All Alone

“Happy birthday to me...”

Levi sighed, blowing out the single candle he had put on the little cake his dad left in the fridge for him. What bad luck he had today!

School was absolutely as horrendous as always. He tried to hang around with the Computer club today and all they did was talk about coding and scripts or whatever they did. They didn't even acknowledge that Levi was hovering around them! When he asked what they were talking about, they just rolled their eyes and sighed so loudly, as if it were nothing but a pain to explain what they were talking about to an “outsider.”

“Hey, it's my birthday today, by the way,” Levi had mentioned briefly. Of course, no one really listened. “Oh, that's nice,” someone had said. “Cool,” another said.

He wondered why he bothered to try. It was always like this. Even yesterday when he tried to hang around the theatre kids; it didn't work.

He was looking forward to going home as soon as possible, maybe he could celebrate with his dad!

But no, earlier in school he received a text message from him.

“Happy Birthday, Levi! I'll be late coming home today, but I left a little something in the fridge for you. Love dad.”

Not exactly the most encouraging thing to read. He'd have to return home yet again to an empty house. On his birthday of all days!

So he sent a message to his friend, wondering if he’d maybe come over and celebrate with him. But just as he thought....

“Happy birthday! 🎉 I'm sorry, Levi, but I'm out of town! I'm visiting my grandparents today. I'll make it up to you, I promise! Happy birthday again, I hope you have a great day.”

It was a bit hard to have a great day when both of the people you wanted to celebrate with weren't there. Levi plucked the candle off of the little cake and just stared at it. Wow. His only company on his birthday was a tiny chocolate cake. (A nice looking chocolate cake, though.)

It was only big enough for one person, which was handy, Levi supposed. It would mean there would be no leftovers lingering around to remind him that no one was there to share it with. He reached forward and broke off a piece of the spongy cake, popping it in his mouth. It really was quite nice, but it was a cake that Levi would have to savour alone.

It’s not that much fun, you know, being alone on your birthday. As Levi ate his little cake, he thought back on the wish he had made as he blew out the candle.

“I wish there'll be someone to celebrate with me next year.”