearly shouted at the end.
"When did I say that?" he wasn't dropping this.
"Yesterday!"
Realization dawns upon him "I was drunk yesterday!"
"We know that," I said quietly.
"Then quit being a brat about it already!" he snapped, getting off his chair. I followed suit.
"This escalated pretty fast," Aunt Samantha whispered to her husband.
I took a deep breath "Why are you shouting?" I asked calmly, my hands in a tight fist.
"Why are you so damn frustrating?" He growled in my face stepping closer.
"Why are you so damn annoying?" I snapped almost hitting him in the head. If it weren't for my dad Alvin would have a massive bump on his head by now.
"Now, now baby girl. No need to get Violent," My dad soothes, prying my hand off the ladle I was holding now.
"Dad! don't get caught in the crossfire! get back!" Ricardo hisses trying to be quiet. I direct my glare at him.
"Please don't hurt me!" he raised his hands in the air scared as if I was going to shoot him anytime now. Such a baby.
The thing was we were both jealous because of each other and had no way to express it. Now that the bag was opening, everything just came out on instinct.
We just kept glaring at each other not taking our eyes off. His eyes were spitting fire.
But life would have been much, much better at that moment if had left my phone back home, away from prying eyes.
Now my phone was ringing loudly interrupting all of us. I fished it out only to see that everyone's attention was now on my phone or rather who was calling me.
Ricky had even started counting the people in the room to see if someone was missing. He knew that I never received calls apart from people present here. So it was strange.
I didn't have to wait long though. The caller was Chris. What an impeccable timing he had.
This time Alvin scoffed looking at my phone and rolling his eyes.
"What is your problem?" I growled at his behavior.
"Nothing, nothing. Go, pick up the lover boy's phone. Go on, go on." He says mocking me, his hand waving in front of me.
"He seems quite interested," Lilly whispered or acted as if she was whispering to my brother. But that did catch my attention.
"Yeah, why are getting all strangely obsessed with it?" I inquired this time curious about his recent behavior.
The phone did not stop ringing and he snapped.
"I have been always obsessed with it, with you! You should know about it!. " he almost yelled but continued while Lilly got the chance to insert her words.
"Obsessed with you? Did he just confess right now?" Lilly asked excitedly slapping my brother's arm who was just staring at us wide-eyed. "He did, didn't he? he did!"
"Shh! Keep quiet." And that was my brother.
"Is it wrong to show any interest in you now that you are finally always around me and I am responsible for your safety?" he got defensive looking at the wall directly over my head.
And then what Lilly said came back to me and I had to rewind the last bit. confess? I looked over at Lilly just to see her staring at me intently with a smug smile and her wide eyes telling me to grasp that opportunity once and for all.
My instincts told me to just grab him by his neck but he was too tall for that so chose the next best option.
I reached for his jacket collar and tugged on it making him jerk down facing me. "Obsessed with me? Are you lying right now? You never showed interest in me before,"
"I am not lying and neither did you," he retorts scowling down at me.
"Are you blind? stupid?" I exhaled harshly.
"Lilliput, watch your mouth." his eyes burning he grits his teeth.
Me being me, I took an empty silver spoon and looked at my mouth. After a few seconds, I kept it back. "Nothing wrong with my mouth," I commented shrugging.
A few snickered in the background and his mouth twitched but he bit them controlling himself. I knew he was going to smile.
"Gaah! Stupid man!" Lilly burst out finally all hyped up.
"What!" he growled at Lilly now who just ignored his death glare.
"Are you blind? Can't you see? She is crazy about you. Was and still is. Ever since discovered about what boy and girl do-- mph!" My dear brother who I did not appreciate much at the time just covered his girlfriend's mouth before she could reveal my story to everyone here and embarrass the hell out of me.
"What is she- is that true Violet?" almost surprised rough voice came from my right while tried not to look at him.
My best friend, no wait, it should now be my ex-best friend. Yes, my traitor of my ex-best friend just told my other male best friend that I was madly in love with him. That too in front of the man I loved and my whole family. Ok, yes of course telling him entitles that she has to confess to his face but whatever I was not making any sense now. I didn't have to make sense right now. I am going to kill her when I get some alone time.
"That's right. What Lilly said," I whispered my head down. I was burning red with all the attention I was receiving. I didn't want my first confession to him to be this public. I hadn't even thought that there was going to be a confession! ever!
"What did you say again?" he parroted like a bird quite not believing me.
"Nothing- I just-nothing. it's nothing." I went back on my words.
"Violet, just for once, just, just stop messing with me- " I cut him off as he started losing his patience with me.
Lilly had just lost her patience and threw a bun at my head. I had to be brave now. or else she will kill me.
"What I said was right. You are stupid. If you couldn't see how I felt about you." I spoke loudly this time without any hesitation. if I was going to do it anyway I should just go ahead and do it properly.
"And what about you? huuh? If you were so smart how could you not see how I felt about you?" his voice was quite chilling, to say the least. I gulped, blinking rapidly.
"You both are stupid." whispered a quiet voice in between our arguments but I heard it and decided to ignore it.
Huffing loudly I finally said, "No, of course I could not. I could not see it." I poked his chest with each word "Because. you. always. had. a. girl. hanging. around. you. all the bloody time and you, I never saw you complaining."
"Who would complain about that?" this was Ricardo. And here I thought he was the smart sensible one.
He was ignored with a smack on the back of his head by our beloved father.
"As if you never had anyone around you!" was his smart response.
"For a matter of fact, I DID NOT! Because of you three," I started shouting by the end of it. " YOU MADE SURE OF THAT!"
He shuts his trap. Thinks for a minute before speaking.
"I neither deny nor confirm that accusation!" he replied strategically but there was a certain smugness to his voice.
I could hear my brothers sighing a bit in relief simultaneously.
"You! Just, just GO TO HELL!" I stomped on his foot in anger.
He growled bending down to clutch his foot "You, YOU! SPOILT BRAT! I have spoilt you too much!"
Several loud gasps followed again. Nobody ever called me that, not even Dad. Even everyone knew how I hated people fighting in loud voices. It made me suffocate at times.
And now not only did he engage in a shouting contest with me but he also called a brat. This deserved another gift, so I left the room stomping on his other foot. Hard.
I heard him cursing nonstop behind me.
After a few seconds, I heard feet running after me. "Don't you guys involve us in this, this time." Ricardo pats my back twice as a reminder and throws his arm over my shoulder.
The last time these guys were involved it almost ended up in a blood bath. That's a story for another time.
"Yes, V don't involve us this time," and this was my best friend. How supporting. I stopped walking.
"You threw me under the bus!" I accused glaring at her.
"I wouldn't put it that way but it worked!" she grinned back "Finally, I can have some peace of mind."
"You just keep quiet!" I glared sideways at her.
"I love you too!" she grinned skipping next to me.
"What just happened back there?" came a confused voice behind us. This time it was Dad.
"Oh, Pop!" Richard shook his head regretfully and threw his other empty arm on Dad.
"It's that time of the year Dad!" Ricky filled in conspirately catching on to us. And I elbowed him just on the spot.
"Owww! Why did you do that!" he clutched his stomach in pain groaning.
"It wasn't my fault that you were walking behind me," I smirked evilly at him.
"You guys get scarier and scarier each year!" Ricky said running away from me.