Glass Jaw

Chapter 2

A rambunctious commotion downstairs made me sit up and drop my textbook. Only one thing could be an acceptable cause for that much noise. I stood up and took a moment to straighten my appearance. My uniform was wrinkled because I'd flopped onto my bed without changing after school—which also happened to be why my hair was extra fluffy.

I ran my fingers through the tangles and hoped that Aunt Felicity would be in a gracious mood since Uncle Robert was back. She always seemed happier—and thus nicer—when he was around.

Not wanting to waste any more time, I skipped down the stairs and smiled at Uncle Robert as he turned toward my footsteps.

"There she is!" he grinned as he opened his arms for a hug. I shot into them with the same relief that I always did. He was the only Chamberlain who liked to show any kind of physical love. His hugs were the only ones I'd had in, well, eight years.

I squeezed my arms around his chest and smiled against his shoulder. Uncle Robert was gone so often on business trips and I truly missed him. The house was colder when he wasn't in it.

"You couldn't run a brush through your hair?" Aunt Felicity hissed quietly in my ear when I stepped away from the hug. My eyes fell to the floor and I whispered a soft apology. The only way I could get my hair as straight and shiny as Aunt Felicity and Elizabeth's was to use a flat iron but even then my natural wave always fought through by the end of the day.

"Daddy," Elizabeth said as she gripped her dad's hand and tugged. "Come see the decorations for the party tomorrow."

She dragged him into the living room as we followed behind. I hadn't seen or heard much about this party, other than that it was for graduation. The party planners must have come after I already got home because the living room was now adorned with Yale blue and white decor.

"It's beautiful," Uncle Robert indulged her as he looked around. His gaze found a banner just as mine did. When our eyes connected, I tried not to show my disappointment.

"Felicity," Uncle Robert frowned, "Why does the banner only have Elizabeth's name on it?"

Elizabeth and Aunt Felicity both turned to the banner with wide eyes. Their mouths opened and closed as they searched for an answer. Aunt Felicity turned to me and my heart sank as an accusation flashed in her icy eyes. As though it were my fault that my name wasn't up there. Or maybe it was my fault that he'd noticed.

Was this really what it looked like? I tried not to think the worst but at moments like this, it was hard. Either they hadn't wanted my name up there, or they'd forgotten the party was supposed to be for me too. I wasn't really sure which I'd rather be true. 

"Obviously the party planners made a mistake," Aunt Felicity said finally. "They must have misheard me."

"Phone them and fix it," Uncle Robert demanded.

"I ordered everything a month ago, Robert," Aunt Felicity reasoned. "I don't know if they can change it by tomorrow evening."

"Well, then we'll have to take it down. The party is for both girls," he demanded.

"But Daddy..." Elizabeth pouted as her watery eyes fell on the glossy banner. I followed her eye line and took a deep breath. Did it really matter to me if my name was up there? Obviously not as much as it mattered to Elizabeth.

"It's okay," I interjected. "It was a mistake but it doesn't bother me. We can leave it up."

"That's nice of you, Ryan," Uncle Robert waved me off, "but it's not right."