Why did the woman who dreaded having to take care of us kept us out of school and home with her a year longer than she had to? Beats me. All I knew was that coupled with our late birthdays made us a year older than the majority of our classmates. It worked out for me since I skipped a grade because it put me at the same age as everyone else. That was not the case for Easton and Emerson.
Anyway, Benji wanted my help because he was notorious for picking out the worst gifts known to mankind. Last year he bought Emerson yarn for Christmas. She never knit a day in her life and had no desire to learn because she believed it was old people.
“Easton?” I asked. “Just a gift for him? What about your girlfriend?”
Benji pressed his lips together. “Her too.”
"Oh. Pass,” I said dryly.
Benji assumed that I would agree to help him out, but he was sadly mistaken. First of all, I was on the bottom of mysiblings' favorite people list, so they wouldn't want me of all people to find a present for them. Second of all, I didn't want to pick out the perfect gift for them when they've never so much as acknowledged my own birthday.
"What?" Benji’s head jerked back. "But you have to help me, man."
"Can't you ask someone else?" Ricky butted into the conversation again.
Benji kept his eyes on mine. "It is my closest friend and girlfriend's nineteenth birthday, I cannot fuck it up. Please, baby Richardson? Just help me this one time."
I cringed at the nickname while Justin thought it was the funniest thing ever. Hanging out with Benji would piss my siblings off even if it was to buy them a gift. Benji knew that, so it was only adding to my confusion of why he was so insistent on getting my help.
I didn’t want to do it. However, it was an excuse to be out of the house. Knowing my aunt was home made me want to stay as far away.
"If you quit calling me that stupid name, then fine."
"I'll join," Justin said casually.
My head tilted. "I don't seem to remember inviting you. Weird, right?"
"Yeah, I was hoping that it could be just me and Eli," Benji backed me up.
"Wouldn't it be better to have multiple people looking for the perfect gift for yourperfect girlfriend, Benjamin?" Justin stressed the words ‘perfect girlfriend’ with wide eyes. "Six eyes are better than four. Also, I’ve been needing to get some new shoes, so it’ll be helpful to catch a ride from you. I won't even be in your way."
If looks could kill, Benji would have murdered Justin with his eyes. Seeing how comfortably Justin was speaking to Benjimade me raise a brow. They were strangers, or at least I thought they were. The way they were speaking and the expressions they made told me otherwise.
Benji’s eyes narrowed. “Fine.”
"Ricky, can you come too?" I asked.
It was one thing for Benji and I to go to the mall together, but adding Justin to it was a huge dampener. I needed one more person to balance things out.
"No,” said both Ricky and Benji at the same time.
My first thought was to get on my knees and beg Ricky to come, but I knew how bad of a mood he had been in lately. He wouldn’t want to spend the afternoon following us around. My friend gave me a sorry look as his eyes began to wander left. I followed his gaze to find that he was watching Javier as he walked with his lunch tray in hand.
Since Javi and Diane broke up, Javier stopped sitting with the large group that he hung around before. I didn't know if it was because he was being the bigger person by taking himself away from the group to spare the awkwardness between him and his ex-girlfriend, or if it was because those people were more Diane's friends than his.
Regardless, it didn't take long for Javier to find a new table to sit at. Everyone was eager to have him and Paxton join their group because everyone still loved Mr. Perfect.
"Ask Javier," Ricky whispered in my ear. He was about to pass by our table.
I shook my head firmly. "I can’t do that."
Benji leaned over the table. "I agree, do not invite Javier."
Javi was a few seconds away from passing up our table and I was panicking. I wanted to ask him, but I was scared. What if he didn’t want to join? What if he thought that I was weird for asking him? We weren’t friends. He wouldn’t willingly go anywhere with me if it wasn’t for some type of school thing.
I made a quick decision. I picked up an apple slice off my plate and chucked it at Javier. It was an impulsive decision, a childish one that I should have thought about before doing.
The slice hit him square in the chest and he jumped. Javier glanced at the apple slice on the ground before turning his eyes to me.
