firecracker // rodrick heffley

CHAPTER ONE

SIX MONTHS EARLIER

"... happy birthday, dear Sylvia, happy birthday to you!" The fog rolled in over Plainview, the perfect beginning for a new month - October. Sylvia's parents stood at her open doorway, smiling kindly as they watched their daughter sit up in her bed. 

"Come in," Sylvia rubbed her eyes as she welcomed her parents. The couple sat on the end of her bed, offering a birthday card in a cream-colored envelope. 

"It's from Grandma and Grandpa," Sylvia's father informed her. 

"Grandma and Grandpa Melnik?" Her eyes lit up, knowing she would find a crisp, new $50 bill inside. "Man, gotta love those guys." She tore through the paper with her long thumbnail, the maroon polish chipping off with every move.

"I can't believe our baby girl is already seventeen, Josephine," her father began, "it seems like just yesterday that we found out we were having another girl."

"Caulfield, try not to cry yet. It's barely eight o'clock! Via, come downstairs when you're ready. Dad made waffles." 

Sylvia's phone buzzed. 

One New Notification - iMessage

Victoria: Happy birthday Via!!! My speech competition is scheduled to finish at 2:00 today, but we're on to see Breaking Dawn tonight, right?

we had better be! you know i'm always a slut for vampires ;))

Victoria: I can't believe I've put up with you for as long as I have kjsdfhsk

Sylvia stretched as she pushed her covers back and walked over to her closet, where she put on a brown V-neck sweater, the perfect temperature for the brisk autumn winds. Tucking the sweater into her green plaid skirt, she rolled up her black tights to hide her legs from the bracing weather. From her open window, she could hear the neighbor boy across the street, playing loudly on the drums.

The kitchen smelled delightfully of maple syrup when she walked in. "Happy birthday, you punk bitch!" Sylvia's sister greeted her excitedly.

"Aurora! Watch your language," their mother scolded. 

"Sorry, mom! Via, I have to talk to you, come with me." She followed her older sister to the garage. "Close your eyes," Aurora instructed. She spun her little sister in a circle. "Okay, now open." 

Sylvia raised her eyebrows skeptically when she opened her eyes to the same garage she had seen every day since her family moved in. She turned back to Aurora. "What the h-" she cut herself off upon seeing the key ring dangling from her sister's outstretched hand. "Your keys?"

"Happy birthday."

"You're giving me your car?" Incredulously, Sylvia took the key from Aurora's finger.

"You're gonna need it. Took you long enough to get your license, but no more bus rides to school, sound good? Also, I'm starting my internship downtown next week and no one has a car in the city anyway. The place I'm renting is well within walking distance, so it just makes sense."

Sylvia threw her arms around her sister, bursting into an endless stream of "thankyouthankyouthankyou." 

"Yeah, come on, it's nothing, really." Aurora tucked her long black hair behind her ear.

"I love it." A grin broke out on Sylvia's face.

"Let's eat breakfast. I'm starving."

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