“Hurry up, Mols!” Lucy dragged me by the wrist, pulling like we had to escape a fire. I stumbled and whacked my hip on something.

  “Ouch!” I rubbed the sore spot with my free hand and glared through the scarf on my face. “If you wanted me to hurry, then you shouldn’t have blindfolded me.”

  “Oh, don’t fuss. Come on!” She tugged again and I let her guide me. I wasn’t sure why she was insisting on this. We both knew the surprise was in my room. Still, I’d only recently got her to stop questioning things. Better to humor her now.

  We went up the stairs, more gradually after my earlier thump, but I grew impatient when she drew me down the hall. I was skipping blindly, just to keep up the pace.

  Lucy hadn’t let me in my room all day, even getting her mom and dad to take me shopping on a solo trip. They hadn’t been subtle. Smiling conspiratorially whenever I asked why Lucy wasn’t joining us or suddenly remarking about how it was getting late and we needed to head back at only three.

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  I hated surprises. They’d never been good to me. So, I wanted to be angry but Lucy’s insane giggle made that impossible. We’d been doing okay the last six months. Exchanging art, watching movies. She even invited me out with her friends. James seemed nice enough. I could see why she was crushing on him.

  We finally reached the end of the hall and Lucy turned me, standing behind me and using my shoulders for direction. I didn’t bother pointing out she could have just started this way. Or blindfolded me at the end of the hall, after the stairs.

  Her chuckle was too infectious. “Ready?”

  “Dear God, yes!” I snickered.

  “Tada.” She yanked the scarf off, dislodging my glasses in the process.

  “Ow!” I whined when the frame jabbed me in the nose. “You better not have broke–”

  My protest was cut short when I straightened the frames and saw everything. Streamers were taped to the ceiling, some long and some short. All curled haphazardly. There were balloons and confetti all over the floor and littering my bed.

  I was confused for a minute; my birthday was months off. But then I noticed the giant banner. Way in the back. Hand-painted in Lucy’s meticulous style.

  WELCOME HOME, SISTER!