On the week of my birthday, I woke up like everyone does (not really, hairs a mess). While my aunt planned my sweet 16th party for April 8,2017 (I didn't know about it as yet). I went to school like everyone does. I was in 10th grade at the time. All my classes changed for the 2nd semester in January and I still hadn't got use to the new schedule as yet, like everyone does. I know it was like 2 months since we came back from winter break but I didn't like my schedule at all, like everyone does. I wanted to change my classes but I told myself that school is almost over so I had to get use to it until June, like everyone does as well. School was over so I went to get my phone downstairs, like everyone does. The line downstairs was very long and everyone would push me out of the way (they think just because I was short that they can push me) saying "oh I didn't see you there", they always lie, everyone does. I got my phone and walked out of the school, like everyone does. While I turned on my phone I got a text message from my aunt saying that I’m invited to a sweet sixteen birthday party, everyone doesn’t have the same text as me. This would be special because not everyone was going to have a special birthday party like I did. So everyone doesn’t feel the way I feel when I got a message like this.
  
I went to catch the G train and then took the A to Broadway Junction. I went to catch the J train to go home (yes I take 3 trains to go home every day). I reached my stop with the J and walked out of the train. The stairs are really long (not really when you walk down it's not that long but when you walk up the stairs its very long and very tiring. Every time I would take the J if I have to go to school sometimes I would walk all the way up really tired and out of breath.The train ride was not that long though it's going local. And it wouldn’t take long. I ran down the stairs because there was no one in front of me. My mom kept calling me every second and it was annoying. She would call me every 2 seconds. I got annoyed really fast because she just called me and she keep calling me over and over and over again. 

The week before the party they took me to buy a dress saying we were going to a wedding April 8. So I went to try on dresses. 100 dresses later (not really like about 3) I found a dark blue dress that look really nice on me. I said this is the dress I want. So while I was changing I feel like she was telling the lady (the employee) that the dress wasn’t for a wedding but for my birthday. Weeks flew by then April 8 came and they were getting ready. I was doing homework in my room and I came out because I wanted to get something to drink. They was there decorating the living room with blue and silver things like: balloons, streamers, etc. They had a white and chocolate cake with blue and silver frosting on it saying “Happy Sweet 16th Tina”. They went to buy food for my birthday. They bought rice and chicken from my favorite place called “Bamboo Garden”. I love their rice and chicken. When the food reached to my house. I enjoyed the smell. The smell was amazing and delicious. 
  
      

I kinda knew about it though. Because I overheard them talking to my aunt on the phone saying we are only inviting her cousins to come because it's going to be a small party not a big one. Ending up she didn’t invite my cousins she invited her cousin’s on her side and my cousin’s on my dad side. I was kind of disappointed because I wanted my cousin’s of her side to come for it because we have been talking about that for a while. But they didn’t invite them because she didn’t like them.
  
      

Around 3-5 o’clock I was doing my hair because they didn’t know how to and got dressed before my cousin’s came to party. My oldest cousin came with my nephew and she came to my room and said “Tee you look pretty”. “Thank you” I replied smiling. “Why aren’t they the ones helping you put your dress on” she asked. “I have no idea” I answered her back. Her sister then came with her two sons and sat down to wait. Her youngest son Omar was born December so he was still a little tiny baby. But when he saw me come out he started to smile and he stretched out his little arms for me to pick him up. “Hi buddy”, I said to my nephew. He started to smile and was moving his mouth. But he couldn’t say anything because he was just a baby. I was wearing a necklace and he went to pull on it. He was smiling and I couldn’t help but smile as well. They then started to put the candles on the cake. They had those candles that blink that was the number “16”. They put more candles about 5 or 6.
 
      

Few hours later my house was full with people. From the dining room to the living room. We all went to eat food and we had a good time (talking about this is making me hungry) I was just missing a special person. If that person was here my birthday party would of been a lot better. My uncle know who that person is, so he said “Tina aren’t you missing someone”. I started to smile knowing who he was talking about. I was like, “No they are not coming.” Time went by and it was time to cut the cake. I stood there looking at everyone smiling because it was a happy day. I stood there while they singed happy birthday and I blew out the candles. I couldn’t stop smiling.

They gave me cards when they came up to give me cake. The feeling of the cake in my mouth a watery but very sugary taste. It was a very sugary feeling and I didn’t it anymore. So I made a face when it first plopped into my mouth because I didn’t want to have sugary things. I stopped eating sugary things for a while. This cake was very sugary. I couldn’t eat it anymore because I didn’t want my head to hurt me.

The special person that I really wanted to be with me on my special day is my boyfriend. I wanted him to be there because he would’ve made me very jubilant. The only reason why he couldn’t be there was because my parents didn’t like him, I couldn’t ask them to invite him because I already knew their answer. Most of my family members know I have a boyfriend but the rest don’t. I told my close family members that I am really close with because I can trust them not to tell anyone at all. The rest I didn’t trust them like I did with my close ones. My aunts and uncles were a little older than me but not that old. They liked my boyfriend because of the way he makes me feel. He makes me feel special in every little way. He makes me jubilant when I’m furious,  makes me feel protected when I am terrified, calls me beautiful when others call me hideous and he adored me as I did with him.`

Just because he couldn’t come to my birthday party doesn’t mean that I didn’t like them. I was a little okay with that but I tried to understand why but I really don’t. I didn’t want him to come just because he was my boyfriend I wanted him to come because I wanted him to be there with me. Right next to me throughout the whole night. I don’t really wish for my parents to like everyone because that's just how they are. They don’t like anyone. Not even my own cousins. I wish they would love everyone even me because I feel like they don’t like anyone but themselves sometimes.

They are really picky when it comes to certain thing’s. If it is liking a guy I like or if I want to go hang out with friends but no I can’t go anywhere with friends. They would let my little brother go out. If I want to go to the store alone I can’t go because they don’t trust me. I would just go to the store and come back. The only time I can go out by myself is when I’m going to school to take the train and when I’m coming back home.
      

If I take long to get home sometimes it's because of the train. When they call and ask me where I am they yell at me saying I’m with someone because I’m not taking the train. A lot of days I feel like I'm nothing to them. I always try to keep my cool but sometimes they get me really tight and sometimes I don’t want to talk. When I get home to do my homework my mom yells at me saying how I’m only texting on my phone. When I’m actually doing my homework. After I finish my homework I would use my phone to watch videos or text him but only if I finish my homework. Because I already know if I text the whole time, I wouldn’t finish my homework until half night. “Tina stop texting” she yelled from the living room. “I’m not even on my phone. I’m doing my homework” I replied back. “Jason go see what she doing” she told my brother. “What are you doing Tina” my brother asked me. “I’m doing homework Jason. Leave me alone” I yelled at him. Every day. Every single day. They bother me. That’s why I do my homework in my room. Because of them. Their the reason why I don’t like to do my homework in the living room on the table.     

But enough of talking smack about them. My sweet 16th birthday party was a special day just for me. No one. Not even them could make my special day horrible. It was a day when everyone in my family (not even everyone) came over to celebrate with me. When the days end it feels like I never want it to end because of how much fun it was. Having a blast with my family but not having a blast with my boyfriend made me feel a little down. But other than that my day was perfect. A perfect dream you ask? Not really a perfect dream. More like a fantasy if you believe me. Why I say it’s a fantasy? I say that because sometimes I feel like I’m imagining having a sweet 16th party because my parents never wanted to throw me one. They weren’t even the ones who planned it. It was my aunt who planned it. So did you enjoy having a fun time? To be honest I actually did have a fun time but at the same time I didn’t I wanted my boyfriend to be there but he couldn’t be there. But other than that it was great. I enjoyed spending time with my cousins. My cousin know how to make me smile especially to ones I am very close to. Not only did I love them but they are my best friends. Best Friends For Life!