The slice of Nora

As a child whose parents going through a tough divorce, I was still lucky to have a birthday party of my own. All those yells and fights about me, money, house and things like that, my father’s stuff lying around waiting to be packed, my parents still cared about me to give me my 12th birthday party.

I was waiting for my guests impatiently, walking up and down in the house, checking if everything was in order. I had invited many people from the school including Nora, my best friend. My mom was busy in the kitchen, decorating the cake. I wasn’t allowed to go inside because she wanted the cake to be a surprise to me.

You could easily say that I was stressed out, it was the first party that I was throwing. My dad had put some baloons up on the balcony (paying extreme attention not to come across my mom on the way), so that kids would know which house to come to. I wasn’t the most popular girl in the school so, not many knew where I lived.

It was the first time Nora was coming over. This was the first step to strengthen our friendship and maybe then her mother would let her stay at my place for a night. She is such a sweet girl and I am sure that one day, we’ll be really really best friends who don’t keep any secrets.

The door bell rang and I ran to the door in my best outfit, the ribbon around my hair flying here and there. I thought I looked pretty when I saw myself in the mirror.

It was John who came, along with a big, wrapped package. He gave it to me with a hesitation. I had invited him not because we were friends, but because I had to after calling everyone in the class. It would be rude and I didn’t want him to get hurt, I knew he was a good kid,  just because he was a bit geek didn’t mean that he was bad.

He came in, we sat down on the pufy arm chairs. I asked him how he was, he asked me how I was and we were stuck there. We fell into an uncomfortable silence. Luckily, there was my father whom I would miss a lot when he would move out. He was talking to us, making jokes, trying to heat up the air for a more healthy conversation than

“How do you do?”

“I’m fine you?”

“Fine thank you.”

Half an hour left. The mail man came and wished me happy birthday. He was very fond of me because he never had had any girl grandchildren. Another half an hour passed. There was still no one arriving from my guests. A slight wave of panic started to give out signals in my stomach. Maybe they were not able to find the house.

I had no idea that my mother had call my aunts over here so that they could wish me a happy and healthy life. They knocked on the door, I opened it in the hope of seeing my friends so I was a bit dissapointed when I saw both of my aunts and their husbands smiling in front of me. They had brought me very nice presents, and along they came in.

We were all sitting with John, who seemed to be more embarrased than ever to be in a position that he didn’t want to be. There he was sitting with my family, trying to talk to and give them proper answers without blushing. He was a sweet boy.

By the time my grandma came, I was already on the point of breaking down and cry. To cheer me up, my mom decided to bring the cake in. This wasn’t the party I wanted. I needed my friends but I couldn’t manage to persuade my mom that we should wait more until I blew out the candles. Even if no one else came, Nora, my best friend would always come. That’s what we had promised each other, to share the best and worst days in our lives.

“Baby it’s been two hours since your party started. John will be leaving soon. Do you really want him to leave without eating any cake?” my mom asked with a very patient and caring look. He had loved John the minute she met him. I don’t know why. Maybe because he was shy.

I finaly gave up and acted to be ok with the situation now that I was a big girl becoming 12 years old. 

I blew out the candles, feeling a bitter taste in my mouth, looking at the door with hope that someone might just pop in and I would start feeling like a happy birthday girl again.

The cake was chocolate-chipped and I would enjoy eating it unless I wasn’t feeling so bad. After John ate his slice he wanted to be excused. He grabbed his coat and I got up to say good bye.

“I’m sorry, it wasn’t the party you planned.”

“Yeah, it’s ok. Thanks for coming.”

“You know, you should do a damage control to see who is your real friend.”

“As far as it seems, you’re the only one” I smiled. He blushed.

“I have to go” he said. I hugged him goodbye and he blushed even more if that was possible.

My parents were drawing the ‘happy family portrait’ when with others and even thoug I knew it was fake, I tried to enjoy it. I wasn’t having a lot of family time lately. All of my relatives stayed longer, eating more slices of the cake. I wasn’t thinking about the cake, I couldn’t care less if it ran out. My grandma and aunts and uncles all left when it became dark.

My mom started cleaning up, it was a way of running from my father. Only one piece of the cake was left, it was the slice of Nora. Nora whom I was very sure that would come out of all those strangers I had invited.