JASMINE
My twentieth birthday was three days after the alpha ceremony. It was the perfect fall day—the trees in northern Vermont had turned into a palette of red, orange, and yellow, and the weather had now cooled. I had the day off from work and spent it on schoolwork. It wasn’t a very exciting birthday, but I wanted to be sure I stayed ahead in school.
At four in the afternoon, while my parents were at work, I heard the doorbell chime. I descended the stairs to the first floor and looked out the window to see that Blake was waiting on the doorstep. I took a deep breath and opened the door, wondering why he was here.
“Happy birthday.” He smiled, engulfing me in a hug. I patted his back, unsure of his presence and confused by how he was acting as if he hadn’t ignored my existence for th
