The Sky is Blue

Chapter 15

Alana Buckley

Spinning the correct combination into my locker, I pull up on the doorknob, opening it to find balloons coming out of my locker to float up to the ceiling, looking inside to find my annual card from Evelyn. I thought for sure she'd forget about my birthday. Opening the card I see it says, 'Hope you didn't think I'd forget! You're in for a day full of fun and CAKE'. I smile, biting my lip. Even through the worst, she still found time to think of me. I never had a boyfriend or girlfriend that even did that.

    "Secret admirer?" Asks Jackson, my best friend's boyfriend, as he walks up. I let go of my lip, stuffing the card into my purse.

    "Something like that" I say, closing my locker.

    "Where's Ev?" He asks, and I shrug, not sure if she'd told him. And I'm not about to give him her information fi she doesn't want him to have it.

    "Home sick today" I lie, making a face, before I say bye to him, walking towards my fighter period class. Evelyn's birthday card made me think about that one birthday she and Brooklyn had actually surprised me with a huge bounce house in my backyard.

    "What do you think?" Evelyn had begun as I looked at the giant pink inflatable castle. The castle had barely fit in our tiny backyard with the ht tub in the corner. On the front of the castle was a paper banner taped to it. The banner read; Happy Birthday, Bitch!

    "You guys rented this for me?" I'd asked, setting my backpack down near the back door.

    "More like stole from our dad" Brooklyn had said. And although I knew she was a rule follower, Evelyn always had a talent to get her to break all the right ones.

    "Yeah, if our dad found out-" Evelyn had cut herself off, and the two girls had looked at each other. "Come!" Evelyn quickly picked up. "Take off your shoes and come have fun with us" She'd exclaimed, the two already having taken their shoes off.

    Now thinking back on it, I wish I'd seen the sign. Evelyn had hinted at it and Brooklyn had visually scolded for it.

    "I should've seen it" I say to myself, looking up as I see Hope walk up to me.

    "What's the birthday frown for?" Hope asks, making a face.

    "Evelyn isn't here" I say. Hope probably being the only person who saw I loved Evelyn a little too much.

    "Wanna skip? I heard she's at the hospital. I'm sure sh'd love to see you" She says and I brighten.

    "You're not gonna tell moms?" I ask, knowing mom's rules were the only ones Hope cared about.

    "Not this time" She says, and I smile.

    "Thank you" I say, as she grabs my hand, leading me out of the hall and toward the parking lot, until I feel someone grab my other hand. I look behind me.

    "Keegan" I begin and then see my other brother is here too. "Orson?"

    "What are you guys doing?" Hope asks, having stopped walking to look at her younger brothers.

    "We saw you skipping" Keegan begins, looking to Orson.

    "And we figured you don't want to be ratted out..." The other finishes.

    "You want to come with" I put together, sighing.

    "Fine, but we're going to the hospital, so you better be quiet and respectful" Hope says, and I nod, as they roll their eyes, pulling out their portable systems.

    "Fine, but let's go" I whine, and they look at me, giving me a face as I give them a face right back.