Ditched

Hard to Surprise

I wake up on Sunday, November 21, my birthday. I don't expect anything from the Griffos or even for them to know it's my birthday. How would they know?

I get out of bed and start to go into my closet when I notice something's wrong. I cant place my finger on it, but there's something different about my room. I stop moving, my hand poised over the doorknob of the closet. And then it comes to me. My door. It's cracked open, slightly ajar. I know I left it closed, I close it every night.

Whatever. Someone probably came in during the night. I swing open the closet door and get tackled to the ground.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY PIPER!" Jack yells, smothering me in a bear hug on the floor. I groan as Jack pulls me to my feet and throws his arms around my head. "You're sixteen!" He says enthusiastically. How he knows, beats me. I smile at him, my head tucked under his arm. I slap his stomach and push him off me.

"What are you doing in my closet?" I ask. And that's when j realize the beads of sweat covering every inch of his skin. "And how long have you been in there?"

He looks at his phone. "About two hours. I was waiting for you to wake up." He winks at me and covers my eyes with his hands. "I got a surprise for you."

I sigh. "I doubt that, I'm really hard to surprise." I say, squeezing my eyes shut.

I can sense the grin in his voice. "I wouldn't be too sure." Holding one of my hands, and covering my eyes with the other one, Jack leads me down the stairs. He stops me and then sits me on a couch. "Okay, open your eyes."

I fling my eyes open and focus in on the box in front of me. A pair of orange and black Adidas basketball sneakers sit on the coffee table, a ribbon taped to the laces. I shriek. "OH MY GOD!"

Jack bounces with excitement. "Do you like them?" He asks nervously.

"YES!" I scream, kissing his cheek. He blushed furiously and looks at his hands.

"I didn't know what size you are, so I hope they fit."

I undo the laces and pull them on. They fit my feet perfectly, not squeezing my toes like my old sneakers. "Oh, they're perfect." I smile at Jack. "Thank you so much, Jack."

He puts an arm around me. "No problem. Happy birthday."

"Can I tell you something?" I whisper.

"You know you can."

"I've never gotten a birthday present before." I confess.

His eyes widen. "Serious?!"

"Serious."

He nods. "I should've known. Well, my mom and dad have a little something special planned for you."

I grin. "Really?"

He nods. "In kitchen."

He takes me into the kitchen and I look around. My eyes land on a stack of smiley face pancakes sitting on the table, drenched in syrup. "Ohhh." I moan. They look so appetizing....I sprint to the table and inhale the pancakes, barely taking enough time to chew.

I sit back, rubbing my stomach. "I can't eat another thin for a year." I say, watching Jack finish his bowl of cereal.

"So," he says, laughing, "what do you wanna do today?"

I think about it for a moment. "Can we go paint balling?" I ask. I've always wanted to.

He grins. "Oh, I absolutely love paint balling. Let's go."

"Wait. Can Casey come with us?" I ask.

He frowns. "You might not want that. He's really good." He crosses his arms. "Like insanely good."

I raise my eyebrows. "Is that jealousy I hear?"

Jack smirks. "Me? Jealous of Casey? I don't think so. He's my best friend in the whole world, I'd never be jealous of him."

I grin. "Then we're picking him up on the way?"

He smiles. "Sure. It's your birthday, whatever you want, I give."

"You're the best, Jack." I say.

"I know."

*****

I text Casey as Jack drives down the toward his house.

Me: I'm going paint balling with Jack wanna come?

Casey responds right away.

C: yea definitely

Me: pick u up in five

C: sounds great

I get another text from him.

C: AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY😘😘

I smile at the kissy faces. He's so sweet. Jack leans over to me. "Whatchya smilin' at?" He asks.

"Nothing," I say, quickly locking my phone.

Jack looks at me suspiciously, but shakes it off and pulls into Casey's driveway. He beeps and Casey sprints out of his house and flings the door open. He hops in as Jack zooms away, heading toward the paint ball building.

I stare out the window, watching the blur of trees and blue sky buzzing past my window. Middle of November and it's like, seventy degrees. That's California for ya. A bird smacks into my window and I flinch, watch it's body fling backwards and hit the windshield of the car behind us. I close my eyes and rest my head on my arms on the window, my head outside the open space. The wind whooshes through my hair, but I love the feeling of the coolness blowing on my face, sending chills down my fiery body.

I sit and think, my mind buzzing with thoughts of all the things that I could do with the boys in this car. With Jack. With Casey. And then my mind surfers to Asher. I want to make up with him. I wanna see him and explain everything and work out our differences. I miss him like crazy: his funny jokes, his hatred for Mrs. Haggerty, his beautiful blonde waves, his hazel eyes, his sweet, protective personality. Everything about him reminds me of all the good and bad times we had in the Home together, fearing the wrath of the Hag.

My thoughts sadden me and a tear slips down my cheek as we drive on, Casey's presence comforting me. Our knees touch with every bump the car hits and that reminds me that I'm safe now. I'm home.