Today was the day. The day of dread. Most people enjoy their birthdays but for Lucas it only brought sadness. One more reminder that he was a failure, another year had passed without a single success. 23 years of failure.  

  He sighs as the sun shines brightly through his bedroom window. Slowly opening his eyes he looks over and picks up his phone, wishing he could simply sleep the day away. But of course as is expected on ones birthday he had to thank the many people who “cared” enough to text “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” .   

     Letting out another exasperated sigh he texts back his parents, then his girlfriend, Becca and finally the rest of his so called friends who never want to hang out unless beer or drugs were involved. Finishing that he drops his phone in a dresser drawer then heads for the shower to start his miserable day.  

   After cleaning up and getting dressed he sighs and starts up the oven frying two sunny side up eggs and some bacon, sitting down and starting to eat, the doorbell suddenly rings startling him from his thoughts. “Great.. company..” he sighs getting up and heading towards the front door of his small apartment.    

  Looking through the peephole he sees his distant sister standing there looking around with two shopping bags in her hands. Sighing he opens the door and immediately she grins and jumps up hugging him tightly “LUCAS!!!! AHHH HAPPY BIRTHDAY IVE MISSED YOU” she squeals. “H..hey Jess... what are you doing here?” He awkwardly says gently pushing her off himself and running his hand through his sandy blonde hair. “What do you mean? I’m here to see you and celebrate your birthday? Don’t tell me you aren’t happy to see me..? I’ve been away at uni for 4 years, aren’t you happy I’m back?” She says with a slightly hurt look on her face.   

  Lucas sighs and closes the door behind her, gesturing towards the living room so they could sit and talk. Once seated he sighs again and looks towards the floor. 

“It’s not that I’m not happy to see you.. I just really don’t enjoy celebrating something that’s not even worth celebrating..” he sighs again. “What do you mean not worth celebrating? That’s a bit depressing bro” Jess says with a worried look on her face. “Look.. can we just not talk about it..? Please?” “Fine fine.. anyways I brought you some gifts from uni! Want to open them?” Jess says looking excited.   

  Lucas looks up with a slightly terrified look on his face. He knew exactly what kind of gifts they would be and he wanted nothing to do with them. It was a well kept secret in his family but they had a gift, a gift that skipped a few generations but always turned up sooner or later. His sister had been the most recent one to receive that gift and the school she went to was no normal University. It was a school for witchcraft and his sister was one of the top and most successful students attending. He was terrified of her but at the same time she was still his sister and he loved her dearly so with another exasperated sigh he looks up and asks “nothing dangerous right..? Last time you gave me a magic “toy” from your school it burned down my entire old apartment complex.”  

   She giggles softly “no lucas nothing dangerous, just a few minor lucky charms to help with everyday life, I figured you might need a little luck seeing as how withdrawn from everyone you’ve been the last year or so.”  Lucas perks up a little, well maybe I do need a bit of luck he thought. “Oh what the hell maybe  it’ll help” he smiled for the first time in awhile as his sister handed him two small silver wrapped packages from one of her bags. “Go ahead birthday boy enjoy” she smiles slightly. Gently unwrapping the first package he pulls out a small deep blue metal bracelet with little onyx cat pendants decorating the chain, holding it up close to his face he sees some of the cats are actually running around the bracelet while others are sitting licking their paws and flicking their tails back and forth. “Wow! Jess this is actually really cool! Thanks sis!” He exclaims with a big grin on his face, ever since he was little he’d loved cats although he couldn’t ever own one since he was terribly allergic and his sister knew this all too well.   

    She giggles and hugs him “no problem bro, open the next one!” Lucas picks up the next package and again slowly tears open the wrappings, his excitement growing after opening the first gift. He pulls out a neatly wrapped neon pink chain necklace with you guessed it another cat pendant dangling at the end of the chain. This cat was also animated and licking its paw blinking slowly at Lucas. “Wow it’s pretty although I can’t say pink is really my color, thanks sis these are really great!” He smiles his mood already much better than when he woke up. She smiles back, a big grin plastered on her face. “No problem bro, why don’t you go put them on and then I’ll treat you to lunch?” Jess says smiling still.  

   He nods, still smiling and heads towards his room to change clothes and put on the bracelet and necklace.   

  He grabs his favorite bright blue tank top and some black shredded jeans along with his black adidas with blue shoelaces. After Getting dressed he and his sister head out the door towards her car.