Chapter 1

Chantria

“Happy eighteenth birthday!” everyone greeted us as bottles of Champagne popped together with party poppers and other noisy kinds of stuff. It was like celebrating the new year, not our birthday. I don't even know why we have to do this in the first place.

Raising my wine of glass, I cheer with them. I am not really into wines or any type of alcohol, so does Carleigh, who is sitting beside me, looking so bored. But since this is the day when we turn legal, we let ourselves drink. There is nothing wrong with drinking now. Well, Chanel is already drinking even before she turns eighteen, so I don't really see the point.

She is already drinking her fourth one compared to the two of us, who are drinking our first glass. Or is it her fifth? Maybe seventh. I lost count.

I grimace when the wine hits my taste bud. It smells like a strawberry, but it definitely does not taste like one. It is like a sock soaked in vinegar, and I am not even kidding. I am surprised I did not vomit. I wonder how Chanel takes this almost every night. It tastes like hell.

Carleigh seems like she does not like nor dislike the wine. Her face is just on its neutral expression as usual, unchanging and unbothered. How I wish I could be like her when it comes to stuff like these. I do not want anyone to mock me about my taste in wine. I just prefer grape juice, or apple. Even Avocado.

Sitting at the couch, I watch as Chanel talks to our friends, well, her friends, whom she invited to the party. I only asked Jackson, my only friend, since I have a few friends, unlike Chanel. On the other hand, Carleigh did not invite anyone. Not even her teacher or her Judo instructor. I am not even sure if she is aware of this party until now, or if she wants to be here.

“Hey!” Chanel shouts at us, obviously already so drunk she can’t walk properly anymore. Even her eyes can’t focus on something or someone. If not for her friends beside her, she can be kissing the floor now.

Her friends are the same. Some of them are already leaning on our sink, probably vomiting everything they ate a while ago. It is a good thing he did not vomit on our precious marble tiles, or dad will definitely kill us three.

I laugh, staring at her state with amusement. I pick up my cellphone inside my pocket and start recording her. This is going to be fun, especially when I post this on my social media account later. Just thinking about her expression tomorrow makes me giggle in excitement. It's payback time!

“How is your birthday going?” I ask, focusing the camera on her. I also needed to shout a little because someone opened the speaker and played rock music. There are no house around, at least nothing near ours, so we don't need to worry about complaining neighbors.

She smiles widely in front of the camera. Her smudge lipstick makes me giggle more. She probably made out with her boyfriend a while ago while we were not looking. Anyone who will see the video can tell. I always advice her to put on a waterproof lipstick, or anti-smudge, or whatever they call it.

“It is superb! This is, like, the best birthday of my life. Ever!” Her friends are laughing beside her, screaming with her. But I can’t understand what they are saying anymore. They are just too drunk.

Laughing, I said, “You always say that every year on our birthdays. Don’t you have anything more to say? Something more fun?”

She thinks for a while, looking at our ceiling. When something crosses her mind, she laughs out loud. “Ben and I broke up a while ago after we made out. He is a good kisser, you know.” She giggles, biting her lower lip. She is probably imagining things right now that I do not wish to know.

“Then, why did you break up with him if he is a good kisser?”

She laughs again, hysterically this time. “Because his d-ick is so small!” There are a series of ooh! in the crowd after what she said. Some cheer for her, and I am already laughing my a-ss off. The camera I am holding is not steady anymore because of that.

This is so much fun!

I thought she was done talking, but what she says next makes me stumble on the floor, laughing like a maniac. “Ghad, Chantria, it is so small that I can’t reach my climax whenever we had s-ex. It feels better when I finger myself. What am I supposed to do? Girl needs a bigger d-ick!”

Her friends cheered for her after what she said. It seems like they are enjoying the show as much as I do. Chanel will definitely pull all my hair after I post this video. But who cares? It's not until tomorrow, so might as well enjoy now.

It looks like her boyfriend is not here anymore when I search the place. He probably left the moment my little sister broke it up with him. She can be so harsh sometimes. Ahm, okay, all the time. But that is what makes her extraordinary. She is not scared to tell everyone what she thinks.

The only downside is that because of it, she only does not make friends but enemies as well. Anyway, I don’t care. I love my sisters no matter how evil or how saintly they are.

“Hey, stop it. I think it is enough.” Okay, here comes the saintly sister, none other than Carleigh. “Everyone, go home! The party is over,” she shouts to the guests.

I admit, she isn't really a saint when she shouts. It's like a banshee screaming.

Hearing my sister’s calm but scary voice makes everyone stop laughing and drinking. They do not show any signs of refusal at her words, even though Chanel keeps on saying that the party is far from over. I also hide my phone inside my pocket as fast as I can, afraid that Carleigh will see it and scold me.

“There is still the next destination, guys. I still reserved the bar for our next stop!” She holds one of her friend’s hands to stop him from going, but when he sees Carleigh’s cold stare, he immediately turns around and leaves. “Guys!” Chanel pouts.

In the end, she could not stop anyone from staying. I can't really blame them. My sister can be really scare, like scary-scary. It only leaves the three of us inside the vast living room of our house with so many bottles and trashes to clean. This is what I hate the most every after parties, the cleaning.

“Let us wash you up and go to bed,” Carleigh instructs Chanel. She holds her firmly between her arms and guides her towards the bathroom.

“Okay,” Chanel shouts, “the three of us will continue the party. Yay!” It just makes me giggle and shake my head.

On the other hand, I start cleaning the mess since we do not have someone to clean for us. Growing up, this was one of the things our mother taught us. We do not have to spend money on things that we can do for ourselves, and we shall not let money be the center of our lives.

And I have to admit, it kind of feels fulfilling on my part, knowing that we can take care of ourselves without relying on something or someone.