Sophomore Status

Chapter 10- The Birthday Dinner

A week passed by and Alyss and I were almost finished with our project. We had agreed to start working on it again at the beginning of the second quarter because we didn't want to forget anything by the time we were supposed to turn it in.

On Friday, Lindsey wanted to sit with me at lunch, but I told her I was going to help out Mrs. Shrider during lunch with Alyss. I could tell that Lindsey was beginning to get a little bit jealous. After her best friend left the school in her freshman year, she didn't have very many friends, which left a very clingy Lindsey. I knew that she was trying to make another best friend to replace her old best friend that left.

"Can't you go tomorrow?" She asked.

"I'm sorry Lindsey. I already promised Alyss I would help her." I told her, feeling guilty. "But I will sit with you tomorrow."

"Okay." She said sadly.

I spent the rest of lunch helping Mrs. Shrider clean her painting supplies. I was washing the paintbrushes and palettes while Alyss put the bottles of paint in the different bins. Each bin got a set of brushes, one palette, and a set of ten acrylic paints. There were a few more supplies but for the first week we were just testing out the brushes and getting used to them.

On the next Monday, we were to start painting. It was going to be the fourth week of school. Alyss and I couldn't wait. Neither could Mrs. Shrider. She loved to teach students how to paint. She even told us about how she absolutely hates her ceramics class and the only reason she comes to school is for her painting classes. That is totally going to be me when I'm an adult.

The rest of the day went by fast enough. Once again, I dozed off in economics and watched sarah suffer in PE and then ride the bus home. I was so glad that it was Friday. Fridays were the best day of the week. Well, probably after Saturday. Monday's came last, of course.

When I got off the bus, the door was locked, so I fiddled with it and opened it up. I felt like I was forgetting something. Something Important. Did I forget to copy down the economics homework? Or maybe leave my lunch bag in Mrs. Shrider's room? Nope. My lunch bag was safely tucked away in my back pack and I distinctly remembered that we had no economics homework. What was it? I thought.

Still confused, I laid down on the couch to think. I gasped without even realizing it, when a thought flashed through my head. It was Jason's birthday. Oops. I couldn't believe I forgot. Well, I hadn't seen him that morning and he hadn't gotten home from school yet, so I still had time.

I hopped up and ran to my bedroom to wrap the present. I put it in a small blue bag with shiny, white tissue paper. It reflected the light from my lamp.

Just then, I heard the door open and slam shut. He was home. I hid the bag under my bed and went out to greet him. I walked into the kitchen to find him eating a Twinkie. Gross. I didn't like Twinkies. They tasted fake and spongy. I definitely preferred my mini peppers.

"Happy birthday little bro." I said to him as he turned to me with a piece of his Twinkie in his mouth. When he saw me he swallowed his Twinkie and gave me a wide smile.

"Thanks." He replied.

"How was your first week of school?" I asked. I knew that I was only two years older than him, but I still tried to act like a mom to him.

"Good" he replied, without even thinking. "Boring." He finally said, after he realized that the first answer wasn't correct.

"That's what I thought." I said back to him.

"Where's Dad?" He asked me. "Not sure. He might be out buying you a present." I said with a grin on my face.

At this, Jason smiled at me and replied. "I hope."

When my Dad got home, he didn't tell Jason where he was, so my guess was probably right. We decided to cook out burgers on the grill. Of course. Dad loved his grill, almost as much as he loved Jason and I. When we first moved in, the first thing my dad bought was a new grill. Not beds, but a grill.

Anyway, when the burgers were done, we sat out on the porch and ate at the small round table next to the grill. We were three quarters through our meal when my dad got up and went to his room to grab something. I did the same. However, our plan was a bit transparent to Jason. He had already figured out that we were getting his presents. After all, it was kind of obvious.

When dad and I got back, Jason opened his gifts. Mine first and then dads. He opened it up and loved it. He had told me about how he needed a new sketchbook so I knew that it was the perfect gift. Next was Dad's. It was a small box wrapped in green wrapping. A smile grew across Jason's face when he reached the inside. It was a brand new iPhone. He absolutely loved it. More than, mine of course. Jason had been wanting a new phone ever since he got his flip phone last Christmas. The phone that Dad gave him was the same phone that I had then, but I had an upgrade so I could've gotten an update at any time.

When we were through celebrating Jason's birthday, I laid down on my bed and texted Alyss. Right in the middle of my conversation, my phone vibrated. I looked to the top f my screen and it was from Lindsey. I texted her back.

Lindsey: hey what's up?
Me: nothing much. Just finished eating dinner for my bros birthday
Lindsey: awesome! Tell him I said happy birthday.

(Of course, I said that I would but I really didn't because I didn't want Jason to be creeped out by someone he didn't even know telling him happy birthday.)

Me: ok. Wbu
Lindsey: just laying down on the couch eating a bag of Cheetos lol
Me: cool have fun with that then
Igtg
Lindsey: why?
Me: alyss and I need to talk on the phone.
Lindsey: oh alyss again, bye Kate.

I could tell that she didn't like the idea of alyss and I becoming best friends. It was probably because Lindsey didn't have any more friends. I could also tell that she would try her hardest to break up alyss and I. She tried, but she just couldn't conquer.