11 Birthdays Read Online Free

always stick to the floor.
    I hurry to finish my cereal since the bus comes in five minutes. Kylie runs in, grunts hello to Dad, grabs her lunch bag from the fridge, and runs out the door. No good mornings. No happy birthdays.
    “She means well,” Dad says.
    “No she doesn’t,” I reply.
    He laughs, and then starts hacking up a lung.
    Ducking out of the way of flying sick-person germs, I grab my heavy backpack and run out after Kylie. I’m halfway to the stop before I realize I forgot my lunch. I check my watch. The bus was due three minutes ago, so it’s already late. Can I risk it? The bus rounds the corner, answering my question.
    Lunchless and out of breath, I climb on behind Kylie. She passes right by her science partner, Dustin, without saying anything. Maybe it’s because he’s sitting with his arm around Alyssa Benson, the most popular girl in the seventh grade. Kylie joins her best friend, Jen, and they immediately start laughing and talking a mile a minute. Inotice Jonathan, the kid who asked Kylie to the dance, watching her with sad eyes. I feel sorry for him. I find an empty seat halfway down the aisle and look out the window. At the next stop Ruby gets on. I can’t help notice the large duffel over her arm, no doubt packed with the perfect gymnastics-tryout outfit. She doesn’t even glance my way and takes a seat in the second row.
    The next stop is Stephanie’s. She’s going to be really surprised to see me. When she gets on — also with a duffel on her shoulder — I call her name but the bus is too loud and people keep jumping up to touch the beach ball that’s flying through the air. Stephanie heads directly for Ruby and sits down. They bend their heads together and start laughing about something, so I resist the urge to call out again. Instead, I slide down in my seat and pout. It’s bad enough to have to take the bus on your birthday. To have to take the bus on your birthday while watching your best friend sit with someone else is almost as bad as being attacked by a balloon.
    When we arrive at school I wait at the bottom of the stairs for Stephanie.
    “Hey, Birthday Girl!” she says as she steps off.
    Ruby, the best-friend stealer, follows, and also wishes me a happy birthday. I know she’s just being nice because Stephanie is here. I was the only girl in our class who didn’t get an invitation to Ruby’s birthday party last year, even though I had invited her to mine. Mine and Leo’s that is. Not that I even remember if she came since I left so fast.
    “Didn’t you see me on the bus?” I blurt out, looking only at Stephanie.
    She takes a step back. “Huh? You were on the bus?”
    I nod and point at Kylie, who is now stepping off. “Mom has a big meeting and my dad’s not feeling well, so we had to take the bus.”
    Ruby mumbles something about going to the gym to practice and slinks away. Stephanie links her arm in mine. “I didn’t see you, I swear. I’d have sat with you.”
    I relax. Of course she would have. After all, she did choose to stay friends with me over Leo, so that says a lot. We head toward the front door, arm in arm.
    “Hey, where’s your outfit?” she asks.
    At first I think she’s talking about my costume for the party. But why would I wear that to school? “What do you mean?”
    “For tryouts. I told you to bring something cool.”
    There’s that word again: cool. “First of all, you didn’t tell me that. And second, I don’t have anything cool.”
    “I didn’t tell you?”
    I shake my head.
    “Oh. You’ll just have to wear your gym clothes then.”
    “That’s what I was planning.” We round the corner toward our lockers and I see a sign posted for marching band auditions. It’s the exact same time as gymnastics. I give a little sigh as we hurry past it.
    I can see the streamers on my locker from halfway down the hall. I turn to Stephanie in surprise. “When did you have a chance to do that?”
    “Do what?” She follows where I’m