What Kind Of Celebration

She didn't greet him yesterday, all she said was that she would eat breakfast with him.

In the first place she really didn't do anything bad, even the cake had no letterings. She understood that he hated his birthday so she acted like it was a normal day with just plenty of food.

But he lashed out at her and even wounded her.

"Go and buy some medicine for wounds, we are coming down as well."

He gave Carl a call just in time for James to come back up.

"No camera have captured her leaving, but the backdoor was left open. Some of the staffs said that it has a gap when they saw it this morning."

"She must have not wanted anyone to see her leave, do you have any idea where she could have gone too?" Gideon asked worriedly.

"Let's go, there's only one place."

*****

Her eyes were lifeless as she lay down on the grass. Not once did she fell asleep since she came here. She was just looking straight at their tombstones.

Her eyes had no signs of crying as well, as if even that was something she didn't want to do.

She was wearing the same clothes as yesterday, a plain green shirt with blue jeans and rubber shoes. Her hair was tied up messily and her wound have just dried up but it seemed to be swollen.

She was lying on her side and her back was facing the gate.

"Amber!!"

Her eyes moved upon hearing that voice. When her arm was touched, "DON'T TOUCH ME!!"

She shouted and stood up moving back closer to the tombstones and away from Ashton. His eyes were filled with guilt as he look at her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked angrily.

"I-"

"No never mind, I don't care. Just leave, you vehemently pushed me away yesterday. Now that I am not bothering you, you came to me?"

"Yesterday, I was not in my right mind," Ashton started explaining.

His hair was in a mess after his hand run through it multiple times. He's no longer wearing a tie and his shirt had two unbuttoned buttons. His cold demeanor gone, his indifference could no longer be seen.

He looks like a man filled with emotions and most of it was guilt towards Amber.

"Then since you're in your right mind now, I am telling you to leave me alone as well. Or do you want me to wound you so that you would also leave? I was that stubborn after all."

"Amber..."

"No!! Stop it!! Don't show any concern now, I thought you were different. I felt at ease towards you and could just cry myself out because you silently accompany me. Who would have thought you only do that because I am an orphan."

"..."

"I don't need your pity, I thought you were just genuinely letting me cry without feeling pity for me. You only know how to lie, I don't need those lies."

Maybe because of the fact that she haven't slept yet or that she haven't eat yet, but her words were completely irrational. She was just blurting things.

"Amber I-"

"Stop, why do I have to be the one to understand you? We are both teens but I am younger than you. I am two years younger than you. Why do I have to coax you? WHY??!!"

The tears that didn't flow since yesterday and the anger that haven't truly subsided came rushing down on her at the same time.

"MY BROTHERS HATED ME BUT THEY ARE STILL MY BROTHERS, I STILL HAVE A FAMILY!! I AM NOT ALONE!! I STILL HAVE MY FAMILY!! SO WHAT RIGHT DO YOU HAVE??"

She was looking at him filled with anger. Gideon, on the other hand, chose to stay at the bottom of the stairs. But hearing her shout saddened him as well.

"I've been doing my best in everything and I feel guilty that I was always on the receiving end. I also wanted to help, I didn't even greet you. I know that you must have been deeply hurt, so I chose to just eat with you."

"But all you did was get mad. I wouldn't have come if I didn't hear the concern from your family's voice. You have your family to worry for you but I don't. So hearing them speak in such a way I wanted to do something."

"I feel jealous towards Ashley upon hearing all the concern she got when I first spoke with you. I jumped right in when she was kidnapped because the first thing that came to my mind was the loving people who would be sad if something happens to her."

She was no longer shouting but her tears were flowing freely.

"I feel jealous towards you after knowing that they were worried of you on your birthday. Knowing full well that I wouldn't receive such warmth on my own."

"You are not the only one hurting on your birthday, I too. Can you see the date here?" she asked pointing at the tombstone.

What was written was July 18, XXXX.

"That was just a day after my birthday, tell me how will I celebrate then? I was born today but my parents died the next day. What kind of celebration is that?"

"You're lucky the person whom you're hurting for is still alive. You can still be happy on your birthday, cause she is happily living."

This was something she found out because of Ashley, she just blurted out that Ashton was still hurting because of someone who is living happily with someone else.

Amber stopped talking and just covered her face with her hands. She couldn't stop crying, she had been dreading the following months, even with Leslie becoming closer to her.

She still felt much closer with their little group, with Hayley's family. But in five more months, they will all be leaving and she had no choice but to still stay here.

She flinched when a hand was placed on top of her head.

"Shhh, it's me."

Hearing the aged voice she looked up and saw Gideon Wright with a warm smile.

"Ashley was right, you really are strong," he said warmly.

"I'm not, look at me. After a few words from him and I am already in this condition. If I am strong I wouldn't be like this now," she shook her head and just like a child throwing a tantrum, rejected his words.

"No, if you are not strong you wouldn't be able to reach this point. Despite just losing them, you stood back up. I can tell that your parents are very much proud of how you handle yourself right now."

"My grandson was wrong. He was wallowing on his own pain that he didn't realize that everyone was also hurting. And that his words could be the final straw before someone would plunge to insanity."

"Wallow, wallow, wallow, if you wallow over such a matter. Then must I wallow for the whole year? Even with my crying, we still left my brothers behind. Even though we already left people still sent people to kill us."

She looked up and stared back at Ashton, "I have not only lost my parents, I have lost so many brothers and sisters who guarded us just to keep us safe. In every country, in every place, I would meet and befriend new ones."

"But everytime we have to leave that place, some of them would die. Then must I wallow in pain and suffering all year round? Because so many people have died because of me?"

Ashton looked away upon hearing another dark past of hers. She must really be pained by what he said for her to blurt all of these out.

"Look at me and tell me, with all those lost lives, must I also push everyone away? Those who genuinely worry for me, must I hurt them with my words?"

"You are not the only one who experienced such things and your experience was not even the most tragic. So why can't you grow up? Why can't you stand back up on your feet? Your a man and your older now, stop making your family worry for you."

This time she looked like a child scolding another child.

"I no longer have my parents who can show such concern for me but you still have them, don't hurt them in front of someone like me."

The three of them were filled with silence after her monologue. Gideon smiled sadly towards her, he never would have thought that Nathan's daughter would grow up to be such a lovable one.

She was hurting but she still managed to scold Ashton and point out his mistakes. Most of what she said was even for his family.

Amber stopped crying and wiped her face from the tear stains, "If you want to get back at people, then I will lend a hand. I will get back at them for you as well. I will get back at them in a better way than nonending blood shed."

"Thank you," Gideon couldn't help but say, for Amber was actually still comforting Ashton even with her condition.