1b. Surprise Party

Alicia Blade

271 words

"SURPRISE!"

Mamoru froze in the door to the arcade—froze even more, that is, as his hands and feet were already ice cubes from the blistery winds outside.

His blue eyes scanned the smiling faces of the arcade with suspicion. He cautiously glanced over his shoulder, but there was no one behind him. Baffled, he faced the small crowd again—Usagi surrounded by all her friends, everyone wearing pointed party hats with plastic streamers erupting from the cones. And behind them sat Motoki at the counter, his face red from barely-withheld laughter.

"What's going on?"

"Silly Mamoru-baka, it's a surprise birthday party!"

He blinked at her. Warmth slowly came back to his poor extremities.

"Why?" he finally asked.

Usagi rolled her eyes.

"Because it's your birthday, you ding-dong!"

Mamoru glanced at Motoki as he fell off the stool with glee. He noticed a stack of presents on the counter behind the clerk, and a cake glowing with castles beside them. He returned his gaze to Usagi who was looking more perturbed by the second.

"No it's not."

Five glowing smiles faltered. Motoki's snickering and occasional guffaw were the only sounds in the room.

"It's not?"

Mamoru shook his head. "My birthday's in August."

When the information had sunk in, and Usagi had surveyed the snowdrifts through the glass windows, her expression turned positively crestfallen.

And then utterly furious.

"Motoki!" she screamed, ripping her hat off and charging toward the clerk. For the rest of the party she was far too busy screaming at and plotting murder against the clerk to notice the whimsical smiles Mamoru could not help sending her way.