Page 31 of Rewind It Back

“Okay.” My cheeks hurt from the splitting grin on my face as I grab the kit from the other side of the table where my opened presents are. As I do, my eye snags on the new boombox the DeLucas got me. “Can we listen to music while we make them?”

“We better,” Rio says. “Do you want to listen to the new cassette I got you?”

I’m not sure I can light up more than I am now. “Yeah, that sounds good.”

The new boombox plays CDs too, and as cassettes are becoming harder to find, I’m sure that’ll come in handy when I’m forced to switch. But for now, I click my new tape into place.

“Which song are you playing first?” he asks.

I take my time choosing a song from the track list because I know this is a moment I’ll want to remember, and whichever song I choose is going to be one I put on next year’s mixtape because I’ll want to rewind it back and play it on repeat for a long time to come.

I write the number thirteen on my finished mixtape, signing it with an “H” and a heart. You know, for Hallie Hart. Heart like Hart. Anyway, it’s my new signature and I love it.

I’ve been working on finishing this mixtape for hours so when I finally look up from my desk, I find that the sky is pitch black, with only the glow of the moon for light.

Outside my window, there’s a person sitting on the roof that connects the DeLucas’ house to ours. The same roof that connects Rio’s room to mine.

I’d maybe be scared if I didn’t already know it was him. I’ve woken up in the middle of the night a couple of times and spotted him out there, lying on his back and staring up at the moon. I’ve never asked what he’s doing out there, never asked why he was still awake. I think maybe because I didn’t want him to know that I can see him. Which, I guess, doesn’t really make sense. We wave to each other from our rooms all the time, so of course he knows I can see him. I guess I didn’t want him to feel like I caught him doing something he’s not supposed to. I didn’t want him to stop sitting out there on the roof between our rooms.

It’s late, and checking the clock on my nightstand, I see there’s only twenty minutes left of my birthday. If it were a school night, my mom would’ve already checked to make sure I was asleep, but it’s Saturday and after Rio volunteered to hang out with me all day, maybe he’d be okay if I caught him.

I crack my window open and the cold spring air hits me in an instant. I whisper, but I’m loud enough for him to hear me. “What are you doing?”

When he whips in my direction, his face is etched in panic, like he’s about to be in trouble, but when he finds it’s only me, his mouth tilts into a smile. “Can’t sleep. What are you still doing up?”

“Enjoying my birthday.”

“Want to enjoy it out here?”

Oh my God.I’m holding my lips closed to keep me from squealing. I swear that birthday wish was so much stronger than all the other wishes this year.

“I um... don’t you think we’ll get in trouble for being on the roof?”

He shrugs. “I haven’t gotten caught by anyone yet. Well, besides you. You don’t have to though.”

I want to though.

I push my window open farther, eyeing the ledge. It’s only about a foot drop and this part of the roof is completely flat. Before I lose my nerve, I swing one leg over the ledge before sitting on the windowsill and bringing my other leg out as well.

Thankfully, we’ve had an unseasonably warm week, so I’m not worried about snow or ice. It’s all melted at this point, but still, I crawl on my hands and knees to meet him in the middle of the roof between our houses.

He chuckles as I take a cautious seat, and it’s then I realize that though it’s not snowing, it’s still freezing out here and I didn’t think to throw a sweatshirt on over my sleep shirt. But I also don’t want to crawl back to my room and risk missing out on this.

I hold my knees close to my chest to keep as much warmth in as I can.

He nudges his shoulder into mine. “Did you have a good birthday?”

“Yeah.”

“What was your favorite part?”

This.

“Um, maybe going to get my nails done with your mom this morning?”

I hold my hands out to show him.

“Ten different colors?” he asks with a laugh. “Couldn’t decide?”

---