Sock Puppets : Liu Yangyang

Chapter 3: Birthdays and Best friends

Y A N G Y A N G

10th October, 2006

'Hey Mister Death- I mean, Yangyang, how old are you?'

'I'm quite young,' I replied. '200? 300?'

Neyza gasped. 'No way! When's your birthday?'

'Uhm. I... forgot?'

She gasped again. Talk about dramatic.

'That's horri-bell! My sister says that everyone has a birthday, and it should always be the best day ever!'

I shrugged. I hadn't really given it much thought. My friend Birthday could tell me when I was born if I asked, but I didn't want to bother her.

'I know!' Neyza said. 'Today  can be your birthday!'

'Wait, wha-'

'HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISTER DEA- YANGYANG!' she yelled. Then she proceeded to sing the birthday song at the top of her lungs. 

'You sounded like a dying parrot,' I told her once she finished.

'You're a big meanie,' she said, pouting. But it's your birthday, so it's okay.'

'Wow. I wish everyday is my birthday then.' 

'And now for your present!'

Neyza began to traipse around the meadow, gathering a whole bunch of daisies. Then she came back, sat down, and began to fiddle with them, as I watched, chin propped on my fist.

'My sister taught me this,' she explained, eyebrows scrunched in concentration. 'She makes it for me all the time. I'm not very good, but- Here.'

She held up the finished product. It was a daisy necklace, though it was much too small for me to put around my neck. I wore it on my head like a tiara.

'How do I look?' I asked, wiggling my eyebrows.

She cackled. 'Silly! But also pretty.'

Her expression softened, and she reached for my hand with her petite ones.

'Yangyang, you're my best friend, right?'

I scoffed. 'Ofcourse I am, stupid. You don't have any other friends.'

'I promise that even if I have a thousand hundred million friends, you'll always be my bestestestest friend.'