The Swap

Recipe For Trouble

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I tapped my fingers on my steering wheel as I drove down the street. Some new repetitive song was playing on the radio and I knew that it would be stuck in my head for at least a week.

There was a small pink gift bag in the passenger seat and I kept throwing glances at it to make sure that it wasn't going to fly into the windshield.

I hummed along to the song and it came to an end right as I pulled into the driveway. I smiled as I stepped out of the car with the gift in hand when I heard the loud boy-band music thumping out of the windows.

Today was Jade's thirteenth birthday and she sent me three invitations to her party. One of them was through text, right after she stole my number out of Jaxon's phone. A couple of days after that she sent me one in the mail, then she invited me verbally when I was at their house with Alex and Cameron.

I'd gotten her a necklace. It was small square-shaped aquamarine gem on a thin silver chain. It was a little bit pricey, around 75 dollars, but money wasn't exactly a problem for me. My parents sent me a ridiculous amount if money every month to spend on food and basically anything else that I wanted.

I didn't bother knocking and I let myself into the house. The music was even louder when I entered only now it was accompanied by the sound of girly laughter.

When I walked through the doorway into the living room I was immediately ambushed.

"You came!" Jade sped up to me and hugged me tightly.

"Of course I came." I laughed and hugged her back.

"You only invited her a hundred times, Jade. How could she say no?" Jaxon entered the room with a grin.

"It was not 100 times." Jade crossed her arms in a pout.

"Happy birthday, Jade." I interrupted their sibling fight and held out her gift to her.

Her expression brightened and she grabbed the bag from me.

"Thanks, Melanie!" She ran over to her friends where she started opening the present.

I grinned and turned to look at Jaxon.

"She's been bugging me all day about when you would get here." He said to me.

I felt my heart swell at his words.

"That's so cute." I said looking back at Jade.

She had opened the jewelry box and was now getting on of her friends to put it on for her.

"She really likes you. I can't figure it out." Jaxon said and I glared at him.

"You're hilarious." I said.

A second later, Alice came into the room from the kitchen with a bright smile on her face.

"Girls, the cupcakes are ready to be frosted, oh-Melanie!" She smiled when she saw me and pulled me in for a hug.

"Hi, Alice." I said when she released me.

"I'm so glad you could make it. Jade would not have been happy if you couldn't." Alice said happily. "I've made cupcakes. Jade wanted to make an activity out of it so everyone gets to frost their own cupcake."