Page 6 of Creed

“Let’s go to a party.” He smiles, picking me up and carrying me out the door, toward Creed’s car.

Chapter 2

Collins

(AGE 9)

We pull up to the most ginormous house I’ve ever seen and park in alongside a water fountain. I blush fiercely when I see that the centerpiece is a naked lady holding a bowl in which the water is flowing from. Why is she naked? I quickly look away as Creed steps out of his two door car, shifting his seat forward and holding a hand toward me to help me out of the back seat.

“Remember you stay close to me or Asher at all times, okay Stardust?” Creed asks as he ruffles my hair.

I look up at him and nod as Asher comes around the front of the car, meeting us at the hood.

I can’t help but feel a little annoyed at my big brother because not only did I not want to be here, I also feel pretty confident that neither of these boys wanted me here either. That feeling of being a burden creeps up on me again and a lump forms in my throat. I made Ash knock on the door to see if momma was awake so that I could stay home, but she didn’t answer. I was stuck. And so were the boys.

No kid asks to be a burden.

No kid wants to be raised by their big brother, no matter how awesome he is.

No. I wanted a mom and dad who loved me enough to put aside their squabbles to at least pretend to raise me in a happy home, instead of leaving me for hours on end, or leaving my brother responsible for my well-being.

We’re at the party for a while and Creed just brought me to Asher. He was sitting with a few other boys around a bonfire. No one says a word to me, but Ash just gives me a big smile and puts a protective arm around me when I take a seat on the log next to him.

I take a quick glance back to see a girl with fire-red hair, practically glowing in the firelight, saunter up to Creed. I watch as she lifts up onto her toes and whispers something into his ear before he nods, looking down at her with a sly smile.

I wonder what she said to make him smile like that? Did she tell him a joke? She doesn’t look like she’d be funny.

I whip my head back to the flames dancing across the sticks and logs of the fire when Creed bends down and places his lips on the girl’s before grabbing her hand and pulling her toward the gigantic house in the distance.

“Want a s’more, Bug?” Ash asks me. I’m thankful it’s dark and he can’t see me blushing over what I just accidentally witnessed. I may be nine years old, but I know what kisses are and what they mean when they happen.

He likes her. She likes him.

It makes me green with jealousy.

Having a crush when you’re just a kid sucks.

Being a helpless kid sucks.

Being a burden to my brother and his best friend at a party when all they want to do is relax or kiss other girls? Yeah. That totally sucks.

But I can’t help it as my face lights up, remembering that Asher had asked me a very important question about s’mores and I squeal, “Heck yeah!”

Because I’ve never had one of these s’more-things before, but I’d seen a commercial once where a family was roasting marshmallows over a campfire ‘til they turned crispy and golden and gooey in the middle…and they looked so darned yummy.

Asher poked the sugary fluff with a roasting stick and got to work toasting it over the flames. I’m practically bouncing in my seat as I wait as patiently as I can to taste one for the first time. A scratchy chuckle sounds from across the fire.

“Damn, Weston.” A guy with a blonde man bun, hair shaved on the sides teases. “She gets as excited about marshmallows as you do about p?—”

“Garrett,” Asher snaps.

“What?” Garrett laughs, “I was going to say pizza.”

“Mhmm” is all Asher responds with as he pins the guy with a harsh glare.

Boys are weird. Asher does love pizza, so I don’t see why my brother looks so annoyed with his friend right now.

Ash pulls the marshmallow from the fire and my mouth waters at the smell of it. He quickly assembles a s’more with a graham cracker, a square of chocolate, the marshmallow, and another graham cracker. He squishes it together to make the tastiest looking little sandwich I’ve ever seen in my whole life before handing it to me.

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