Friday, November 4, 2005
"You know, Seth? Even if you look at me like that, I won't give you your gift early. Now go get ready. You still have school to attend, and don't try it with Mike. I already instructed him not to give in to your puppy eyes," Leah said, pointing her fork at her brother. A piece of pancake wobbled dangerously at the end of it, dripping syrup onto her plate.
The room smelled like butter and maple syrup, sunlight spilling through the window and catching in Leah's hair. For a moment, everything felt warm and painfully normal.
Seth slowly turned his wide, hopeful eyes on me.
Oh no.
I immediately looked the other way, very interested in the pattern of the wood cabinets. I even took a long sip of my coffee like I hadn't just been silently begging him not to aim that weaponized expression in my direction.
From the corner of my eye, I could still see him.
Lower lip slightly trembling. Shoulders slumped. Big brown eyes shimmering with betrayal.
Stay strong, Newton. Stay strong.
Harry snorted into his coffee mug, barely disguising his amusement.
Sue didn't even try. "Listen to your sister. Your birthday isn't an excuse to skip school."
Seth's shoulders sagged further. "But moooom."
Sue narrowed her eyes in a way that reminded me exactly where Leah got it from. "No buts. Now go get ready before I decide to cancel the party."
That did it.
Seth gasped like she'd just threatened exile. He shot one last wounded look around the table, at Leah, at me, at the universe in general, and then trudged toward the stairs like a condemned man.
I waited until I heard his bedroom door close before I let out the breath I'd been holding.
Leah smirked at me. "You almost folded."
"I did not," I muttered, reaching for another piece of bacon to defend my dignity.
She raised an eyebrow.
"…Okay, maybe a little."
Harry chuckled again. "You're gonna have to build up some resistance if you're gonna survive in this family."
"I'm learning," I said, though honestly, Seth's birthday excitement had been contagious for weeks. The kid had been vibrating with anticipation since mid-October. He'd even tried to casually "guess" what his gift might be at least twice a day.
Leah nudged my knee under the table. "You better not have even hinted."
I held up a hand. "I swear. Not a word. I even changed the hiding spot."
Her eyes widened. "You what?"
"Relax," I said quickly. "Just moved it from the garage to the shed. He's been snooping."
Sue sighed, though there was a hint of fondness in it. "That boy has zero patience."
"Hey," Harry said mildly, "he gets that from you."
Sue shot him a look.
I wisely chose silence.
Leah leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "If he finds out early, I'm blaming you."
"That's fair," I admitted.
Footsteps pounded overhead, drawers opening, something falling, a muttered curse. I smiled despite myself. Seth probably had his clothes half on and was still plotting strategies to crack us before the end of the day.
"Party starts at six," Sue reminded us. "And no one is letting him anywhere near the gifts before that."
Leah nodded firmly. "Already handled."
I felt a slow grin spread across my face.
Just imagining Seth's reaction later, the look on his face when he saw it, made the entire morning worth it.
…
I finished the last of my coffee and stood, grabbing my plate and dropping it in the sink before heading upstairs to get ready. If Seth had to suffer through school on his birthday, then so did I.
Not that I was thrilled about it.
I pulled on a clean shirt and stared at myself in the mirror for a second, running a hand through my hair. Senior year was supposed to feel different. Bigger. Like I was standing on the edge of something important.
Instead, I was barely scraping by.
I'd once half-joked that I wished I could've graduated early. The truth? There was no way. I wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. Most days I survived on decent test guesses, last-minute homework, and whatever goodwill my teachers still had left for me. If grades were measured in effort, I'd be average. If they were measured in raw brainpower… well.
Let's just say college brochures didn't exactly scream Mike Newton material.
My only real shot at getting into a good university would be a sports scholarship. Or writing a very generous check. And even then… I wasn't sure I actually wanted it.
It wasn't like I needed a degree. Newton's was already there. My future was practically stocked on the shelves, labeled and priced. I didn't have money issues either, thanks to Alice. And Leah didn't want to go to college either. She'd said more than once that she didn't see the point.
The idea of going somewhere without her, sitting in lecture halls alone while she stayed here, made my chest feel strangely hollow.
What was the point if she wasn't there?
I shoved that thought away, grabbed my jacket, and headed back downstairs.
Seth was already by the door, backpack slung over one shoulder, bouncing on the balls of his feet like he was about to explode from contained excitement.
"Ready?" I asked.
He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "You almost slipped earlier."
"I did not."
"You totally did."
Leah crossed her arms from the kitchen doorway. "Don't even think about it, Mike."
"I'm innocent," I said, holding up my hands.
Sue kissed Seth's forehead. "Have a good day. And behave."
Harry clapped him on the shoulder. "Six o'clock. Don't rush it."
Seth groaned dramatically. "It's so far away."
Leah walked over and fixed his collar, softer now. "It'll come faster if you stop counting every minute."
He huffed, but he hugged her anyway. Then he turned to me. "Let's go, traitor."
I laughed and followed him out.
The morning air was crisp, cool enough to make my breath fog faintly as we got into my car. I turned the engine over, the familiar rumble settling something steady in my chest.
We pulled away from the house, trees lining the road in thick green walls. The drive toward La Push school was quiet for all of thirty seconds.
"So," Seth began casually.
"No."
"I didn't even say anything."
"You were going to."
He grinned. "Maybe."
I shook my head, eyes on the road. "Nice try."
He leaned back in his seat, pretending to examine his nails. "Is it big?"
Silence.
"Is it red?"
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel but kept my face neutral. "Leah will kill me if I say anything."
"Just blink once for yes."
I snorted. "That's not how that works."
He sighed dramatically. "You're no fun."
"I like being alive."
He studied me for a moment, clearly calculating angles of attack. "You know, if it's what I think it is, I'll forgive you for everything."
That almost cracked me.
Almost.
I focused on the road, on the rhythm of the tires against the pavement, on literally anything other than the image of his face when he'd see it later.
"Patience," I said. "It builds character."
"I don't want character. I want my present."
I laughed under my breath.
By the time we reached his school, he had tried bribery, guilt, dramatic sighing, and one suspiciously convincing sad face. I held firm through all of it, though it took real effort.
I pulled up to the curb.
He unbuckled slowly, giving me one last hopeful look. "Last chance."
"Nope."
He opened the door, then paused. "You're the worst."
"See you at six, birthday boy."
That softened him. A grin slipped through. "Six."
He shut the door and jogged toward the building, turning once to wave before disappearing inside.
I watched him go for a second, smiling despite myself.
Then I shifted the car into gear and headed toward Forks High.
The trees blurred past as I drove, and my smile faded into something more thoughtful.
Senior year.
College. Scholarships. The store. Leah.
The future felt like one big question mark.
For now, though, I had a history test third period and just enough time to mentally prepare to fail it with dignity.
…