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Back To NC | Shook Chapter 26 Part 2
Dyan woke up staring at a blank white ceiling. Her forehead wrinkled. Since when had the foster home installed a circle-shaped glass ceiling light?
Beside her was her trusty bookbag. Without lifting her head, Dyan picked up one of the bitten tail-straps and slid her fingers against the texture of it. She heard talking from downstairs.
“Hey Dyan!”
Dyan gasped and jumped. She slid the top half of her body up to see Maya’s arms balanced on the railing at the edge of her bunk.
“Oh my god!” Dyan smiled. “I forgot I’ve been adopted. I almost thought this whole winter break had been a dream, y’know, like in those movies!”
Maya hopped off the bunk bed. “No, you’re not dreaming. But it’s good you're awake, ’cause we’ll need the extra hands to prepare for the New Year’s party in a few days.”
And so came the tornado of preparation for the New Years party. Dyan spent the next few hours planning party ideas with Navy, and then they joined the rest of the Blue children to make two sweet potato pies for the family feast, the cooking being directed by Royal.
The kitchen was a huge mess! There were sweet-potato skins laying all across the dark wooden floors, and some of the top and bottom shelf cabinets were left hanging open, all types of spices and powdery ingredients missing from the shelves. The counter had lots of orange muck on it as Navy was busy stirring the orange filling around while Royal ordered everyone else to start cleaning up.
Dyan was busy pouring the bowl of already-mixed pie-filling into the first pie crust, which Maya was holding steady.
Royal came by to watch. “Common, Dyan! The suns dropping faster than that filling!”
“And your mouth is moving faster than the sun!” Maya shouted at Royal.
Dyan laughed at their antics. “Okay, okay, I’ll pick up the paste!”
Soon both pies were slid into the oven and everyone was working on cleaning up the kitchen.
As Dyan swept up sweet potato skins, she smiled in the direction of the living room. Dyan was excited for the New Year’s party. Presents were crowded around the fireplace. Some were big, some were small.
A few days ago Mrs. Blue made a box full of papers that had the family’s names written on them. Everyone was to pull out three names, and whoever’s name they got is the person they were supposed to get a present for. Some people got three names, if one of the names they had gotten was Teal or Bear.
Dyan hadn’t told anyone who she had gotten, since you weren’t supposed to, but she was quite excited for everyone to find out. For Wild Yonder, she had gotten him a gift card to a gaming site where he could buy whatever game he wanted. For Teal, she got her a Mrs. Big Bear stuffed animal. The thin rectangular-shaped gift was what Dyan had gotten for Maya. Dyan knew Maya would just love what was inside.
After both pies were in the oven, Dyan went close to the fire to get warm and read which presents were whose. Though Dyan was looking at all the presents, she was searching for her own name in the stack as well, and when she found it, her eyes stayed locked on it.
It was a thin and rectangular present, no bigger than an envelope. It laid at the foot of the pyramid of presents. It was the smallest present of them all. Dyan was both overjoyed and… something else. She was overjoyed because this present was the first present she had ever been given in her 10 years of life. The other feeling was a bit complicated. All the other family members had gotten big, glittery boxy presents or ones with star bows stuck on top. Hers was wrapped up in wrapping paper and most likely an envelope or a card.
What could be in there? Probably nothing significant, since it was so small. It was probably just some letter.
Because I’m adopted, does this mean I get the smallest presents? Dyan thought to herself. Since I’m not biologically related to them, maybe they don’t have to put so much thought into my gifts.
Maya walked over to the fireplace, her filling -covered fingers spread apart. “I’ve got to take a shower. Azure got nutmeg on my shirt. What are you doing? Looking at presents!? Oh, I can’t wait to open mine!” Maya kneeled by a glittery gray box with a bow tied like a shoelace on top.
She looked at Dyan and saw she was staring at her small gift.
“Oh, you’re going to love that one. Trust me.” Maya nodded at her smiling.
“Shh!”
“Maya!”
All around the house Maya got mean glares and scolds from everyone.
“You’re not supposed to talk about the gifts, especially that one!” Royal whispered as she dragged Maya away.
“Dyan, can you wipe off Teal’s face?” Mrs. Blue asked from the kitchen. She just ate her dinner and I want her clean before we eat ours.”
Dyan left to go clean up Teal, but she did keep thinking about that gift. Why was it unlike the others, and why couldn’t Maya talk about it?
Find out what happens next in the next part!
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