Chapter 6

The rest of Christmas break dragged. I spent New Years Eve with my parents watching the ball drop at Times Square on TV. I got a hug from my mother and a pat on the back from my father at midnight and then went to bed.

I lay on my bed looking up at the ceiling in the dark. The day I was waiting for all week was tomorrow. New Years Day. Well, Tiffany’s birthday. I had spent hours at the mall searching for the right present and wondered if she would like it. Prayed she would like it.

The party was late afternoon. I assumed that gave everyone time to sleep in after staying up late New Years Eve. It must really suck for your birthday to be on New Years Day. The invitation Tiffany had given me said there would be plenty of appetizers that would be enough for a dinner. I didn’t care about food. I was going to see Tiffany.

I wore a nice pair of slacks and the new sweater my parents had given me for Christmas. I wanted to look good for Tiffany. It didn’t matter how others at the party saw me. Only Tiffany mattered. With her wrapped present sitting on the seat next to me in my car, Tiffany’s seat, I drove to her house. I had been afraid to be early so there were already plenty of cars there.

When I got to the front door, the loud music blared through it. I rang the doorbell, but no one answered it. I didn’t know what to do and stood there shuffling my feet. And then a couple of girls rushed up to the door and flung it open. They flew past me without shutting the door so I followed them inside and closed the door.

People were everywhere. In the kitchen, the living room, and, when I looked through the arcadia door to the back yard, there were people outside even though it was cold. I walked through the house feeling lost. I knew many of the kids by sight from school, but didn’t really know them. A tap on my shoulder caused me to spin around.

“You can put your jacket in Tiffany’s bedroom,” Mrs. Johansson said. “Or I can take it if you like.”

“Um, thanks,” I said as I removed my jacket. When I handed it to her, I asked, “Where’s Tiffany?”

Mrs. Johansson looked around. She turned back to me with a smile. “Have no idea. You’ll have to find her.”

Mrs. Johansson walked away with my jacket. I was about to look for Tiffany when my jaw dropped. I ran after Mrs. Johansson and grabbed her arm. She stopped walking and turned to face me. My hand was still clutching her arm. She looked at it but didn’t say anything. I quickly dropped it to my side.

“I forgot something,” I said.

My face was burning. I couldn’t believe I had touched her. But I ignored that and stuck my hand inside my jacket pocked while Mrs. Johansson was still holding it and pulled out Tiffany’s present.

“Is that for me?” Mrs. Johansson asked.

I blushed redder and stammered, not able to form a sentence.

“Only kidding,” Mrs. Johansson said with a big smile. I noticed her eyes were as green as her daughter’s. “Go give that to the birthday girl.”

Mrs. Johansson disappeared with my jacket. She had actually been nice to me. Maybe it was because I was Tiffany’s guest. At least she hadn’t given me that funny look. Even when I had grabbed her arm. She hadn’t even jerked her arm free, but allowed me to hold it.

I shrugged and went looking for Tiffany, finding her talking to a group of girls in the hall next to a closed door. The door opened and a girl came out of the bathroom. Another one quickly went inside and closed the door behind her. It was a line for the bathroom. Well, not a line, but I guess they were waiting to use it. That embarrassed me so I wandered until I was in the living room where kids were dancing to the loud music.

“I felt warm breath on my ear as Mrs. Johansson asked, “Didn’t you find her?”

I jumped and spun around. My cheek banged into Mrs. Johansson’s cheek. She looked startled. Without thinking, I cupped her cheek.

“I’m sorry,” I said, “are you okay?”

Mrs. Johansson placed her hand on mine and held it against her cheek. It must have been for only an instant, but it seemed like a long time. I almost jerked my hand away, but thought that would bring attention to it so I left it there until Mrs. Johansson dropped her hand and smiled.

“My fault,” she said. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”

Why was she being so nice to me? After all, she thought I was a pervert.

A loud shriek broke the uncomfortable silence. “Cody, you made it!” Tiffany shouted as she ran up to me and flung her arms around me.

My eyes shot at her mother. She had a strange look on her face. Not the funny one she typically gave me. But I didn’t have time to worry about it with Tiffany hanging on me. Instead, my arms went around her and hugged her back.

When we released each other, she spotted the present in my hand.

“Is that for me?” Tiffany asked.

“Yes, for your birth—”

She grabbed my free hand and dragged me through the hordes of people. I stumbled to keep up and soon we were inside her bedroom. Unlike the last time, it wasn’t a mess, other than the jackets and pocketbooks scattered on the bed and everywhere else.

“So?” Tiffany asked with her hand held out, waiving her upturned palm.