It was because Pierce was coming. I didn’t want to admit it, but I was looking forward to weeding with him at Mrs. Tiger’s. Even that sentence sounded ridiculous in my head, but I didn’t care. Jill and Maxie had gone home to change, and I was lying on my bed in my room, reading to pass the time. It was hard to focus on my book when so much was going on, but I was trying. My dad was be in for a shock when a guy showed up that I hadn’t known since I was little, but my dad always took everything in stride. I hoped he understood. Maxie liked Pierce, of course, but she liked every cute guy, and Jill was willing to tolerate him, which was the best I could hope for from Jill at this point. I sighed, trying to ease the tension that had been building in my shoulders and neck. I rolled from left to right on my pillows, but I couldn’t get comfortable. My birthday was always upsetting. I knew that tonight when I went to sleep there would be the Snake Man with the dead eyes waiting for me, and I was dreading it.
