What's for Breakfast?

On the night I turned eighteen, Kuya and Derek threw me a surprise birthday party.

They wanted me to celebrate my actual birthday with only the people I cherished, since my debutante party would have hundreds of visitors—half of whom I didn't really know, let alone cared about.

The barbecue was held at our old house, where Kuya and I grew up. My girlfriends, Derek, Kuya, Ate Candice, and my parents were there. We had delicious food and music, and when the clock struck midnight, the fireworks were set off, lighting up the sky.

My grand celebration was nothing compared to that night; it was the best birthday party I'd ever had.

And the weirdest part? The mastermind behind it all was Derek.

How did I find out? By accident. As soon as the party wrapped up, I stumbled upon him and Kuya talking.

"You should tell Sam," said Kuya.

I froze and wondered then: Derek should tell me what?

Curiosity piqued, I halted in my tracks, discreetly pressing my ear against the door.

It wasn't a habit! I rarely eavesdropped on their conversations, which usually revolved around games and music. Boy stuff.

But I couldn't resist. They were discussing me. And at that moment, I was still high from the celebration. I could kiss anyone responsible.

"Nah, it's alright," Derek muttered. Then, in a lower tone, he added, "It's not like she'd be stoked to know it was me. Your sister's angry at me all the time."

"That's because you tease her every chance you get," Kuya answered, sighing. "That's on you."

He just laughed.

"Seriously. You can just tell her you wanted to make up for everything."

Derek scoffed. "How should I tell her? 'Hey, Sam. I know I make fun of you all the time, so here's a birthday extravaganza to compensate for it'? Nope. Not gonna happen."

I felt dizzy all of a sudden. I didn't even have a sip of alcohol, but my head started to throb.

So did my heart.

I should've left. I should've ignored it. Yet, my feet wouldn't move.

"Still, you took care of everything. The food, the music, and even the fireworks. You even convinced our parents to come at the same time. I was so impressed."

"She's happy, man. That's more than enough. It's all I wanted in the first place."

It was Derek. The last person I thought would go through such lengths for me, but it was him. I didn't know what to think of it, especially since we were always arguing. I'd even yelled at him just before the party officially ended, after he told me I ate too much.

I heard their footsteps heading in my direction, and in panic, I dashed into the restroom adjacent to Kuya's room. I perched on the toilet seat, adrenaline coursing through my veins.

Why would Derek do all that for me? I couldn't think of a single reason. Did he really just want to make up for everything?

Ah. So much for kissing anyone!

"Calm down, Sam. Why are you so flustered?!" I hissed, murmuring.

I took a deep breath. I had to get out of there.

I slowly turned the knob and peeked. No one was there.

I tiptoed to my room like a criminal. But my only offenses—if they even counted—were a burning face and the guilt clawing up to my throat.