9%

221 8 5
                                    

March 2009

Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.

March 2009

"Happy birthday, Charisma!" Jahseh says handing me a pink gift bag.

"Oh wow, you remembered?" I laugh taking the bag from him. I told him my birthday when we first met, and he seems to not have forgotten.

Inside the bag is a card filled with eleven dollars, a huge cupcake, eight packs of Cosmic Brownies, and a gold charm bracelet. 

There's a huge grin on my face.

"I know the bracelet only has one charm on it, but I figured we could add more as the years go by. The first one is a J because, you know, my name?" He laughs.

"J for Jahseh," I repeat. "What else are you planning  on adding to it?" I slide it onto my wrist, it's too big to the point where it would slip off whenever I move.

"As we get older I'll know exactly what to get you," He takes it off my wrist and holds it.

The bus pulls up to the bus stop and opens the door for us.

He lets me walk in front of him since we're the last stop, everyone's already on and most seats are already full.

Some boy scoots over and makes enough room for just me, I say thank you and sit.

I place my things in my lap, checking to make sure I grabbed everything.

When I look up, Jahseh is sitting next to me and the boy is in an entirely different row. I don't even want to know how he got there.

𓆩♡𓆪

It's lunchtime now, and after several thank you's from all the birthday wishes I got, I'm glad I finally get a break.

Today, I choose to sit by Jahseh.

I packed an extra sandwich and chips for him because sometimes his mom is too busy to make his for him.

He pushes his food back towards me, "Charisma, you know you don't have to—"

"Eat," I say shoving it back.

He doesn't like when I make extras for him. He feels like Cleopatra should be doing that for him, but I don't mind.

"So," he says with a mouthful of chips. "You excited to be eleven?"

"Feels like any other age." I shrug.

We talk and eat until he continuously urges me to eat the big vanilla cupcake he bought me.

I open it and stare at it. There's a mixture of white and pink frosting with light blue sprinkles. I cringe.

"Jah, you know I don't like frosting, right?" I say trying my hardest to sound nice.

MAKEOUTHILLWhere stories live. Discover now