Rose's life has order. She knows what she needs to do to stay out of trouble with her always traveling, never loving, slightly abusive dad. But that all changes when Liam Powers got pushed into her life, making it completely and utterly chaotic.
...
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The second I walked through the double door of the school, I was ambushed.
"Happy Birthday!" Mia and Sam screamed and I smiled at them.
"Thank you." I laughed. They both grinned at me and Sam handed me two helium balloons and I shook my head at her.
"Absolutely not."
Because I definitely wanted to draw more attention to me.
"This is for you." Mia handed me a gift bag and I scoffed at her.
"I said no gifts." I told her and she rolled her eyes.
"Since when have you been able to tell me what to do?" She asked and Sam and I laughed.
She's right about that.
"Open it now." She smiled and in excitement.
I pulled off the tissue paper from the top of the small gift bag and handed it to Mia.
"Mine is also in there." Sam added and I playfully glared at her.
"No gifts. What's so hard to understand about it?" I mumbled to myself but there was no heart to it. They went out of their way to shop for me and I am more than grateful.
I pulled a small gift box out from the bag and Mia smiled at me.
I lifted the lid and gasped at the gift before grinning up at Mia.
"Starfish." I whispered and she nodded.
"You're eighteen now. You can go back." She smiled and I wrapped her in a hug.
Mia is the only one in my life who is closest to knowing how life is like at home.
She doesn't know all the details, but she knows that I don't like living with my father. And she knows that I someday plan to move out and going as far away from him as possible.
California to be exact.
Where I'm originally from.
Where my mom is from.
So, Mia had taken the time to paint me a beautiful starfish on a smooth beach pebble just to remind me of that.
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