Sequel: Palm Trees ›
Seashells
won't ever give you markers
January 1st, 2007
I happened to wake up late the next day. I didn't feel like getting up either, so I just laid in bed and looked up at the ceiling of Emily's Disney princess covered room. Eventually you came in and I pretended to be sleeping.
"Get your ass up, Cass!" you said, kicking me playfully.
"No."
"I'll just keep your birthday presents then."
"I'm up!" I said, sitting up in bed. There was no way in hell that I would let you take my birthday presents. "Who got me presents?"
"My parents, my uncle, Emily, me," you said. I was instantly curious as to what you had gotten me. "Your parents said they had already given you yours."
"Yeah, they did before we came here."
"Well, my mom says you have to go eat breakfast and get dressed and everything before you open presents."
"Fine, whatever," I said, as I got up and walked over to my suitcase. You left and went down stairs while I went to the bathroom and beautified myself.
Breakfast was pancakes - though they weren't nearly as good as the ones we had at the diner on the island. Since you didn't like pancakes, you just ate a shit ton of bacon.
"That can't be healthy," my dad said to you.
"Whatever," you said as you ate some more.
"You're gonna get really fat, Aden," my brother said.
"He's already a fat ass," I muttered as I poured more maple syrup over my pancakes.
"Cassidy," my mom said in a warning tone for my use of the word "ass". I just rolled my eyes.
We finished breakfast and then went to go sit in the living room. I had the urge to go sit under your Christmas tree since it was still up, and I did so. I regretted it because for the rest of the day I was picking pine needles out of my hair.
Opening presents was unceremonious. The adults got me money, as I expected. It wasn't bad though, because money is never a bad thing. Emily presented me with a giant pink box and I wondered what could be inside. When I unwrapped it, it was a stuffed tiger. Tigers are my favorite animal (you should know) and I wondered how she knew. She probably asked my mom or something, because I had never told you before that point.
Then came your present. It was in a box that was wrapped in like, ten layers of paper. You smiled at me while I struggled to open it, knowing that I couldn't do anything to you since your family was right there.
When I finally got down to the box, I opened it. Inside was a white t-shirt, with the words "I LOVE ICE CREAM" across the front. Below the words was a picture of three ice cream cones - one chocolate, one vanilla, and one smaller combination of the two. An ice cream family.
"You like?" you asked.
"Yes," I said honestly. It was the things I loved into one - interesting shirts and ice cream.
"That's great," you said, and then you smiled at me. It struck me then how much I loved it when you smiled. It wasn't particularly pretty - it was kind of lopsided, actually - but it came so easily. You could hardly ever keep a straight face because you smiled so much.
Later on in that day, around seven I think it was, we had the cake. It was that typical "turn off all the lights and wait for the birthday girl/boy to walk into the room with the candles lit on the cake" kind of thing.
Everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to me (off key) and then we cut the cake. It was an ice cream cake, picked out by you. On top of the icing were rainbow sprinkles. I loved you so much for remembering that.
After cake, no one really did anything. I went up to my bedroom (AKA Emily's princess themed room) and read a book or something. That was when you came in.
"Hey, Cass."
"What do you want, Aden?" I said, putting my book down.
"I forgot to give you your card," you said. "Here, I made it myself."
I took the card. "Thanks."
You smiled at me and then left the room. I opened the card, expecting a cheesy greeting or something like that. I still have the card though, and this is what it said:
Dear Cassidy,
Happy birthday. I have no idea what I'm supposed to write in these things. Anyway, you're finally the same age as me. Except my birthday is coming up soon so yeah. You better invite me to your sweet sixteen next year. Assuming you have enough friends to throw a party. So yeah, happy birthday. I hope you like the card. Flip it over.
Did you know that the card you gave me is what I based these letters off of? No, I guess you don't.
There was no signature or anything. I flipped the card over, and on the back it said, "These are some of your favorite things."
You drew ice cream, bread with blue-green mold on it, a sandcastle, and a bunch of multicolored penises. How sweet.
I can't say I didn't smile at that, however immature it was. I tucked the card away into a pocket on my suitcase, knowing I would save it forever. Then I told myself that I should never ever allow myself to be near you and art supplies.
You know what they say - if you give a mouse a cookie, he'll want a glass of milk. But if you give a teenage boy a marker, he will draw dicks all over everything.
I happened to wake up late the next day. I didn't feel like getting up either, so I just laid in bed and looked up at the ceiling of Emily's Disney princess covered room. Eventually you came in and I pretended to be sleeping.
"Get your ass up, Cass!" you said, kicking me playfully.
"No."
"I'll just keep your birthday presents then."
"I'm up!" I said, sitting up in bed. There was no way in hell that I would let you take my birthday presents. "Who got me presents?"
"My parents, my uncle, Emily, me," you said. I was instantly curious as to what you had gotten me. "Your parents said they had already given you yours."
"Yeah, they did before we came here."
"Well, my mom says you have to go eat breakfast and get dressed and everything before you open presents."
"Fine, whatever," I said, as I got up and walked over to my suitcase. You left and went down stairs while I went to the bathroom and beautified myself.
Breakfast was pancakes - though they weren't nearly as good as the ones we had at the diner on the island. Since you didn't like pancakes, you just ate a shit ton of bacon.
"That can't be healthy," my dad said to you.
"Whatever," you said as you ate some more.
"You're gonna get really fat, Aden," my brother said.
"He's already a fat ass," I muttered as I poured more maple syrup over my pancakes.
"Cassidy," my mom said in a warning tone for my use of the word "ass". I just rolled my eyes.
We finished breakfast and then went to go sit in the living room. I had the urge to go sit under your Christmas tree since it was still up, and I did so. I regretted it because for the rest of the day I was picking pine needles out of my hair.
Opening presents was unceremonious. The adults got me money, as I expected. It wasn't bad though, because money is never a bad thing. Emily presented me with a giant pink box and I wondered what could be inside. When I unwrapped it, it was a stuffed tiger. Tigers are my favorite animal (you should know) and I wondered how she knew. She probably asked my mom or something, because I had never told you before that point.
Then came your present. It was in a box that was wrapped in like, ten layers of paper. You smiled at me while I struggled to open it, knowing that I couldn't do anything to you since your family was right there.
When I finally got down to the box, I opened it. Inside was a white t-shirt, with the words "I LOVE ICE CREAM" across the front. Below the words was a picture of three ice cream cones - one chocolate, one vanilla, and one smaller combination of the two. An ice cream family.
"You like?" you asked.
"Yes," I said honestly. It was the things I loved into one - interesting shirts and ice cream.
"That's great," you said, and then you smiled at me. It struck me then how much I loved it when you smiled. It wasn't particularly pretty - it was kind of lopsided, actually - but it came so easily. You could hardly ever keep a straight face because you smiled so much.
Later on in that day, around seven I think it was, we had the cake. It was that typical "turn off all the lights and wait for the birthday girl/boy to walk into the room with the candles lit on the cake" kind of thing.
Everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to me (off key) and then we cut the cake. It was an ice cream cake, picked out by you. On top of the icing were rainbow sprinkles. I loved you so much for remembering that.
After cake, no one really did anything. I went up to my bedroom (AKA Emily's princess themed room) and read a book or something. That was when you came in.
"Hey, Cass."
"What do you want, Aden?" I said, putting my book down.
"I forgot to give you your card," you said. "Here, I made it myself."
I took the card. "Thanks."
You smiled at me and then left the room. I opened the card, expecting a cheesy greeting or something like that. I still have the card though, and this is what it said:
Dear Cassidy,
Happy birthday. I have no idea what I'm supposed to write in these things. Anyway, you're finally the same age as me. Except my birthday is coming up soon so yeah. You better invite me to your sweet sixteen next year. Assuming you have enough friends to throw a party. So yeah, happy birthday. I hope you like the card. Flip it over.
Did you know that the card you gave me is what I based these letters off of? No, I guess you don't.
There was no signature or anything. I flipped the card over, and on the back it said, "These are some of your favorite things."
You drew ice cream, bread with blue-green mold on it, a sandcastle, and a bunch of multicolored penises. How sweet.
I can't say I didn't smile at that, however immature it was. I tucked the card away into a pocket on my suitcase, knowing I would save it forever. Then I told myself that I should never ever allow myself to be near you and art supplies.
You know what they say - if you give a mouse a cookie, he'll want a glass of milk. But if you give a teenage boy a marker, he will draw dicks all over everything.