Wrists

Chapter 1: The Flashback }Part 2{

As I turned the shower off, I couldn't help but worry that for a split second, maybe I wouldn't have a soulmate. How embarrassing would that be? All this fuss my mother put into planning the party and setting up everything with my sister would essentially be nothing more than a simple birthday party. I frowned. I didn't like that. My mother worked hard on this party, I should really put more effort into getting ready. I slipped one leg into my well-worn faded denim, and then the other. Maybe I could wear something other than a hoodie, I mean, after all, it is a special occasion. I zipped my jeans and pulled a tank top over my head before opening the bathroom door and cursing myself for not leaving the door cracked so the cold air wasn't so... in your face. I bounced across the cold hardwood floor of my bedroom, shivering as I headed to the closet. With a defeated sigh, I pulled a dark violet sweater out of the closet. My mother picked this out for me last year, and I never wore it. I slipped into the sleeves, adjusting and buttoning the sweater up. It wasn't a bad sweater, I just don't style myself the way my mother wants me to.

I slipped a pair of black socks on before walking back to the bathroom and picking up my hairdryer. As I plugged it in, I looked directly into the mirror, studying my face. Blue-green eyes. A nose. A pair of lips. A chin. Nothing particularly special, just a girl. I wondered what had changed in the last year, because I looked the same to me. I slowly ran a hand through the long, dark tresses on my head. I was just an average girl, nothing stood out about me. I dried my hair while contemplating whether I wanted to do my makeup heavily or not at all. I decided my mother would probably like it if I did no makeup. I turned the bathroom light off and shut the door before flopping onto my bed and closing  my eyes.

Sleep didn't last long. No sooner had I closed my eyes, my younger sister Stephanie opened my door. Stephanie giggled, a hand over her mouth to muffle the sound. I could tell she thought I was still asleep, so I kept my eyes closed, waiting for her to make a move so I could tackle her and pin her to my bed to tickle her. The floorboards next to my bed creaked under her weight. She was getting close, but not quite close enough. I let out a fake snore, soft and quiet, just enough to be believable. Stephanie snorted, fighting to hold her laughter in. Just as she knelt down to try to whisper in my ear, I made my move. In one swift gesture, I gently snaked my arms around her waist and tossed her onto my bed. Stephanie's giggles grew louder and way more dramatic. I tickled her ribs until she was crying from laughter. She sat up on my pillow.

"Hey! Stephieeee, my pillow!" I protested loudly. She smirked in response. 

"Mom said to go get you, so come on, Dee!" Stephanie grinned and darted away without waiting for me to follow. Sucker. Stephanie should have known that I was going to stay in my room. I groaned. They did go to a lot of work for my party. I should probably at least go see their decorations. With a huff, I hopped off my bed and slipped my vans on before leaving my room and shutting the door. 

"Okay, Steph, Mom. I'm coming around the corner!" I called, before turning the corner into the living room. Pink and black streamers hung everywhere and a pink and black cake sat on a pink lace doily atop a black satin tablecloth. Small hot dogs sat in a black tray next to the cake, and pink cups with pink liquid in them rested on the other side of the cake. My mother sprinted in from the kitchen carrying a small pot. She quickly ran back into the kitchen, put the pot back on the stovetop, and rushed back to the table. 

"Oh! Dee, honey, you're early! No one else is here yet. I mean! Oh, dammit." She let out a dramatic sigh. "I invited a lot of kids from your school. You don't hang out with anyone. I thought maybe... there would be someone whose words would...." She stammered. "I know you didn't really care about your wrist, but I thought it would help, honey. I'm sorry! It's too late now for me to uninvite people." 

I gasped. "Mom, you didn't!" 

She frowned. "Honey, of course I did. I even invited the new neighbor. Her name is Violet, and she's just recently turned sixteen too. Maybe she and you can share new wrist writing after your party. I invited her to sleep over." She smiled, but it didn't meet her eyes. "I just wish you would spend time with the kids in your grade, that's all."