Page 2 of My Favorite Secret
“No one will see the scars when you’re dancing,” Tyler says. “And they won’t stop you from being pretty.”
“You’re just saying that.”
“It’s the truth,” Felix says. “In fact, I think you’ll look better with the scars.” He stares at the shattered glass on the floor, deep in thought. “If you’re that worried, I’ll run a piece of glass along both my hands so you’re not the only one with scars.”
The shock of his words dries up my tears. “You can’t be serious.”
“I am.” Felix takes Tyler’s shirt, using it as protection to pick up a jagged piece of glass, and holds the sharp point to his palm.
“Stop!”
He rolls his eyes. “You are such a girl. I don’t care about pain and blood.”
“I know you don’t care. But I do. Don’t do this.”
Felix looks from the shard of glass to me. His lips curlupward, and I realize that like the girls at school, Iamscared of Felix right now, because whatever he’s thinking can’t be good.
“Fine.” He holds out the shard to me. “Yougive me the scars.”
“You’re crazy.” I shove his hand away, but he pushes it right back to me.
“I’m serious. I want to match you. If you don’t take over, I’ll do it myself. I might cut too deep and cause some real damage. You’ll be gentle.”
My lips twitch with fear, but I know Felix and he’s not joking. There’s never any stopping him when his mind is made up. He’ll be too rough. We’ll have to take him to the hospital. My parents would definitely send him home.
I can be gentle. But the main tipping point in my decision is that Felix said he wants to matchme. My stomach does that strange flipping feeling again that I like. If my hands do end up scarring, I like the thought of matching with Felix.
He sits beside me on the couch and holds out the shard. Nervous, I take it from him and do the job, being careful. I think there’s something wrong with me when I see Felix’s blood and get excited.
When I look up to check his pain, his eyes are already boring into me with no sign of discomfort. I feel weird inside, like I’m doing something bad but I don’t want to stop. Mom and Dad would ground me for a month if they walked in on us right now.
“Do the same to my other hand.”
I’m about to run the shard along Felix’s other palm but a different idea comes to mind. My eyes switch to Tyler kneeling in front of me. I shouldn’t say what I’m thinking. There are so many strange thoughts in my head.
Felix knows me too well and speaks my mind. “You want Tyler to have the second scar.”
I shake my head, embarrassed that the truth has come out.
To my surprise, Tyler shrugs and grins at me. “Do it, Harp. You’ll have a scar for each of us. We’ll have a scar for you.”
When he says it like that, I’m convinced. A few moments ago, I was afraid my hands would scar. Now, I hope they do. I like the idea of the three of us having matching scars. It will be a connection we share forever.
I look at Felix, needing his approval. He nods. “Go ahead.”
As I draw the glass along Tyler’s palm, I get that same feeling within me from before, that something about me, Tyler, and Felix definitely isn’t right. I don’t know what it is about us that isn’t right. All I know is my parents wouldn’t approve.
I just won’t tell my parents about this moment.
If they somehow find out and the boys are sent home, it won’t matter. I know, from these scars, that I don’t just have Tyler and Felix for the summer.
I smile at the two of them and whisper, “You belong to me for life.”
CHAPTER TWO
HARPER
Age: 11
