As Told By Nerdy

Chapter 30 - Sixteen

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Chapter 30 – Sixteen

“Happy birthday Sarah,” Mom hugged me and kissed me on the cheek. She eyed fondly at me; something I hadn’t seen her do for many years now, and it seemed like she was about to cry. “My little girl…”

“A young lady now.” It was Arthur who came next and tousled my hair.

Still thunderstruck, I did not complain and returned every smile back with gratefulness.

Becky danced her way through the commotion and embraced me tightly, half-shrieking half-laughing as she did.

“Happy birthday! Oh my gosh! You totally forgot! It’s the first of June, remember?”

“Whose idea was this?” I chuckled lightly.

“Well I sort of mentioned your birthday to Leonard, but it’s all him.” Her high-pitched voice surfaced from the laughter that filled the house.

“I haven’t got a clue. Thanks, Becky,” I replied when she finally let go of me.

“How could you forget? It’s your sweet sixteen!”

Sweet sixteen. How very exciting. Ugh. My lips twitched awkwardly into a wry smile. Now that she put it that way, I was really surprised (terrified).

Hanging from the ceiling of the living room was a huge banner with Happy 16th Birthday, Sarah! in Becky’s loopy cursive handwriting.

So that was why she disappeared after the fourth period. I grinned. The room was full of people. Matt, Larson, Drake, Chuck and Reed (the blond brothers as everyone calls them), Leigh and even Mike were there.

It was a first! Every year, it was always just Mom, Becky and I. Now I have my friends, my mom and especially Leon. How lucky could I get!

Everyone greeted me as Becky started to sing a birthday song, eventually joined by everyone which was absolutely corny. But honestly, I could not help but smile broadly. And I could only imagine how stupid I might have appeared with that permanent chipmunk grin on my face.

I loved my birthday. It was exactly like thanksgiving, only better. And with a two feet tall chocolate-macadamia cake and presents; which were more often than not ridiculous, but I loved them anyway. I was so relieved that there was no frilly pink stuff or gowns anywhere. And the best part of it? I got to spend it with friends.

“Oh, come on!” I moaned after all the cards were shown as we were sprawled all over the carpeted living room floor in a circle. So far I had managed a consistent losing streak after six rounds of a rowdy game of poker led by Larson.

“Just because it’s your birthday didn’t mean we’ll go easy on you,” Larson smirked.

Only now did I realize how evil and cruel he truly was. The chink-eyed devil! He made the winner draw on the loser’s face (but mostly my face) with either a lipstick or an eyebrow liner and of course, he won most of the time. Or if not, the loser would have to do a ridiculous dare.

So far, Leigh did a hula dance, Chuck ate cake from Becky’s shoulder, and Reed had to read a verse of Hamlet backwards while protruding his tongue, along with Matt and Drake’s tango session where Matt had to be the girl. Yes. It was hilarious and Matt looked like he would die of embarrassment. I passed on the dares of course, knowing how bad my coordination was.

In the end I was transformed into a hybrid between a rabbit and a clown. Everyone must have found it amusing that I totally sucked in poker. I couldn’t win even if it would save my hide. The only men standing without a loser mark were Leon and Larson. Even Matt had his second set of wide eyebrows above his original ones. And Becky had lipstick all over her mouth like she just chewed on someone’s neck. The blond brothers and Drake put marks on each other’s face whether they lose or not. How odd.