Page 65 of On the Beat

“Hold still.” Wrapping the gauze around his finger, I press it to the wound until it stops bleeding.

“If you’re my girlfriend, you’re allowed to worry about me.” Ryder smiles to hide the grimace that follows my bandaging of his finger.

“Fine. I’m worried about you, because I’m your girlfriend.”

I finish cleaning up the first aid supplies, chucking the wrappers and blood-spattered paper towel into the trash can.

Ryder clears his throat. “So, what are we cooking for Paulo’s birthday party tonight?”

“I thought you said you knew what you were doing and ‘not to worry about it’ and that all I had to do was bring the food?”

“Yes, and I assumed this cooking demonstration was part of the food.” His brows furrow as he opens the bathroom door, gesturing me out. “Calm down. I keep my promises, and I already have the whole party set up.”

“Isla! What’s this I hear about a party?” Gloria runs down the hall and skids to a stop in front of me and Ryder. “Mom kept telling me I had to help supervise things for Paulo’s birthday tonight. I see she roped the two of you into doing it instead.”

“Wow, and here I thought she was asking because you were busy. But now you’re telling me we could have been hanging out instead?” I say, touching a hand to my chest even as I grin at her. “Didn’t Ryder tell everyone about the surprise birthday party tonight?”

“Isn’t the point of a surprise birthday party that it’s asecret?” Gloria says. “I’m pretty sure Paulo even knows since youtoldhim you were planning a party for his birthday.”

“If he knows, he hasn’t mentioned it.”

“So, who’s on the guest list? Isla, are your parents coming?” Gloria asks.

“No, they had to fly back to New York,” I say. “Ryder’s in charge of the guest list, right?”

I cast an accusatory look at him. He remains perfectly nonchalant as he says, “Relax, I have it all under control.”

Gloria, Ryder, and I spend the rest of the afternoon helping Tita Evangeline put together the surprise party for Paulo’s birthday. Ryder is in charge of dragging him away from work and into the party. I’ve been put in charge of acquiring Paulo’s favourite snack,turon. Gloria has been commandeered into supervising the domestic helpers as they clean the house, prepare the food, and decorate for the party.

I laugh at the thought, reminding me of how my mother always made us clean the apartment whenever we had visitors, as though our visitors would take a magnifying glass through the place, inspecting each speck of dust on the mantel.

Some things never change.

Friends by Ryder Black

VERSE ONE

Dancing around each other, playing our little games

What are we, does it have a name?”

PRE-CHORUS

And I hadn’t thought of us as permanent

But I didn’t think we were temporary

Can’t keep hiding the thoughts right beneath our feet

Sooner or later you’ll have to make a decision about me

So what’s it gonna be?

CHORUS

Is it gonna be a yes?

An ‘I do’ at the altar?

---