Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 91363 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91363 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
“Nothing,” I said.
Mom glanced back at me, eyes narrowed.
“Tillie asked what I got Gabby for Christmas.”
Mom held out her hand for the board and marker. Tillie handed them to her while shooting me a tight-lipped grin and wide eyes as if I were in trouble.
Gabby got you something. It’s not expensive. I just don’t want you to be caught off guard when she gives it to you.
Fantastic.
“What did she get me?”
Mom grinned, making a lock and key gesture at her mouth.
“I can’t hear you. And I suck at reading lips. So just say it. If I know what you’re saying, we’ll call it a Christmas miracle.”
Dad’s shoulders bounced with laughter.
Mom said something and glanced back at Tillie who smiled and eyed me.
“Jack-in-the-box?” I asked.
Mom laughed and shook her head.
“Hula hoop? Legos? Pine cones?”
Everyone laughed. I imagined it sounded nice.
“Hearing aids?”
The laughter died.
“Oh, come on. That was a good one,” I said.
She got you Madonna’s new album
Tillie smirked after writing her guess.
I rolled my eyes and grinned.
Mom read it and gave Tillie an uneasy look.
“It’s funny,” I said to my mom so she wouldn’t be mad at Tillie.
A Walkman
Tillie covered her mouth to hide her grin after her second guess.
Mom faced forward, no longer caring to participate in our form of humor. Tillie took the board and angled away from me so I couldn’t see what she was writing. She bit her lip as if she wasn’t sure if she should do whatever she was doing.
I tried to peek, and she hugged it to her chest.
After a good minute or more, she handed the board to me, facing it away so Mom couldn’t see it.
She’s getting you more condoms because you had SEX! I took out the trash yesterday because you forgot to do it, and I saw the note in your waste bin.
I felt Tillie watching me as I read her message twice. Then I lifted my gaze to hers. She wasn’t a tattletale like most younger siblings because she had too many secrets that I’d kept for her. So I shouldn’t have needed to press my index finger to my lips, but I did anyway. She rolled her lips between her teeth, and I took that as a sign that my secret was safe with her.
When we arrived at the church, Mom grabbed my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze as we stepped through the doors. A young girl in a black and red dress handed us a program.
Tillie nudged me with her elbow and nodded to our right where Gabby floated toward us in a green velvet dress, pantyhose and black shoes. She grinned at the last second before wrapping her arms around my neck. I stiffened.
It felt like everyone knew we had sex, but how would they have known? Gabby and I had been friends forever, and hugging was normal for us. But this hug was different, even if no one else noticed. It lasted a little longer, and she released me a little slower, purposefully brushing her lips along my ear and the angle of my jaw.
She smelled like cherry ChapStick and vanilla lotion. Sweet and sexy.
“You look nice,” I said, sliding my hands into my front pockets as she took a step back. I wanted to say beautiful, but that might have turned a few heads.
Gabby blushed, knowing my “nice” meant more. She brought her fingers to her lips and extended her arm out and down while mouthing, “Thank you.” Her signing didn’t bother me that night because I knew she wasn’t trying to teach me anything.
Mom tugged on my sleeve. I glanced behind me, and she nodded toward the sanctuary.
I followed her, weaving our way into the lineup of people filing down the aisle to find seats. A warm hand touched mine. I looked down as Gabby hooked her index finger around my pinky. She wore a conspiratorial grin.
“Are you sitting with me?”
She nodded.
The church was packed so we were crammed into the pew like sardines. I leaned forward to remove my leather jacket. My mom helped me get my arms out in the crammed quarters, and I rested it over my lap. Gabby slid it so that part of it rested on hers too. Then she and everyone else bowed their heads for prayer. Before I closed my eyes, I spied Matt Cory in the front row, sandwiched between his mom and older brother. Gabby didn’t mention the Cory family spending Christmas with hers.
She slid her hand into mine under the jacket and laced her fingers with mine, so I closed my eyes.
After prayer, she stretched out her fingers to flatten my hand, palm up. Then she used her finger to draw on it. After a few seconds, I realized she was trying to draw letters. I closed my eyes to focus.
I L O V E Y O U