The Sun, The Moon, and Their Stars

36 : Party

April 2005

Kimberly

I close the door of my room and check my reflection in the full-length mirror. I'm in my white shirt with a black ribbon below the round neckline, flared blue jeans, and the hand-me-down black-and-white strappy wedge from Cherry. I tied my hair a while ago, and the loose layers and bangs fall on the sides of my ears. I think I look okay, so I turn around and head for the door.

But my brother's voice stops me. "Where are you going?" he asks, a little too loudly against the sound of the TV. He's sitting on the couch, watching a sports channel.

I stop and face him. "To Lawrence's going-away party." I raise my voice a little as well.

He leans forward to the center table, grabs the remote, and adjusts the volume. "Is he going to be there?" His voice is normal now.

"It's his house and his party. I'm pretty sure Lawrence is number one on the guest list."

My brother crosses his arms and glares at me. "I'm talking about your suitor," he says.

I roll my eyes. And he's still glaring.

"Maybe," I say with a shrug.

He drops his arms and starts standing up. Then he's approaching where I am. Now he's directly in my front, hands on his hips, and towering me.

I drop my shoulders. "It's Lawrence's thing. I don't have a say." Then I lift them again. "And why does it matter?"

"I'm just looking out for you, Kimmy," he replies, but the sound of his voice contradicts the care that he's implying.

"Well, I can look out for myself," I assert.

"I'm just saying, some wolves walk around in sheep's clothing."

"He's not like that."

He sighs. "I just don't want to see you get hurt," he adds.

I sigh too. "I won't. And if it ever comes to that, I'll see to it," I point my right index finger to my chest, "that I'm the one who makes him crawl his way into the hospital." Then I drop my hand. "And we all know there's not much of that around here."

My brother just stands there.

I look away, turn to the side, start walking, and reach for the screen door handle. "I can take care of myself," I say. Then I push it open. "I've been doing that for the past four or so years." And I step out into the veranda, not looking back.

"Don't stay out too late," I hear him when I approach the gate.

I open my dark green umbrella as I go out. It's almost noon, and the first week of April, so the heat of the summer sun is unforgiving.

It's hardly even a party. There's just going to be food and some people. It's just a small gathering for only a few hours. And knowing Lawrence, his guests are mostly from the good crowd, who are supposed to arrive between one-thirty and two, but he wants Darlynne and me to be there earlier than the others.

I saw my friends two days ago when we claimed our report cards from school. Then we spent the rest of that day in Darlynne's house.

I talked to Benjie briefly before that, and we agreed to meet today at the mall before we go to Lawrence's house.

He's waiting for me at McDonald's. He's wearing a sky-blue t-shirt and fidgeting with an empty cup of hot fudge sundae on the table.

"Sorry," I mumble as I sit down on the chair across from him, "my brother stalled me for a bit."