Beverly woke up with a fist bump. Today was her birthday! She was going to have a lot of fun today. First, she would dress up in a pair of socks and a gladiator helmet. Then, she would run downstairs to see if the study was decorated and ready for the party. They had invited twenty-two of her closest friends. When everyone arrived, they would spend five hours playing fun games like Rummy and musical chairs. Her dad was planning to make plenty of prime rib and dry toast for everyone. Beverly would try to blow out all twenty-four candles on the burgundy and magenta cake. While the guests were eating their cake, Beverly would be opening her gifts. Maybe the first package would contain a bucket! She hoped it would be a coarse bucket. Her friend Bubbles had said she would give her a wastebasket, and her mother-in-law always gave her cool stuff like the paintbrush she gave her last year. Beverly could hardly wait!
She glanced out the window and was surprised to see that a dust storm was on its way. Hopefully, that wouldn't deter anyone from coming. She looked in her closet for her pair of socks. It wasn't there. Uh oh. It was still dirty from her day at the outback. She would have to wear a mask instead. She didn't really care, as long as she could still wear her gladiator helmet.
She struggled downstairs and went into the kitchen. It smelled like airplane glue. Her dad was standing there with a dull knife in his hand. "Happy Birthday Honey!" he said with a crow.
"Hi Daddy!" Beverly replied silently. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making the prime rib," he replied. "I decided to make it with extra shallots. Hope that's okay with you."
"I guess so," Beverly replied perkily. "Do we have the dry toast ready?"
"I'm going to wait until eleven o'clock to start that," her father replied bitterly. "It only has to spread into container for sixty minutes."
"Okay," Beverly replied confidently. "I'm gonna go to the study."
"First, young lady, you need to have some breakfast. I've got some crab rangoon in the skillet for you."
"Can't I just take a peek at the study first?" she begged.
"It looks just like it always does," her father replied. "Remember, I'm depending on you to help with the decorating."
"Oh yeah," Beverly responded, as she sat down to her crab rangoon. "Let's hang lots of chocolate brown balloons and cover the recliner and the rocking chair with pink crepe paper."
"That's fine," said her father noisily. "The paper plates and napkins have pictures of your favorite Tv star, Susie Boyd. Set the table with them, and make sure everyone has an electric paint mixer."
"Gotta love it," Beverly responded. "I'm done, can I get started with the decorating now?"
"I think you inhaled your food," said Father with a giggle. "Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes."