5
The next morning, I got a text from Peter: I have something to do today, so I’m taking the day off. Don’t wait for me.
When I got to class, both his and Seraphina’s seats were empty.
Adrian noticed me looking. “It’s Seraphina’s birthday today,” he explained. “She said Peter is helping her pick out a gift,”
So that was his “something to do.”
09.37
Peter was obsessed with his studies. I’d seen him attend class with a 102–degree fever, refusing to go home. When I was hospitalized, he nev- er missed a day of school; he only visited after class.
And now, less than a week before our final exams, the person who valued his education above all else was skipping school for something as trivial as a birthday present.
But to Peter, Seraphina’s birthday was anything but trivial.
He didn’t come back to school all day. I walked home alone. Just as I got inside, there was a knock on the door.
When I opened it, I was greeted by a teddy bear nearly as tall as I was. It was so big it completely blocked the person behind it.
A moment later, the bear was shifted aside, and Peter’s face appeared. The tip of his nose was red from the cold.
“Happy birthday.”
I was stunned. I’d forgotten it was my birthday, too.
How did he know?
Seeing my confusion, a rare, small smile touched Peter’s lips. “You forgot? You told me your birthday was today. You also said you always wan- ted a big teddy bear. Because when you were little and scared of the dark at the orphanage, you wished you had one to keep you company, but there was never any extra money for things like that.”
I had told him that on one of our walks home. He had his earbuds in. I thought he hadn’t heard me. I never imagined he had remembered.
He held out his right hand. His fingertips were red and swollen, covered in shallow cuts.
“I saved up the money washing dishes at a restaurant on weekends. I was clumsy at first and broke a few plates, so they docked my pay… oth- erwise I could have bought you an even bigger one.”
I was shocked. He’d spent his precious study time working a grueling job in a hot kitchen.
Peter looked both nervous and hopeful as he pushed the soft bear into my hands.
[LMAO, is the side character actually touched?] the pop–ups sneered.
[I wonder what her face will look like when she finds out this bear was originally for Seraphina, but the princess thought it was cheap and rejec ted it, so he’s giving it to her as a consolation prize?]
I took a step back. The teddy bear fell to the floor, landing in a dusty heap.
“I don’t want it.”
Peter’s hands froze in mid–air. The color drained from his face. He opened his mouth, then closed it. All he managed was a quiet, “Oh.”
He paused, then asked, “Did anything happen at school today? You can tell me about it…”
“Nothing,” I cut him off.
Then I closed the door, shutting him and his secondhand gift out.
6
The next day was Saturday. I went to school to clear out my locker. As I stepped into the alley behind my apartment, Seraphina blocked my path.
09:37
Chapter 2
She looked me up and down. “Why are you always hanging around Peter? I don’t remember you from before.”
I had no
I had no interest in fighting with her. I turned to walk away.
Seraphina snapped her fingers.
Several large guys holding pipes stepped out from the end of the alley, blocking my exit.
0737
She strolled up to me, her expression dripping with condescension. “Peter gave you a bear, didn’t he? He bought that for me. I just thought it was a little tacky, so he gave it to you.”
I looked at her calmly. “And?”
A scornful smile played on her lips. “And you should give it back. It was the first gift he ever bought with his own money. It belongs to me. An orphan nobody wants doesn’t deserve it.”
The word “orphan” was like a bucket of ice water dumped over my head. I had only ever told Peter about my past. About how dark the nights were, how much I envied the other kids whose parents brought them toys. I had specifically asked him not to tell anyone.
Seraphina’s smile widened. “What’s wrong? Did I hit a nerve? I guess someone like you has probably never gotten a gift before, have they?”
I clenched my fists. “Move.”
