Lovers From Another Life

Late Bloomer

I chuckled and pretend that I wasn't amused by the mistake my father had made. I mean at least I wasn't as bad as my last birthday where my dad messed up so bad and called me by my dead name. My mom made him sleep on the couch for a week straight and then had him apologize so many times he sounded like a broken record. "It's fine mom..." I said laughing softly as I grabbed my lunch off the counter along with one of my mom's homemade cupcakes and tried to sneak out the door. "Juniper wait honey!" My mom said glancing back at me making me freeze in my tracks right by the door. "Yes..."I muttered glancing over in dads direction wondering if he knew what was going on but he was just trying to sneak away before he was scolded again.

Mom didn't seem upset or like she had anything urgent to tell me either. She just stood there waiting for my attention patiently as she brushed a strand of straw blond hair that had fallen out of clipped back messy hair and smiled as she pressed her apron down. "Nothing Honey I just wanted to say Happy Birthday again have a good day at school." I nodded and took a bite of the cupcake in my hand waving to her as I walked out the door. I sighed softly once I was on the other side of the door and stretched my arms out. "Mmmhm Cupcakes!" My friend Hunter yelled as he ran out from his front door and rushed across the lawn jumping a fence as he approached my lawn. "Yup too bad that there's none left for you," I said laughing softly as I teased my friend taking another bite of the cupcake in my hand. Hunter gasped and made a face at me as he acted like he was hurt.

I laughed and gave in to the look he was making. "Alright alright, all jokes aside I'll run back in and get you a cupcake before we head to school," I smirked a little as his eyes lit up with excitement. I rolled my eyes and opened the front door again greeted by my mom's wide curious eyes. "Everything okay honey?" She asked me with worry lacing her tone a little. "Yeah sorry I ran into Hunter and promised him I'd grab him a cupcake as well before we head to school," I explained to her snatching up one for him and another for myself with a light blush. Mom gave me a node and smiled softly turning her back to me to grab something. I waved gently and chuckled, "Alright bye mom love ya see you later!" I called out rushing back out the door and shutting it behind me. Hunter stood outside waiting like an excited puppy dog. "Here you go, one cupcake as promised," I said resting the urge to pat his head and call him a good boy as a joke. Hunter smiled and took the cupcake gently from my hands brushing his fingers against mine. I blushed and tried to brush it off. "Mmmhm this is so good!" He said finally moving from his frozen spot on my front steps. "Dude your mom is really an amazing baker! Can I come by after school for more?" He asked glancing back in my direction as I followed him from my house. "Yeah, sure I guess that should be fine. I don't think well be doing anything later crazy for my birthday."

I paused walking a bit slower as I watched Hunter smile in a dazed way as he took another bite of the cupcake. "Best day ever...." He mumbled softly as he finished off the cupcake I gave him. I blushed softly and looked away clearing my throat a bit. "So um... your birthday was a bit ago right? What kind of gift did you get?" I asked him trying to be casual so I could figure out if he was my soulmate. Hunter folded the wrapper up and licked his fingers clean as he glanced over at me. "You mean my soulmate mark?" He asked like it was the most casual thing in the world to ask. I nodded envious of how easily he asked the question. "Oh! Nothing super crazy or cool I just got this on my wrist." He said holding his hand out now to show me that he had words written on his wrist. I looked down at his wrist and read out the word "Hello." Written out in neat cursive handwriting. "Have you tried writing on yourself to answer them? Or does your gift not work that way?" I asked curiously as I eyed the simple Hello. He shrugged and shook his head as he kept walking picking up the pace a little now.

I jogged now to catch up with him as he took long strides down the street. I didn't understand why he was suddenly hurrying to get to school when we had plenty of time left over. "Hey slow down! Hunter slow down my legs are shorter than yours!" I said painting now as I broke out into a full-blown sprint just to keep up with him. Hunter showed no signs of slowing down and I was begging to lose pace with him as my binder started to feel tighter around my chest. "Hunter...please I can't keep running...!" I said panting now as I begged him to stop walking so fast or to at least slowdown. Hunter kept going though seeming like he was lost in a daze not really paying much attention to me anymore. "HUNTER!!!!" I finally screamed getting him to snap back and finally look back at me. "Oh, shit Juniper are you okay? You look like your gonna pass out! Why didn't you say I was walking too fast for you bud?" He asked jogging back to my side with a sly smile and a chuckle. I fought back the urge to sock him in the knee and say that I had yelled for him to slow down but instead kept my mouth shut on the matter. "Yeah yeah just don't walk so fast! Not all of us are as blessed as you with long legs.

He must have found my response amusing because a cheeky little smile broke out on his face as he began laughing a little. "Yeah, your right. I am blessed with my good looks!" He joked as he smiled at me though I couldn't deny that he was really good-looking. Hunter was two years older then and was way taller than me too. He was a good-looking guy with shaggy blond hair that went in his hazel-green eyes and didn't quite fit in with his pale complexion. Not to mention he was 6'3" making him the tallest kid in school. I paused just admiring his looks and getting lost in my thoughts a bit when I snapped out of it and realized he was waiting for my response. "Yeah right! More like an ugly giant." I teased jabbing at his ribs lightly with my elbow. He made a face of hurt again as he gave me a look and laughed. "Oh yeah well you're not to good looking yourself short stack!" He jabbed back at me but once again I couldn't argue with him. I was small reaching only 5 feet with short messy brown pin-straight hair and grey eyes and freckles that covered my body from head to toe. "Yeah yeah, whatever you say, man..." I muttered biting my lip a little as I began to walk again making him take a step forward to keep in line with me again.

We walked in silence for a bit now syncing out steps up as we walked down the street only a few blocks from school. "So... what kind of gift did you get?" He asked after a bit breaking the silence. I paused once more remembering that I hadn't checked for my gift yet. "Oh shit that's right I never found out... the morning has been so crazy I was too occupied to even check," I said blinking like he just pointed out the most obvious thing in the world. Hunter smiled again this time though his grin seemed to stretch from ear to the other as he looked back at me. "You know what this means..." he began to say but I sighed and beat him to the finish. "I have to go through the gift checklist to figure it out?"I asked not really looking forward to the process.

He seemed more excited about this me as he sucked in a big breath and then yelled out at the top of his lungs "HELL YES WE DO!!!!!" I blushed once more and forced him to quiet down wishing I was suddenly taller so I could slam my hands over his big mouth. "Shut up people are gonna stare at us if you don't lower your voice you big dough!" I snapped getting embraced and red-faced not wanting the attention on me. "Alright alright, first question! Do you see any red strings around you? How about music! Can you hear someone singing a song you know in your head? Oh did you wake up with something written on your body like me?" he started to spit fire question after question to my face despite saying it was only one question. I answered no to each one frowning a little even more when he pointed out that nothing about my ay appearance had changed either. Hunter kept going down the list finally finishing up once we reached the front door of the school where swarms of kids were all filing into the halls. "Hey, don't worry about it too much man...maybe your just a late bloomer?" He said trying to cheer me up a bit as I forced a smile as it dawned on me that I might not have a soulmate. My mind was racing as I nodded and looked at him. "Yeah, your probably right...ill um see you around." I said softly as I walked off going ahead of him and heading to class.