My Name is Joseph

A Crazy Birthday Present

"Happy Birthday, Joseph!"

I blinked at the sudden light in my room, before covering my head with my pillow and groaning, hoping to sleep just a few more minutes.

"Happy Biiiiirthday!" I suddenly felt the wind knocked out of my lungs as Benjamin jumped on top of me.

"Just a few more minutes, Ben." I muttered, but to no avail. Benjamin just kept bouncing and bouncing. Finally, I rolled up into a sitting position and rubbed my eyes, irritated. When I looked over at Benjamin, he had (surprisingly) stopped bouncing. I muttered to myself in annoyance. He just had to look all cute and innocent, didn't he? He was leaning forward, in an almost expectant position, eyes shining. He was probably excited because Dad had made a 'surprise' breakfast for me, like he did every year. I yawned and rolled my eyes, then proceeded to slowly get up. He would not calm down until I went wherever he was waiting to drag me off to, and I could not do that without some better clothes. 

I put my slippers on and groggily moved towards my dresser, trying to ignore Benjamin, who was seemed to be trying not to jump up-and-down. Before I was even half way to the dresser, Benjamin planted himself in my way. "Awww, cummon, Joey! Hurry up and come downstairs!" the boyish excitement in his face broke through my annoyance, in an almost annoying way. 

Why could I never stay irritated at him? A grin tugged at my lips and I reached over and tussled his hair, "I need to take my PJs off first, Ben. I can't go down there looking like a sleeping monster!"

"But you don't look like a sleeping monster! And Dad said to come down right away!" He did bounce a bit this time, and his face was turned up towards me eagerly.

I sighed, "Ben, just let me get dressed quickly." No matter what Benjamin and Dad liked, I preferred to wear normal clothes when I was not in my room. However, with Benjamin in this mood, it seemed unlikely that I would be able to change before going down to Dad, who was probably in the kitchen.

"No. Dad always likes it when you come down in your PJs, anyway." Ben said, his face filling with sass as he crossed his arms in front of him. I rolled my eyes again. There was no chance I was going to get to change. I shrugged to myself as I muttered under my breath.

"Fine, I'll come now." As soon as I turned towards the door, Benjamin was back to his excited self and ran ahead of me, skipping and muttering under his breath. Something about 'surprises' and 'wont expect it'.

"Cummon!" he almost sang.

"I'm coming." I chuckled as he glanced back at me to make sure I was following. He did have quite the boyish charm. I could not stay mad at him for more than five seconds before he caused me to grin good-naturedly.

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Benjamin led me--or skipped and sang me, more like-- through the halls of the huge house to the kitchen. My room, although really close to the kitchen compared to the other bedrooms in the huge house, was still a considerable distance away it. Dad always said I needed to have food close by to feed my growing body. In our house, close--my room-- equated with four halls and three doors. The other bedrooms all had at least six halls and six doors in between them and the kitchen. Not that I had counted; I had merely heard Dad discussing it with the person who oversaw the house when we had moved in.

 I chuckled to myself again as we entered the kitchen. Benjamin's abruptly stopped as he entered, and I plowed into his back. I rushed to steady him before he fell onto his hands and knees. He merely glanced back at me with a grin and ran over to Dad's side--because just as expected, Dad was standing opposite me, on the far side of the kitchen's island, with a huge grin on his face, his hand now resting on Benjamin's shoulder, whose face held a matching grin.