The Good Hair Family Sitcom

S1 E9.3: Luck of the English

Hazel's POV

Birthdays for me have never been big. I don't have enough friends to make them big. It's always just me and a few others sitting around a bowl of chips and playing card games or watching a movie. Darius, Andreas, Fatima, and Aimée are all playing slapjack. I was the first one out, which isn't like me, but I don't really feel like me today. It has nothing to do with my birthday or with my friends here. It has to do with the person not here.

My back is starting to ache from leaning awkwardly on the edge of the couch while sitting on the floor, so I adjust my position, but it doesn't help. My friends' hands slap the cards, spiking the air every time. Slap! Pause. Slap! Quiet. It's just a game. Why are you so anxious? Slap! Oh, that's why your so anxious. I tap open my messages on my phone and see the one I sent to Camille an hour ago.

Me: Hey. The party's started. Are you coming?

It's unread. She didn't even read it. Am I making a big deal out of nothing? Is that diminishing my feelings to say it's nothing? Why isn't she here?

The doorbell rings, and I swear my heart almost implodes. I get up and race to open the door. Finally, she's...here. Not here. She's not here. It's just Jayda.

"Oh," I utter.

Jayda gives me a critical look, saying, "Wow. You act like I'm your French teacher showing up here."

"Sorry," I say. "It's just...my girlfriend hasn't shown up yet."

"Well, maybe something came up," Jayda suggests.

"Yeah," I mumble. "You're right. I'm just being insecure."

Jayda flips her hair, responding, "I have that effect on people."

She steps on in past me, and I close the door, even though I hope I'll have to open it again soon. Please make me have to open it again soon.

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Jonah's POV

Walker and I are watching Cara's karate class through the glass window from the hall when Buffy suddenly steps up beside me, and I realize it's been an hour already, and this is when Cara's dance class would've ended, which we didn't take her to.

"Oh, hey!" I say, trying to act like casual, but under the surface, I'm preparing myself for Buffy's judgement. Oddly, that never comes.

"So no more dance class, huh?" she says instead.

"Yeah," I respond. "Sorry, but she really didn't like dance, and she was so into this—"

"It's fine," Buffy interrupts. "I was thinking was was starting to lose interest. I just wish I could get my money back for the rest of this year's dance classes since it looks like I'll be putting her into karate instead."

"She's really good," Walker comments.

"Of course she is," Buffy agrees with a grin. "She's my kid. Whenever she wants to do something, she puts her everything into it."

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Hazel's POV

Gifts have been opened. Movies finished. Games played. Food eaten. People gone. Moon up. Candles blown out. None were missed. Means no boyfriends.

She never came. I spent my whole party waiting for her to show up, but she didn't. Like expecting the wind to push the clouds away, but they just stay there, stuck in an alternate timeline where everything moves slower, like a turtle, and to you, light takes years to hit the earth, and you're starting to wonder if it will ever get there. And it doesn't. Because the gifts have been opened, the moon is up, the candles are blown out, and it's done. There's no more time.