Lars Crawford was a simple teen. He loved his siblings, loved baseball, loved life until a tragic accident ripped his older brother away along with his left arm.
Now he lives his life serving after school detention from fights he faught for his best...
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< -- twenty - eight -- >
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"HAPPY BIRTHDAY LARS!"
Even though the duet screams weren't close, my eyes snapped open at the outburst, heart beating a mile a minute my first thought was to panic realizing in seconds that it was a scream of joy. A special day for those who cared.
It was my birthday.
I was finally seventeen. Only 365 days until I was legal but who was counting? I was taking things one day at a time.
Today was going to be filled with balloons, congratulations on being a year older from my neighbors, music blasting from the wooden table holding speakers that seemed to get bigger every year. Little kids running around with water balloons and water guns. Everything would be great, I already knew that. My mom always did an amazing job but the gifts were never what I truly wanted especially these past few years. Not even the greatest birthday wish could bring my brother back. Accepting the fact that I couldn't trade places with Cas or wish him back to life there were things that I could change.
First thing was myself and how I messed up with Neema.
Rolling onto my back my eyes moved towards the window. The sky a bright cloudless blue as a few birds flew by probably enjoying such a quick way to move.
"I remember hiding from you every birthday cause I knew you were going to punch me as hard as you could. A solid punch to remind me that even though I was a year older, you were still the older brother." Rubbing over my face feeling a little silly, I continued. "I know that you would still do it if you were here today and I'm sure it would continue until you were too old to punch me. You would probably hit me with your cane or throw your walker at me still having a good arm as a wrinkled man."
Lowering my eyes to the empty space where the rest of my arm should be, the feeling of sadness didn't hit me this time. It felt different, more of acceptance even after almost three years.
"So thanks big bro." The break in my voice wasn't unexpected yet rather a welcomed emotion that I knew would pass. "Thanks for the b-day wish all the way from up there. I know you're with me and probably yelling at me for going into your room but I needed to be with you just for a second. Yeah, I just . . . I just needed to know you didn't hate me like dad does. Alright, enough of that." Shifting into an upright position I grabbed my phone just as my bedroom door burst open.
"Did you not hear us calling you?" Eloise asked with a little too much attitude for a ten year old. "It's time for breakfast and mom said we can't eat until you come downstairs. Since apparently today is only about you and the rest of us have to starve, can you please hurry up?" She smiled at the end for added charm.
"You know, you should be nicer to the birthday boy Eloise." I crossed my ankles getting comfortable as if I didn't plan on leaving my bed even though my mouth was watering at the smell of french toast. "I mean not just anyone can be born today."
