I start to get excited with her suddenly, and peek over to see her pull out a brand new pair of pink sneakers and rose gold headphones.
I suddenly have this strange feeling. It’s not jealousy…longing, maybe? Camilla is the only person in my entire life to get me a birthday gift…ever. I don’t remember getting a birthday gift or a gift foranyholiday from my parents—not that I really remember many of my birthdays before my ninth one, so I can’t actually be sure about that.
Simone has been showered all day with gifts and treats, and it all seems so normal to her. I wonder what that feels like.
Once we’re back at her house, we race upstairs to her room, and I toss my backpack onto her bed before I pull out a little box for her.
“Here,” I tell her, handing her the little pink box I got from the dollar store. “It’s nothing fancy, but it’s all I could get. And it was made with love.”
Simone happily takes the box and opens it. She has the biggest smile on her face as she pulls out the pink bracelet I made with both of our names on it.
I pull out the matching one from my bag and hold it up. “Friendship bracelets,” I say, smiling nervously, hoping she likes it.
“OMG! These are sooo cute, Lydia!”
“You like it? I know it’s not any fancy gift, but—”
“Girl, I love it…and I love you! You made this for me. That’s sweeter than any stupid gift from the store!”
Having someone as sweet as her around is still jarring sometimes. I’m not used to anyone being so genuine and nice, someone who doesn’t care about what anyone else thinks, or cares about ‘being cool’. Even though she is, you can tell it doesn’t faze her. She’s just herself, and people flock to her because of that. She doesn’t seek out the attention or make others around her feel less than because of it. She reminds me of my sister in all the best ways. They’re the only two people who have ever really cared about me.
After dinner with her parents, we end up watching all our favorite movies together, and eating way too many snacks while she braids my hair into two French braids, lying on her bedroom floor. When it’s time to get ready for bed, I go to grab some PJs out of my bag and realize I left the other bag I packed with all my shower stuff and toothbrush in it.
“Crap!” I mutter.
Simone looks over at me as she’s buttoning up her hot pink checkered pajama set. “What?”
“I left my other bag right by my door when we rushed out earlier. It had all my shower stuff in it.”
“Oh dang. Wanna see if Camilla can drop it off?”
“Yeah, where’s your phone?”
She points to her bed where her phone—in that ridiculously big pink heart silicone phone case—is lying, plugged up.
If someone didn’t know that Simone’s favorite color was pink, they’d have to be the most oblivious and blind person on the planet.
I pick it up and type in the passcode 7465, unlocking the phone. Camilla’s number is already saved, so I just pull up the contact list and hit call.
No answer.
I call again. And again.
I call five times.
Still, nothing.
Shealwaysanswers.
“I know she’s home, so what the heck?”
I send a couple of texts and wait to see if she replies.
Simone looks over at me. “She probably just went to bed early. I mean, I have an extra new toothbrush and soap if you need them for your shower. We can try to call her in the morning, make sure she’s still good to come pick you up.”
“Yeah, okay. Thanks.”
Something feels off, but I let it go. She probably just passed out early. She’s been working so much, and having tonight and tomorrow off has been the first real break she’s had in a while.
