Aspen laughed loudly and clung to Sandy’s arm as the group left the room. “Now that was worth every minute.” She wiped away tears of amusement. “I think that was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. You’ll have to teach me how to do it.”
Her shoulders shook with laughter for a few seconds longer before she straightened up suddenly. “Hold on, if my dreams are real—I touched Dylan and told him he makes me feel good. Oh no!” she wailed. Her cheeks burned and she ducked her head in embarrassment.
“I told you that you’d regret what you said later.” Sandy chuckled and pushed her seat back.
“Don’t worry,” she went on. “If your powers are so strong before your birthday ceremony, you’ll be dynamite after tomorrow. Whatever Dylan thinks won’t matter then.” She got up from the table and her long tresses swayed against her arms. “Come on, time to go. I’ve still got a lot to teach you.”
Chapter 7
Birthday Girl
Aspen woke up energized after a strangely dreamless sleep. Today was her birthday! She felt excited as she dressed, and even ignored the fact that Miriam had smeared toothpaste over the bathroom faucet and hadn’t bothered to clean it. After wiping the sink, she scrubbed her face, brushed her teeth, and skipped down the staircase.
“Happy birthday, sweetie.” Her mom greeted her with a big grin in the kitchen and hugged her. She handed Aspen a small box wrapped in shiny paper with a silver bow.
“Mom, you shouldn’t have,” she exclaimed and kissed her mom’s cheeks.
“It’s just something small. Your dad bought it for you when you were a baby. I took it to the jeweler and got a new strap.”
Aspen hastily removed the paper and ribbon and opened the box gently. A dainty silver watch lay nestled in white tissue paper. It had a mother-of-pearl face and delicate silver hands.
“It’s a wind-up watch. No need for a battery,” her mom explained with a smile. “It winds up as your body moves, so you can’t damage it.”
“It’s beautiful.” A tear formed in the corner of Aspen’s eye, and her throat closed up. “Did Dad really get it for me?”
“Yes, honey. The strap was too small, but I’ve kept it all these years.”
“It’s perfect. Thank you!” Squeezing her mom, she added, “I have to go, I’ll see you later.”
Aspen ran to meet the bus and admired her watch throughout the ride to school. She was so excited about her birthday, more than she’d ever been before. Her hair hung loosely to her waist, and she wore her best thrift-store jeans and a turquoise-blue top. Today was supposed to be special—or so Sandy had told her.
She hoped that they hadn’t teased her. If this was a hoax, she’d be so upset. Maybe she’d talked in her sleep and Miriam had secretly heard her and put Sandy up to trick her. That thought plagued her for a minute before she shook her head vigorously. No, today was special, and no one would spoil it for her.
Dylan and Sandy waited for Aspen in their usual spot, and she jumped from the bus to greet them.
Dylan’s gaze traced over her body, then settled on her lips as she walked over. She shivered at his intense stare.
Reaching out, he ran the pads of his fingers up her throat and rubbed his thumb over her lower lip. “Happy birthday, my little Dream Walker,” he whispered and kissed her on her cheek.
Aspen blushed and smiled at the same time. She was still embarrassed because she’d been so brazen the previous day, but it didn’t seem to affect him at all.
Sandy grabbed her away from him and smacked her lips against Aspen’s other cheek. “Happy birthday, Aspen. Welcome to our clan.”
Laughing, she pulled back. “Enough, enough, guys. It’s just my birthday.”
“That’s the point. It’s the most special day of your life.” Sandy grinned. “Here.” She handed a small gift-wrapped box to her. “You can only open it at lunch when we’re with you,” she warned.
“Thank you! You didn’t have to, but thanks. It means a lot to me.”
“This is from me,” Dylan said. He stared into Aspen’s eyes as he handed her another small box.
“Thank you,” she murmured, and looked up to see Miriam standing a short distance away with a scowl on her face. Her stepsister crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head at Aspen. The warning was clear, and as soon as she’d made her point, she turned around and disappeared into the school building.
“Give them back to me. You can’t open them until lunch anyway. I don’t want you peeking before then.” Sandy chuckled as she removed the two boxes from Aspen’s hands.
“Oh my word, that’s so mean.” She laughed. “In that case, I suppose we’ll have to go to class.”
The thought of what could be inside the boxes made her giddy. Unfortunately Miriam had seen her, and that could only mean trouble. So, even though she was excited, she was wary as well. But this was her birthday, and Aspen was determined to let nothing ruin her day.