Size Matters

Chapter 29 - Hurt

Ebony Cruz -

Well, today's the day!! Today is my birthday!!

Whoopie!!

I guess.

I have a strong feeling that today is going to feel like any other day just.....nothing special.

For some strange reason, I'm okay with that. I do not need a big party to honor the day I turn 16. I have my family, I have my friends, and I am alive. What is there to be sad about?

"Hey Big Bird!" I heard someone yell from behind me as I walked up the stairs. I had a feeling I knew exactly who that was. There's no mistaking that loud ass voice. 

I turned around slowly and there I saw Justin walking up the stairs towards me, he wore a big frown on his face that he only wore when he was serious.

"Uh...Hey" I said softly barely enough for him to hear. I was still a little confused and shocked about the whole "gift for my birthday" thing. It was really out of place for Justin.

"Are you going to tell me or what?" He asked me loudly sticking his arms out in a questioning manner.

I stared at him and raised an eyebrow clutching onto my history book tightly.

"Tell you what exactly?" I asked him glancing quickly at my watch. It was almost time for me to be arriving to history class and he was holding me up. If I failed history it would be his fault.

He gave me a dumb look as if I had just asked the most ridiculous question. I raised my eyebrows at him and glared.

"You really want me to say it don't you?" He said quickly with a loud sigh and ran his hand through his sandy colored hair. I stared for a moment and then snapped out of it.

Nodding to him that I indeed wanted him to say whatever it was he had to say he let out another exasperated sigh.

Clearing his throat he stood up straight and prepared to say it.

"What do you want for your birthday?" He spoke through clenched teeth and tightened his fists as a few of our classmates walked by and started whispering. That was probably why it was so hard for him to ask. He didn't want anyone to hear.

I stared at him for a while, my mouth hanging open and I almost dropped my book to the floor but with great reflexes I caught it.

My eyes widened as I realized that he actually did mean what he said but then again when did Justin not mean what he said?

Looking up at him, he was rubbing his neck and his face had turned a light pink as he stared at the floor waiting for my answer.

I couldn't believe what I just heard. Justin wants to know what I want for my birthday. A few months ago I would have never thought he would ask me something like that.

He was still patiently waiting for my answer when I realized I had not given him one yet. I had to think for a moment. What could be Justin's perfect birthday gift to me?

I rubbed my chin with my fingers. Did Justin really want to get me a present? He had not even thought of it until Rebecca brought it up. And he also only agreed when she made him feel guilty because I made him a poster and encouraged him to play against Mr.Martin and his team.

So the only reason he was doing this was because he felt like he needed to owe me back.

It was all out of guilt...

He didn't really want to get me a present. He just didn't want to owe me any favors.

I finally turned my attention towards him and he looked back at me like he had been waiting for hours and I took a breath in ready to finally answer.

"I don't want you to get me anything." I said confidently sounding out every syllable and turned away from him starting to make my way up the stairs.

Not even giving him a chance to register what I had just said, I walked up about halfway up the steps until I heard his feet running.

He ran fast, right up the stairs and in front of me stopping me from passing. I should have saw that coming. Of course he was a fast runner. He was an athlete for Christ's sake.

He regarded me with the most shocked and confused face a dense boy like him could make. It was actually quite funny looking and I contemplated laughing at that moment but I decided against it.

"What do you mean you don't want me to get you anything?!" He said, his voice cracking towards the end. With a scrunched up face that resembled someone who was about to sneeze, he pointed his finger right at my forehead.

My eyes traveled up to look at his finger and I smacked it away causing him to utter a small "ouch" out of his scrunched up face.

"I just don't. Sorry." I said and quickly walked passed him cluchting my history book tighter getting ready to hurry on off to my class.

I know you could say that that was a little bit harsh but really, an "I owe you" gift on my birthday? Of course I wasnt all that excited about my birthday but I would at least appreciate it if I got a gift from someone who actually wanted to get me one.

Not from someone who only did it for payback...

"Yeah, you will be sorry Ebony! Don't expect me to do anything nice for you from now on." I could hear him yell by the time I turned to corner and for the first time he actually sounded pretty serious and...hurt.

Hurt?

No that couldn't be hurt coming from his voice right? He never felt hurt when he was ripping my heart to shreds. So why now?

I waited for a little, stopping around the corner and standing there, listening for another sound from him. All I heard however was the sound of angry footsteps retreating away and I sighed.

I sighed and walked on down to my history class slowly. I knew that I was already late but it didn't really matter at this point. I sullenly opened the door to my class and I was greeted with yelling from my teacher about my lateness to his class but I only kept my head down.

All that was on my mind was the hurt that I think I heard in Justin's voice.