pillows on the floor.
“Who was it?” she whispers.
“J.”
She bolts up to a sitting position, crossing her legs and studying me.
“He just called to say Happy New Year, Riss.”
“Yeah, but—”
“Drop it. We can’t be anything but friends. You know that.”
She faces me on her side, tossing her arm over me. “I wish it could be different for you.”
Me too.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Arissa roots around in her brown paper bag, causing it to rustle more than usual. Her eyes gleam at me with her wide, teasing smile.
“Whatcha got, Jericho?” Jason asks, craning his neck. “Ooh!” His eyes shimmer.
She draws her hand out, placing a small, round plastic container without a lid in front of me. “Happy birthday!”
A yellow cupcake with a touch of vanilla frosting rests inside. Arissa pulls out two more containers, one each for her and Jason.
I choke down the tears trying to surface.
March twenty-fifth is always just another day for me. Never a reason for celebration or cupcakes, even if it’s my birthday. I can’t tell them I’ve never had my own birthday cake or celebrated my birthday. Not without telling them everything.
“Sorry we can’t do a candle so you can make a wish and blow it out,” she apologizes.
If only she knew. It’s already a happy birthday. “The cupcake is more than enough, Riss. Thank you.” I remove it from the container and tear the paper liner back. The frosting is thick and sweet, and the cake is light and pillowy with a hint of lemon bursting on my tongue. It’s the best cupcake ever.
Jason drops a thick, heavy present wrapped in green in front of me. I lick the crumbs and frosting from my fingers, then rip the paper away.
The Complete Grimm’s Fairy Tales in hardcover.
“Thanks, J.”
His dark hazel eyes shine. “My pleasure, Parker.”
It’s not easy. I know he’s dating again, but we’ve never met her or the one before her. Different lunch periods. I count it a blessing, since lunch is the only time we see him now that basketball is over. If they had the same lunch we’d never see him or I’d be forced to watch him with another girl. It’s bad enough knowing there are other girls.
Arissa coaxes me into her house after school. Rose gives me another cupcake and a yellow gift bag containing a leather bound copy of Wicked and Son Of A Witch in one volume.
“Thank you!” I hug her and Arissa. “Can I keep them here?” I ask Arissa, taking out my tome of Grimm’s Fairy Tales .
“You sure you don’t want to take them home?” Rose asks.
My father trashing my room, searching for my Christmas present from Jason replays in my head. No doubt he’d do it again and destroy the books if I bring them home.
“Victoria will wreck them if she sees them.”
Rose eyes me longer than usual.
“Let’s take them upstairs,” Arissa says, grabbing her backpack.
I place my books in Arissa’s room with my copy of The Wizard of Oz then return home, stopping short in my bedroom doorway.
Father lazes on my bed in his work clothes with a look of scorn on his face. “Where were you?” He sits up.
“Arissa’s. Rose wanted to give me a cupcake for my birthday.”
He climbs off my bed and lumbers towards me. Whiskey is acrid on his breath as he speaks, “Your birthday? Who gave you permission to celebrate your birthday?”
I shuffle backwards, wanting to roll into a ball like a pill bug.
“Get back here, you worthless piece of shit!” He seizes a handful of my hair and yanks me into my room.
I shriek, dropping my backpack and covering his hands with mine to keep him from ripping my hair out. I stumble under his grip and nearly fall.
He shoves me onto the bed and unbuckles his belt. “I’ll give you a fucking birthday celebration.” The lowering zipper is like nails on a chalkboard to my ears. I grit my teeth, burying my face in my pillow to hide the tears as he rams into me without care or concern.
“You think…” Slam. “…your friends...”
“Who was it?” she whispers.
“J.”
She bolts up to a sitting position, crossing her legs and studying me.
“He just called to say Happy New Year, Riss.”
“Yeah, but—”
“Drop it. We can’t be anything but friends. You know that.”
She faces me on her side, tossing her arm over me. “I wish it could be different for you.”
Me too.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Arissa roots around in her brown paper bag, causing it to rustle more than usual. Her eyes gleam at me with her wide, teasing smile.
“Whatcha got, Jericho?” Jason asks, craning his neck. “Ooh!” His eyes shimmer.
She draws her hand out, placing a small, round plastic container without a lid in front of me. “Happy birthday!”
A yellow cupcake with a touch of vanilla frosting rests inside. Arissa pulls out two more containers, one each for her and Jason.
I choke down the tears trying to surface.
March twenty-fifth is always just another day for me. Never a reason for celebration or cupcakes, even if it’s my birthday. I can’t tell them I’ve never had my own birthday cake or celebrated my birthday. Not without telling them everything.
“Sorry we can’t do a candle so you can make a wish and blow it out,” she apologizes.
If only she knew. It’s already a happy birthday. “The cupcake is more than enough, Riss. Thank you.” I remove it from the container and tear the paper liner back. The frosting is thick and sweet, and the cake is light and pillowy with a hint of lemon bursting on my tongue. It’s the best cupcake ever.
Jason drops a thick, heavy present wrapped in green in front of me. I lick the crumbs and frosting from my fingers, then rip the paper away.
The Complete Grimm’s Fairy Tales in hardcover.
“Thanks, J.”
His dark hazel eyes shine. “My pleasure, Parker.”
It’s not easy. I know he’s dating again, but we’ve never met her or the one before her. Different lunch periods. I count it a blessing, since lunch is the only time we see him now that basketball is over. If they had the same lunch we’d never see him or I’d be forced to watch him with another girl. It’s bad enough knowing there are other girls.
Arissa coaxes me into her house after school. Rose gives me another cupcake and a yellow gift bag containing a leather bound copy of Wicked and Son Of A Witch in one volume.
“Thank you!” I hug her and Arissa. “Can I keep them here?” I ask Arissa, taking out my tome of Grimm’s Fairy Tales .
“You sure you don’t want to take them home?” Rose asks.
My father trashing my room, searching for my Christmas present from Jason replays in my head. No doubt he’d do it again and destroy the books if I bring them home.
“Victoria will wreck them if she sees them.”
Rose eyes me longer than usual.
“Let’s take them upstairs,” Arissa says, grabbing her backpack.
I place my books in Arissa’s room with my copy of The Wizard of Oz then return home, stopping short in my bedroom doorway.
Father lazes on my bed in his work clothes with a look of scorn on his face. “Where were you?” He sits up.
“Arissa’s. Rose wanted to give me a cupcake for my birthday.”
He climbs off my bed and lumbers towards me. Whiskey is acrid on his breath as he speaks, “Your birthday? Who gave you permission to celebrate your birthday?”
I shuffle backwards, wanting to roll into a ball like a pill bug.
“Get back here, you worthless piece of shit!” He seizes a handful of my hair and yanks me into my room.
I shriek, dropping my backpack and covering his hands with mine to keep him from ripping my hair out. I stumble under his grip and nearly fall.
He shoves me onto the bed and unbuckles his belt. “I’ll give you a fucking birthday celebration.” The lowering zipper is like nails on a chalkboard to my ears. I grit my teeth, burying my face in my pillow to hide the tears as he rams into me without care or concern.
“You think…” Slam. “…your friends...”
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