His Sunflower

Chapter 43

I stay with Ms. Jamie all second period, and she let me just chill on her super comfy couch.

I can't believe I caused Ethan to go to a bad mental place. I mean it has to be me. Who else just disappeared on him? I mean it could've been someone else, because I did disappear on him and cut contact, but I'm fairly sure it's me.

Second period was just Western Civ, so that means I have to go do art class with Mark and Ethan, which is exactly what I want right now. Jk, I don't.

I sit in the far right corner of the classroom. Sitting in the back of art class doesn't group you in with the bad kids, it groups you up with the people who are shit at art. So that's exactly why I'm back here.

I look to the door, hoping I'll have a few minutes of peace before Ms. Frizzle, as us students call her because she's exactly like Ms. Frizzle from The Magic School Bus, comes and starts talking about us being her precious art babies.

I groan seeing Ethan, and Mark, walking in, having a conversation.

Am I surprised Ethan made friends with my family? Not really. He was already friends with them all, I guess he just got closer.

"Hey, mind if we sit here?" Ethan asks.

"No." I sigh. I can't avoid them for ever. As long as neither of them bring up my parents.

Ethan and Mark start arguing over who gets to sit next to me, so I move a seat over so the both of them can sit next to me. Though I'd rather not sit so close to Ethan. He makes my stomach tingle. I hate it, hate that I like it.

"Hey Zoey, I know you don't really like us anymore, but your parents are having a gender reveal party for the twins, you should come."

"I know about the party. Dad called and told uncle Noah to tell me yesterday." I say, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"Oh, well do you think you're going to come? I mean, you are going to be their older sister." Mark says, but it sounds like he has no hope I'll say yes.

"I'll... I'll think about it." I mumble, tucking a strand of my hair of the other side of my face behind my ear. It's become a habit of mine for some reason. Ms. Jamie said it has something to do with me being in an awkward or uncomfortable situation, and that's my subconscious way of telling people, but I think that's far fetched. How does she know what's going on in my subconscious mind?

"You will?!" Mark says sitting up straighter.

"Don't get your hopes up, I may not come." I grumble.

"Why don't you like us anymore Zoe? It honestly hurts. It's not that big of a deal, you're just making it this big thing. It doesn't need to be." Mark mumbles.

"Not a big thing?!" I question. Not a big thing? "Mark, I have never celebrated my birthday on my actual birthday. Every single year, my parents lied to me. If they can't even be honest about when my real birthday is, what else are they hiding? It's not even about how I was conceived at this point. It's about my parents betraying my trust. I've had my trust broken too many times Mark. You don't get it. Just went I fully trusted my dad again, and started trusting my mom, I find out they've been lying to me my whole life!"

I sigh heavily, swallowing the lump in my throat. I refuse to cry over this.

What would Ms. Jamie tell me to do right now?

Both boys sit silently as I grab my backpack, digging out a marker, I push up my sleeve, and start making abstract patterns and shapes on my arm, all over.

"Your birthday isn't January 5th?" Mark whispers.

"No, it's not Mark. Never has been. Never will be."