Worth it

Sugar

"Ronnie! RonnieRonnieRonnie! RONNIEEEEEE!", squealed the small child outside the Fryman family home, bouncing excitably on his feet, "C'mon OUUUUT!"

The window cracked open, and Ronnie sleepily fixed his glasses on his face, "Laaars, it's eight in the morning..."

"But it's my birthday!", he insisted, "An' I got six ten dollar bills for my birthday, one for each year! An' I can do whatever I want with them!"

"Whatever you want?", his friend smiled, peeking over the window.

"Whatever I want," Lars grinned.

That was enough to excite the other boy, who hopped out his first story window onto the ground in his pajamas with a cheer. His father immediately shouted for him to get back inside and get dressed, and he sheepishly scurried back in, ignoring Lars' giggles. Once he came back out, dressed, he grinned, "So...what are we doing today besides your family's party?"

Lars leafed through the crisp new bills he'd been gifted by his father along with the rest of his saved money, "I'm gonna use my money to get what I've always wanted."

"A time machine?"

"No," Lars sighed, "That costs way more than six ten dollar bills...the other thing I've always wanted."

"Tall shoes for the roller coaster at Funland?"

"Nooo!", Lars whined again, "A snake!"

"A snake? When did you ever want a snake?"

"I always have!", he insisted. Well, maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration. In preschool, a reptile expert had come in with a bunch of different reptiles to show everyone, and talk about them, and having been a shy withdrawn child, Lars was surprised with himself when he bravely stepped forward to pet the giant python the man was holding, amazed at how smooth it was, and how warm it felt on his hand. For the rest of that talk, the boy had been completely enthralled with the idea of handling snakes, and had immediately asked his mother and father if he could have one.

They said it was too much of a responsibility for him, and that snakes cost a lot of money (Lars checked the pet store, the cage, snake, and food all added up to about 10 ten dollar bills), and that he would have to save up for when he was older. Well now that he was six, and had been good at saving all of his money, he felt it was more than appropriate to gift himself with the perfect present.

Ronnie still didn't believe him until Lars offered him the position of being godfather to whichever snake he adopted. Then he was more than gung-ho about rushing to the pet store.

Lars, still a runt in comparison to his friend, scrambled as fast as his legs would carry him, "Hurry Ronnie, the pet store opens at eight o'thirty!", he whined, even though the other boy was several steps ahead of him, even pulling little Lars by the hand.

"You hurry!", Ronnie laughed, and the two bounded down the boardwalk, running across every crosswalk, careful to look both ways.

"What if everyone wants a snake today and they run out?," Lars whined, "What if they push me down and take my money and-"

"Well aren't you boys early?", the kindly old pet store owner, Mr. Dander, smiled as he opened the door for business just as the two friends scurried in front of the entrance.

"It's Lars' birthday today!", Ronnie cheered.

"Is that so?", the owner smiled, "Well happy birthday then!"

"Thank you!", the birthday boy chirped, "I'm going to get a snake!"

"Are you?", Mr. Dander smiled, "You're in luck! I have a few snakes that are looking for a good home."