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Prodigal

Chapter 2

~2~
~January 11, 2032~

(Emmett’s POV)
“Happy, birthday, Emmett!” Dad said as he walked into my room with a tray in his hands. Ever since I was six, Dad had made me breakfast in bed for my birthday. I looked down to see a giant pancake with sliced strawberries that spelt out the number fourteen. There was also a glass of orange juice.

“How does it feel to be fourteen?” Dad asked me.

“Not much different.” I said, my voice squeaking at the first word. Squeaking so high that ear drums could have popped. My face burned with embarrassment.

Dad sat down in bed next to me and put his arm around me. “Is Mom going to make it today?” I asked. For many birthdays, Mom was able to make it to the outer suburb of Sydney where we lived to celebrate my birthday with me. Last year, however, she wasn’t able to make it. I hoped that she would be able to make it today.

“She wanted to.” Dad said. “But she wasn’t able to make it.”

In exhaustion and frustration, I leaned my head down into his shoulder. “Thanks for breakfast.” I said.

“You’re welcome, bud.” Dad said back.

“What time does the party start?” I asked. Dad always threw me a party at our house. He would invite his friends from the band that he was in when he was younger. He’ll also invite some other of his friends, our family and all of my friends from school.

After eating breakfast in bed and Dad left, I decided to check my social media pages. I had been accused of being famous for being famous, or being famous for no reason. I was in tabloids a lot because I would be in public with Dad a lot and pictures would be taken of us. I mean, I did work as a model, which I loved doing, but the real reason I was in the public eye was because of my father.

I would now and again get hate messages saying I’m the reason that 5 Seconds of Summer broke up. I asked Dad on a few occasions if that was true, and he said no. Despite this, I still feel like I was what broke them up.

It’s true: I’m famous for no reason and I broke up 5 Seconds of Summer. No one has any right to get mad at me for that since I a.) never asked to be born, b.) never asked for anyone to follow me on social media and c.) can’t control that I have a famous Dad.

When I was younger, Dad had no problem posting pictures of me on his social medias. At first, any comment towards me would be positive, usually. Sometimes there would be comments saying stuff like “Oh, look, it’s the person who broke up 5SOS.” I didn’t fully understand that until I was ten when Dad gave me the low down on 5 Seconds of Summer and his past life. Ironically, this situation analysis talk happened around the same time the birds and the bees talk came up. I guess it’s nice when things work out.

I was getting dressed in my room because people had already shown up for the party. I was wearing black shorts, as short as I could find them in a men’s style, along with a faded pink tank top.

I walked out of my bedroom into the house’s living room to see it filled with so many people that I loved. My best friends from school were there. There was Rob, Carrie, and Gabbi. Dad had also invited Calum, Ashton and Michael.

Neither Calum, Ashton, nor Michael ever got married. Michael did have a daughter who was about nine years old, but he only had partial custody. I sort of knew her, I think her name was Isabelle. She wasn’t there, not that I cared.

Everyone I cared about was in one room. Except for my mom, of course.