“Who are you?”

I tried to ask. I tried to stop smiling and laughing. It was fake, I’m not happy. I want to tell someone I wasn’t happy, but I couldn’t. If I told someone, would they care? Would they do the same thing I’m doing now, pretending to feel something I’m not? Is it worth it to tell someone?

“Y’know, you could always just die.” There it was. That dumb little voice again. I won’t listen to it.

“Hell no,” I tell it.

“You won’t have to deal with anything anymore. Faking a smile’s a lot of work, isn’t it?”

I can’t listen to it.

Because I don’t want to die.

“You gonna blow the candles out or what?”

That was not the voice. That was a real person. It was my little sister. Tiya.

“Come on, make a wish!”

“Oh, yeah, okay.”

I paused, before taking a deep breath and blowing out the flames on the candles of my birthday cake.

That’s right. My birthday cake. Tiya made it for me. Tiya cares, doesn’t she?

That’s right. I can’t die, not yet. I have to be here for Tiya.

“Yay!” Tiya said, clapping her hands. I give her a hug, and say, “thanks.” It meant more to me than she’d ever realize.

“Who gives a crap about Tiya?” The voice.

“Not yet,” I tell it.

“Hm?” Oh, Tiya had heard that. Tiya can chase the voice away. At least for a little while.

I’m not happy, but Tiya is. That’s good enough for me.

“I want Tiya to live happily.”

That was my wish.