Rancorous

Chapter 2

NINE YEARS AGO

Herlina

I chomped on my waffle fast wanting to get to school already. I never had this much energy on a Monday morning, but today was a special day.

"Woah sweetheart. Calm down." My dad laughed as he took a sip of his mug filled with coffee. I didn't understand how my dad could drink such a strong beverage.

I gulped my milk and then stood up. Running to the refrigerator, I took out the small white cardboard box.

"Careful Herlina." My mother warned from the table beside my dad. I nodded, knowing I couldn't shake the box for fear that the cupcake would slosh around.

I swiftly walked to the front door, put on my warm purple jacket, then waited for my parents. They exited the kitchen talking as they smiled with affection toward one another. They always looked at each other with a sparkle in their eyes and I knew that they loved each other so much. It made me happy. Dad grabbed my backpack off the coat hanger and helped me loop my arms in it. This was our routine, we could do this with our eyes closed.

My parents and I walked to the mailbox where the school bus would arrive in a few minutes. The January cold air made my nose turn red. I resisted the urge to jump up and down from excitement to see Brevin.

The school-bus ride felt a little longer than usual. Luckily, I sat at the front so when the doors opened to release the swarm of us, I was the first one off.

I rushed to class and sat at our usual desks, impatiently awaiting my best friend's arrival.

"Brevin!" I sang to him as soon as I spotted him walking into the classroom. He smiled brightly as soon as he saw me. I waved at him to hurry on over to the desk beside mine.

"Hi Herlina." Brevin slipped in his desk.

"I got you this." I grabbed the white box in front of me and put it on his desk. He eyed it with curiosity. "And, I also made this for you." From my backpack, I pulled out the bracelet making sure he couldn't see it yet.

"Close your eyes and give me your hand." I requested and he followed.

Taking his right hand, I slipped the bracelet on. It was a little large on his skinny wrist, but I smiled nonetheless. He opened his eyes and inspected the beads on the bracelet.

My parents had gotten me a kit for my birthday in November last year. I put it to good use only a week ago and made Brevin a bracelet with wooden beads and six white cube-shaped beads that spelled his name.

His face was tilted down as he analyzed the bracelet. Expecting him to grin, I scrunched my eyebrows when he wouldn't look at me.

"What do you think?" I asked hoping that he liked it. He fiddled with the bracelet and I slouched. Maybe he was confused on why I gave him a bracelet and a cupcake.

"It was your birthday on Saturday. The bracelet is your present and the cupcake in this box too."

I froze, realizing I wanted the cupcake to be a surprise. Then, I frowned. "Oh man. I really wanted you to be surprised when you saw the cupcake in the box. Oh well, it's okay."

Brevin was already nine years old while I was still eight. I couldn't believe it. He started school a year late, but I wasn't complaining because we got to be in third grade together.

I watched Brevin and he still wouldn't look at me. "Brevin?"

Finally, he lifted his head and I felt disappointed as I saw his eyes shiny with tears. I thought presents made people happy.