“You mentioned you liked red ribbons before,” he said, then thrust it to me. “Try it on.”
What he had just said was true. I had once said that I liked red ribbons. Yet when George first bought one, it was Amanda. Amanda thought it was too old-fashioned and threw it away.
Now, George gave me the thing that Amanda did not want.
My nose turned red as I looked away to hide my sadness. "I don't want it anymore. Take it back."
George misunderstood my refusal as a childish tantrum, one he thought he had to soothe. His frustration flared, "Why are you making things difficult again?"
Amanda quickly stepped in to stop George. "It's okay, George. Kelly's just a little girl. Don't scare her."
Amanda gave an overly apologetic smile. "Are you upset we didn’t invite you to the movies? Next time, you can come with us.”
Her tone was so magnanimous that it made me seem petty in comparison. As she spoke, she put her hand on my arm and secretly pinched me hard, when no one was looking.
“Everyone knows your brother dotes on you the most,” Amanda added with a sugary smile. “Don’t be jealous.”
The sharp pain made me flinch. I yanked her arm away and shouted, “What are you doing?”