"So what's the emergency, Usagi? What do you need our help with?" asked Minako impatiently. Usagi has summoned her friends to her house in a state of panic.
"Well," began Usagi hesitantly. "My mom's birthday is this weekend and I told dad I would take care supper." Usagi flinched and waited for her friends' reactions. They were silent. Usagi continued her request quickly, her words jumbling together. "Well, mom also invited her sister's family and her parents to come from out of town. I promised a gourmet meal, served by professional staff." More silence. "That's where you girls come in."
"Usagi!" Rei growled, lunging across the room at her blonde friend. "How dare you volunteer us for something like this?" She fumed.
"Well," began Usagi, looking down at her toes sheepishly. "I sort of spent my whole allowance and can't afford to buy a real present, so I thought this would be a good gift."
Rei's violet eyes glowed a near-red shade as she strained to smack Usagi, but Makoto easily held her back and answered, "That sounds like a great plan, Usagi. I think it will be fun."
"Yeah," added Minako with a grin. "I can help cook!"
Every pair of eyes focused directly on Minako."I think you should come over to my place for that cooking lesson first," pointed out Makoto.
"Who said I can't cook?" pouted Minako.
"Take out, anyone?" asked Rei sarcastically.
"All right, all right. I'll do your silly class!" Shouted Minako in a huff, sitting down on Usagi's bed so firmly that Luna went flying into the air.
"Perfect!" Explained Usagi as Luna dropped lightly into her lap. "Now let me go find the aprons I bought for you to wear."
"No wonder she has no allowance left," Ami whispered loudly as Usagi disappeared into her closet. All four girls broke into a fit of giggles.
Early on the morning of Tsukino Ikuko's 40th birthday, Usagi and her friends gathered in Usagi's kitchen. As promised, her dad had taken her mother and their house guests to a famous botanical garden for the day. They were to return at 6 PM, just in time to be seated for supper. The menu had been planned for both its simplicity and Ikuko's tastes. Included a variety of both Western and Japanese dishes.
Minako was assigned the simplest task of glazing the honey baked ham. Rei was making traditional teriyaki chicken with rice. Makoto was making some complex and beautiful sashimi, and Ami was going to assist Usagi with the birthday cake. "It's going to be perfect!" Usagi exclaimed as they got going on the food preparation. Indeed, everything was coming along smoothly. Minako's ham was baking and releasing a wonderful aroma. Rei's teriyaki chicken with simmering in a saucepan and her rice was cooking up light and fluffy. Makoto's sashimi were coming together beautifully, and Ami had just slipped the cake she and Usagi had mixed up into the oven. ChibiUsa had joined them and made some cupcakes from the remainder of the cake batter as her addition to the feast.
As the girls sat down at the table with a sigh, Usagi suddenly jumped up. "The vegetables! We have no vegetables!" Rummaging through the cupboards, Usagi finally found what she was looking for. In one hand she held up a box of tempura batter mix; the other hand, she held up in a victory sign. "Mom loves tempura style vegetable," she exclaimed as she pulled the last clean mixing bowl from a lower cabinet. As Usagi prepared the batter, her friends cut up the vegetables.
When the oil was hot, Usagi made a show of dipping a green bean into the lumpy batter and placing it into the sizzling oil.
"Usako, what is that?" came Mamoru's voice from the doorway as she lifted the bean from the pot.
"What do you mean, 'What is that supposed to be?'" she hissed softly as he entered the room. "It's a tempura green bean!" She stated, following his eyes to the tongs she held. There hung a soggy, misshapen mess. "What happened?"
"Your oil is too cool," answered Rei, snatching the tongs from Usagi's hand.
"Hey!" Usagi shrieked, making a fierce will grab at the tongs and nearly deep frying one of her long blonde pigtails.
Rei made a grab for the batter, but Usagi with quicker and caught it up in her arms. But in her enthusiasm, she backed away from Rei and into the baked ham cooling on the countertop. When the ceramic baking dish shattered on the tile floor, Usagi jumped, throwing the bowl of tempura batter into the air. It fell gracefully, but on impact with Usagi's hands, the contents were thrown back into the air and onto the faces and bodies of her best friend as well as the dishes they had just created.
Minako's ham, already dirt streaked and pierced with shards of the ceramic dish, received only a light sprinkling of the batter, but Rei's teriyaki chicken and Makoto's sashimi were nearly covered by the goopy beige batter. Only the cake and cupcakes were safe, still baking in the oven.
"It's ruined, all ruined!" exclaimed Usagi, falling to the floor and burying her face in her hands. When her loud sobs began to echo off of the appliances, Mamoru bent to help her up.
"There now Usako," he comforted."I think we can salvage enough for appetizers. I'll make a new main dish while you girls go clean up," he said, motioning for them to hurry upstairs.
"But Mamo-chan, it's five o'clock," Usagi wailed. "And it's a group of 12 people."
Soothing her with a gentle kiss on the brow, Mamoru turned and swiftly removed the two chocolate layer cakes and the tray of cupcakes from the oven. "I've got it under control, Usako. Why don't you hurry upstairs and changed. You'll have just enough time to ice the cooled cake before everyone gets here." with another kiss, Mamoru proceeded to prod Usagi toward the steps with a whisk.
"Hey, look!" Shouted ChibiUsa in surprise as the girls, dressed in matching waitress uniforms entered the dining room. Each carried a tray of appetizers. Rei's tray held tiny servings of teriyaki chicken, Makoto held the remnant of her sashimi – one per person. Ami carried steaming spring rolls, and Minako balanced tray with petite bowls of miso soup.
When everyone had been served, pleasant chatter swept over the table. Stories were passed between the dishes, and everyone enjoyed themselves. When the appetizers were gone, the girls brought out the main course.
Ray carried a large dish of vibrant red spaghetti topped with perfectly browned meatballs. Ami carried a dish of fettuccine Alfredo, smothered in a rich creamy sauce. Makoto offered a leafy green Caesar salad, and Minako carried two baskets of warm garlic bread.
"Usagi," Ikuko whispered around the lump in her throat. "Italian. You remembered my favorite. Girls, I can't believe you did this."
The four girls set their dishes on the table and looked pointedly at Usagi. "Actually, mom," she began. "I sort of made a mess and wrecked a lot of the girls' food; only the teriyaki chicken and sashimi survived. Mamoru made the rest while we cleaned up."
"Mamoru?" Ikuko asked in surprise. "You made all of this?"
"Not quite, ma'am," Mamoru replied humbly. "ChibiUsa ran down to the store and bought the bread."
With a laugh, Ikuko looked between her daughter and her boyfriend. Usagi certainly had picked a good man; and he wouldn't starve if they got married. Ikuko pictured him in an apron. "Well," she said, shaking her head to dispel the daydream. "Thank you for all your hard work. This is the best birthday I've ever had!"
Everyone dug into the abundant platters of food before them and Usagi's dad even pulled out a card table and folding chairs so that the girls, now finished their serving responsibilities, could enjoy some of the bounty.
When the platters were empty, the girls spring back into action and cleaned the table, serving tea and coffee to complete the meal. Usagi slipped unnoticed into the kitchen and returned, signaling Minako to flip the light switch. Everyone gasped in surprise at the sudden darkness, but squealed with delight when Usagi appeared in the archway carrying a brightly lit birthday cake.
Usagi set the cake down in front of Ikuko and slipped her arms around her mother's shoulders. "Happy birthday, mom," she said, planting a kiss on her mother's cheek.