Dear Ex-Girlfriend (Lesbian, Girlxgirl, Gay)

Chapter 5. Surprise

Chapter5. Surprise

June 2006

Was it just me, or did people in general hope that they'd feel different on their birthdays? Get tingles and all that feel-good hormones they mentioned at Oprah. Get wiser or something.

To me it was just like any other day. Besides the fact that I was fourteen now.

After stretching like a cat on the bed, I rolled down and stood. Another year, another summer. What kind of adventures would we have?

There was a spring on my steps as I went to the window. I've woken later than usual. The sun was already peeking through the clouds, its shine bright on my face.

I shielded my eyes and opened the glass. The breeze brought different smells in my room. There were flowers, the scent of cut grass, the faint traces of wood shaving. Freedom.

I turned to my right and grabbed on the cord. It was thin, black, almost invisible. If you didn't know it was there, you wouldn't see it. That's exactly the point.

You could call it a joint project. Last summer, I complained about the injustice of Gene's curfew to the others. Because she wasn't allowed to go out after five o'clock, most of our communication was done through the whiteboard. It wasn't enough for me. I was sure it wasn't enough for her too.

Gene, being the great thinker she was, came up with a solution. "Why don't we put something between our windows," she said, "so we could not only write messages, but send stuff to each other too?" Genius, right?

The twins helped us with everything. Ester drew the diagram for the plans. Spencer installed the pulley and basket while the rest of Bear Creek was still asleep. Since then, Gene and I have been sending it back and forth between us. I've received my share of flowers, letters, and chocolates because of it.

I stopped pulling the cord when the basket entered my room. Okay, maybe I lied when I said that today was like any other day. Maybe I was expecting a little something from her.

Going to the basket, I tilted the edge and peeked inside. Nothing. There was absolutely nothing.

I patted the bottom just in case. Maybe Genesis stuck my present underneath. Maybe I couldn't see it.

The door banged open before I could decide what to do. The twins rushed in. I could only gape at them as Ester put a party hat on my head and Spencer lifted me on his arms.

"It's my party and I'll cry if I want to," they began to sing.

"What the?"

Spencer lifted me higher. He'd gown stronger in the past year. "Cry if I want to," he continued singing.

I glanced helplessly at Ester. "There's no need for this," I said.

"Cry if I want to," she sang louder.

I felt like a total idiot as they marched me out of the bedroom, then to the hallway. I felt like an even bigger idiot when I saw dad waiting down the stairs. He was clapping and singing too.

Gene emerged from the kitchen with a cupcake on her hand. I recognized that cupcake. Chocolate with a white frosting. It was from Bertha's.

Genesis was lighting the candle when the twins delivered me to her. I was placed on my feet, stared at, sang at. A camera flashed on my left. After blinking the glare away, the cupcake was pushed under my nose. I had no choice but to blow.

"Yay!" they cheered.

I glowered at them. I hated to admit it, but as far as birthday's go, this was my favorite.