Mac sighs. "Jack. We just stopped a brutal dictator from deploying a chemical weapon. Can't this wait till we get back?"
"No." Jack tells him. "We can't wait. I'm gonna tell you the same thing I told my sister last year. Either you're celebrating your birthday with Jack, or you're agreeing to any and all plans for your birthday being done by Jack."
"You said the same thing to me last year."
"Your choice."
"And I said the same thing."
"This year is gonna be different."
"And then, I had to explain-"
"I can feel it."
"Einstein's definition of insanity to you."
"Okay, A: if you just pick one, Jack might shut up. And, B: why not?" Evan wonders.
"Yeah, birthdays are awesome. Cake, presents. What's not to love?" Riley questions.
"Yeah, what's the matter with you?" Jack agrees and I open my eyes, now checking the time on my watch.
"Don't waste your time, Riley. Been trying to get Mac to celebrate a birthday since the fifth grade. No cakes, no piñatas, not even one tail pinned on one donkey." Bozer inquires.
"Oh, c'mon, Mac. Every donkey needs a tail." McKenna asserts.
"Okay, everyone." Mac groans from behind me and I stare out the window. "Listen up. You know I love a good party, but birthdays make no sense. We are aging every second of every minute of every day. And for some reason, we decide to pick one arbitrary day to celebrate being one year older all because some pope made a calendar in the 16th century? If we were on Mars, I would be fourteen years old, and my next birthday wouldn't be for another 231 days."
"Mars? You're using bloody Mars as an argument against birthdays?"
