Ok, so I really just wanted to update before I went on vacation. I'm kinda making this up as I go, so sorry if this is kind of cheesy or something... Flashbacks!

16 Years Old

A word to the wise; never let a five year old plan your birthday party. I learned that the hard way. Let me tell you what happened.

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"Carter, you've got to have a party! It's your birthday!" Little Shelby looked on the verge of tears. She heard me talking about not wanting to turn my birthday into this elaborate thing. Really, I didn't even want to celebrate it. I just wanted to have a small dinner with Zia. But one look in those blue eyes told me that that dinner wasn't going to happen.

"How about I go buy a cake at the store and-"

"And Sadie and I can make decorations and Walt and Zia can get you presents and we can all sing happy birthday for you!" Shelby was getting herself worked up over another person's birthday party. "I'm going to go tell everybody!" Shelby then ran off and started yelling, "Carter's having a birthday party! A BIRTHDAY PARTY!"

I just smiled to myself and went to go get my birthday cake.

I was just walking around the local grocery store, killing time, when I heard a "Hey." I spun around and saw Zia standing behind me.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were going to help set up." When I had left Shelby was pulling Zia by the hand and telling her the plan for the party.

"Shelby kicked me out. I apparently was ruining her present she was making for you." Zia walked up next to me and took a hold of my hand. "She's very serious about this you know."

"Every five year old is serious when cake is involved."

"Carter, I mean it. She really does care about you." She squeezed my hand and said, "Now let's pick out your cake."

After much debate we picked out a cake that said 'Happy Birthday Buckaroo!' It was cowboy themed and the only birthday cake they had. Oh well, a cake is a cake.

Zia and I came home to chaos. And I speak from experience. The place was a wreck. Chairs were toppled over and someone let Freak inside. I found some griffin poop in a corner. When Shelby saw me she started crying. "Your party is ruined! It's my fault, too!" She ran off, to her room most likely.

"Not what I was expecting," I told Zia.

"I'll start cleaning up. I might need help though. Where is everybody else?" Now that Zia said that, I realized that we were the only people in the room.

"Maybe Shelby kicked them out too?" It seemed reasonable. Zia was kicked out.

"I guess so. Now go talk to her." Zia gave me the look that said 'You better talk to her now, before I make you.'

"On it."

I found Shelby crying on her bed. When she saw me walk in she said, "I'm sorry Carter. Your birthday party was supposed to be special."

I sat down next to her. "It was special. Do you think any other five year olds have ever planned a birthday party? That's special."

She sniffed. "But it was ruined."

"Do you think I care? You wanted to make sure that my birthday was the best ever. People say this all the time, 'It's the thought that counts.' Do you know what that means?" She shook her head. "It means that you really wanted me to have a party, and you tried to make one for me. Sure, it didn't go as planned, but you thought about me. That's the best birthday present I could get."

"Really?"

"Really." Shelby smiled at me and then I was attacked with a bear hug. When I thought I was going to suffocate she let go. "Now I have a question to ask you."

"What?"

"Where is everybody?"

She looked a little nervous when she finally said, "I locked them in your bedroom because I thought they were going to mess up your party. I used a new spell Felix taught me to make sure they couldn't get out."

That explains the mystery of the missing initiates. "Well let's go get them out and then we'll have some cake."

"Ok!" Mention cake to a five year old and everything's ok.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

All of Brooklyn House was sitting around the table enjoying some good ole cowboy birthday cake. Zia came over after getting her slice and sat down next to me. "Shelby looks a lot happier than she did earlier. I'm guessing the talk worked?"

'What can I say? I'm just really good with kids." I meant it as a joke, but Zia seemed to take this seriously.

"You know, I think you'll make a great dad someday."

I could feel my face growing hot. How are you supposed to respond to that? I must have looked really stupid because Zia laughed. "It was a joke Carter." She pecked my lips before she got up from the couch.

"Wait, are you saying I wouldn't make a great dad?"

I think that you people should fill my inbox with a gazillion reviews so I'll be overwhelmed by the time I get back from vacation on Saturday. Just a thought. :) Hope you enjoyed it!