Page 29 of Rewind It Back

Me:You start tomorrow.

Chapter 7

Hallie

Age 13

“Happy birthday, Hallie girl.” Mrs. DeLuca places a cake on the table in front of me with thirteen candles lit and ready for me to wish on.

My smile is beaming as I look around to find my dad with his arms wrapped around the front of my mom’s shoulders, holding her to him. I watch as Mr. DeLuca slips his hand into his wife’s while they all sing for my birthday. Luke and Rio sit across the table from me, and then a blush creeps across my chest when my eye catches with Rio’s, finding him singing louder than anyone else.

I don’t have it in me to look his way again while the song finishes, and I certainly don’t make eye contact as I blow out my candles.

My wish is the same as it’s been all year. It’s the same thing I wish for every time I pluck a dandelion from some grass, see a falling star in the sky, or notice when it’s 11:11 on the clock.

Our parents are busy chatting and laughing with each other when Luke sits forward, elbows on the table in front of us, and asks, “So, what’d you wish for?”

“I’m not telling you.”

“Oh, come on. What is it? You got some big stupid crush that you don’t want to tell us about? Did you wish that he’d like you back or something?”

My eyes flick to Rio sitting next to my brother, my cheeks flaming with heat. “Shut up, Luke. No, I—”

“She can’t tell us,” Rio cuts in. “Otherwise, it won’t come true.”

He smiles at me, dimples sinking into his cheeks, and it makes me smile right back.

“Whatever.” Luke wipes his finger across the white icing before sticking it into his mouth. “It probably won’t come true anyway.”

“Lucas William Hart,” our mom scolds. “Get your dirty fingers away from your sister’s cake. That’s going to be your piece, if Hallie even decides to give you any now.” She grabs the cake from the table. “Come on. I’ll slice and you serve.”

Luke rolls his eyes, standing from his seat to help our mom in the kitchen.

Rio leans across the table, speaking quietly to me. “Don’t listen to him. Your wish will come true.”

Those kind green eyes sparkle under the dining room light, his dark hair falling messily into his face. He’s so cute and has no idea. It makes my stomach somersault.

“Thanks.”

His grin tilts up on one side, soft and genuine, just like him. “Happy birthday, Hal.”

Okay, if I could scream without causing our families to stare at me, I totally would. I love when he calls me Hal. It’s like a secret only he and I have.

It’s been exactly two years since we moved to Boston and in that time, Rio and Luke have both turned fourteen and become best friends. And Rio and I... well, we’re friends too, but it’s different than his friendship with Luke. They play sports together and talk about girls. They’re in eighth grade while I’m still in seventh. When Rio has sleepovers at my house, it’s in Luke’s room and my brother doesn’t ever let me hang out with them.

But Rio is always nice to me, whether Luke is around or not, and though my brother doesn’t know that Rio and I are friends, we definitely are. I’m sure of it. Just look at the gifts he got me for my birthday this year. I know his mom didn’t pick them out for him.

Only Rio knows that I want to be an interior designer when I grow up and he gifted me a notebook filled with grid paper. I love drawing houses from a bird’s-eye view, designing layouts, and I was doing it on lined paper before, but the grid version is going to be so much better.

From his window, he’s watched as I painted my room three times since we moved in and rearranged the furniture more times than I can count. When he asked me why I kept changing it, I told him how I was practicing to become an interior designer.

He also got me a new cassette tape for my birthday, and if it were anyone else, they would’ve bought me a CD because they’re way more popular now, but I still think tapes are better. That’s how I know Rio picked out my presents himself.

Luke sets a slice of cake in front of me before passing plates out to both our family and the DeLucas.

“Thank you for making this, Mrs. DeLuca,” I say before my first bite. The devil’s food cake melts in my mouth as soon as it hits my tongue.

Both Luke and Mr. DeLuca had this cake for their birthdays this year, and it was so good both times, I knew it was the right flavor to request for mine.

---