Growing Pains

Chapter 36 - You really are a mystery to me

Z O E Y

It was Sam's birthday and I had been invited not once but three times. Sam had told me about it a week before and said he would be extremely upset if I didn't show up. Mr. Young had told me about it a few days after but said I didn't have to come if I couldn't. It was a Saturday, after all, and I probably had plans. I didn't. I was going to spend the day studying. Mrs. Young had told me the night before, over text message.

When I showed up Saturday morning, it was her who opened the door in a colorful dress and a necklace that matched her earrings. She was smiling. Mrs. Young was always smiling.

"Good morning!" she said, too loud.

I smiled, "Good morning."

"Please come in. I have a lot of things to tell you and not nearly enough time."

I followed her inside. I had expected it to be loud in the way all kids' birthdays were loud, but the house was silent. Too silent.

"Where's Sam?"

Mrs. Young turned back at me, still smiling, "He went skydiving with his daddy."

"Really? What about the party?" I was very confused. 

"It only starts at twelve. You have time." She was already on the move again.

I kept following her, "Time for what?"

"Right, here's the thing," she said, opening the kitchen door. I walked in after her. Tristan was sitting at the table, eating cereal, or pretending to. I didn't have time to say hi because as it turned out, Mrs. Young did have a lot to say. She began with, "I have a reservation at this beautiful five-star spa resort for the whole day today. I must have gotten the dates mixed up. I'm not monster. I didn't book it on my son's birthday on purpose –"

"Sam's not your son," Tristan said.

Mrs. Young ignored him, "Anyway, I have this reservation and I really can't miss it. See, the ticket is non-refundable, and I can't lose all that money, because, sweetie, it was a lot of money. Anyway, I told Richard I would find a way to make everything work, and I did, because, alas, here you are. Now, there's not actually much to be done except take all the food and drinks outside before the kids arrive. Richard took care of the tables before he left this morning, so no problem there. You do need to bake him a birthday cake though, because I didn't have time, and also, I'm a terrible baker. He wants that cake with sprinkles in it. It's disgusting, if you ask me, but Sam didn't, so, anyway, we don't actually have all the ingredients you'll need, so you'll have to go grocery shopping. I'll give you some money, wait."

At this, she turned around to look for her wallet inside the bag hanging on a kitchen chair. When she found it, she took out a few bills, and handed it to me.

"That should be enough. You don't have to get top ingredients. He's turning eight –"

"He's turning ten," Tristan said.

She ignored him again, "Anyway, what I mean is, he probably won't notice the sprinkles in his cake are knock-off, you know? Also, it can be a small cake. He only invited a handful of kids, so, any questions?"

"Yes, actually," I said, scratching the back of my neck. "Could I get a ride to the grocery store? I can take the bus back after, it's just it's gonna take a while if –"

"Oh, don't worry about it. Tristan will give you a ride."

I looked at him. He frowned, "How? Richard doesn't really want me driving, does he?"

"We won't tell him," she said. "The garage code is 1607."

"So, my birthday?" he asked.

She seemed surprised, "Oh, I guess it is."