One
Eighteenth Birthday Party
Zara
Age: Eighteen
“Happy birthdayyyyy to you.”
I peer over my bowl of cornflakes to see Misty with a wide grin and a gleam in her eyes.
“Happy birthday to you,” she sings as she walks closer to me, her hands behind her back. “Happy birthday to my best friend and sister, Zara”—she takes a deep breath—“happy birthday to youuuu.” As she’s opera singing the last few notes, Misty passes me a pink envelope.
I smile at her. “You didn’t have to get me anything.”
She hisses. “Yes, I did!”
I jump off my chair and wrap my arms around her, squeezing her tightly. “Thank you.”
She pulls back and stares at the envelope. “Come on, open it.”
“Okay, okay.” I slide my fingers underneath the flap of the envelope to rip it open, then glide the card out.
The front has a love heart, and inside it says “You will always be the sister of my soul and the friend of my heart.”
“Aww.” I grin, feeling touched. I open the card and two small rectangular pieces of paper land on the table. I put down the card and pick them up to see Sun Dance festival tickets.
I lift my eyes to hers. “How did you get these? I thought they were sold out?”
“I have my sources,” she replies.
Which basically means Knox and Kane’s mom, Audrey Crown, pulled strings to get them for us. Her family founded Crown Village—where we live—and owns every successful business in it. Her reach has no bounds.
Crown Village is a coastal town packed with amenities: beaches, a lake, restaurants, a resort, a casino, and a park. It has a small population and a tight-knit community for the people who reside here, but it’s also a holiday attraction for the rich and famous.
“The guys are taking us in the limo, and since the festival is at the amusement park, I thought we could go on a couple of rides before DJ Mesah comes on.”
I clap my hands in excitement—Mesah is our favorite DJ.
“Mesah’s playing at noon, so we’ll at least get to see her set and some of the DJs after her. We’ll be home in time for your party... where we can have some drinks.”
My eyes dart to the entryway of the kitchen, checking no one had heard. “I wouldn’t be saying that out loud if I were you.”
We’re lucky if Mom allows us to have a glass of champagnein her presence, let alone whatever strong alcohol Misty has conned Kane into getting.
“But aren’t you still sick?” I heard her retching this morning. She hasn’t been able to get rid of whatever illness she has.
“I told you something I’ve been eating hasn’t been sitting well with me.” She shrugs. “I don’t know. My body hates me. Anyway... enough about that. I think you may have forgotten something.” Her eyes latch back onto the envelope.
Lifting the envelope, I feel there’s still something inside. I tip it upside down to see a silver necklace drop into my hand. It has a charm on it, half a heart that saysFriends. Misty’s hand goes to her neck, and she pulls a similar chain from outside of her top to show me that her part saysBest.
“I know it’s lame, but I saw it and I had to have it.”
I roll my eyes as I pass the necklace to her and lift my long hair. “Can you put it on?”
She drapes the necklace around my neck, and I feel the cold metal against my skin.
“There,” she says.
