Chapter 38: Birthday Blues

Things had changed. No more Miss Nice Girl. No more Miss I'm-sorry-for-breaking-your-laptop-so-I'll-do-anything-to-make-up-for-it. I mean, isn't that the most absurd thing you've heard all day? I say 'all day' because yesterday I saw a raccoon in my backyard lick a garden gnome. I was over this kid. Luke Dawson had the world at his feet. Now I've stood up. I've stood him up... Though it's not like he'd notice anyway. My phone buzzed for the eighteenth time. Luke was persistent. I tried to block the image of him in my mind. His dreamy blue eyes, his charming playful smile... No! I snapped out of it. Let the boy sweat. It's not like he sweats enough in basketball. AmIright? I pulled up to my house and parked in the driveway. "Were you picking up the newspaper from the front porch?" my mother asked as I walked in, pouring oat milk onto her granola. She handed me a pop tart. "Uh, not really. I was actually at a basketball gam