Our Little Deadly Secret

Another Year, Another Birthday

I wasn't with Maac for long in his classroom. But after chatting with him about my upcoming 16th birthday, and him telling me that I don't have to go to the halloween party if I don't want to, I walked into my next class more at ease. It was actually kinda great that he was listening, in the end, to the whole thing. Especially since he could tell I was getting annoyed with how everyone wants me to go when I really don't want to. He also offered his home as an escape if I did end up going and it ended up not being my forte. Which I thanked him whole heartedly. Because I have a strong feeling that I may be forced to go, and having a place to run and hide until the next day will be really helpful. Plus, my main three reasons are not the main reason why I won't attend any dances at school. I went to a dance once my freshman year, and I told myself after that fiasco never again. And the funny thing, too, was Maac was there, and witnessed the whole thing. He saw the trauma I went through, and I'm assuming that he was helping to make sure it did not happen again. And I honestly thank him for it. Because I am not wanting to go down that road again.

Before we knew it, October 13 came with no warning. Which meant I was another year older. And Halloween night was vastly approaching. But not without celebrating turning 16.

Yes, I was turning 16. All my friends, minus my cousin, were already 16, turning 17. But here I was, Younger than them all, but in the same grade as them. And Kass was only 15, but she would be 16 soon. Why are the ages as such? I skipped a grade, and hadn't looked back. I was kinda a smart kid in kindergarten. I already knew the material and was reading at a 1st grade level already, so my school decided, for my benefit to bump me to first grade without being in kindergarten, and it had been that way since. Otherwise, I would have been in the same grade as Kassidy. I was until I got bumped up. And then it's been this way ever since. I honestly am always surprised that Kass was never jealous about the whole thing, but where I lacked, she made up for it. Like, for example, sports. She is a boss at softball, cross country, and volleyball. The only sport I could really handle that I'm okay in is tennis. I always had the grades. She always had the trophies, and we loved each other for it.

And of course that morning, as promised, I was met with a bouquet of roses from Ryan at my front door before heading out with him for the morning. The whole time I was getting ready, my parents were asking me when he was coming to get me. It was so redundant, as if they were trying to get rid of me for the day. And Kass was no better. She kept trying to get me to wear some of her clothes that were a little too much for my taste, but eventually we agreed on a simple baggy red sweater that read less is more, black leggings, and a pair of black hightops. I threw my hair in a half pony tail, with the bottom half down and lightly curled from Kass's curling iron. And even after I was dressed and ready to go, Kass was trying to push me out the door as well. During the whole morning, Ryan was the complete opposite. He kept trying to get us to take all the time we could with breakfast and going shopping downtown at a couple of my favourite places.

Now, I'm not a genius, even though my grades would probably otherwise say differently, but I could easily tell something was up. And I knew exactly what to do.

"I'm done shopping for the day. We've been out for hours, and it's almost one. Don't you think we should get some food for lunch?" I suggested.

"Perfect idea.... um... we should go to the pizza place you like and eat there? If you want to," Ryan stumbled as he looked at his phone. He had been looking at it all morning. And I couldn't figure out why. I tried to peak over, but he kept moving it, or just quickly putting his phone back in his pocket.

"Nah... There's food at the house we can have. We can head back if you want.." I tried to offer while walking back to his car, but he blocked my way before responding.