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“Come on, Ky,” Tyler says giving him a look like he disagrees with whoever Amber is on the cheer team.
I don’t know what Tyler said to Ky, but I’m guessing Tyler isn’t happy about Jen and Nicole showing up, which I can appreciate. My thoughts go to the conversation Tyler and I had in front of his room. I don’t have to stay long, and we could just leave.
“Happy birthday, Rubi!” Abby comes running up to me, giving me a hug, and I give her an awkward smile. I don’t know how to act at a birthday party for myself. This is all new to me.
“It’s official. You’re legal,” Ky says with a smirk. “Happy birthday, Rubi. It’s not much, and I hope you don’t mind, but some people invited themselves. I don’t know what you usually do on your birthday, or what you like to do, so whatever you want to eat or do, we can figure it out.”
I don’t know if he is being genuine, or he has something up his sleeve. He hasn’t bothered me since the day I told him about Cesar in the closet at school. I don’t know what to do or say, but all I can do is tell him thank you, I guess.
“Thank you,” I say, looking around at people drinking and laughing. My gaze lands on his and I wave my hand toward the patio. “I’m okay. You didn’t have to do all this, but thank you.”
“Hey, Rubi. Want to go for a swim? Do you have your swimsuit on under your clothes?” Abby asks me as she walks in my direction.
I bite my lip and give her a weak smile. “I’m good, Abby. I’m not really much of a swimmer.”
“Okay, but if you change your mind, I’ll join you, alright.”
I want to share with her that I can’t swim. I’ll probably drown in front of all these people, and they will be celebrating my demise instead of my birth. I know she is trying to help by including me, but I can’t tell her that.
“Oh, I bought you something.” She walks quickly to a table and holds out a gift bag hanging from her fingers. I take it and peer inside. “It’s black. I hope you like it. Maybe you’ll wear it out sometime, or something like that.”
I dig inside the tissue and pull out a beautiful black mini dress. I’m in love with it, but I hold back the frown that wants to break my smile. It exposes a lot of skin on the back part.
“Do you like it? If you don’t, it is okay. We can go together and pick another one out.”
I swallow the lump that threatens to choke me and say, “It’s really nice, Abby. Thank you. You didn’t have to do that.”
It’s not because I can’t wear it, or maybe it is, but it’s because no one has ever gifted me anything for my birthday.
“I think it would look great on you.”
I give her a smile, holding in that lump from creeping out. I bet it would if I never stepped out of my room with it on, or if I could wear my hoodie over it. Maybe I’ll wear it when I graduate and move out on my own and meet someone who would take me out on a date.
My eyes flick to Ky, and he is just watching me hold the dress, and I look away, folding and placing it back in the bag. I hope he can’t read my thoughts about how I feel about the dress.
“Thanks, Abby. That was really nice of you,” Tyler says.
“I wanted Rubi to have something nice,” she says, averting her gaze. “Anyway, Noah is here, and I want to say hi. Rubi, you can come along if you want. We can go hang out by the pool.”
“Noah?”
“Yeah, Noah. He is on the football team. Second string, but that is because he is a junior like me.”
“Actually, it’s because he sucks,” Tyler points out.
“Doesn’t mean he isn’t cute.”
Tyler’s head snaps in her direction and he snorts “Noah, cute. Pssh…he is average, at best.”
“He isn’t a bad guy, Tyler,” Ky says. “We can still kick his ass if you want so he doesn’t get any ideas with Abby, but that would make you look like––“
Tyler interrupts Ky and says, “Like a guy looking out for his boy’s sister.”
“Yeah, whatever,” Ky snaps and walks away.
“Don’t pay attention to Ky. He gets in these moods and gets angry and has to let it out at the boxing gym.”
“Why?”
