“Okay. Fine. Don’t start reading their minds. We just wanted to hear you sing.”
She suspiciously glances around the kitchen. “How? I was in the music room.”
Emily grins. “After Jeremy converted the music room into a studio, he installed an intercom system so we could listen to you,” Emily explains, scrunching her nose.
“Jeremy thought about that all by himself?”
“Well, it was my idea,” Tater adds, standing by the sink. “I mentioned to the twins that I was sad the room was sealed up. I enjoy listening to you play and sing while I work in the kitchen.” Tater leans forward in Emily’s direction. “You have a big mouth.”
Emily scoffs. “Whatever. Anyway, seeing as we are all here, we also wanted to wish you a happy birthday! Don’t make that face. It's just cake, nothing fancy. In fact, not everyone is here because it’s the middle of the day.”
Jessica pulls Emily into a hug before cuffing both of Emily’s arms and shaking her. “If you had let me talk, Emily…” Everyone laughs. “I was just about to say thank you. This is perfect. You’re an awesome friend.”
Emily hugs her. “Happy birthday. I love you to the moon.”
Candles are lit, and a few encourage Jessica to blow them out. I can’t keep my eyes off her. I watch the faces she makes when she speaks or jokes with Emily. I catalogue every freckle, every crinkle of skin when she smiles, every wisp of hair that falls from the bun on top of her head. I much prefer the platinum-blond from before, but this darker shade suits her. The purple streaks give her an edgier style, showcasing her younger side, the artist in her. What would she look like with blue streaks instead?Maybe they would make the iciness of her eyes pop. Then, I stare at her full lower lip.
“You’re giving off creepy vibes. Rein it in,” Emily whispers, breaking my train of thought.
An anxious pit grows in my stomach until I realize no one is paying attention to me. Emily takes the plate with a slice of untouched cake in front of me, replacing it with her empty one, and walks away. Since my accident and the drastic change in my persona, Emily has always helped me appear more normal, included in the social norm so I don’t stand out.
The corner of my lip tugs up in a crooked smile as I replay memories of our friendship in my mind. Will I be able to form a friendship like ours with Jessica? Will she accept my strange behaviors and accommodate for them, too?
An emptiness spreads within my chest when I realize Jessica is gone. My pulse quickens with anxiety. Did I scare her away? Shit. This is why I stay away from her. She does something to me, and I don’t know how to act when she’s around. I shift on the stool. For the first time since I was twelve, I wish I was normal.
The kitchen door slams closed, and Elias blurts as he arrives, “So, the dairy hands just told me that there are aprons and boots that they use when they prep the cows for milking and shooting down the milking parlor.” Mud splatters his pants—correction, that is not mud. Everyone in the room roars with laughter, including myself. Jessica walks back in behind him and wrinkles her nose.
“Did they not tell you where the boots and aprons were?” she asks.
Elias growls. Jessica pinches her lips together, stifling her laughter.
“Come on, Elias. We used to work on the dairy all the time when we were kids,” Chris says.
“I guess he forgot.” The King chuckles.
Tater hands Elias a plate of cake, and he sits next to Chris, who cries out, “Ugh, you stink!”
“Shut up and eat your cake,” Elias grumbles. Jessica walks to the breakfast nook, hugs Elias, and kisses him on top of his head.
“Thank you for helping at the dairy. I’m saving up to buy a new software program and some equipment. Hopefully, I won’t have to ask the dairy hands for help like this in the future.” She pats his shoulder.
Elias’s cheeks turn pink as he mumbles, “It’s not a problem. Just been a while since I did any work there.”
“Did you sell any more songs?” Chris asks Jessica.
“DMI bought six of the songs I wrote and composed a couple of months ago,” she replies.
“How many more songs do you need to sell before you earn enough for what you need?”
“Those songs should more than cover it. I’m just waiting for the check.”
She hasn’t gotten paid yet? I need to look at her contract. She could request more money if she has ownership of her music, unless she is under a “work made for hire” clause with her label. I plan to talk with the Luna Queen and Anders. Then, an idea comes to mind. Would they let me be her lawyer? Well, after I pass my bar exam. I have all the connections she needs to ensure her career is successful.
A hand on my shoulder sends an electrical sensation down my spine. I turn my head as Jessica places a gift bag in front of me.
“Open your gift!” Emily shouts from the other end of the room. “C’mon, Mr. Valedictorian, Harvard Law graduate. Open it!”
Jessica flashes me a sweet smile, and she looks down at her shoes. I watch the blush bloom across her cheeks.
