It's my birthday today. So why is Elliot making me work? I swear, someday I'm going to quit this job for real. Let's see what business is like after the star waitress flies the coop. Oh well! If I don't get over there, he'll call me again (what is it now, like the fifteenth time he asked?) just to bug me. Ugh! I have the worst boss on Earth!
What I didn't realize was that
Number One: I was in the café already
and
Number Two: I was thinking out loud again.
"Really, Zoey? Would the worst boss on Earth allow your friends to throw a surprise party here?" What? A surprise party?
"Hey, I had to hold my sais up to your throat before you agreed, so don't get cocky!" came the familiar voice of Dren, which instantly reassured me that Elliot wasn't trying to prank me or something.
Elliot shoved me through the door, where someone instantly blindfolded me, then pushed me through the door into a room. They helped me change (keep in mind, I was still blindfolded) into some kind of dress, then took off the blindfold and shoved me back into the main area of the café. Which, I noticed, looked totally different.
Pink, red, and white streamers were hung everywhere, twisted into cool designs that made them sort of look like DNA strands. Pink and red cat-shaped balloons covered the ceiling, and were taped to the back of all the chairs. The tables had all been pushed together to form one giant table, with all the chairs around them. A giant white banner that said HAPPY EIGHTEENTH BIRTHDAY ZOEY in pink and red glitter hung across the ceiling. Pink candles sat in the middle of a huge pink, white, and red flower arrangement, and also sat to the side of them. In front of each chair was a cute pink gift bag with what looked like cat-shaped erasers, pink and red pencils with little white 18 icons, candy, and a notebook shaped like me in my Mew Mew form with a pink pen that wrote in sparkly pink glitter ink to go with it. Pink foil-wrapped Hershey's Chocolate Kisses were scattered all over the table, and more, larger kisses dangled from the ceiling (maybe with invisible wire, but probably with magic). In a corner, I saw a huge buffet table with lots of food and a big punch bowl.
Then I looked down at myself. My uniform had been replaced by a beautiful pink dress. It was long and fell in a chic, simple column, made of bright pink silk and covered with tiny bits of silver glitter that caught the light. Spaghetti-straps showed off my shoulders, and a ruffle at the hem drew attention to my legs. And my black uniform sneakers were now pink satin pumps with crystal beading. I felt a slight pressure on my head, but instead of the crown-like headpiece that was part of my uniform, it was a flowing white tulle veil with tiny bits of pink and silver glitter, pinned to my head with a crown of fresh pink roses.
"Surprise, Zoey!" everyone screamed.
"Even though it's not much of a surprise because somebody had to get all worked up over Zoey's opinion of their management skills!" Renee said, angry that Elliot had ruined the surprise.
"Oh, will you guys stop fighting! It's time to party!" Kiki nearly screamed. I didn't know that she could talk like that. Have Corina and Renee been giving her lessons or something?
I looked around trying to decide what to do first. Then, I realized that I hadn't eaten anything all day, and my friends had swiped all the best food from the cafe.
"Hey, how about we have some food?" I asked.
"Yeah!" said Bridget and Corina, knowing that all the best food and cakes had been swiped.
We grabbed as many treats as we could and started stuffing our faces. What started to scare me was when Corina got to the pie, and got an evil look all over her face. I knew instantly what she was going to do.
"Corina... don't... not now... I'm in a fancy dress... Corina, NO!" I said, watching her take aim on Kiki.
"FOOD FIGHT!" she yelled.
Suddenly the café erupted into a mini battlefield. Kiki threw a strawberry-frosted cupcake at Corina, which missed and hit Renee. She retaliated by dumping a cup of berry punch on Kiki's head. Then Bridget launched a platter of pink-frosted brownies up at the ceiling (she was trying to hit Sardon, who was trying to fly away without getting any food on him), which eventually fell and hit Elliot on the head. His response? Throwing a pink popcorn ball at her, which stuck to her braids.
A slice of raspberry cheesecake came hurling at me, thrown from a direction I couldn't place. I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the impact of cheesecake on my pretty dress, when…
I opened my eyes. The cheesecake was gone. Or at least, it hadn't hit. Well, me, that is. To save me and my pretty dress, Dren had used himself as a human (well, okay, alien) shield. "Don't worry, Zoey. I'll keep you from getting covered in food. I can't believe someone would have the nerve to start a food fight on your eighteen birthday! While you're in a pretty dress that cost us about a thousand dollars! Corina sure has some nerve."
"You can say that again," I muttered, not caring if anyone heard me, least of all Corina, who was right now trying to spray Tarb with whipped cream.
I was still a little shocked. Dren would normally love to play in a food fight. He was being so nice to me!
"Come on Zoey, get under the table!" he yelled as he dragged me under the snack table.
"Thanks for helping me, Dren. I know that you would want to have played in the food fight."
"No, I wouldn't have." I gave him my best 'I don't believe you' look, and he caved. "Oh okay, yes I normally would have, but I want to protect you."
"Awwwww! Dren, you're so sweet!" I was so happy that he was doing all that he could to protect me, that I grabbed his face and kissed him. At first he was a little surprised, but then really got into it, kissing me back with kisses tender and passionate at the same time. I had never been kissed like this before, so I really wanted to enjoy it, and didn't notice anything around me, even the flying scoops of strawberry ice cream (yes, the girls had moved on from throwing cake and cookies at each other to scooping ice cream out of the giant container Wesley had brought out from the back of the freezer).
The girls didn't realize that we were under the table until about five minutes after we started, when Wesley came back from the kitchen with more treats.
"Girls, what's with all the... why did you start a food fight?"
"Corina started it!" Tarb cried, clasping his hand over his mouth after he said it. Why can't that kid keep a secret?
"I'm gonna kill you, little blabbermouth," Corina said angrily.
"I'm not mad, I was just curious," Wesley said, setting down a platter of chocolate-covered strawberries and heart-shaped sugar cookies.
"However, you guys will have to clean this up tomorrow. What irresponsible people! Playing around, throwing food at each other!" Elliot exclaimed, picking icing out of his 'perfect hair.' Bridget was steaming from that.
"HEY! You're the one who threw the pink popcorn ball in my hair! You have no right to talk! Say… has anyone seen Zoey and Dren?"
"Yeah, where are they?" asked Kiki.
"They're under the table making out. They've been that way for the past five minutes." Everyone was impressed with Renee, but soon snapped out of it to get us out from under the table.
"Guys! It's time for presents!" Kiki cried, obviously wanting me to open her present.
"Fine. Present time," I said. Everyone got more excited than when they saw the cakes as they all rushed to grab their presents and make sure I opened theirs first.
I decided to open Corina's first. It had some of the prettiest wrapping paper I had ever seen – what looked like pink silk with tiny red bows on it. I made sure to save it for something else – only a spoiled brat like Corina would throw away silk. "Oh, look, it's a tea set," I said, lifting out a white porcelain tea set with ZOEY written in pink on the side of the cup. "And a box of… mint tea." Corina's favorite. Not even strawberry tea, my favorite. Obviously Corina had an ulterior motive.
"This way you can make me my tea for me," she said, answering my unspoken doubts about the sincerity of her present.
"Uh… thank you?" I said, but it came out more like a question than a statement.
Next came Bridget's present, which I was sure would have no ulterior motive to it. It was wrapped very nicely in a cute red wrapping paper. When I opened the present, it was a huge book that I was sure I would never read. I tried to be as nice as I could to her, since I knew she would never say something like 'so you can read it to me.'
"Umm... thank you Bridget. However did you find a book like this?"
"Oh! It was nothing! I just went to the local book store. They were having a sale on antique books."
"Well... um... thanks…" I said. GOD! Two not-so-great presents in a row!
The next present I saw was put in a customized paper bag with little drawings of cats on it. That had to be Kiki's. Maybe this one would end the bad present streak. When I opened the bag, it had some kind of a weird tool in it. I was pretty sure I'd seen Kiki use one just like it in one of her performances, but which one? And what did it do?
"Umm... Kiki? Not to be rude, but what exactly is this?"
"It's a tool to breathe fire! Do you like it?"
"Yeah... it's great." I was only kinda lying. If I knew how to use it, it might be great, but unless this tool also comes with fire-breathing lessons (which I'm not even sure I would want to take if Kiki offered them), it's just a weird piece of junk I can't use. Oh man! Will the bad present streak ever end?
Up next was Tarb. He held out a white box with the name of the most expensive candy company in town plastered all over it. Mmm, treats! This one had to be better than all the others! I quickly opened it and found a white chocolate lollipop, dyed pink, covered with pink and red sprinkles, in the shape of a cat. It was nestled in a bed of pink and red bubble gum balls and candy drops. "Thanks, Tarb!" I said.
"No problem. Kiki bought them in town for me, and Corina lent me the money. It was worth it, seeing that look on your face, to have to call Corina 'Princess Corina' and get her tea every day for a month."
"Oh, Tarb!" I said playfully, giving him a pat on the back. Then I bent down and whispered, "I'll pay you back the money to give to Corina, so you don't have to do that."
His whole face lit up. "Thanks, Zoey!" he whispered in my ear.
Sardon stepped forward to give me his present next. "Here," he said. "I made this myself." He gave me a small – but heavy – box wrapped in cute white paper with pink hearts.
"Uh, okay," I replied. Let's hope Tarb didn't give me my only good present tonight. To tell you the truth, I didn't know what Sardon would make. All I knew is that it would be computer-related.
When I unwrapped the box, it was a little computer game called 'Mew Mew Power,' with a picture of the five of us in Mew Mew form on the front. It looked really cool, and I was ecstatic, not only because of the great present, but because it looked like the bad present curse was finally broken.
"Thank you Sardon!" I said, in a happy voice.
Last up was Renee's present, and then Dren's. I wonder what Dren got me?
Renee handed me a pink-striped Victoria's Secret bag. "Um, Renee? Did you run out of wrapping paper or something?" Why else would she use a bag from one of her lingerie purchases to hold my present? It couldn't possibly be because my present is Victoria's Secret lingerie, could it? No, that would be weird even for Renee.
"Just open it," she said. I did so, because I was a little bit scared of what she might do if I didn't.
I dug through the pink perfumed tissue paper and pulled out… a very short, sheer almost to the point of being see-through, sleeveless pink silk nightgown. And a matching pink lace corset to go underneath.
"Oh, and Dren? I got you a little present as well. Here!" She tossed a small blue cardboard box at him. He caught it, looked down at it, then looked at my present, then looked at Renee. I was sure we were both thinking the same thing: Is Renee on drugs?
"Um… thanks?" I tried to say, but it came out like a question. "But, Renee? I just have one question. What is this stuff for?"
"Uh… Zoey? Not to be blunt or anything, but you do know what you're legally allowed to do once you turn eighteen, don't you?" Where are you going with this, Renee?
"Um, drive?"
"Can't you already do that?"
"Vote?"
"I don't think these things would be useful for that."
"Drink?"
"That's twenty-one, Zoey."
"Well…. oh!" I felt my face burn bright red and my ears and tail popped up through my outfit. Kiki started pointing it out, but I was too busy blushing and giggling (and thinking about using Renee's presents in my mind) to say anything to her.
"Okay!" I chirped. "Who wants to play Seven Minutes in Heaven?"
Thank God for Renee! were my first thoughts as she tossed me that little blue box. With all the planning of the party and making sure it was the best ever, I had kinda forgotten to get Zoey a gift. But Renee had saved me. Thank God for Renee! Again!
Zoey was blushing and giggling and her cat ears and tail had popped up, so I decided it was time to take this party into my hands. "Seven Minutes in Heaven sounds like a wonderful idea, Zoey. But let's play with Cyniclon rules."
"What are those?" Bridget asked, ever the Little-Miss-Know-It-All, or at least the Little-Miss-Wants-To-Know-It-All.
"Well, for one thing, the time is a lot longer. It's half an hour instead of seven minutes. And it's in the bedroom instead of some stuffy old cramped closet where you have to stand on soda cans and get brooms and vacuum cleaners wedged in your backside."
"Oh. I see." Bridget also started blushing, and stared at Elliot.
His response? "Why are you looking at me like that? And why are you blushing?"
I smacked him on the back of his head. "Hel-lo-oh! Anybody home? Bridget likes you, you big idiot! Why, I have no idea."
"Oh…kay, if you say so." He tried to look indifferent, but his face was starting to take on a slight reddish hue. Everyone got a good laugh out of that.
"So are we gonna play or what?"
"Calm down, Kiki. First we need a bottle." Renee picked up a cupcake and took a huge bite. Everyone gasped, especially Corina, who was shocked to see her idol with pink frosting on her nose.
"What?" Renee asked, taking another big bite. She washed it down with some punch, causing Corina to gasp again. "It's a party. I can do whatever I want. You should try it some time, Corina. It's called having fun."
"Back on subject, please!" Oh Corina. You can be such a frigid old maid sometimes.
"We have this old wine bottle from some night that I don't remember. I think Renee and Sardon finished it off one night. Anyway, we can spin that."
I was curious to know if that finished-off wine bottle had made Renee and Sardon do anything else that night, but I kept my questions inside, not wanting to freak out Zoey… or Corina, for that matter, who was shocked enough to see her idol acting less than the poster child for perfection. Renee was getting more and more interesting by the second. Maybe she did hook up with my older brother. It sure would explain why she was acting weird lately. Well, not exactly weird, but less like herself. It makes me want to puke just thinking about it.
"Well then, Attitude King, where is that old bottle?"
"Attitude King? Hey!" Elliot started to complain, but Sai One and Sai Two quickly reminded him who had the power in this situation.
He dug the bottle out from under a mess of pots and pans, and we all sat in a circle. Kiki ended up making the first spin, despite everyone's attempts to tell her she was too young to play. It ended up landing on Tarb, which was a relief. Scratch that – a relief is an understatement. Tarb took her to her bedroom, telling her they would play some new game he just got in. I could see her face lighting up as he described it.
Sardon took the next spin, and everyone but Renee backed up, making it impossible for the bottle to land on anyone but Renee. "Well then, I guess my partner's been chosen." No complaint whatsoever. The idea that they had hooked up beforehand was becoming easier and easier to believe, especially when he picked her up – like the groom does to the bride before he carries her over the threshold – and flew her up to her room.
Zoey and I had the same reaction. "What… the… heck?"
Corina spun next. It landed on Wesley. He was too nice to complain, but left any romance out of their departure. Elliot spun next, making Bridget blush before the bottle even stopped (it landed on her, of course, which made Elliot blush). Finally we were alone.
"Guess there's no need to spin now, isn't there?" I said, trying to cut the tension.
"Um… yeah I guess not." Oddly enough, this was the first time we'd been alone together without bloody wounds all over her body in the last month. Or maybe this was just the first time we'd noticed it. Renee's presents had really shaken us up.
"We should… uh… probably go now."
"Uh…yeah. Good idea."
I wanted to pick her up like Sardon did to Renee, but I didn't have the strength. Luckily she was thinking the same thing, and practically jumped into my arms. It reminded me of that one rainy night in that rickety old flower stand. Not now, I kept telling myself. You're about to maybe hook up with the girl of your dreams and you can't stop thinking about one night you took her home in the rain? Idiot idiot IDIOT! Wait, no! No no no! Berating yourself isn't going to get you to Zoey's room faster!
"Just teleport already!" Zoey said, as if she could read my mind.
"Oh… yeah. Teleporting. Right. Uh… thanks." Thank you Zoey. Without you I would probably still be zoned out.
Making sure I had Renee's little blue box in my pocket, I teleported into Zoey's room. Here's where I got a little scared. I had never done anything like this with a girl back home. What were we supposed to do?