A flashlight in the shadows.

Chapter 11: Happy birthday!

I got up at 7:30 the next morning and got ready for the day. I threw on my green tank top with a black heart on it with my black jacket and some skinny jeans. I threw my hair in a bun and threw on my black and white converse. After grabbing $100 from dad's wallet, I borrowed janes car and drove off to town. The arts and crafts store was open at 7:00, and there was a surprising amount of people there. I walked in and went to the front desk. The clerk was a young black woman with hair tied back in a tight bun. I smiled and said,
"Pardon me, miss?" She looked up from a sheet of paper and smiled at me with straight, white teeth.
"Yes, how can I help you?"
"I'd like to know where the best paint you have is?" She nodded and led me to the back of the paint isle, showing me kits of oil paints. I settled on the biggest one they had. It was filled with 100 different assorted colors, enough to keep Bennett busy for a while. It cost me $55.99. I took the leftover money and bought him a poetry book. Once I'd gathered everything, I took it home and gift wrapped it in newspapers. I checked the time; 10:30. With nothing else to do, I decided to make him red velvet cupcakes. I filled all the tins with cupcake wrappers and started the batter. Once finished, I placed them in the oven and planned to fill the insides with frosting too. Jane came down the stairs, ready for the day. She smiled and asked,
"What's all this for?" I looked up from my bowl and sighed.
"It's Bennett's birthday today." She smirked and took some frosting from the bowl. I swatted her away and asked,
"So, how'd it go with Vinny?" She gagged and sat on the counter.
"Terrible, I don't know what I ever saw in him."
"Really? He seemed so charming," I laughed and finished with the cupcakes. I looked out my window to see cc in the back yard, waving up the tree. I frowned and walked outside.
"What's up, cc?"
"Chestnuts caught up the tree! C'mon, chestnut!" I smiled and said,
"Wait here, I'll get a ladder." I ran to the garage and took the ladder to the tree, climbing up and grabbing the cat. I handed her the cat, and she gave me a little hug.
"Thanks Sarah!" I smiled and asked,
"Is your brother awake?"
"No, he's sleeping in." I smirked and looked at her.
"Wanna help me wake him up?" She smiled and nodded.
"Yes," we came up with the plan and went to her house, walking slowly to his bedroom door. I counted to three, and then we both went running into his room.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!" We shouted and threw a bucket of water on him. He sat up, spewing water.
"What the- oh my god!" He sprang up and chased us down the stairs. Cc got away, but I only made it to the front lawn before he lifted me off my feet and spun me in the air. I screamed and laughed, he screeched,
"What the heck?!? You think your so funny, don't you?"
"Put me down!" He set me down and shoved me playfully.
"That was cruel."
"But funny," I stated, poking his cheek. Cc looked around the corner. Her smirked and ran after her, picking her up and tossing her in the air. She shrieked in laughter. He set her down and ran inside to change. I met his mom in the kitchen, she was making his cake.
"Are you here to celebrate his birthday with us?" I nodded.
"Yeah, I brought him cupcakes," I set them down on the counter. She smiled and nodded,
"Ok, we're all going fishing, would you like to come?"
"I'd love to!"
"Ok then, it's settled." I walked up the stairs and into his room, where he was jamming out to Cherry pie. I rolled my eyes and helped him clean up his bedroom.
"She's my cherry pie!" He sang, pointing a finger at me and pretending to dance. I smirked and sang along too. I stopped when he stared at me wide eyed.
"What?"
"I didn't know you could sing," he stated, smiling. I shrugged and blushed.
"I-I don't really..."
"Oh. C'mon! You sounded great!" I blushed even more.
"Well, everyone's got a secret, singing is mine."
"You should do the talent show this year!" He exclaimed, smiling. I shook my head no.
"I don't think so."
"Awe, c'mon! Please, for me?" I rolled my eyes and shrugged.
"Maybe. Let's hurry up and finish cleaning so we can go fish." He nodded and threw he sheets into the hamper. Everyone got in the car and we started driving. I sat next to cc. We were playing twenty questions.
"Is it an animal?"
"Yes."
"Is it...fluffy?"
"Yes."
"Is it....a cat?"
"Yep!" She laughed and I smiled.
"Ok, I've got one."
"Is it an animal?"
"No."
"Is it a person?"
"Yes."
"Is it his birthday?"
"Yes."
"It's Bennett!"
"Yep!" I smiled and we all pulled up to the lake where we'd fish. Bennett's dad jumped out and handed us all a pole. We all went up to the edge of the lake and started baiting our hooks. Bennett tried handing me a worm, but I pushed him away and screamed.
"Just bait it for me!"
"No, you can do this!"
"No I can't! It's a worm!" He rolled his eyes and took my hand.
"Close your eyes." I frowned, but did as he asked and closed them. He set a worm in my hand and led it to the hook. He helped me get it on. I sighed and shivered a little. "See? Was that so hard?" I giggled and we started to fish. I caught about six pieces of seaweed before I finally got something.
"Hey, I got something!" A sunfish came springing out of the water, but it got away. I sighed. Cc caught a northern pike, but she sprang back when it started flopping on the deck.
"Ahh!" I giggled a little while Bennett unhooked the fish and set it in the cooler. He high fived cc,
"Great job!"
"Really?"
"Really really!" He picked her up and spun her around. She laughed and went to pick some flowers while we fished some more. Bennett's mom and dad left to get some food, so it was just Bennett and I on the dock. I sighed and splashed the water with my big toe.
"So, when do you want to work on our skit?" He shrugged.
"I can't tomorrow because I promised cc I'd watch her dance recitel, and I can't on Tuesday because that's when I go to my dad's-" he stopped, shaking his head. "Aww, shit."
"What?" I asked, frowning. He rolled his eyes and shrugged,
"Well, I might as well tell you now." I nodded.
"Yes."
"Remember how I didn't tell you why we moved back from France?" I nodded,
"Yeah?"
"Well, my father was on vacation there, and long story short, she became pregnant with me. They got married, but split up when cc was born. She met my stepdad, rick, about three years ago. We moved back because she wants us to have some sort of relationship with him." He stopped. I shrugged and said,
"I can come over there and we can work on it." He thought about it for a few moments.
"I guess we could try it," he stated. He handed me a slip of paper with an address on it and sighed. I smiled and said,
"Would you like your birthday present?" He smirked and nodded. I got up and grabbed it from the bench I'd set it on earlier. When I handed it to him, he frowned and looked up at me.
"What's this?"
"Open it." He shrugged and opened it. When he saw the paints, he looked like he might have a heart attack. He let out a small gasp and slid his fingers over the cover. I smiled and asked, "do you like it?"
"Sarah...this must've cost a fortune."
"What's it matter? Do you like it?" He nodded and looked up at me, smiling.
"Thank you!" He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a hug. I smiled and patted his back. His hair smelled like a meadow of flowers.
"Your welcome. I also got you this," I handed him the poetry book. He opened it, but his face fell a little bit. I frowned,
"You don't like it?"
"No, it's just..."
"What?" He looked up at me, then away.
"I already have this one." That made me stop. He actually owns a real book? I smiled and said,
"I didn't know, sorry."
"It's ok." He stated. Cc came back around the corner with a bunch of daffodils. He smiled and gave her a hug. Everything seemed fine until I got a call. When I didn't recognize the caller ID, I frowned and answered,
"Hello?"
"Is this Sarah Appleton?" I crossed my arms and leaned forward,
"Yes?"
"You are needed at the hospital right away. Your sister has been in the cross fires of a home robbery." My heart stopped and I gripped the receiver.
"Is she ok?"
"We don't know, just get here as soon as possible." Then she hung up. I got up and started dialing Kendra. Bennett frowned and asked,
"What happened?"
"Janes hurt. I've got to go." Kendra picked up on the fifth ring.
"Hey, sup?"
"I need a ride to the hospital, janes hurt."
"Oh, is she ok?"
"I don't know, just go to Lake Tori ASAP."
"K, I'm coming." She hung up and I waited by the side of the road, wringing my hands. Kendra pulled up and I got in. I waved goodbye to Bennett and cc and we drove off down the road. When we got to the hospital, I sprinted inside and to the front desk. The lady working at it looked tired and worn down. She glanced up casually at me.
"May I help you?"
"Jane Appleton?" She sighed, looked at her check board, and beckoned me forward.
"Follow me," we walked down the hallway to a two way mirror.
"You can sit here or in the waiting room down the hall," she left me alone. I saw jane on a surgery table, an oxygen mask on her face. Her eyes were shut and there were five doctors surrounding her. From the looks of things, they were trying to stop the bleeding from her legs. I covered my mouth and took a seat in the waiting room. I saw dad sitting on a couch, head in his hands. I sat next to him. He looked up, tears in his eyes.
"Sarah," we hugged each other, crying. We sat for two hours before we saw them wheel her out. I got up and approached one of the doctors wearing a bloody scrub.
"Doctor, we're here for Jane." I stated, walking up with my dad. He turned to us and nodded.
"I understand, please, sit down." He gestured to the seats. I sat down with dad on the couch, holding his hand.
"Is she going to be ok?"

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Hope you liked the chapter! Enjoy the next one better, bye! C: