"Hype, Hype, Hype, Hype!" Ike awakes me as he pokes my side as I bring his pillow over my head.
"What do you want?" I ask grumpily.
"Happy Birthday!" he starts as I jolt awake.
"It's my birthday?" I ask stupidly. My birthday, this means I'm sixteen today what a joy.
"So what do you want?" he asks as I realize if I asked for anything I would get it. I think hard as a million things race through my mind. "Hey now Hype, we aren't rich or anything so… think hard for something kind of cheap."
"What? Oh no, I was just thinking about what food I'm going to eat later," I smile guessing I've been wearing my 'deep thought' face as Ike sits next to me.
"Nice try Hype, so what do you want?" he repeats. "I got what I wanted for my birthday so to thank you for that what do you want?" I think a second, very complicated question.
"Oh ok, so you know how people say to follow your dreams?" I ask as he looks at me with a blank stare. He breaks into a smile knowing my answer will be a little crazy. "My dream is to go back to sleep." He laughs at the answer as he tucks me back in.
"Alright Hype, I'll let you sleep a little more so you can conjurer up a dream and I'll go by you something while you do ok?" he says as I nod smiling, "and that means you better be ready for some cake and special attention," he smirks as he touches the top of the door frame on his way out.
When you're sixteen, you're going to find a boy and you're going to believe he's everything to you. You're going to believe that you're a modern princess that will be bowed down to and loved by everyone. You're going to overthink and over feel everything; but what if it's not? What if you do something that gets you arrested? What if that boy breaks up with you because you have always been a little different? What would happen if you died when you were sixteen?
I tear up as I hear my Dad's voice in my head so clearly and I thank Ike for jolting me awake as he looks at me with depression.
"What did you dream about?" he asks as he sets a bag at my feet.
"It was nothing," I lie as I reach for the bag. Inside there was cupcake with candles and matches. Then a little gift box wrapped with newspaper. Ike takes the cupcake, matches and candles from me as he opens the candles, sticks one into the heart of the cup cake and lights it for me as I sit there awkwardly as he sings me happy birthday. Because we both love happy little surprises, he makes up a second and third verse along with a chorus al while dancing with a broom as I laugh.
"Ok," he pants, crawling into bed next to me, "now, close your eyes and with really hard." I nod my head as I wait for him to tell me to, when he does I go to blow out the candle as I notice it's already out as I look at Ike smiling cheekily.
"What was that for?" I ask playfully as I tap his cheek rather than slapping him full out.
"Well, you aren't getting that wish," he laughs as he sticks another candle in and lights the match.
"Don't blow out this candle, or else I will slap you," I threat as I close my eyes, and then opening them to find it has been blown out again.
"Ike!" I scream as I slap him as he hits his face into his pillow.
"What?" he asks as I make a weird face at him.
"I told you I would, so quit blowing out my candle!" I laugh.
"Your sixteen right?" he asks, just to make sure.
"Yes, yes I am."
"Then we're going to keep doing this until we stick all sixteen candles on it one at a time, light them and you get the last candle." He explains as I think of something ridiculously weird.
"Sure Ike, I'll get the last candle," I joke as I pull out the burnt one and stick in a fresh one. It's pink this time as I light the candle. The cycle happens at least thirteen times as I finally pull out the last candle in the package.
"Last candle Hype, you ready?" he asks.
"I think I'd rather eat the cupcake," I smile as I light the match and set the candle on fire. I already know what I want and I don't have to close my eyes to think about it as I successfully blow out the candle, the only one I got to today. Eating my special cupcake, I wipe some of the icing on Ike's nose as I clean up the candles and realize we have extra matches, just as I realize it thought Ike takes them away from me.
"You'll light the apartment on fire!" he says as he puts them on a high shelf as I frown at him.
"I'm not short my size is cute!" I yell at him as I playfully rolls his eyes at me. I reach for the box as I take of the top and find a really pretty necklace; the only downside is that's its orange. It's an ok color to me but it really doesn't match anything of mine at all. I try to look my happiest as Ike puts it on me. He looks me in the eyes right after as I see them twinkle.
"you don't like it do you?" he whispers.
"I really don't, orange and me really don't get along." I whisper.
"It's ok, I ordered one that was blue, we have to give this one back," he whispers onto my ear as he kisses my cheek, "Happy birthday sweetie."
"Hey Ike, guess what my wish was?" I ask as he bites his lip. Suddenly, like he read my mind he grins as I dress and walk to the bar.
"So what about the kids?" Ike asks as start to hold hands down to the street.
"We forgot the kids!" I yell as we rush back and out of breath, I send Ike to get our favorite wine. Going into the nursery, the kids are all awake and hungry as I bring baby food into the nursery and feed them this way, so much easier than dragging them into the kitchen. Soon Ike returns with two bottles of wine and a card for me as we return to the bedroom to drink ourselves silly.