"Quotation"

Entry Nine

"Happy birthday to me," exclaimed the Lady in Blue. "I was eighteen years old, officially an adult. And I was dang proud of myself for living this long." Lidya smiled around the straw of her banana milkshake. She couldn't wait to be eighteen either. However, that was two years away. "August eighteenth was my eighteenth birthday that year and I wouldn't have wanted to spend it any less perfect than I did."

Lidya was all alone today. Irina and Mikhail couldn't come, but she promised to tell them all about it the next morning. For this new entry, Lidya was expecting some awesome details to hold over her friends' heads just as payback for the salt last week. Oh, yes, Lidya had hopes. And so far, the birthday looked promising.

The Lady flipped the page before continuing. "To start this marvelous day, I had awoken to a text from Agostino wishing me a fabulous birthday. Then, I went to the kitchen to discover my mother had made me chocolate chip pancakes. And, boy, they were delicious." Cue Lidya wanting chocolate chip pancakes. "After getting into my special birthday dress that I had prepared just for today, I went over to Tamryn's house where Katya would show up and we'd hang out until dinner. And hang out we did.

"However, the multiple cherries on top were the best and are really unforgettable for me."

*~*o.o*~*o.o*~*(o.o)*~*o.o*~*o.o*~*

Cherry on top number one: the surprise birthday part Tamryn and Katya threw me because they are awesome best friends like that.

I had gone over to Tamryn's house expecting just us and Katya, but no. For one, Katya was already there. Two, the door was open. Three, the lights were out. Four, when I walked in and called for my friends, they, and a whole other bunch of people, jumped out from behind furniture and walls to yell "Surprise!" Five, I got way more than the amount of money I was expecting to. And it was wonderful.

A slew of people congratulated me while I went to find my BFFs. Adelaide Johnson, Bert Calloway, Una Romero, and even Ziggy Atchinson, the guy I thought was totally the hottest guy I had ever had the pleasure of meeting until I met Agostino. Finally, I saw them. I gave them a giant bear hug and they just asked me if I wanted some cake or if I wanted to eat or open presents first.

Seeing as I had had chocolate chips pancakes not too long ago, presents were my first choice. Everyone gathered around me in a half circle and handed me their present. Now, I couldn't count how much money I got then and there, but later I counted over three hundred fifty dollars. All that money I didn't need to work for.... Ah, it made my life easier and my day even better.

After that, we ate. All of my favorites of course. Grilled cheese, dinosaur chicken nuggets, and mashed potatoes really made my day awesomer. Then, we spent a while just doing nothing by talking and playing silly games like Simon Says or whatever until Katya had had enough and outright demanded cake. It was marble cake, of course; I never really could decide if I liked vanilla or chocolate more. However, the funfetti icing was a must.

Cherry on top number two: I saw Mr. Calico-Eyed Russian again and he seemed more sane.

Of course, seeing him again was kind of creepy. I was on my walk back home, still in my party dress, traveling with a, then, unknown sum of money. I was a couple blocks away from my house when we almost crashed into each other. Thank God almost.

He looked at me in shock, then recognition. "Hello," he said, smiling brightly. "You look marvelous today, Nika." Great. He still remembered my name.

"Thanks," I replied lamely. "I see you remembered my name."

His smile got bigger. "Sure did! Too bad it's not raining today. It would have been the perfect time to kiss you." He actually looked bummed out about a fact that I was uncomfortable with.

I licked my lips and stepped away from him. "Right, well, I best be on my way." I started to walk by him, but the weirdo decided to stick his hand out and grab my arm. I was officially worried about my health now. I turned to him and curtly asked, "What?"

Then, Mr. Calico-Eyed Russian did something I did not expect. It was a magic trick. He magically made a bright pink and wonderfully smelling rose appear out of nowhere. "You can't go," he started, "until I give you this." I blinked in shock, but accepted the rose anyway. It was a seriously pretty rose. He released my arm and turned back the way he was heading, raising an arm in good-bye while calling back, "Happy Birthday, Nika!"

I stood there for a while. Just staring at my new rose. Until I went home.

Cherry on top number three: I received a call from Agostino's phone, which made me extremely excited because he called me on my birthday even after I had a text from this morning.

Yet, it was just Agostino's phone that had called me. On the other end was not Agostino. In fact, it was two girls' voices, giggling like mad men when I had answered. And then the girls started speaking Italian to each other quickly so that I really couldn't understand them.

After deliberating on whether or not to hang up, one of them started to speak to me in really bad English. "Hello? Niiita? Telefono?*"

I blinked. "Yes, I'm still here." A pause. "And my name is Nikita."

"Niiita!" More giggling and then what sounded like, "Mio fratello e Niiita!*" Then from another, younger sounding voice, "Che carino!*" What was going on? "Niiita?"

"Yes," I tried.

"Katrina," said one voice.

"Viviana," said the younger voice.

Oh. Oh. These were Agostino's sisters. They had found his phone and called me. Um. Why? "Uh, hi, Katrina, Viviana." They giggled. "Where's Agostino?"

"Agostino," said Katrina. Then she giggled some more. "Niiita vuole Agostino.*" The two girls laughed, but I didn't understand what was so funny.

And then I heard a little bit farther away from the girls on the phone Agostino's voice. His voice sounded so perfect even on the phone. "Katrina? Viviana? Mio telefono?*" The girls shrieked and I heard the phone drop and then some laughing. "Ragazze folli!*" Yep. The Italian was lost on me.

A few more minutes and the laughing stopped and the phone was picked up once more. "Ah, Nikita," questioned Agostino's lovely voice.

It was my turn to giggle. "Yeah, I'm still here."

Agostino laughed, too. "Sorry about my sisters."

That made me laugh harder. "Don't worry, Agostino. They were cute."

"More like embarrassing. What did they say to you?"

"I have no idea. I don't speak Italian."

There was a pause before he spoke again. "That makes sense. Well, Nikita, as much as I don't want to, I need to sleep. Good-night, dear Nikita. Happy birthday."

I smiled, he yawned, and I smiled more. "Thanks. Good-night." End phone conversation.

Wait. Hadn't Mr. Calico-Eyed Russian wished me a happy birthday, too?

*~*o.o*~*o.o*~*(o.o)*~*o.o*~*o.o*~*

Well, Lidya got exactly what she wished for. And more. It also did help that when the Lady in Blue was speaking about the rose, Lidya noticed a dead flower pressed into the pages. The story just became ten times more believable now. Maybe Lidya really could get her own Agostino?

Not to mention, that last comment about Mr. Calico-Eyed Russian, who still needed a proper name, really threw the restaurant occupants in for a loop. No one had noticed until Nikita had pointed it out. And it was creepy. But, then again, a good magician never reveals their secrets?

Nonetheless, the girl could not wait for next week.

----====----====----

Telefono - Telephone

Mio fratello e Niiita - My brother and Niiita

Che carino - How cute

Niiita vuole Agostino - Niiita wants Agostino

Mio telefono - My telephone

Ragazze folli - Crazy girls