Mob went to bed twelve and woke up thirteen.

She didn't see much of a difference. She looked the same as when she'd went to bed. Well her hair was messier and she had eye goo in the corners of her eyes but she was still pretty much the same. She didn't really know what she had been expecting. She hadn't been expecting to wake up all grown up…but she thought that she might have been a little taller at least.

Taller was good.

When Mob had been little she had wanted nothing more than to look grown up. She used to wish that her chest was bigger and her hips were bigger…but now she knew better. She hadn't thought about how much other people would change if she changed. She hadn't thought about how one day she would get too old for Dad to love her, that she would get too old for Fukuda to be nice to her, that she would get old enough for Shimazaki to like her. Boys were just…why did they have to get so…so weird? Even the ones she was related to. Dad didn't love her anymore just because she got older, because she wasn't a baby anymore, because she had started disagreeing with him and arguing with him…and because….

Because of things that Dad shouldn't have EVER noticed.

"Too small." Muttered Mob as she pulled her sleepshirt close to her chest. She let it go and it was still too tight. Dad had told her that he hated how tight her shirts were….but she couldn't help it. She was a medium, she had always been a medium, and this was just how a medium fit her. She used to wear big sweaters, the ones Shibata made her, well into the summer back when her body had started changing…but she didn't want to have to do that again.

It was hot outside.

She didn't want to spend another summer wearing a giant wool sweater. She didn't want anyone to look at her but…but why did she have to overheat? Why couldn't people just keep their eyes and their thoughts and their words to themselves? Why did Dad have to tell her that people could see her breasts all the time? It wasn't like she could help it. It wasn't like she could take them off like and hang them up in her closet when she didn't feel like wearing them. She never would have had them at all, if that had been the case. She wished that she was more like Minegishi. Nobody ever looked at their chest. They wore baggy clothes but even when they didn't they still didn't look so…so noticeable. Nobody ever looked at them and thought about them having sex with people or…or how people were looking at them…well people looked at them but they never thought gross things…and…and Mob should have been happy for them.

It wasn't nice to be jealous.

Mob needed to stop this. She needed to get dressed so she could go next door and wake Serizawa. If he slept in too much it threw his schedule off. Breakfast would be late and then lunch and dinner and he'd never be able to go to sleep on time. Taking care of him was like taking care of Sho but only with more work, or like taking care of Mukai but less work, or like…it was a lot of work but it was ok. He was her friend and she didn't mind taking care of her friends. Even on her birthday…she didn't even care if it was her birthday.

It was just another day.

"It's just another day." Said Mob. She puled her sleeping shirt off over her head and looked for daytime clothes. She made sure not to look at herself in the mirror. She didn't want to ruin her birthday…today. Her birthday was just another day, like what Minegishi had said about their birthday. They hated celebrating it, that was why Mob never threw them birthday parties. It had been hard, Mob loved parties, but…well now it was easier. Mob still loved parties of course but she understood Minegishi a little better now.

When you stopped being a kid birthdays stopped being fun.

A lot of things stopped being fun…but life wasn't all just fun and games. Dad had said that back when he'd liked her. He'd told her, back when she had been little, that he would have loved to play with her but he had work to do and life wasn't all fun and games. He also said that while he played Minecraft once…but it made sense. Lots of things weren't fun, like making breakfast, but they had to be done. So Mob just went ahead and did them. She got dressed and then she got on with her day.

Well at least she tried to.

"Mob! Come with me if you want to live!" said Shimazaki as he teleported into her room. He did that sometimes when Dad wasn't around, he was kind of scared of Dad. He really shouldn't have done that regardless of if Dad was or was not around. Mob was trying to get dressed in here!

"Shimazaki!" said Mob as she picked up her sleepshirt and covered herself up. He laid down on her bed and ran his hand over one of her stuffed cats. He had one legged crossed over the other and…and how could he be so relaxed! She was in here not dressed and….oh, right, he couldn't tell.

"What's up? And what animal is this? I'm thinking…lion?" asked Shimazaki as he played with her stuffed cat. Mob kept her nightshirt in front of her. Even if he couldn't tell…still! It was still really weird!

"It-it's a cat…and you can't be here, I'm trying to get dressed." Said Mob. Shimazaki sat up and put his hands up like he was surrendering. She didn't know why, she wasn't THAT mad at him…and even if she had been it wasn't like she was going to fight him or anything.

"Oh, well hurry up. I've got a surprise for you…well Serizawa has a surprise for you, but I did the majority of the work. He supervised…can you believe he can't cook? Not even a little?" asked Shimazaki

"I…I forgot to teach him to cook…um…can you go, please? I know I'm your girlfriend but…it would be nice if you left." Said Mob

"I can't see you…you know what? Sure thing. Just come over if you want to live. You know, because you need food to live." Said Shimazaki before he teleported away. Mob didn't move until she was sure that he was gone. She was being kind of weird, she knew that she was, and she knew that it didn't make any sense to feel this way. He couldn't see her and anyway even if he could he was her boyfriend so that was ok. That was what people did when they were in couples and stuff…and she was in a couple…

She hadn't set out to be in a couple but she was in one.

It wasn't so bad, being Shimazaki's girlfriend. He was good at listening to her and he was always trying to make her happy. That was more than a lot of people did. No matter what she did, no matter how much she changed, he always liked her. More than she liked him but being his girlfriend wasn't so bad. She had to kiss him sometimes, and he liked to drop in on her and bother her when she was busy, but aside from that it was nice….mostly. She didn't like it when he dropped into her bedroom like that…and it sounded kind of like he and Serizawa had made her a birthday breakfast without asking her….

But that wasn't a party so it was ok.

Mob pulled on a shirt and a skirt. She had been in the middle of changing clothes when Shimazaki teleported outside of her door. He even knocked…she liked that about him. Sometimes he listened to her when she told him she didn't like something. Not a lot of people actually listened to her. People just sort of did things and said things and she was just supposed to be alright with it. Like with birthday presents. She hadn't wanted anything for her birthday but she'd woken up to a drawing of her riding on top of a cat bus…Sho had drawn it and left it on her nightstand…it was ok. He was her brother and he loved her…

She just wished that he had shown it in another way…but she would take what she could get.

"I'm coming." Said Mob

"You don't have to come, I just wanted to know if you wanted me to make frosting." Said Shimazaki

"You know how to make frosting?" asked Mob. She had tried, once, and all she had managed to do was make sugary cream cheese. It hadn't even tasted good.

"The internet knows how to make frosting and I know how to use the internet." Said Shimazaki. Mob laughed and opened the door with her powers.

"I don't really want frosting or any birthday stuff." Said Mob as she opened the door. Shimazaki had his back to the door and he had been knocking by twisting his whole self around…that looked kind of painful. Mob had never even seen Tsuchiya twist like that and she knew a lot about yoga and stretching and stuff.

"You can turn around if you want, I'm wearing clothes now." Said Mob. Shimazaki put his hands over his eyes and turned around.

"Are you sure it's safe?" asked Shimazaki

"It is…and does that even do anything?" asked Mob. Shimazaki turned around and took his hands off of his eyes.

"It puts you at ease." Said Shimazaki

"It does." Said Mob. She meant it, too, it was nice that he listened to her and thought about her. That was the good part of having a boyfriend. Next, though, was the not so good part of having a boyfriend. He leaned down to kiss her…she took a step back. Not to be mean of course, she tried not to be a mean person, but because it was kind of gross and…and stuff…to kiss someone when she hadn't brushed her teeth.

"What's wrong?" asked Shimazaki

"I didn't brush my teeth yet. I'll meet you at your house, ok?" asked Mob. He leaned down and took her hand. He kissed the top of her hand like they were in an old movie or something. She was alright with that.

"Well hurry up, your pancakes are going to get cold and eaten…and don't tell Serizawa I ruined the surprise." Said Shimazaki. Mob nodded. He teleported away. Even if he hadn't told her not to say anything she still wouldn't have told Serizawa that she knew what the surprise was.

That wouldn't have been nice at all.

She had to be nice. She wasn't…super happy….about her birthday breakfast but it might not have been realistic to expect her friends to completely ignore her birthday. Birthdays were important she couldn't pretend that they weren't. her birthday wasn't just for her it was for the people who loved her too. So she didn't get a say in her own birthday…but that was ok. She would get through this, she might have even had fun. She rushed through brushing her teeth and hair so she could get to her birthday party…breakfast...thing faster.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

There was a giftbag right outside her door. That might have been a sign. She didn't know if it was a good sign or a bad sign but it was a sign. Shibata hadn't listened to her either. He'd made her another giant sweater, this one had a big thirteen on the front. Inside of the bag there had also been a purple shirt and a crown that said 'Sweet Thirteen' with a sticky note that said that they were from Minegishi…so two more of her friends hadn't listened to her…but that was ok. She pulled out her phone to text thank you to everyone….and saw an alert.

Oh.

Hatori had gotten her a present too. Five hundred thousand yen for the Nintendo store and a picture of a cat with a sign that said 'Happy Birthday'. He had sent her a text too. 'Happy Birthday, being thirteen sucks. Hopefully this makes it suck less' and then he's signed his name. Another one of her friends hadn't listened…she picked up the card from her bag. There was a Starbucks gift card inside from Tsuchiya….

Everyone but Dad had gotten her a present.

Even Mukai had gotten her a present. She had drawn a picture in the card. She had no idea what the picture was supposed to be, Mukai still mostly scribbled, but she knew that her little sister had put her heart and soul into this. Everyone had gotten her something for her birthday…everyone but her Dad…

She didn't know how to feel about that.

She didn't know if she wanted people to celebrate her birthday or ignore. She didn't know if she wanted to celebrate it or ignore it. She didn't know…this whole day was confusing. She held her present in her hands…maybe she wanted to change. She looked down at her shirt. This was just her old Olaf shirt…and it was white. That wasn't good for eating, it showed dirt. That was why she never bought Sho white shirts. She had…she ha d anew purple shirt and…and it would have been nice to wear it…

Better than wearing a sweater.

She took a detour inside and put on her new shirt and the crown that went with it. It was the nice thing to do. She had never really liked crowns…but this was ok….and so was the shirt. It was really big. Nobody could look at her while she wore this. It had her age on it…but it was ok. Sweet thirteen. She didn't know if it was going to be sweet…but it wasn't like she could hide from it.

She just had to…to have her birthday.

She could eat pancakes. It wasn't going to be so bad. She didn't see any decorations as she made her way to the kitchen. Just the smell of pancakes and burning. No streamers or balloons or banners. She was the most festive thing there….she could do this. She was fine. She was…maybe even a little happy. Two people. That was easier than everyone…she could do this.

She could eat her pancakes…and she could enjoy them too.

"Miss Suzuki!" said Serizawa. He jumped as soon as Mob set one foot in the kitchen…and knocked down the pancake castle that he and Shimazaki had been building.

"Do you have any idea how much of my blood and sweat went into each and ever one of these pancakes?" asked Shimazaki

"That's gross, Ryou." Said Mob

"Don't knock it until you've tried it. Right, Serizawa?" asked Shimazaki. Serizawa looked like he was going to be sick. He looked down at his plate and stared. Mob wanted to tell him that it was just an expression….but knowing Shimazaki….well it was hard to tell.

"I-I-I-" said Serizawa

"Ryou, be nice. Serizawa, that's just an expression. He didn't actually put his blood and sweat into this…I think." Said Mob

"As far as you two know." Said Shimazaki. Mob frowned. Why did he always have to mess with people? It wasn't funny, Sho was the only person who laughed and he hadn't done it in a while, and she couldn't imagine how it could have possibly been fun. She just couldn't see what was so much fun about scaring another person like this, especially Serizawa.

"I…I….I know saw you make them but-" said Serizawa

"But there was always that split second where you let your guard down." Said Shimazaki. Serizawa gasped and pulled his head into his sweater. Mob walked over and sat him down. She pulled his head out of his sweater and gave him a hug. Shimazaki was looking at her, now, she could feel it. Well what did he expect? She wasn't just going to let Serizawa get upset.

"It's ok, I'm sure that he didn't and I'm sure that the pancakes taste good." Said Mob as she gave Serizawa one last squeeze before she let him go. As soon as she did Shimazaki leaned down and kissed her…for a long time. She could see Serizawa out of the corner of her eye. He was back in his shirt like a turtle….poor Serizawa.

And poor her.

She wondered how long Shimazaki could hold his breath for. Her record was two minutes and seventeen seconds but the last time she had checked was years ago. She kissed him back for as long as she could but, eventually, she needed air. She broke apart from him first but he tried to follow her…he must have been really sad about Minegishi being gone. Either that or he really wanted to kiss someone.

She didn't know which and she wasn't going to ask.

"Happy Birthday." Said Shimazaki. He was red and smiling and…and she didn't know what he had to smile about….well he had been wanting to kiss her for a long time. Still, he could have waited until Serizawa was out of the room. It was always so weird doing that when someone else was around. She didn't know what Shimazaki was so red about, he was the one who had embarrassed everyone else. Nobody had told him to do that….boys were so weird sometimes.

"Um…thanks, was that my present?" asked Mob. She reached over with her powers and pulled Serizawa's head out of his shirt. She didn't like doing that in front of people, it was just embarrassing for everyone. Serizawa was red…really red, like when she forgot to put sunscreen on Sho. She was a little red too, she could feel it. Why did Shimazaki have to be like that? She hoped that really long kiss was her present. Then he wouldn't want to do that.

"No, your present is my presence. Today is your day and we'll do whatever you want. Coke, molly, meth…well maybe not meth. Yeah, actually stay away from meth…and don't mix coke and molly. Unless you want to die that is…but don't die, I wouldn't be able to live with…you know what? It's your day and my present to you is that you can pick whatever we do today and if you want to die then I'll mix up the Kool-Aid." Said Shimazaki. Mob…it took her a minute to follow that. It was a good gift, her being in charge, and he had already promised her molly and she knew that she liked coke…

Everything but the meth, since if Shimazaki didn't like something then it must have been bad, and death. She may not have been happy about being thirteen but she still wanted to turn fourteen next year.

"Everything but the death…and thank you, that's a really good gift. I needed that…this. I think." Said Mob

"See? And that guy got you nothing. What the hell is wrong with you, Serizawa? Honestly. I have no idea-" said Shimazaki

"I-I got you something, Miss Suzuki…I mean…here!" said Serizawa. He stood up and reached into the pocket of his pajama pants and pulled out…oh, that was where it had been. She had thought that Mukai had thrown it out the window like she had with Sho's. So he had been holding onto it…but did that count as a gift?

"What'd he get you? All I can tell is it's a rectangle…you have plenty of rectangles already." Said Shimazaki

"My 3DS. Serizawa…why are you giving me my DS?" asked Mob

"I saw…you left it charging in my room once and I saw…well we were playing that farm game and you said that it was taking too long so….so I've been working on your farm for you. You grow corn and have three chickens…um…I played some of your other games for you…but I really should have asked! I'm sorry! Please forgive me!" said Serizawa. He bent down like he was going to kowtow. Mob stopped him. She reached out and hugged him again. Her crown hit him in the chest. She had maybe hugged him too hard. She could feel Shimazaki looking at her again. She'd ask him why later. Right now Serizawa clearly needed her.

"Thank you, Serizawa, you know how I don't like the boring parts of videogames." Said Mob

"I heard you say so and…and I…did all of that." Said Serizawa. Mob let go of Serizawa…and then found herself in a chair. There were pancakes in front of her and a whole bottle of strawberry milk.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, he knows how to play videogames. Big deal. You're probably starving, so here. Your very own birthday castle….or just regular one. I know how ambivalent you feel about your birthday." Said Shimazaki as he pushed her chair in. She gave his hand a squeeze.

"Thank you. I…I like this. I like today. Thank you both so much." Said Mob. She meant every single word. Maybe being thirteen wouldn't be so bad. Maybe she might even like it…she wasn't sure yet. There was no escaping her birthday so she had might as well make the best of it.

Mob had gone to bed twelve and woken up thirteen. She would wake up thirteen every single morning for the whole year. She might as well make the best of it.