Green Eggs and Ham: Extra Bit(e)s - E.B.

Serenade

First, she helped save an endangered animal. Then, she helped end a war. All of that and she didn't have a driver's license yet. How many people can you name with such a résumé? Not only that, E.B. Weebie Am-I also won the heart of the Crown Dooka of Yookia, Looka BaDooka and became a big sister. Again, could anyone else beat that?

It's been three months since the Great Butter Battle came to a close and Guy Jr., E.B.'s little brother, was just learning how to walk. E.B. watched him as walked across the living room with her eyes watering, but her happiness wasn't even close to Guy or Michellee's.

Michellee let out a little shriek of joy as Junior walked into her arms and she hugged him and Guy enveloped the both of them.

"Oh, this week couldn't be better!", Michellee exclaimed. "My son's taking his first steps and my daughter's turning thirteen tomorrow!"

"That's right. E.B., I hope you're ready for your special day", said Guy.

"Oh, I've been so happy for Junior that it must've slipped my mind." E.B. laughs a little.

"And there might be a special someone that'll be here too." Guy makes a smug grin, as he knew that E.B. knew what he meant.

She gasped. "You mean, he's coming here? To Glurfsburg?"

"You know it."

E.B. runs over to her family and hugs them. Junior starts grabbing the air in front of E.B. to let her know that he wants a hug all to himself.

"Oh, come here, Guy Jr." She takes him from their mother's arms and holds him into her chest and rubs his back softly. Guy and Michellee look on with smiles.
——
The next morning, E.B. yawned and got out of bed non-groggily as one would do on their birthday. She quickly dressed and went downstairs to the dining room.

"SURPRISE!"

Everyone was there. Guy, Michellee, Junior, Sam, Pam, Gluntz, Guy's entire family, and of course-

"Looka!" E.B. ran over to him and hugged him. He returned the hug.

"Happy birthday, E.B.", he says.

She grinned ear to ear as she looked in his soulful, dreamy eyes...

"All right, you two. Don't forget about the rest of us", Pam said.

The two broke eye contact and laughed nervously. They spared another glance and quickly collected themselves.

Guy had made a special birthday breakfast for E.B.: strawberry waffles with a three inch high dollop of whipped cream and toast, one buttered on the top, the other on the bottom. That reminded E.B. of the time when she and Looka showed the Dooka of Yookia (who is Looka's father, by the way) and the Dookess of Zookia that bread can be buttered both ways, even made into a sandwich. That combined with Sam and his mom Pam neutralizing the bombs with Goo-Lacka-Goo and Gluntz finding the real culprits behind the war helped end the conflict between the two nations, who started working under one nation like they did originally. Once again, Ookia was restored to its former glory.

As everyone ate happily, E.B. held Looka's hand under the table. "I really missed you", she told him in a low voice so only he could hear her.

"I missed you too", he said. He started rubbing her knuckles with his thumb. This sent a chill down E.B.'s spine. "You're gonna love the present I got for you." She chuckled lightly and felt her heart melt.

"What are you guys talking about?", Sam whispered as he snuck over to their side of the table.

The two of them yelped in surprise. "Goodness, Sam! Don't scare us like that", said E.B.

"Seriously, not cool", Looka said.

"Sorry, Soulful Eyes", Sam says to Looka. "Were you guys talking about presents? 'Cause I just know E.B.'s gonna freak when she sees what I got her."

"Don't worry. We'll get to those in the living room", Michellee says across the table.
——
With breakfast done and dusted, the party moved to the living room. E.B. sat in the chair next to the end table that had the phone on it. She regularly called Looka on that thing. The phone bills were starting to drive Guy crazy. Speaking of whom, he sat on the couch with Michellee sitting next to him, holding Junior on her lap. Sam took the spot at the end. Gluntz, Pam, and the Am-I's all stood around the room. Looka was leaning in the doorway.

The first present E.B. opened was from Guy. It was a starter kit for aspiring inventors. This was apparently the same one that he used in his youth, so it was like a passing the torch moment for the two of them. Her next present was from Michellee, who'd given her a cellphone. Now she can talk to Looka on her private line. From Sam and Pam together, they gave her a pair of night vision goggles. A perfect gift from a mother-son spy duo. From Gluntz, she was given a series of mystery novels and a very loud handwritten card. Seriously, so many neon colors and glitter was used on it, she might need sunglasses to look at it. Nonetheless, she loved it. From the Am-I's as a whole was a tin of cookies, each decorated by a different family member.

Now it was Looka's turn.

"Mine is a two-parter", he said. He started to play some music from a boombox and began singing along with it:

Tried to keep you close to me
But life got in between
Tried to square not being there
But think that I should have been

After that first stanza, E.B.'s jaw hit the floor. She was pretty sure that everyone else's did too.

Hold back the river, let me look in your eyes
Hold back the river, so I
Can stop for a minute and see where you hide
Hold back the river, hold back

Once upon a different life
We rode our bikes into the sky
But now we crawl against the tide
Those distant days are flashing by

Hold back the river, let me look in your eyes
Hold back the river, so I
Can stop for a minute and be by your side
Hold back the river, hold back

Hold back the river, let me look in your eyes
Hold back the river, so I
Can stop for a minute and see where you hide
Hold back the river, hold back

Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh

Lonely water, lonely water, won't you let us wander?
Let us hold each other
Lonely water, lonely water, won't you let us wander?
Let us hold each other

He then takes E.B.'s hands in his and stands her up. They then make eye contact with each other.

Hold back the river, let me look in your eyes
Hold back the river, so I
Can stop for a minute and be by your side
Hold back the river, hold back

Hold back the river, let me look in your eyes
Hold back the river, so I
Can stop for a minute and be by your side
Hold back the river, hold

Lonely water, lonely water, won't you let us wander?
Let us hold each other
Lonely water, lonely water, won't you let us wander?
Let us hold each other

He finished. E.B. was trembling now. "And here's the second part." He lifts her chin with his fingers. He then leans in closer, shuts his eyes,...and kisses her.

Everyone gasped. Sam let out a squee of excitement.

E.B. spared a glance at her mom and stepdad. They both nodded in approval. She smiled back, giving an inward sigh of relief. She then hugs Looka.

"Happy birthday, E.B.", he says in her ear.

"Thank you", she replies, tears of joy running down her cheeks and onto his shoulder.
——
A few hours later, all the guests except for Sam and Pam had left. Looka told E.B. that he'd try to visit again if he could.

Now relaxing in the living room, everyone sat around and watched television. E.B. wasn't paying attention to what was playing as she was smiling to herself and humming the song.

Now how many people can you name that got to kiss a prince on their birthday?