Chapter 2 the party

As I came downstairs I realized that all my guests had arrived. Ashley, Becca, Krystal, Melody, Dean, John, Eric and even Blake where all there. 

"Welcome everyone, thanks for coming" I said with a smile. "The party is in the main room, who wants to dance?"

Ashley ran up and grabbed my hand pulling me towards the main room, "We've been waiting for you, you have to pick the first song silly!" she laughed and linked her arm through mine. "It's tradition after all."

With that we all entered the main room which had been decorated with streamers and balloons and happy birthday banners everywhere. My older brother Chris was playing DJ for the party and was impatiently waiting for me to pick a song. "I like to move it please?" I asked Chris. I knew he hated that song but also knew he would play it because I asked. Sure enough not 10 seconds later the opening beats of the song started playing and we all started dancing around and laughing until our stomachs hurt. 

My parents brought in food and snacks and we danced and ate and laughed and danced some more. I was having so much fun, the only thing that would have made it better was if the throbbing in my head would stop. I tried to ignore it but it just wouldn't go away. 

After a few hours of dancing and food I was afraid my head was going to explode, so I was glad when the music stopped and my dad said it was time for cake. My mom brought in the most beautiful 3 leveled cake on a rolling cart. 

Everyone started singing happy birthday and as I stared at the candles and tried not to pay attention to the growing pain in my head, all I could think was 'wow that's a lot of candles, it's going to take a lot of air to blow those out!'

When the singing stopped I closed my eyes and took a giant breath in. With my eyes still closed I blew hoping I could blow all the candles out in one breath. Suddenly I heard a bang and felt something splatter all over me. My eyes sprang open only to find my cake had literally exploded and I was covered in it. 

I didn't know what happened and looked around to see who had somehow caused my cake to explode only to find everyone staring at me with their mouths open in shock. 

"Who did this?" I cried. 

No one answered, in fact no one moved or blinked... except for my parents and brother that is. Everyone else appeared to be frozen or something. I started to panic. "What is happening? Why isn't anyone moving? What is wrong with everyone? Why is my cake everywhere? Someone answer me!!!"

"Shhh. Baby calm down," dad said taking my hands and leading me to the couch "we have some things we need to explain to you and although we were going to wait, it looks like the decision was just taken out of our hands." With this he looked at mom. Mom was standing in the middle of the room, tears running down her face. If I wasn't so freaked out I would have run to her side, as it was I didn't think I could stand if I tried. 

"Diana" Dad softly said looking at mom with so much love and sadness it nearly broke my heart "sweetheart, go get a washcloth and some warm water so we can clean Amberlee up before we explain everything." Mom silently shook her head and walked towards the kitchen. "Chris, son; please unfreeze our guests and ensure they have nice memories of the evening while sending them on their way please?" Dad said this as though he were asking Chris to take out the garbage or something, like there was nothing unusual about what he had just asked my brother to do.

My mind was spinning, my head was throbbing so loudly I felt like was going to throw up. How had my night gone from laughing and dancing to this? What had happened in the 30 seconds I had my eyes closed? What was going on?

"I don't understand!" I sobbed "Daddy please tell me what's happening? Why is everyone frozen? How is everyone frozen? Why is mom crying? What happened to my cake? Who ruined my birthday and oh my gosh why does my head feel like it is going to explode?" 

"Just breath love," dad said, doing his best to calm me "we will explain everything, there is so much to explain. Please let us take care of the guests and get you cleaned up and then I promise, for better or worse you will know everything."

Something about what my dad said made my stomach sink. Maybe I didn't want to know, maybe I could just go to bed and forget tonight happened. Maybe... I knew better than maybe.. I may only be 12 but I was raised in a house where you dealt with problems head on not by hiding and ignoring them. So whatever was happening, we would figure it out... right? I tried to pull myself together and show my dad I was strong and brave. 

"Okay dad, I will wait. But please? Can you please make my head stop aching? I feel like I am going to explode!" I barely got the words out of my mouth before I threw up and then passed out. 

I woke up in my room, my dress had be removed, I had been cleaned up and I was in my favourite shorts and tshirt. It was dark out and I had no idea how long I had been out for. I slowly sat up, my head felt like it weighed a million pounds and might fall off if I moved too quickly. I carefully climbed out of bed and slowly eased my way to my door keeping one hand on my wall for support. I opened my bedroom door and slid along the wall to the stairs. I was slowly going down the stairs when my brother came to the bottom of the stairs and saw me. 

"what are you doing up?" Chris asked. I couldn't tell if he was angry or sad. He came up to where I was and lifted me into his arms. It had been so long since chris had carried me I had forgotten how strong he was. Chris was 5 years older than me and had to be 6 foot tall. He was captain of the football team and right now I was very glad he was as he carried me down the rest of the stairs and gently placed me on our couch. 

"wait here I will get mom and dad" he gave me a smirk. 

"can you get me a blanket too?" I was pushing my luck, but figured it was worth a try. 

"sure" he said as he left the room. No argument, no get it yourself? Okay now I know somethings up for sure! 

Chris comes back in with a blanket and mom and dad follow him in. Mom hands me a glass of water and a few pills. "Here, take these; they will help your head." 

I take the pills, Chris hands me the blanket and sits beside me protectively.

"So!" I manage "who is going to tell me what's happening? Dad? You said you would explain!"

"First," Dad started "I need you to know how much we all love you."

"okay?" I whisper "and?"

"And we need to start at the beginning " dad says nervously chewing his lip. "I have had a long time to think about how to tell you this and it is even harder than I thought it would be..."

"what is?" I am so confused, and scared.

"what your dad is trying to tell you dear," mom says softly.

"what I am trying to say" dad blurts out " is that you are adopted." 

my heart sinks and I feel like I am going to throw up again. "I am what? You mean I am not yours? You are not my family? I don't understand?" I shake my head and almost pass out from the pain. Chris moves closer and hugs me to him. I feel myself trembling but it's like I have separated from my body and am looking at it from the outside. 

"please, just listen," dad pleads "when you were born, your birth parents, who were very very dear friends of ours begged us to take you, protect you, and raise you as our own. They knew they could not keep you if they wanted you safe. They knew if anyone knew you existed, they would hunt you to the ends of the earth."

"They didn't want me? They begged you too take me?" I blubber out " why? What was wrong with me?"

"Oh honey there was and is nothing wrong with you!" My dad cries trying to grab my hand. I pull it into the blanket and curl into Chris. 

"It's not that there is anything wrong.. it's what is right about you... you my love are a tribrid...do you have any idea what that is?"

I shake my head no, I have no clue what that is. All I know is that my world has just blown to pieces and nothing about my life is real.

"A tridrid is extremely rare." Dad continues "in fact it is so rare that there hasn't been one in over  3 thousand years. A tribrid is part witch, part vampire and part wolf." Dad looks at me and his face his dead serious.

"Really dad? Or whoever you are? It's bad enough that you lied to me my whole life and pretended to love me and be my parents! But know you want to lie and same I am some pretend magic creature too? I am 12 not 5! I know there is no such thing as vampires and werewolves and witches! What you can't just say that I was born and no one wanted me so you felt bad and took me in?" I am so hurt and don't understand why they are telling me these lies. Why did they pretend for so long? Who am I really? Are my real parents even alive?

"Amberlee!" My mother says sadly " your father is not lying. 

"He isn't my father" I retort "and you aren't my mother; not really.." 

"I am your father! And she is your mother! In every way that counts. We have raised you and love you as if you were born of our flesh and blood." Dad blurts out as tears roll down his face.

"Your birth mother was my best friend " mom says "we grew up in the same coven and even though her status was higher than mine, she knew I was the only witch with enough power to safely hide you from the world. Witches don't fully come into their power until they turn 13 but  in some cases, when a future witch is one who will have a large amount of power, they start to get some of their powers when they turn 12. We had hoped we would have another year before we had to tell you this, but it seems that your power has started to come forth." Mom is wringing her hands while telling me this, doing her best to hold it together. "Tonight when you blew out your candles, you accidentally blew up the cake... Chris luckily saw what happened immediately and froze everyone instantly so they wouldn't know what happened..... we put fake memories of tonight into their minds ... they will all remember you blew out the candles, opened your presents, thanked them all and had a good evening before sending them home with thank you gift bags. They will not know the truth..."

"THEY WILL NOT KNOW THE TRUTH? I yell "I BARELY KNOW THE TRUTH! WHO AM I REALLY? IS MY NAME REALLY AMBERLEE? ARE MY REAL PARENTS ALIVE? DO THEY KNOW I AM ALIVE? MY WHOLE LIFE IS A LIE AND YOU NOW EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE I AM MAGICAL TOO??" 

I try to stand up but my legs give out and the pain in my head almost makes me black out again. I sit back down, and look at Chris tears streaming down my face pleading with him " please?" I beg barely above a whisper " please take me to my room... I can't take anymore...please Chris?" I am sobbing and shaking and all I can hope is that my brother will save me from this suffering.

Chris nods his head and scoops me up like I am a baby. He carries me out of the room towards the stairs.

"Amberlee..."Dad starts to speak,  "Dad, stop...she has had enough for now..."Chris says as he starts up the stairs. I lay may head on Chris's chest "Thank you Chris... I couldn't... I just couldn't..." I whisper.

"Its okay little sister " Chris whispers back "I've got you, I am here always." As Chris carries me into my room the world goes black and I fall into a restless sleep filled with witches, vampires, werewolves and faceless parents... all swirling around my friends and family.... what is truth, what is lie?? Who am I? Where do I go from here? I wake up several time in a cold sweat and every time Chris is near. Finally Chris crawls into bed with me and puts his arms around me "it's okay sis... sleep... I've got you.. no one will hurt you I swear.." Finally I drift into a dreamless sleep, safe for now.