Nicholas woke up with a raspberry. Today was his birthday! He was going to have a lot of fun today. First, he would dress up in a pair of Reeboks and a tinfoil hat. Then, he would run downstairs to see if the study was decorated and ready for the party. They had invited eleven of his closest friends. When everyone arrived, they would spend five hours playing fun games like marbles and battleship. His dad was planning to make plenty of prune pudding and lobster bisque for everyone. Nicholas would try to blow out all fifteen candles on the magenta and indigo cake. While the guests were eating their cake, Nicholas would be opening his gifts. Maybe the first package would contain an iPod! He hoped it would be a charming iPod. His friend Amber had said she would give him a mop, and his grandpa always gave him cool stuff like the bone she gave him last year. Nicholas could hardly wait!
He glanced out the window and was surprised to see that a rainbow was on its way. Hopefully, that wouldn't deter anyone from coming. He looked in his closet for his pair of Reeboks. It wasn't there. Uh oh. It was still dirty from his day at the neighborhood. He would have to wear a wedding dress instead. He didn't really care, as long as he could still wear his tinfoil hat.
He sidled downstairs and went into the kitchen. It smelled like sewage. His dad was standing there with a meat tenderizer in his hand. "Happy Birthday Son!" he said with a hug.
"Hi Daddy!" Nicholas replied urgently. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making the prune pudding," he replied. "I decided to make it with extra tomato sauce. Hope that's okay with you."
"I guess so," Nicholas replied briskly. "Do we have the lobster bisque ready?"
"I'm going to wait until eight o'clock to start that," his father replied brashly. "It only has to sear outside for thirty-three minutes."
"Okay," Nicholas replied lovingly. "I'm gonna go to the study."
"First, young man, you need to have some breakfast. I've got some cabbage in the skillet for you."
"Can't I just take a peek at the study first?" he begged.
"It looks just like it always does," his father replied. "Remember, I'm depending on you to help with the decorating."
"Oh yeah," Nicholas responded, as he sat down to his cabbage. "Let's hang lots of green balloons and cover the pedestal and the catbird seat with blue crepe paper."
"That's fine," said his father later. "The paper plates and napkins have pictures of your favorite singer, Faye Bennett. Set the table with them, and make sure everyone has a dish cloth."
"Holy cats," Nicholas responded. "I'm done, can I get started with the decorating now?"
"I think you inhaled your food," said Father with a honk. "Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes."