Chapter 1: Waiting to Party

Aww yeah it's my birthday today ! We are gonna have so many friends at our party I can't wait! Maybe we'll finally get phones! We could trend on and we'll be the coolest people ever!

Ashley got up before me again I hear her in the hallway! I'll never be the first awake. Mom's still asleep and dad still travels the world doing Overwatch things. I grab my plastic katana and go into the living room pretending to kill omnics.

Ashley smirks raising an eyebrow, "You do realize omnics aren't going to be afraid of an 8 year old kid right?"

"Oh come on I'm just having fun! Ha!" I fake slash her and she's laughing with me.

She shrugs her shoulders and leans back on the couch saying, "Happy birthday brother!"

"Happy birthday sis."

Looks like she has an idea, "Hey let's watch Steven Universe! I don't mean like the usual one like the original from I think the 10's. There's just something different about old cartoons."

My sister hops onto the couch and I make muddy buddies in the kitchen. I step onto a chair then onto the counter, push mom's oolong white and green teas out of the way and I grab the confectioner's sugar, chocolate chips, peanut butter, and vanilla.

Yay I can reach the measuring cups! With a stepstool but still and I put a cup of chocolate half cup of peanut butter and quarter cup of butter in a bowl, and it all goes into the microwave for a minute. Mmm the smells blend oh so well together! I stir, pour in a teaspoon of vanilla, stir, climb back onto the chair to grab the corn Chex. Oh looks like Ashley's here.

"Angel what are you…wow you're making those! Nice!"

After turning I see her put her finger in the mix. "Sis! Wait until it's done okay!"

After licking the mix off her finger she tells me, "Make me."

I can't blame her though it's soooo good! She didn't even eat that much.

I put everything into a bag that I shake by the way and finally Ashley adds in the cup and a half of confectioner's sugar. Ashley and I scoop our fingers into the bowl licking the mix. Mmm, it's so good!

I pour them into a bowl and we go from the kitchen into the living room and we look out into the sunrise. It's so pretty how the pinks and oranges blanket the palms and houses.

Ashley tugs on the shoulder sleeve of my pajama top, "Hey Angel how about we grab pillows?"

She seriously has the best ideas so we grab pillows from everywhere we can to make the couch extra comfy and making a fun fort. I also bring out my plushies. There's a pangolin, turtle, sloth, koala, cat, dragon, bunny, and a couple of plushy dolls join us.

We watch Star Verse the Forces of Evil and kinda like it. Mmm these muddy buddies are so good! I lie down putting my feet on the coffee table placing the keyboard on my lap asking sis if she wants to watch anything. "Hmmm, Coraline looks interesting! I read the book on mom's tablet!"

We watch Coraline and my gosh it's so good! Mom gets up and walks in on us during the part the mice are doing circus stuff.

"Wow kids I didn't know you two were into classic movies!"

"Oh mom! Of course if they're good."

"You made popcorn? Mmm thanks I'm having some!"

I lift the bowl up to her and she likes it I'm so proud of myself! "Mmm delicious! Oh you two will love your birthday!"

Ashley excitedly moves back on the couch, her feet just barely off it. She looks up to mom clasping her hands asking, "Is dad coming over and will we get phones?"

Mom smiles as if she's holding a secret. Oh come on mom the suspense is killing us!

She sits with us and finishes watching Coraline.

"I can't believe you're watching something this old! If it's old enough I guess it's kinda different. I wonder if there are any differences between this one and the reboot?"

Ashley's resting her head in her arms on the back of the couch. She walks to the front and tells mom with her hands on her hips. "I'd look it up for you if I had a phone!"

She then looks at her phone then back at Ashley and me, "Nice try! Besides do you know how much of your college money we'd have to spend if I got you two phones?"

Ashley looks up to her with dog eyes and sort of whining, "But mom! Phones will help us with our grades! And we won't always have to ask you to search things for us!"

Mom has a sly smile and look in her eye, but trying not to look like she agrees with us. "If you're good you can have phones."

Mom then sits on the couch with us, grabs a couple of muddy buddies from my bowl, puts the koala plush on her lap, and points at the screen making her I've got something to say face.

I look up to her, blinking with my hands clasped. "Can I get a guitar please? I can get a scholarship if I can play good! I'd be so much funner than martial arts lessons! And Angel has the guitar from dad's friend please! We can start a band with our friends!"

She rubs her chin, "You know something..."

Oh yes!

She continues, "I do know you can for being good with a violin!"

Sigh, "Never mind."

I feel myself sink into the couch with disappointment crossing my arms. Meh, it was worth a try. Maybe Winston has a guitar somewhere?

"Oh, in the last remake the other mom appears on Coraline's real world Snapchat friend's list and came into the real world through the camera."

With a joking tone mom says. "You know I could get you guys training wheels again!"

Ashley looks up to her, palm up, and with a I like you but you said something silly tone, "Mom…that sounds terrible."

We finish watching the movie then mom suggests we take a walk through the neighborhood. I shake my shoes and no scorpions come out as usual. We wait for Ashley and we're off!

When we get home dad Facetimes mom and we talk to him yay!

"Hi kids happy birthday! I hope you're excited but you wouldn't be disappointed if I didn't come right?"

I feel sad. "Oh no dad you promised you'd make it!"

"Sorry Angel, I just have a really important mission. Please don't feel too bad I'll make it up to you I swear!"

Ashley rubs her chin going, "Hmm...I didn't know a boulevard we recognize was in Switzerland too!"

Dad looks around himself, "Oh…no this is like just a part of Switzerland that looks like that!"

"The stores being in the same places really dad?"

I then get excited, "Oh so you are nearby! Yay dad's gonna make it!"

Dad smiles, "I have to go it was nice talking to all of you!"

I'm about to put my laundry in the washing machine but mom stops me, "It's your birthday take a break from your chores for today okay?"

I enthusiastically say, "Glady!"