Paper Cranes

Elizabeth

Ryan and I became fair friends over a short period of time. He’s actually very interesting, always having entertaining stories and what not. I practically never stop laughing when we have a conversation.

And the dreaded day came.

“Ellie, I know you said you didn’t want anything, but when I saw this I couldn’t resist!” Cathy practically squealed as she placed a large, neatly wrapped box-like item in my lap.

“I know you like reading and you always complain about being bored with the books you have, so I thought, ‘What the heck?’,” Cathy explained as I carefully unwrapped the gift. A smile found its place on my face as the words Harry Potter met my vision under the plastic lock.

“It’s the whole set - all seven books – the woman at the bookstore told me.”

“Thanks, Cathy!” I grinned, wrapping my arms around her and placing my gift on the table, “Though you really, really shouldn’t have.”

“It wasn’t any trouble, Ellie!”

“Yeah? How much was it?”

A smile graced her face as she pressed a finger to her lips, “That’s between me and the cashier.”

Suddenly, a loud beeping sound echoed throughout the otherwise silent room.

“I’ll come check on you later, Love,” Cathy said, looking at her pager before rushing out the door.

I opened the fake trunk and pulled out the first book of the collection; Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

:♥:♥:♥:

In the mail, I got a talking birthday card from Natalie, my sister in New York. On the cover it read, “Merry Eighteenth!” in my sisters handwriting. When you opened it, it said, “It’s your birthday, Ellie-Belly! I got you a card! YAY YOU!” in my sister’s voice. I can’t tell you how many times I opened and closed that card.

My youngest older sibling, Devin, came to visit from California. He bought me a cell phone so I could text and talk to him, and only him, for an unlimited amount of time. The gift hadn’t been wrapped because, according to the actor himself, adhesives seem to be attracted to his hair. Instead, he brought it to me in a gift bag. He even prepaid all of the bills for the next two years. We talked for about two hours and then he had to go back to his movie.

Michael also decided to stop by. He let it slip that him and his wife, whom I had no idea about, were moving to Florida and I wouldn’t see him for awhile (or more than a month in so little words). Michael, being the tech-nerd he is, bought me a laptop to replace my old dusty one. He instructed him to e-mail him every day about how I’ve been and about my health.

He told me all about his wife, Nancy, and that she was pregnant. I told him all about Brendon and Ryan. Michael didn’t really approve of the concept of twoboys men in a hospital room with his poor, sick, defenseless baby sister. Of course, being as stubborn as I was, I argued that if he cared that much about who visited me, he would come around more often and not move so far away.

:♥:♥:♥:

It was around four in the afternoon when Kimmy arrived, wrapped box under her right arm. She smiled, which made her eyes light up.

“For this special occasion, I decided that I’d dress like a normal person,” Kimberly said, sighing, but smiling all the while. I laughed at the slight tone change in her voice when she said ‘normal’.

“I thought I told you not to get me anything!”

Kimmy rolled her eyes, “Oh, please! I’m not going to listen to an eighteen-year-old!”

It was true that Kimberly was older than me by two years, and still acted two years younger. Her mother still had all control over her money and life until she graduated from college in four or six years (depending on how her mother’s feeling).

“Okay, I know you don’t listen to much music now-a-days, so I just thought that maybe this would be a good gift to give you- Is that new?! Can I see it?!”

Kimberly’s attention was immediately snatched from her speech to the black laptop on my nightstand.

“Uhm…sure?” That even sounded like a question to my ears.

The redhead bounced over to me and put the box in my lap before positioning the portable computer in hers.

“Oh, my God! There’s an Internet connection!” she squealed. Good ol’ classic Kimberly.

I laughed as I pulled at the tape. I could tell that Kimmy’s gift was hand wrapped, because it was as neat as the other gifts I had gotten. However, I’d like to point out that Kimmy’s taste in wrapping paper was better than Cathy’s and Michael’s. It was white, with black (glittering) music notes all over it, just like a sheet of music.

It looked like a cigar box. I would know, my grandfather was a firm believer in smoking, but ONLY when it came to cigars. I never liked then, and would never try now. Or ever.

Kimmy must have seen my look of rejection, because she rolled her eyes and said, “Just open the damn box!”

Of course, I should have known nothing deadly was inside. I’m sure no one in their right mind would name their cigars Panic! at the Disco. Instead, there was a bunch of miscellaneous items inside. What caught my eye the most was a picture.

It was made to look old, and it was green. The faces were also a bit faded, but there was absolutely no doubt in my mind that I was staring at familiar face. Too familiar.

“And…and these people are famous?” I asked Kimberly as she typed away at my laptop.

“Yes, woman! They are, like, the world’s most wanted men in the entire world!” Kimberly responded dramatically.

My eyes narrowed at the paper. It couldn’t be true. Could it? Of course it could be. Of course it was.

That lying bastard.