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Show -101- Feppermint Monday arranged around the outside of the cake. Jason had bought some of those trick candles that relight after they're blown out. Pa didn't think the candles were funny. None of us expected him too. It didn't really matter what he thought anyway. It was my birthday and I liked the dumb candles. Ma gave me a new watch and a pretty dress for church. The dress had tiny blue flowers with a lot of ruffles and lace. It was long enough too. Most of the dresses my size showed my knobby knees. Pa's name was on the present too, but I think he was as surprised as I was. Ma always picked our presents. Russ had helped ma rent a fairly recent science fiction movie that I hadn't seen yet. I gave him a tight hug, hating the feel of his scrawny shoulders. He'd been losing weight lately. He looked thin enough, but hugging him made me realize how thin. I helped him eat a piece of cake. I purposely gave him a piece with a lot of frosting flowers. Jason, who hated anything sentimental, tossed over his gift. The paper was crinkled and unexpertly wrapped, so I knew he'd wrapped it by himself. It was a bunch of stickers he'd had printed "Carly for president" on. They were real nice and had all of the class his poster had lacked. He'd gone to a lot of trouble for those stickers. He must have gone to Branson to have them printed. He might have even hitchhiked there. Andrea helped me pass out the stickers. She even gave a handful to the back seat dwellers in the bus. That took guts. A few got thrown out the windows, like I figured they would. A few got plastered on shirts though, so it had payed off. One of Kent's best friends even stuck one on for laughs. Billy stuck his on his forehead but at least he stuck it on. I'm sure it got noticed. At lunch, Andrea gave me my present. It was a day late, but she'd been sick. It was a bottle of perfume, soft and romantic smelling. It reminded |
