Leap Day

Chapter 1
Leap Day

Chapter Description: This is the entire story. I hope you enjoy it.

I woke up groggily staring up at my ceiling. The first thing I saw was the calendar. February 29th.

I sat up quickly, remembering my birthday was today. Soon, a happy smile came across my face. Today, I was finally going to be 20, and I could finally drink (legally of coarse).

I looked over to my younger brother Ben (He was seven) sleeping in his footsie pajamas. It was such a weird age difference, really. When I had to find out my parents had been "Intercoursing", and I was thirteen, well, that wasn’t a fun day.

I soon realized that I had on the same outfit as Ben, and panicked. Then I remembered that this always happens. My parents always pulled that sort of pun on my birthday, because of it being on Leap Day. Like that stupid joke that since my birthday only comes once every four years, I would only be five.

Ben woke up, and looked at me. "G’morning." he said. "wanna play something?"

I rubbed my eyes "No, got some ’portant adult stuff ta do." I was still having a bit of trouble speaking. I must have had a drink with my dad last night after all.

"Nuh-uh" said Ben. "Mom said you gotta cause your my little brother"

"Good one." I said sarcastically. Not that a seven-year old would even get sarcasm.

But when I jumped down from my bed, I realized this might not be a joke. I fell about three feet.

I looked in the mirror in front of me. Before me, stood a 3ft tall kindergartner. I had no more muscle tones, no tan, and I was really pudgy. There was no hair on my body, and I was missing both my front teeth.

"What the-" I desperately tried to think of a cuss word, but my mind went blank.

"Wha happened to me?" I yelled at Ben. However, I realized he was about a head taller than me now.

"It’s your birthday" he said. "Your a year older! Five whole years old!" his high pitched yelled, showing me with his fingers.

"No!" I replied. "Don’t you ’member? I’m tweny! I go tah col-lage!" I had to sound that last word out

"Nuh-uh!" said Ben. "I bet you didn’t never even learned how ta tell time or anything! We did that las’ week so that’s how I know!"

"Yah huh!" I said. I looked at the analog clock. I couldn’t exactly remember if the long one read the hours or the short one. And was it the number in front or behind?

"uh..." I stammered. "That’s dumb. Use a ’nother one."

"How do you spell house?" he smiled.

"H-O-W-S" I said, hoping it was right.

"WRONG!" said Ben. "Cuz your not even in kindergarten yet and your not a adult."

"NUH UH" I said, now thinking I must have been roofied or something. "I’m older than you are!"

"MOM!" yelled Ben. "Luke keeps saying he’s in collage and that he’s older ’an me!"

My Mother walked in and picked me up. She was a giant at 5’1".

"It’s his birthday Benny" she said. "If he wants to be twenty just for today, he can be twenty. Although, if he was twenty, he wouldn’t want to eat ice cream all day and jump in the bouncy house. You don’t really want to be a big boring adult, do you?"

The ice cream got to me. "Nuh momma I was jus’ pratendin’ "

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The party was weird for me. It was full of clowns, spiderman, toys, all things I would hate on my birthday. But for some reason, it didn’t seem so bad because mom invited all of my supposed friends.

There was the letter five everywhere. When someone asked me how many candles were on the cake, it took me a second, but I figured it out.

It also turned out that my coordination wasn’t as good as it used to be. I got a lot of food on my face, and I fell quite a bit.

Soon, it was about one in the afternoon, time for our naps. Not Ben of coarse, he was too "mature".

I sort of remembered my situation at this point. I took the chance to finally confront my parents.

"Mom." I said. "Whas going on? And don’t try to beat around the bush, why am I five."

She sighed. "We were hoping you wouldn’t ever notice." she said. Then she realized how silly that sounded that I wouldn’t notice I was five.

"Back when you were born." she said slowly. "The doctors said that you would wake up like this one day."

"What?" I was legitimately confused.

"Your birthday falls on a leap day, which means your birthday only comes every four years. Your not really twenty, your five years old."

"That’s ridiculous!" I said. "I was twenty yesterday! I was driving a car!"

"I know that’s what you think. The doctor said that a part of you would be living life as an adult. But the truth is that your body and mentality has been a quarter of your actual age for twenty years. He said that you might wake up one day and think you were an adult. But really, you will be five for the next four years, and six for four years after that. You’ll barely age."

I was seriously doubting this. "This can’t be real!" my eyes were drooping.

"It’s time for your nap." said mom.

"Why can’t you at least treat me like my age?" I said, pleading.

"The doctor had said that you would be happier if you didn’t know. You’ll always know your different, but you won’t ever think that you were twenty. Which is true, you never were. Besides, in a few decades, you can be a thirteen again for thirty or forty years! But for now, you just have to stay nice and little."

"Thirteen?" I said, "No I was twenty?"

"I think it was thirteen." said mom. She wished she didn’t have to do this, but really had no choice.

As she closed my door, It hit me harder than before. I wouldn’t be my age again for almost a lifetime! I wouldn’t ever be able to have kids or friends because they would outgrow me. I would always be the same.

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As the rest of the day followed, I grew less and less aware of my situation. I forgot how old I was supposed to be, so I settled on five.

I finally decided to just let go. My old life wasn’t even the reality. Why even remember it?

As I ate my ice cream which barely got in my mouth, the last of my worries washed away. I couldn’t even remember why I was upset. Maybe it was because Ben thought I was too little to play with. Oh well, at least, now that I was five whole years old, I was a big kid.

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My life went on since then. I’m now around Twelve or Thirteen years old. I have been for four years. I had a girlfriend awhile back, but she will be graduating high school by now. By now, I should have been in my fifties, I should have my own kids, even grand kids. But no, I’m not even old enough to be in the seventh grade.

My parents have been put into a home. Ben watches over me now. He is in his twenties.

As long as I can remember, I’ve been this way. I vaguely remember driving a car, but that can’t be right, with my condition. All I’m doing now is awaiting the day I can leave the world In peace, in about 350 years.

One day.

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