00:00Later, when they saw that I was always calm and distant, they came less often.
00:08Sometimes they called, and it was always about Chloe, who was becoming sweeter and lovelier.
00:13I didn't answer much, so they would sigh through the phone.
00:17Ava, we just want you sisters to get along.
00:22Chloe really misses you.
00:25Are you still not coming home this week?
00:31No.
00:32I spoke very little, and often made the mood awkward.
00:35I didn't bother to smooth things over, I just hung up.
00:38They always said I was becoming more and more withdrawn.
00:40Not as likable as when I was little, but I knew.
00:43It had nothing to do with my personality.
00:46Withdrawn, not likable.
00:48Even when I cried and forced myself to smile, even when I was as pathetic as I had been in
00:52my last life, I still wasn't likable.
00:55It was like they were destined to hate me.
00:57Destined to step on my bones while showing off how much they favored Chloe.
01:05Luckily, I had lost my ability to love.
01:07So naturally, my heart no longer hurt because of them.
01:14Liam, however, still came every day without fail.
01:17He brought food packed from home and ran between the elementary and middle school campuses.
01:22Sometimes Chloe would come with him, panting hard.
01:25The look she gave me was full of blame.
01:31Ava, this is exhausting for Liam.
01:34Why don't you come to our class instead?
01:38I didn't ask him to come, and I definitely didn't ask you to come.
01:42I took the food Liam brought and sat down to eat by myself.
01:45Chloe bit her lip, her eyes filling with tears as she looked at Liam.
01:50He took the sweat from his forehead and smiled with patience, looking almost like a good brother.
01:55It's not hard, uh.
01:56I won't only care about Chloe and ignore you.
01:58If you don't want to go home, then don't.
02:01The school food isn't good.
02:03From now on, I'll bring you food from home every day.
02:05I ignored him, but he didn't get angry.
02:08Most of the time, he stood quietly with Caleb outside Class B's door.
02:12When I finished eating, he took the empty lunchbox and ran back to the elementary building.
02:20Caleb spoke much less now.
02:22He no longer insisted that I talk to him.
02:24Most of the time, as soon as class ended, he would run to the window and pretend to glance in
02:29my direction by accident.
02:30I pretended not to see any of it.
02:32Days passed like that, one after another, until the day before my 14th birthday.
02:38Mom and Dad showed up at school with Liam, which was rare.
02:42When they saw me, both of them seemed to freeze for a second.
02:45Mom held my arm with trembling hands and murmured,
02:48You've grown taller again.
02:51You're almost taller than me now.
02:57Sweetheart, you haven't come home in so long.
03:01That's right, Ava.
03:04Your birthday is tomorrow.
03:06We have already set everything up.
03:09Will you come home tomorrow?
03:12We have roommates and friends, too.
03:13It'll be more fun with more people.
03:15You didn't come home for your birthday last year.
03:17We waited for you all night.
03:19Last year, oh, on my birthday last year, I had no idea where Jace heard about it.
03:24He dragged the goofballs from our class out and insisted on taking me horseback riding.
03:28Ava, can you maybe loosen up a little?
03:31I looked at him in confusion.
03:32He used two index fingers to pull up the corners of his mouth.
03:37It's your birthday.
03:38Don't stay so tense all the time.
03:40Smile a little.
03:45He sat on a tall chestnut horse and turned his head slightly to look at me under the sunlight.
03:51I tried to force out a smile.
03:57Ava Blackwood.
03:59Happy birthday.
04:05I sat on the horse and listened to the wind rushing past my ears.
04:09I realized that the tight, heavy feeling in my chest seemed to be loosening a little.
