Page 4 of Switched At Birth

“You keep driving like that and Mom will track us down. You know she will.”

Tomorrow is our seventeenth birthday. Last year, we were given a car to share, which is tricky because we attend two separate high schools, but it works out most of the time, since Liam’s school is within walking distance and I take the bus downtown each day.

“I’m still in shock,” I admit.

After opening our present a day early—tickets to Pearl Jam—it felt like we were dreaming. Not only did Mom and Dad buy us tickets, Mom is letting us go by ourselves. I’m sure Dad is to thank for that one.

I’m checking my phone, finding the best place to park, close to Key Arena. It’s in the Seattle Center, but I’d rather not walk three miles. This concert was sold out months ago, and Mom and Dad told us when tickets went on sale that they were too expensive.

It’s only two in the afternoon. We’re leaving early, but hell, it’s fucking Pearl Jam, coming back to their hometown. Everyone and their brother are going.

“You good, Noah?” my brother asks, turning toward the sign for Mercer Island.

“Fuck, yeah. We’ve listened to them since we were what, ten?”

He laughs at all the memories. “Remember Mom tried to take away the CD, until Spotify and Pandora became popular? It’s one of the few times Mom gave up on one of her rules.”

“Oh, don’t I know.” I’m giving him directions, and we find a parking lot near the Seattle Center. It’s thirty dollars for parking, and even at two-thirty in the afternoon, it’s packed. We exit our car and merge into a sea of others moving toward the arena.

“Hey!” a person calls out behind me. “You in the blue coat, and dark hair. You dropped something.”

“I think he’s talking to you, Noah.” Liam grabs for my arm, and we stop, turning around.

“Is this yours?” In his hand is my license.

“Oh, fuck. Thanks, man. I would have been screwed without it.”

I reach to grab for it, and our fingers touch. There’s an instant connection, and I back away, out of breath, looking into dark brown eyes, so similar to my own. He’s a little shorter, with black hair and dark-rimmed glasses.

“Glad to have helped you out.” He winks, and then blushes, dropping his eyes from mine. “Have a good time.”

He begins walking away with a girl, who is bundled up in a puffy blue coat. I stare as he walks farther and farther from me.

“Why didn’t you ask for his number?” Liam asks.

Wow. Could he be gay, too? I knew by eleven that I was into guys. And my parents never batted an eye when I came home with my first boyfriend at fourteen. It’s crazy, the way I came out, but they have always been my biggest supporters.

“Fuck, you’re sure dumb,” my brother whispers into my ear. “The cutie in the glasses liked what he saw. I bet if we hurry, we can catch up with him.”

It takes me a second to understand his words. “Yeah, you’re right. Let’s go.”

But the crowds are ridiculous, and he fades away in front of me in the stream of people. The concert is the best day of my life, especially since I’m sharing it with Liam. The cherry on top would have been finding the hot guy in glasses.

* * *

Age Nineteen

“We’re here tonight to recognize continued achievements in the arts. We’ve gathered this generation of young minds, full of talent and promise, showcasing their ongoing efforts to make art relevant in every facet of life.”

My mother made me wear a suit. Not only did she make me wear a suit, but she convinced me I would need one in my adult life. At nineteen, I’m still filling out. In three years, this suit won’t fit me, but as I loosen the death tie a little, I notice Liam is doing the same.

“I never had to wear a suit to a sports ceremony,” he grumbles, moving his chair forward as he scopes the crowd for good-looking girls. I know his MO. It’s mine, too—but, I’m looking at men.

“For achievements in abstract artistry, the night’s first award goes to Noah James, forThe Lady in Hiding.”

My painting appears on the large screen at the front of the room and my voice is the backdrop, explaining the story behind this piece and how I crafted it. I wait for the video to end, then stand from the dinner table to accept my award.

I glance over to my brother, and am surprised to see him bent over slightly, all the color fading from his face.

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