We're Not Related Anymore...

Birthday Blues

Maddie: Three Years Ago

I wanted to go three hours ago. So did Josh. But we're still here. Tessa hasn't wanted to go and has begged us to keep her company while we explore the estate Betty lives on. I'll admit, it's pretty impressive. Her dad even hired a band to play at her party and it was pretty fun dancing about to covers of Lynyrd Skynyrd. But now my feet hurt and my eyes are heavy and we can't go because Jacob's a freaking adult magnet.

"I hear you're headed to Princeton soon," Betty's dad says, putting a casual hand on Jacob's shoulder. Most of the guests have gone home and the remaining party has finally been allowed into the main house. As Betty put it:

"My daddy said I could allow some of my close friends to stay over longer." And yes, she said that while looking at me like I was the exception.

"It's too bad your father won't be able to see you off. That's where he went, you know," Mayor Rowlands continues.

I don't think I've ever seen Jacob look so uncomfortable. Fortunately, Betty seems to realize what I have, and tells her dad, "Is it ok if we head down to the game room? And then you can keep schmoosing oldies."

"Hey, just because it's your birthday that doesn't mean you can give me attitude," he says. Betty waits until he's turned his attention back to Jacob before she rolls her eyes. "I want you to keep me in the loop on all you do, son. Is that alright?"

"Of course, sir," Jacob responds, only to be captured by Betty and frogmarched away.

I see the mayor shake his head at his daughter before the rest of us follow behind her and Jacob.

Betty and I obviously have different ideas of what close friends are because when we enter the game room, I see at least fifteen people surrounding the foosball table and twenty-inch flatscreen TV.

"This looks like an arcade," my brother says and I nod, looking around the room. The place is decked out with huge wall speakers and mood lighting.

"Oh, great," I hear Betty mutter, her chipper voice flatlining, "The help is here to party."

"Your cousin invited me," says a newly familiar voice. I follow it and make eye contact with the stable hand from earlier. He winks at me and then turns an icy glare on the birthday girl. "Happy birthday, Betty." The way he pronounces her name, like it's poison on his tongue, makes me think he wanted to use another B-word to describe her.

"I guess it's too late to send you back where you came from," she continues, her nose in the air. Their conversation has single-handedly killed any party vibe there was in the room. All the teenagers inside, look between the two, myself included.

A boy steps forward, the one with the fading bruise from earlier, holding his hands out. "Alright, alright. Enough animosity. Let's make the most of whatever time we have left of your birthday. What do you want to do, cuz?"

Jacob must be thinking along the same lines as me because when he sees the boy who's spoken, he suddenly tenses up. Josh notices his reaction and follows Jacob's gaze to the boy.

"Where'd you get that bruise, man?" My brother asks, stepping out from our little huddle by the door.

It's the guy who was fighting with Betty who answers for him, "He fell off his horse a few days ago. He's still recovering." He looks at us curiously. "What's it to you, though?" He asks.

My brother relaxes at the answer and shrugs, but Jacob seems unconvinced. "Who are you?" He asks, looking the guy up and down as if he can find fault with him just by his appearance.