Between Us

chapter eleven

11

"Happy Birthday, twin!"

I'm crushed in a hug as I reach the bottom of the stairs, and am suddenly in the air as Reed throws me over his shoulder.

"Let go of me, asshole!" I hiss, slapping his back. The whole world is being flashed my neon pink underwear, since I hadn't been bothered to find a pair of shorts because a) it's Saturday, and b) it's my birthday. If you haven't figured it out yet, I don't particularly like pants. They're so constricting.

"How rude of you," Reed says, wrapping arm arm around the back of knees to keep me from face planting. He starts walking to the kitchen. "I am carrying you to the kitchen. You should be eternally grateful."

"I am eternally un-grateful."

When we get to the kitchen, I don't anticipate the room full of people. My family and mom's best friend's, Vanessa's, family is all crowded into the kitchen. Well, now they know what color my underwear is. Fantastic.

"Boys, would you please stop staring at my ass?" I ask, feigning politeness. I can't see them, but I just know they're staring.

I hear a few coughs and imagine their eyes flickering away. "I can see Taryn's bootie!" Sophie giggles.

"I know, the whole fucking world can see it. Would you please put me down, Reed?"

My twin bends down slightly to drop me off his shoulder, letting me land on my feet with a light thud. "Thanks," I say, tugging my shirt down slightly.

"Happy Birthday, Tare-Bear!"

I freeze at the sound of the voice. It can't be. It isn't. I turn around slowly.

It is.

I scream and barrel in my my best friend Mickey's arms, wrapping my legs around her waist. We're both screaming and yelling and hugging so tightly I nearly forget about everyone else. I jump down from her arms and step back, grinning.

"What are you doing here, Mouse?" I ask, using my nickname for her. I started calling her that in the second grade, a month after we became best friends because she punched a boy who called my dress ugly.

Her bright blue eyes are shining as bright as they always do when she's happy. "I couldn't miss my best friend's eighteenth birthday, could I?" Mickey asks, feigning shock with a hand over her chest.

"Don't mean to break up this happy reunion, but a) I want cake, and b) it's also my birthday," Reed says, sticking his tongue out at Mickey.

Mickey scoffs and rolls her eyes. "Once a pig, always a pig," she says, but she's smiling.

I turn around, unable to stop smiling. My eyes flicker over all their faces, and I see Liam smiling a little, standing in the back. "Yeah, sure. Cake sounds great," I say.

I'm so happy, I feel like I could fly as my dad comes out of the kitchen with a cake. It's split in half but the color of the frosting, green for Reed and blue for me with little yellow flowers made with frosting decorating the edges of my side and mini footballs on Reed's side. It has Happy 18th, Reed & Taryn! scrawled on top in loopy cursive.