Edge of Chaos

Edge of Chaos by Brynn O'Connor Read Free Book Online Page A

Book: Edge of Chaos by Brynn O'Connor Read Free Book Online
Authors: Brynn O'Connor
breakfast, I was a little surprised to find no presents and no
decorations at all. I guessed my father would put them up before the party at
two. I was in the middle of pouring my cereal when my dad came downstairs.
    “Hey little man,
your father has to run into town to take care of an errand. You can make
yourself a sandwich for lunch, right?” he had said.
    I nodded. I
thought he was going to get my presents. It was a sunny and warm day, so when the
time of the party drew nearer, I went out and sat on the curb to wait for my
guests to arrive. I was a little nervous when no one seemed to show up, but I
just thought they were running late. I hoped my dad would arrive with the cake
before my friends came.
    When it was after
2:30, I finally left my spot on the curb and went back inside. I couldn’t deny
it any longer. My party had come and gone and nobody, not even my dad, had
shown up. I intended to go to my room and crawl under my covers, but as I
passed by my dad’s office, I decided to take a peek. The door was usually
closed and locked; but for some reason, it was open a crack that day. I pushed
it open and walked in.
    The first thing I
noticed was all the pictures of people and their motorcycles. There were oodles
of them. Some were kinda funny, but many were downright scary-looking. Then I
noticed a pile of envelopes on my father’s desk. I picked the first one up and
my heart dropped down to the bottoms of my feet. It was an invitation to Mark,
one of the kids in my class. I looked at the next one. It said ‘To Holly’. I counted
them; twenty-three invitations, one for each of my classmates. My father had
forgotten to send them. I was sure he had forgotten it was my birthday, as
well.
    It was almost five
when I heard my dad’s chopper coming up the street and by the sound of it, he
wasn’t alone. I ran to the living room window and looked out. Three motorcycles
were pulling up to the house. I watched anxiously as my father got off his
bike. He wasn’t holding any cake or decorations, let alone presents. He had
forgotten my birthday altogether. I ran to my room, slammed the door and
collapsed on my bed.  
    After a few
minutes, there was a knocking on my door, so I jumped up, excited, thinking
that maybe I was wrong and I would still have a party. I opened the door,
breathless with anticipation. My father did not look happy.
    'Why the hell
haven’t you finished your chores? You didn’t take out the trash and there’s
crap all over the place downstairs. I have guests and there are dirty dishes in
the sink, breakfast dishes on the table, and I doubt you vacuumed the living
room. What the hell is wrong with you?' he'd said.
    'You forgot!' I'd said.
    'What?' my dad had
asked, getting angry.
    'My birthday is
today and you forgot. You also forgot to send my invitations!' I had told him.
    'You were in my
office? What the fuck were you doing there?' he had demanded. 'You know my
office is off limits, dammit. And as to those stupid invitations, until you
start doing better around here, there’s not gonna be any party; so you can just
forget this birthday. How could you even think you’d get anything the way you
have been acting?'
    'I told everybody
in my class I was having a party today and now they’re just going to laugh at
me on Monday,' I had said, bursting into tears.
    'Not my problem,
Luke. How could you be so stupid to tell everybody about some dumb party?
That’s on you, not me, so quit your blubbering and come down and do your chores,'
he had yelled.
    'I hate you!
You’re a beast and a bully!' I had shouted back.
    I never saw it
coming then. I just felt an explosion of pain on the side of my head and I was
completely off balance. I threw out my arms in an unsuccessful attempt to break
my fall, but I crashed into the corner of my desk and my gold fish bowl smashed
on the floor beside me.
    'Dammit, Luke!
Look-' he had just said.
    'Speedy!' I had
cried out in horror. 'My fishy, my fishy…'
    I screamed

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