Nicky, Ricky, Dicky and Dawn Birthday

Chapter 16

look at her, including Jasmine, Jenna, Charlotte and Maya, who were still at the top of the stairs. Dawn walked up to them and held out the garbage bag. “Presents.” The girls dropped their gifts into the bag and Dawn slung it over her shoulder. “Come on, guys!” She left the basement.

Mae shrugged and followed Dawn. The rest of the girls paused for a while and then went after them, but not before grabbing a few more pretzels from the snack table.

Sylvia bounced into Stanky’s. A few boys were playing basketball on the court, and the others were eating food, chatting, dancing, or playing arcade games and sports games. She looked around the restaurant and saw Nicky, Ricky and Dicky still sitting on the blue bench. Nicky was hugging the ball to his chest now, and the three were soberly watching the boys play basketball.

“Hey, guys! What’s wrong?” Sylvia said, all perky in her cheerleader way. “I just went over to Dawn’s party.”

“Oh, great.” Ricky frowned. “Was she having a great time? Did she gloat when you said what a flop our party was?”

“This party isn’t a flop.” Sylvia said. “Look around! It’s going great.”

“Then why don’t I feel like it?” Dicky asked.

“I’ll tell you why.” The three boys spun around. “It’s because I wasn’t here yet.” Dawn grinned, holding the garbage bag like Santa Clause with all her party guests trailing in behind her.

“Dawn!” The three shot up and hugged her. “Why are you here, what happened to your own party?”

Dawn shrugged. “I decided it was too mainstream. Almost everyone else turns ten on their own.”

“Well,” Sylvia burst into the circle. “The court’s free now.” She gestured. The quadruplets turned around. It was true. The boys that had been playing basketball all cleared off when a new cheese pizza had arrived. “Why don’t you have that annual basketball game you have every year?”

“Yeah!” They cheered.

“But I’m not partnering with Ricky this year,” Dawn held up her hands. “It’s his fault we lost last time.”

“Hey!”

The four kids leapt onto the court and jumped right into the game. Josie walked up behind Mae and slung planted her arms on her waist.

“Better make this a short game.” Josie warned. “Mrs. Harper’s got the cake lined up already, and we don’t want the icing to melt off it.”

“Alright, everybody!” Mae grabbed a whistle of a nearby table. “First five baskets win!” It was a pretty intense game, but no one was injured. Nicky and Ricky lost.

“Okay, birthday quads!” Anne Harper carried a large cake out from the back and placed it on a table. “Come around, come around, we’ll sing happy birthday, then they can blow the candles.”