Dusty woke up with a flinch. Today was her birthday! She was going to have a lot of fun today. First, she would dress up in a dress and a pair of heels. Then, she would run downstairs to see if the kitchen was decorated and ready for the party. They had invited seventeen of her closest friends. When everyone arrived, they would spend two hours playing fun games like blackjack and Cootie. Her mom was planning to make plenty of falafel and mashed potatoes for everyone. Dusty would try to blow out all thirty-three candles on the brilliant orange and forest green cake. While the guests were eating their cake, Dusty would be opening her gifts. Maybe the first package would contain a diary! She hoped it would be an expensive diary. Her friend Reynaldo had said he would give her a cigarette lighter, and her grandfather always gave her cool stuff like the pink flamingo she gave her last year. Dusty could hardly wait!
She glanced out the window and was surprised to see that a drought was on its way. Hopefully, that wouldn't deter anyone from coming. She looked in her closet for her dress. It wasn't there. Uh oh. It was still dirty from her day at the lakeside. She would have to wear a fez instead. She didn't really care, as long as she could still wear her pair of heels.
She made a beeline downstairs and went into the kitchen. It smelled like June roses. Her mom was standing there with a chopstick in her hand. "Happy Birthday Honey!" she said with a smack.
"Hi Mommy!" Dusty replied crazily. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making the falafel," she replied. "I decided to make it with extra orange juice. Hope that's okay with you."
"I guess so," Dusty replied madly. "Do we have the mashed potatoes ready?"
"I'm going to wait until nine o'clock to start that," her mother replied wildly. "It only has to shake for fifty-seven minutes."
"Okay," Dusty replied hungrily. "I'm gonna go to the kitchen."
"First, young lady, you need to have some breakfast. I've got some Cheerios in the skillet for you."
"Can't I just take a peek at the kitchen first?" she begged.
"It looks just like it always does," her mother replied. "Remember, I'm depending on you to help with the decorating."
"Oh yeah," Dusty responded, as she sat down to her Cheerios. "Let's hang lots of polka dotted balloons and cover the floor and the beanbag chair with green crepe paper."
"That's fine," said her mother openly. "The paper plates and napkins have pictures of your favorite Tv star, Triffid Slade. Set the table with them, and make sure everyone has an oven mitt."
"Bilge," Dusty responded. "I'm done, can I get started with the decorating now?"
"I think you inhaled your food," said Mother with a snuffle. "Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes."