I Want to Piss You Off

Happy Birthday?

Today was important. When the sun hit Mia's face, she knew it was the beginning of a joyful but long morning. Fei was finally turning 21. Although the girls had grown a distaste for alcohol over the years, Mia wanted to reawaken their old teenage habits. Whether it was a good idea or not, she wasn't sure.

Mia sat up in bed and excitedly unlocked her phone. Messages from their friends flooded in, alerting her of their whereabouts. Everyone had a task to complete today for the party to succeed. Since Fei rarely agreed to celebrate her birthday, Mia was determined to make it memorable.

As Mia rubbed her eyes, the doorbell rang. She swiftly threw her blankets off and ran to the door. Whoever it was, was about to ruin her plans. When Mia peeked through the peephole, her heart sank. On the other side of the door stood Fei's mom. Although a sack of groceries covered her face, the familiar red nail polish gave away her identity.

Did she mention this yesterday? Mia thought.

Mia opened the door when Fei's little sisters emerged from the staircase.

Them too! Is this really happening?

Fei's mom let out a sigh as she stepped into the apartment. Her daughters push one another to enter.

"You don't look thrilled. Fei must've ignored my messages. Again."

Before Mia could respond, Fei's little sisters opened every kitchen cabinet, expressing dissatisfaction with the emptiness.

"Mom, is Fei poor?"

Mia fought the urge to grip her hair. She rushed into the kitchen and quietly closed all the cabinets behind them.

"It's not like that, Ms. Sy," Mia's voice wavered, "work had us occupied and-"

"Fei doesn't work."

"No, I know, but-"

"Spare yourself the trouble of lying to me. I wanted to visit Fei for her birthday."

Great. The one thing Fei wanted to avoid on her birthday was family. Mia thought.

"Is she here or not?"

The thoughts swirling in Mia's head failed to form a sentence. Instead, she pressed her lips together and emitted with confidence another lie.

"No."

Taken aback, Ms. Sy teetered between believing Mia and wanting to investigate the truth for herself.

"No? Hmm, I would hate to wait around. Come on, girls, we'll return later."

Fei's sisters groaned and threw themselves onto the sofa. They winced at the firmness of the cushions and promptly stood up.

"Inform her that I will be in town for two days. I expect to see her for one of them. Take care, Mia."

The tension in the room lingered even as the door shut behind Ms. Sy. There was no time to figure out a plan to avoid an Armageddon. After locking the door, Mia wiggled the doorknob to ensure it was secure. She pulled her phone out and sent panicked messages to their friends, hoping someone would advise her on what to do. As she waited, Mia decided to gather the decorations she already had.

Nyla: That's ridiculous!!!
Rowan: Should've known her crazy self would pull up
Kara: ...
Serena: oh my gosh
Mia: HELP! WHERE ARE YOU GUYS

After Mia replied, she searched for her sister's name in her call log. She knew Catalina would give her a quick solution. She placed a balloon to her lips and used all her energy to blow air into it.