" Tomorrow's my birthday, tomorrow's my birthday!" Cat sang, running around the house and jumping up and down like a toddler begging for their favorite toy. She couldn't wait to celebrate her birthday this year because she had been hoping for the present she yearned the most- a puppy. A cute little pup that would cuddle with her and lick away the tears that ran down her face when she was upset, catch the ball when she tossed it to her, and so much more.
"It's my birthday too," replied Sam with a smirk displayed across her face. She couldn't wait to finally have a real birthday party. All her life, Sam had basically been ignored by her mom, annoyed by her polar opposite twin, and had never even met her biological father. She was glad to finally be able to have a real celebration with her closest friends, the people who cared for her the most. "Really?! Well, since tomorrow's our special day, let's go to Bots and treat ourselves to some ice cream!" Cat exclaimed. Sam and Cat raced out of the house, anticipating the day they both longed for more than anything else.
…...
"This ice cream is so good!" Cat yelped as ice cream dripped down her spoon onto her pink skirt. When Cat got excited she tended to become a messy eater. "We should have ice cream at our party tomorrow." Just hearing Cat say the words "our party" out loud made it seem more of a reality to Sam. She couldn't wait to have a great bash with Nona, Dice, and Goomer. Suddenly Cat's phone began to ring, bringing Sam back to present time. "Hello?" Cat mumbled, her mouth full of ice cream. "I trapped myself in the basement!" a male voice shrieked. Sam realized it was Goomer. "Goomer! You better get yourself out of there by tomorrow so you can come to our party!" Sam shouted. A loud crashed responded and they lost connection with Goomer. "Great, now we lost one member of our birthday party!" Cat wailed. "Relax, we still have Nona and Dice. Who cares how many people come as long as we spend time with the people we care about the most?" You seem extra mushy today," Cat commented with a smile. "Yeah, don't remind me," Sam answered. It was unlike her to be mushy and sweet, but just thinking about this party filled her with a warmness that she had never really experienced before. This, she hoped, would be a birthday she would never forget.
…...
As Sam and Cat walked to the door of their apartment, Dice approached them holding two gifts. "Happy Birthday!" Dice exclaimed as he handed a pink bag to Cat and a black bag to Sam. "Thanks Dice, but our birthdays are tomorrow," replied Cat in confusion. "I know, but unfortunately I can't make it to your party. My mom is making me perform at her friend's kid's birthday party. Her friend said that I, quote, "have those groovy moves." Sam and Cat snickered. They loved to tease Dice for his dancing and how people commented that it was hip, groovy, and other words adults seemed to think kids said.
Even though Sam was laughing on the outside, she felt like a boulder had crushed her insides. Now that Goomer and Dice both couldn't attend, their party would be lame with Cat's grandmother. She would bore them on end with tales of how her life was growing up and her former love interests who had broken her heart. Their party was a disaster.
"There's no point in throwing a party now. It's useless. Why did we think this was going to work?" Sam felt defeated. Her one true birthday wish had disappeared into thin air. She had lost all hope. "We could still have our own little thing," Cat responded in a hopeful tone. It was their birthday after all, and she wasn't going to be disappointed.
"Like I want to have a party with you being the only guest? Right. I don't want to have a unicorn and butterfly party while you prance around singing "Happy Birthday" nonstop. It's pathetic. For once, I wanted to have a real party. But I guess that'll never happen." Sam stormed into the apartment, tossed her keys along with her gift on the couch, and began to cry. Tears poured down her face as she ran into her room, the one place she had always escaped when she was a kid. She wanted to be alone, even if that meant isolating herself from Dice, Cat, and the rest of the world. Sam reached for the light switch and sat in the dark, all alone, with the door locked so no one could bother her.