She wanted to point out the humor because he was upset that she had taken off and not concerned that someone could have seen her flying.
“You took off first with Cristy,” she pointed out.
“She just pulled me aside to give me…” He frowned. “Never mind.” He shook his head and took Selene’s hand to pull her towards the party again.
“Nope.” She jerked her hand free.
She never let anyone touch her, though usually Scott was the exception. It just usually didn’t end well. It was just one of the odd things about her, in addition to the flying. And flying wasn’t her only power. She just hadn’t figured out how to control the others like she could control flight. Yet. There was also the fact that she was the goddess of darkness. Or so her real parents always said when they mystically and magically visited her.
“I am not going back there.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “They’re a bunch of idiots.”
“Selena, it’s…”—he looked at his phone—“five minutes until your birthday.” He moved closer to her.
From the first moment she’d seen him, he’d had a way of calming her down. As far as anyone knew, they were brother and sister. No matter what had happened, they had stuck together, even through all the foster homes they had bounced around in over the past ten years. And there had been plenty.
One short year after she’d arrived at his doorstep, his adopted foster father, the kindest soul she’d ever met, had died of a heart attack, leaving Scott and her in a mess.
For over a month, they’d avoided the knocks on the trailer’s door. They’d lived how they wanted to, free of any adults. But after they ate every bit of food in the trailer then, they got hungry.
At first, the agency had talked of separating them. But then Scott did something that had surprised her. He’d held onto her and yelled that they would just run away if they weren’t kept with one another. So they’d been shuffled from home to home, together.
“I just wanted to do something nice for you. It’s your sixteenth birthday,” he said as if she didn’t already know.
“So? I’ve never had a birthday celebration before. I don’t need to start now.” But somewhere deep down, her heart ached for just that.
Cristy had hosted a massive party last month for her sweet sixteenth. Everyone in the school had been invited. Well, almost everyone.
Still, she’d heard all about the wonderful party from Scott. He’d tried to convince her to go with him then too. Thankfully, she hadn’t.
“Here,” Scott said, holding out a small package. “This is what I was talking to Cristy about.”
Selene looked down at the small bundle in his hands. It was no bigger than a baby bird and she in no way wanted to take it from him. But he shoved the wrapped gift in her hands.
“I… well, I bought it,” he finished, avoiding her eyes.
“From Cristy?” Selene wanted to toss it to the ground. To step on it until whatever was inside was in a million pieces.
Scott might be fooled by Cristy’s pretty blonde hair, perfect cheerleader body, and sweet southern-belle voice. Selene was not.
“No.” He shook his head. “I had her buy it for me. Since… Well, are you going to open it or aren’t you?”
She took a deep breath. This was the very first present anyone had gotten her. Ever.
She peeled off the plain silver wrapping paper and tossed it to the ground. She wanted to keep it. Fold it up and lock it away with her other small keepsakes. But she didn’t want Scott to know that.
Inside was a small black box held closed by a black piece of material.
“It’s a hair tie. A scrunchie. Your hair is getting longer and, well, I thought you’d like it,” he said. “Open the box now.”
She looked at the small rubber band covered by material and felt her eyes sting. She hadn’t been able to afford anything fancy for her long hair, so she’d always just used rubber bands that she’d found on the ground. They’d get tangled in her hair and, on several occasions, Scott had had to cut them out of her long tresses. Selene put the scrunchie on her wrist and opened the box.
Her heart skipped and then burst. Inside was a bottle of purple nail polish. She looked up at Scott.
“I know it’s your favorite color.” He looked down at the bottle as a tear streamed down her cheek. “Don’t get weird about it. It’s just… well…” He shifted, looking very uncomfortable. “Happy birthday.” He suddenly walked over and wrapped his arms around her.
They had hugged a few times in their lives, to comfort one another during a bad time or to celebrate getting into a good home together. This hug was nothing like those in the past. This one was… softer somehow.
For the past few years, she’d felt a drive to him that hadn’t been there earlier. She’d chalked it up to puberty and the fact that everyone else their age was making out all the time and talking about sex. Hell, she knew Scott had been making out with girls for years now.