Day 31

"Instead of a cake, you've decided to have Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches for your birthday," said Kyle with a frown before closing the birthday card with a big thirty-one on it surrounded by jelly and peanut butter blots I colored in with purple and light brown crayons.

Kyle smirked at me for a moment. "So what you're saying is I let my kid rule my life and gave in to what the kid wanted instead of what I wanted? That doesn't sound like me at all."

"Oh? Why so?"

"Any kid I have Renata will have the privileges I give it and on my special day, it's what I freaking want."

Tripoli snickered as she said aloud, "Maybe it's a mercy to the world that you're not a parent. It sounds like you want to raise a future dictator or something like that."

Kyle frowned as he asked Tripoli, "What are you doing here alone? We're not friends!"

"True, but we are," she said as she pointed to me. "I told her that she doesn't have to keep on making birthday cards but Renata is being stubborn about it. So, I'm here in support of any assholian thing you say. Satisfied?"

Kyle gave me a flabbergasted expression. "How did this friendship even happen?!"

"Well, it started when Tripoli and Polk started visiting you. After they left the first time, they exchanged their phone numbers with me. Did you honestly think it wouldn't happen?"

"I'm okay with you being friends with Polk and Abraham, but Tripoli isn't going to last long with Polk."

"Excuse me?" asked Tripoli in a lethally calm voice.

Kyle gave her a sympathetic look before he said, "I'm not trying to be an ass here. Did Polk ever tell you how long his other girlfriend's lasted?"

Tripoli shrugged as she replied, "I was enrolled later in the year because I'm a military brat remember? I also am not one who likes to dredge up the past and you know what, Kyle. I don't believe in forever." Kyle was opening his mouth to speak when Tripoli continued. "So get off your high fucking horse, Kyle. Polk told me about you and how you always seemed to have a new girl of the week before you got sent here!"

"Yeah, I did and I'm telling you Tripoli how wrong I was. You're going to get your heart broken because Polk hasn't changed." Tripoli's eyes watered for a moment before she gulped them away.

"I appreciate your unwanted input Kyle, but I can protect my own heart okay? You don't have to look out for me anymore and I don't owe you one anymore." Tripoli stomped toward the door and I followed her out.

She got as far as Mrs. Helder's room that was the door next to Kyle's before she broke down sobbing.