- 10.
Just then, the principal arrived. Seeing her.
L
my parents instantly transformed, their frantic
expressions replaced with obsequious smiles.
Lily was due to start high school next year,
and despite her poor grades, she had her
sights set on the best school in the district.
They would undoubtedly need the principal’s
help.
Lily’s expression shifted subtly when she
realized Ryan was the principal’s son. She
even released David’s arm.
“I knew Ashley wouldn’t lie to us,” my mother
said quickly. My parents, realizing their
blunder, apologized, their words directed
primarily at Ryan, with me as an afterthought.
“So sorry to bother you, Principal Hughes. We
appreciate you taking Ashley out.”
Ryan, amused by their swift change of face,
said, “Mr. and Mrs. Evans, any idea why we’re having a picnic?”
David, noticing Lily’s intense focus on Ryan, scowled. “Why else? Nice weather, right? We brought Lily out for some fresh air…” He
trailed off, finally noticing the cake box in
Ryan’s hand.
None of the Evans family had remembered. It
was my birthday.
I laughed coldly. “So worried about me, yet
you forgot my birthday? You threw a party for
Lily last month, didn’t you?”
My mother’s face fell with each word. She
tried to speak, but nothing came out. My
father and David, as usual, refused to admit
any favoritism. “Well, you never come home!
<
How are we supposed to celebrate your birthday?”
Ryan stepped in front of me, looking at the Evans family with hostility. “If you couldn’t
celebrate, you at least got her a present,
right? What did you get her? Don’t tell me it’s
just empty promises.”
Having completely forgotten my birthday, they
had nothing. Just as a flicker of guilt seemed
to register in their eyes, Lily’s tears started
flowing.
“Ashley… please don’t blame Mom and
Dad… It’s my fault… If I wasn’t so sick… they
wouldn’t be so worried… and they wouldn’t
have forgotten…” She began to tremble.
“You should hate me… I… I wish I were
dead…”
く
She swayed dramatically towards us, as if
about to faint. Both Ryan and I instinctively
stepped aside, letting her fall to the ground.
Lily, the Evans family’s precious princess, had
scraped her knee. David flew into a rage,
lunging at me. “Did you push her?!”
His slap never landed. Ryan, tall and athletic,
intercepted it, grabbing David’s arm.
The principal glared at my parents. “I saw
exactly what happened. She fell on her own.
How dare you accuse Ashley without any
proof!”
“You treat her like this and then wonder why
she doesn’t come home? Don’t you see how
ridiculous you are?”
く
With that, she pulled Ryan and me away. They
worried the incident had ruined my birthday,
but I was long past caring about the Evans
family. Spending time with people who
genuinely cared about me was far more
important.
We sat by the lake, sharing the cake. The
principal gave me a new backpack, and Ryan
shyly presented me with a handmade
bracelet. Imagining clumsy Ryan trying to
braid it made me laugh, much to his
embarrassed annoyance.
