First Chances

"Oh my gosh Jax, I can't believe you're finally turning sixteen," Jamie gushed. "Now wake up already will you?"

Today was the day I turned sixteen and honestly I hated it. Why you might ask? Well maybe it was the mere fact that I was growing up and soon I'd be a highschool senior. Yeah I'm totally not ready for the college applications, the extra curricular activities and more classes.

"Come on Jax, I know you're wake and you can hear me," Jamie whined as he tried to tug my duvet away from me.

"Leave me alone Jamie," I said and wrapped the duvet tightly over my body.

"Fine be that way, I'll just have to tell mum about you being a grouch," Jamie said before I heard the slamming of my bedroom door.

Reluctantly, I pulled the duvet from my head and got up from bed to brush my teeth and wore some sweats and grabbed my phone and headsets from the bedside table before making my way to the kitchen.

"Happy birthday honey," mum cooed and pinched my cheeks. "I can't believe you're finally sixteen."

This was one of the reasons I despised my birthday so much. The babying and the sweet talks just weren't me and never will be.

"I'm going for a run and I'll be back after two hours," I answered instead and left without so much as looking behind to hear her reply.

Plugging in my headsets and inhaling the cool morning August air, I took off running to get away from this, from everything or just until my playlist finished, either way, that will probably take at least two hours before I get back home.

You can't keep running away from being an adult forever, my subconscious kept saying but I pushed it behind and ran even harder.

It's not worth it, Jax. Just turn back and enjoy your day because you'll only be sixteen once. It said once more.

My breathe was heavy as I took a rest at the local park. I was further away from home and I liked it.

"Jax!"

I turned around and saw Mike, one of my best friends walking up to me with his dog, Butch.

"I didn't thing I'd run into you at the park on your big day," he said as he took the seat next to me and unhooked Butch from his leash. "Shouldn't you be getting ready to celebrate the big one-six?"

What's so special about being sixteen anyway? It's not like I'm winning an award or anything.

"No I'm not in the mood to celebrate anything actually," I answered honestly. "Like every year, I don't want to celebrate my birthday."

"What? Why not?" Mike asked seeming surprised at my confession. "Yeah obviously everyone knows you hate celebrating your birthday but I thought, you know, you'd consider this one because it's your sixteenth and you can finally get your driver's license."

Rolling my eyes at my friend I responded with amusement, "Mike you and I know I distaste driving more than anyone."

"Oh! I mean there are a lot of perks to being sixteen," he corrected himself. "When I turned sixteen my parents got me a car and pushed my curfew from 9pm to 11pm, do you know how amazing that is?"

"My curfew is already 11pm so I don't see how that is supposed to change my mind on this."

Mike stayed quiet as I watched Butch chase around a little Blue bird but never caught it.

"I've got it, how about getting yourself a girlfriend? He asked after thinking for what felt like hours to him but was only a mere minutes which was a record for him. "You could ask that raven haired girl, Helen or something," he said as if it was the brightest idea ever.

"Laila, her name is Laila and I don't like her in that manner," I answered. "She's not my type and never will be."

Butch ran back to us and jumped on my lap as he wagged his tail and such out his tongue in an adorable way. I rubbed behind his ear and he nuzzled himself deeper in my lap.

"Or you could get a dog of your own," Mike joked, "I'm starting to thing Butch likes spending time with you more than he does me."

"That's because he does," I replied with a laugh. "It's that right Butch?"

The dog in question licked my face in response which only made me laugh even harder and Mike to scowl.

"This is not fair," Mike whined, "anyway Butch and I have to get going but I'll see you at you party," he said as he put the leash back on Butch.

"Yeah…...I've got to head back home as well," I said as I looked at the time on my phone.

After Mike and I said our goodbyes, we went our separate ways and I had to run back home as I only had twenty minutes to get back before mum become worried and I couldn't let her worry about me. I'm supposed to be her and Jamie's rock after dad passed last year.

"I'm home," I breathed as I walked through the front door.

The house was decorated with blue, black and red-my favourite colours. There were balloons spread out everywhere and gifts placed neatly on the table with different kinds of foods and snacks. I couldn't believe that my mum went through so much trouble to do this and yet I didn't want to celebrate my birthday.

"Thank God you're here," mum exclaimed coming from the kitchen with a plate of biscuits in her hands, "now hurry up and get ready, the guests will be arriving soon."

I quickly rushed to the bathroom and took a shower before going to room to try and find something decent to wear.

"Mum I don't know what to wear!" I shouted.

"There is an outfit I placed on your bed earlier," she shouted back, "you can wear that."

And true to what she said, there was a pair of black jeans and a navy blue dress shirt placed neatly on my bed with a note attached to the collar of the shirt. "Happy birthday son, your father would be so proud to see the young man you've become" it read.

I read the note over five times and I wondered if dad really would be proud of how I turned out. Pushing that thought to the back of my head, I quickly got dressed and headed back downstairs.

All of my friends and family had come for this birthday and a strange feeling swelled in the pit of stomach at the thought that they put so much thought into all of it and I guess the least I could do was pretend for them.

"The birthday boy has finally arrived," Mike shouted and the whole room burst into applause for whatever reason.

"You've grown into a handsome young man," my granny, Linda said and pulled me into a tight embrace. "You look just like your father."

"Thanks granny," I said once she'd pulled back.

I walked around the room and received happy birthdays and claps on the back from everyone before I finally reached my small group of friends.

"I'm so excited for you Jax," Melissa said as she pulled me into a hug, "our little boy is all grown up," she cooed wiping a fake tear away.

I simply rolled my eyes but returned the sweet gesture nevertheless.

"You've finally joined the sixteen squad and now you don't have to be left out when we do crazy things," Ferb said and gave me a bro hug.

"I always went with you guys each and every time you did something stupid and I don't see that changing any time soon," I said.

Everyone laughed and soon, I found myself joining in just as the music started playing.

"I love this song," Mel squeaked, "dance with me Jax, please?"

"No!"

"Come on, it's only one song."

"No Mel! I will not dance with you," I stated matter-of-factly.

"Stop being such a stiff and come dance with me," she said extending her hand to me.

"I'm not a stiff."

"Then prove it, stiff," Ferb challenged.

Sighing, I took Melissa's hand and she practically dragged me to the makeshift dance floor in the living room. I stood there watching as she swayed her hips to the song.

"Stop thinking and just dance," she ordered and I began to sway to the music as well.

We kept dancing and the rest of our friends joined in, creating a small circle. I can't believe I am actually enjoying this.

"All right it's time to cut the cake," my mum said as she placed the chocolate cake on the table and called me over. "Make a wish," she said.

Taking a deep breathe, I thought of the one thing that I really wanted- to have my dad back here with us before blowing on the candles. Everyone cheered as I cut into the cake and took a bite out of the piece.

Mike came and dragged me back to my friends. "So how are you liking your birthday now?" he asked.

"Eh! It's not as bad as I thought it would be," I answered quietly.

"What did you just say?" Mel asked with a smile, "because I'm pretty sure I heard you admit it isn't crappy."

"I said it's not as bad as I thought it would be," I enunciated, "I'm having fun I guess."

Melissa squealed and pulled me into a tight hug before pulling back. "This is great news, I'm going to find your mum and tell her about this turn of events."

She ran off to look for my mum as I rolled my eyes at her childish behaviour.

"But I can't help but agree with her on this one Jax," Mike stated pleased. "I mean you've always hated celebrating your birthday for as I long as I've known you and not once have you ever come to any of them more less dance at one and eat cake in front of everyone."

"Gee okay I get your point, I was a stiff. No need to remind me," I said raising my hands up.

Maybe birthdays aren't as bad as I thought they were. Though I'm not saying this whole celebrating it every year will be thing from now on, I'll try to not hate it I guess and that's all I'm promising.

I leaned on the wall with a grin on my face as I just watched everyone have fun and enjoy themselves. I could try to get used to this.