Take One for the Team

Chapter 7: Birthday

It was my 12th birthday!!!
That cheered me up. And got my mind off Coach Melissa leaving.
My best friend Hope asked me to come to her house, and of course I said yes. I was happy that my birthday was on a Saturday this year. Hope and I went shopping and then got ice cream. Before I knew it it was time to go home.
Hope's mom drove us home in her car with her sister Karly. I'm friends with Karly too, but not as close as I am with Hope.
Hope has two little brothers too, but they stayed home with their dad.
The ride home was kinda long. Hope and I had changed into our new clothes that we had bought just for fun. We had bought matching light blue tops with little dark blue flowers. The top looked completely different on us though, because we have completely different figures. Hope is taller and skinny, and I am shorter and more muscular.
We arrived at my house. Hope's mom said that she needed to talk to my mom about something, so Me, Hope, Karly and her mom all walked in.
I walked through the gate up to the door and rang the doorbell. My mom opened the door. After a second I see a bunch of balloons fly out of nowhere and people appear.
"Surprise!" Everyone yelled, and people jumped out of everywhere.
"What's all this?" I asked, confused. "It's your surprise birthday party!" exclaimed Hope. I looked around to see who was there. I saw Hope and Karly, obviously, and some of my other friends from school, Sophie, Caitlyn, Christina, Olivia, Maggie, and my sisters Addy and Katie. There were light pink and light blue balloons and decorations, my favorite color. It was so perfect.
"All this, for me?" I asked, still confused. I was so surprised. I didn't suspect a thing! All my friends from school were here. It was so wonderful. We went into the other room to have a drink. Then the doorbell rang. "I wonder who that could be," I said. We all walked over to the to front door, and in walked McKenzie and Lilah!
"But, how did you guys know?" I asked. "A little birdie told me," said Hope, and she winked at my mom.
Now not only were my school friends here, but also my jump rope friends. I introduce McKenzie and Lilah to my friends from school. Then my mom said, "Julie, put on your bathing suit, because it's a pool party!" I immediately realized that everyone except me was wearing their bathing suits under their clothes.
I changed into my suit, and then we all walked across the street to the pool. I took off my shoes and jumped in. I looked up and saw McKenzie and Hope right behind me. They were a lot alike. And yet they're completely different too. Hope had been to a few jump rope workshops and things to support me and had met my jump rope friends before, but I don't think they really remember each other.
Soon enough, everyone was in the pool. We had fun playing Marko Pollo, and then we had a diving competition. After a while, we got kinda bored of swimming, so we got out and talked and sat in the sun. Everyone seemed to be getting along. After a while, we went back to my house for cake.
They cake was so delicious. It was chocolate with chocolate frosting, my favorite!!! On top were little light pink and blue flowers. The cake looked just as good as it tasted.
After cake we went outside to my yard. My backyard is awesome. We have swings and a trampoline and a ping pong table and a hammock. All my friends like to hang out there. The trampoline is the most fun. At one point all of us where in it at one time! We jumped so high, and had so much fun.
"You guys," I asked, "Who's idea was it? The whole surprise party, I mean."
"Well, I guess I had the idea, but your mom was so helpful!" said Hope. "Thank you," I said, and hugged her. "Thank you everyone. This has been the best birthday ever."
After everybody left, I opened up my presents. I didn't even think that there would be presents!
I went to dinner with my family that night. I got presents from my parents, too. My favorite was a cute white skirt with pink flowers, just like the ones on my cake!
I was still so happy and surprised that Hope and my mom would throw me a surprise birthday party. I had a great time that entire night.
And I was 12 now! Twelve at last.