Drew's Bad Birthday

What follows is a original heart warming fictional short story that I wrote called "Drew's Bad Birthday". It is long for a blog post but I think you will enjoy it all the same. I have many more stories so if you like this one I will post more.

“Mom,” I whined “Why do I have to go outside, it is my birthday?”

“I have to clean the house, now get!” she yelled pointing at the door.

Not wanting to be paddled, I sulked out the back door and crawled behind a bush where I liked to hide from my little brother. It wasn't long before two of my so called friends walked by without noticing me.

“... do you think he know about the ....” but before he could finish what he was saying my other friend put his finger to his mouth and said “... I don't know but I hope he learns...”

The back door opens. I didn't bother to look to see if my friends went to the door or someone had come out.

“Drew, Drew where are you?” my annoying little brother screams.

I ignore my brother hoping he would just go away.

“Drew!” my brother screamed at the top of his lungs as I made myself as small as possible, still trying to hide.

“Drew! Drew! Drew!” he chanted.

“I am over here!” I said annoyed, not being able to stand Joe's voice a second longer.

“Over where?”

“I am over here, behind the bush you idiot.”

“Got You!” my brother yells, as I came around the bush, as if we were playing tag.

“We are not playing tag, and if we were, I wouldn't play it with you.” I grumbled staring into his young face. He blinked once at me.

Joe is 9 and is 2 years younger then me. He stood there looking at me, as if asking; “What are we going to do now?” I stood up, walked away leaving him standing there, alone. I was very pleased to see the hurt expression as his face, which buckled up like he was about to cry.

In the wonderful shade of a giant tree, I sat down placing my back against the trunk and stretched my legs way out in front me with a great relaxing sigh. All to soon I hear the sounds of Joe's feet hitting the ground.

“Drew Play with me!” he whined in his cruelest most annoying voice.

“Play with yourself!”

“No play with me now, or I will howl.”

Sensing the temper tantrum about to fill my ears and the pain on my butt when mom found out I didn't play with my perfect brother. “Ok, ok I give up, I know what we can do.”

“Oh goody, what is it?” My brother demanded at once.

“Come closer and listen.” I told him as he sat down next to me. “There once lived two boys who always played together. They rode their bikes every where, built forts, played games, invented clubs and talked about everything. This soon became boring so they started exploring. One day while on such an adventure they found a cave, and decided to explore it.

As they drew closer to the cave a wicked smell made their noses shrivel up with disgust. They almost turned around and ran from the horrible smell. Yet something deep inside of them, beyond their pounding hearts, made them venture closer.

Closer and closer they came.

Rumble! Grumble!

The ground shook violently. The boys shook in fear. But yet they continued. Finally at the mouth of the cave they see a .....”

“A monster right? A big purple, and pink monster with green ears and a big mean mouth?” My brother interrupted me.

“Not exactly, be quiet or I won't finish the story.”

“The monster wasn't ugly at all, surprisingly it was pleasant to look at and didn't smell.”

“So they became friends, right?” interrupted my brother again.

“Maybe let me continue the story.”

“The boys kept getting closer and closer, as if something magical was pulling them forward. They closed their eyes and clenched there fists, fearing what was ahead of them. Slowly they crept on.

The monster let out a big GROWL!

AAAAHHHHHEEEEE! the boys yelled.

Both the boys and the monster jumped back....”

“Did it eat them?” my brother questioned.

“Just listen!”

“But .... ! “

“Be quite and listen or I will stop here.”

“The monster spoke ' Don't be afraid, I mean you no harm. I only growled because you stepped on my dinner and smashed it to bits. Can we be friends? I am so lonely and I get no visitors'

The boys apologized for smashing the monsters dinner to bits and offered to help him get more dinner.

'It's ok Ill just capture another one' said the monster with a smile.....”

I felt my brothers head on my shoulder, he had fallen asleep. I smiled thinking it never fails – a story always makes him sleep. The only problem is this time I wanted to know how the story ends.

A funny feeling suddenly overwhelmed me. With my brothers head on my shoulder, and his face seeming so sweat and innocent I couldn't help but wonder what I disliked about him so much. Maybe if he was always asleep I would really like him.

“Boys, Boys you can come in now.” Mom yelled from the back door. “Drew, come... I have a surprise for you.”

Mom put a blindfold over my eyes and tied it tightly. I could hear my brother giggling. I stood still felling uncomfortable and awkward. Mom takes my hand and roughly leads me stumbling through the house. Now lost, embarrassed, mad, and unsure of myself, I am pushed into a strange chair.

“This is your life.” my dad says.

“You have know me since we were both very small, but now you are big and I am still small. I am black, soft, and cuddly. Who am I?” Whiskers my dog, jumps into my lap.

“This is your life.” my dad repeats.

“You have known me longer then I have know you. You have seen me grow, as I have seen you grow mean ... mom don't pinch me ... my room is next to yours. Who am I?” Joe comes over and gives my head a nasty rub with his knuckles.

“This is your life.”

“You have only known me for a short time. I am small, live in a jail and am covered with feathers. Who am I?” Buddy – my bird sinks his talons into my shoulder. Ouch I yelp.

“This is your life.”

“We are your friend, some of us you have known a long time, others not so long. We all have one thing in common. Do you know what that is?”

“No!” I yell really getting upset by this whole stupid thing.

Many water balloons bounce of me, with a sting. I am now dripping wet and even more upset. I try to stand up, anger flowing through my veins, but Whiskers my faithful dog growls telling me not to drop him. I Sit back down.

“This is your life.” dad repeats.

“We have known each other for years, We have done lots together and had many fights, too. We have been there for each other through thick and thin. We help each other out when in trouble, so I will take off this blindfold.”

Light flooded into my eyes. I blink and blink as I adjust to the bright light. As I look around I discover that I am in the front yard, with sun gazing down on me. Mad, curious and embarrassed by how carefully everything has been planned to get me on my special day. Did they ever get me. The entire yard is decorated in such a way that made it look unusually happy. People were everywhere.

I let out a long relieved sigh, thinking that the worst had to be over and that things could only get better. We played games for hours. Finally mom called us to the table I couldn't believe my eyes, everything on the table was my favorites.

After dinner a big chocolate cake, blazing with candles was brought before me. Of course the candles where the trick kind that keep re-lighting themselves. Everybody but me had a good laugh.

After the candles were put out, mom proudly announces “It's time for cake, but first the birthday boy must get spanked.”

While getting spanked all my so called friends sang Happy Birthday as badly and off key as possible. Finally I was able to break free. I ran as fast as I could to my room, slammed the door shut, collapsed into my bed, and buried my head into my pillow as tears flowed like a crazy waterfall.

I wasn't in tears because of pain, but because I was embarrassed and ashamed. I laid in bed crying. There was a knock on the door. I ignored it. The door opened. “Go away I yelled!” The door closed, I hoped who ever it was left.

Footsteps came closer to me, a hand gently touched my shoulder. I didn't look up.

“We are all sorry that we treated you so badly.” said my so called best friend Chris. “We wanted you to feel what it is like to be treated like dirt, to be teased and picked on. Here is a piece of cake.” he said laying the cake on the stand next to my bed and then he left. As the door was closing he said “I hope you can forgive me and well everyone else to.” The door quietly closed, I was alone once again. I picked up the cake and threw it across the room, in a fit of frustrated rage.

Not trying to think about what my so called best friend said, I wondered how my story about the monster would end. I figured the two boys would befriend the monster, overtime and that they became good friends. The monster even gave them rides, and took them to neat places they had only seen before in their dreams.

The party broke up, but I didn't care they all had treated me like .. like.. that smelly stuff dad puts on the grass and I hope to never see any of them again. On a tear soaked pillow I fell angrily to sleep.

The next morning my parents gently woke me up.

“Son, you will not be going to school today.” I looked at them in shock, something had to be wrong, like the world coming to an end if I was being allowed to skip school. Dad must of saw this in my face as he said “we need to talk.” I stared into his face hoping not another day of torture.

Reading the fright in my face, mom said “No, son today is going to be nothing like yesterday. Yesterday was the end of a boy and the start of a man.” I dared a look at my mother, she looked like she was about to cry.

We spent the day talking. Not that kind of talk you have when there is nothing else to talk about, but talk that really mattered, things that I needed to hear no matter how much I didn't want to. I learned a lot about myself and my family. Even more important, how much my brother actually cared for me. They told me how Joe and Chris had arrange everything for my birthday party. It was my brother who wanted to keep me out of the way till it was time, although my mom thought it would be better if some one else did it.

I was staring at my parents in disbelief before I couldn't hold back any longer. I jumped up, wrapped my arms around them both, buried my face in moms chest and bawled, loudly and uncontrollably. Mom just rubbed my back.

After letting it all out, mom looked at me kindly and said “Why don't you go up and change your clothes and wash your face.”

By the time I got back to the living room my brother and Chris were home from school. My parents looked at all three of us and said we are going somewhere special. I looked at her questioningly, she winked and put her arm over my shoulders as she warmly guided me to the car.

Before I even knew where we were going, we were there. My brother and Chris seemed to know we were going somewhere, but not where either. The car stopped in front the world best amusement park.

We all got out of the car. We all of course wanted to do our favorite rides, so dad gave us each some tickets and spending money for snacks. Chris and I ran off to the echoes of being back at a certain time. My brother stayed with my parents so that Chris and I could have some alone time and he was to young to be by himself. We had a great time riding as many rides as we could, and some more then once. What a wonderful time we had pigging out on hot dogs, ice cream and candy. But like all great things – they eventually have to come to an end.

While waiting for the others, Chris and I looked at each other knowing their was something we had to do, but didn't want to do. Each seeming to know what the other is thinking.

“I think we are thinking the same thing if you accept mine, I accept yours.” Chris finally said. I stuck my hand out to him, he took a hold of it. I said “Friends forever.” he repeated “Friends Forever.” Nothing else was said, we knew each had forgiven the other.

I guess we were there a lot earlier then we needed to be as Joe came running over saying we still had time for another ride.

“Where's Mom and Dad,” I asked looking around?

“Oh they went in some stupid store, so I said pointing at the two of you that I was going to hang out with my brother now.” We all smiled. I noticed Joe had a tear in his eye. I put my hand on Joe's shoulder for a brief moment. He looked up at me and smiled.

For some strange reason all three of us got onto the ferris wheel. We all were allowed to sit on the same bench. I looked at my brother and made a note to thank him, for all he had done for me.

“Joe, would you like to hear how the story end?”

“What story?” Chris asked, Joe and I quickly filled him in. The wheel started to spin. Without waiting for an answer, I finished telling the story, just as the ride ended.

After the ride was over we all returned to wait for my parents. I stood there looking at Joe as he was looking at me. Before I knew what was happening he held me tight around the waist in the best hug anyone had ever given me. Behind me, I heard a sigh.

“Hi, mom, dad” Joe said.

“I see you all had a great time and worked things out.” Mom said smiling.

Back at the car, Joe and Chris said their thanks for taking them somewhere so awesome, but I squeezed my mother, giving her a big hug. She ran her fingers through my hair and asked if I was a boa constrictor. I blushed a little and let her go.

We stopped for pizza on our way back home, putting to end the worst and the best days of my life. I even gave the last piece of pizza to my brother. My dad put his hand on my forehead.

“He doesn't have a fever, do you fell all right son?” Dad chuckled.

I returned to school next day where the rest of my friends apologized to me for the birthday party, which I refused by telling them I deserved it. I then apologized to them for being such a terrible friend. Of course, they refused and we called it a draw. I told each and everyone of my friend that I knew what we had in common and it wasn't water balloons - it was friendship.