Tell Me A Story

Birthday Party

"Jackson! Come on!"

Scott grabbed his younger brother's hand, dragging him outside to where a party was being set up.

Jackson stumbled after him on chubby toddler legs, laughing. "Scotty!" Jackson giggled, "Wha' we gon' do?" Scott grinned at him, pulling Jackson down to sit at a picnic table covered in white cloth. On the table were a line of plastic plates and red plastic cups.

"Start the party of course Jacky!" Scott cried, "It's my eleventh birthday after all, don't you want to celebrate?"

Jackson laughed, "Yeah!" he shouted, his voice filled with joy. His bright blue eyes were filled with excitement and he bounced up and up and down on the bench.

Scott grinned. Reaching forward he ruffled Jackson's dark brown hair. The toddler beamed up at his big brother, "We cel'b'ate!" he cried.

"Why of course Jackson. And Scott, your friends will be here any minute."

Scott turned to his mother, and grinned again. "Mom! Please tell me you got chocolate cake!" he asked. Jackson bounced again on the bench, "Yah! Choc' cake! Choc' cake"

Their mother smiled, "Yes, I got chocolate cake," she said, amused.

Scott smiled even and slung an arm around Jackson's shoulders, " You hear that Jacky! Chocolate!"

"Choc'! Choc'!" Jackson agreed, happily. He cuddled up to Scott, leaning his head on his shoulder.

"Does it also have a toy on top?" Scott asked hopefully.

Their mother smiled, chuckling. "Yes Scott, it's a Spider Man figure. The icing matches it, red and blue."

Scott cheered, and Jackson did too though he barely knew who Spider Man was. He was only five after all.

The doorbell rang, and faintly they could hear their father talking inside. "Come in, come in. This way, the party is in the backyard"

Scott jumped up, pulling Jackson with him. "That must be my friends!" he cried, tugging Jackson along with him to the backdoor of the house.

Being very protective of his little brother, he wanted Jackson with him as much as possible. That way he could make sure he stayed safe.

"Ian!" Scott cried with joy, running up to his friend. Ian held a box, wrapped with red paper. Jackson murmured unhappily, trying to pull away from Scott. Though he loved being with his big brother, he wanted to go play. He eyed his sandbox, a few feet from the picnic table they had been sitting at.

Scott grudgingly let him go, and continued to talk with Ian. He didn't like not being with Jackson, but he had gotten used to it while at school. And he knew Jackson, just wanted to play. He couldn't help but being protective of the small boy.

Jackson grinned, stumbling over to his sandbox. He plopped down in the box, sand sticking to his blue shorts and chubby legs. He happily scooped sand up into a purple, plastic shovel. He packed it into a red pail, giggling.

Scott happily greeted more of his friends, although Jackson paid no attention to them. Turning the pail upside down, he dug it into the sand and pulled it up.

"Cas'le!" he cried, pointing to the small cylinder of sad sticking up from the ground. "Cas'le! Mommy, look!"

His mother smiled down at him from where she sat at the table. "Yes Jacky, a castle!" she moved to get up, and then she kneeled down next to him. Jackson grinned at her, and tugged on one of her blonde locks of hair.

"No Jackson," she scolded, "Don't pull my hair."

Jackson nodded, pouting. "Bu' p'etty..."

She couldn't help but smile, and leaning forward she pet his head, "Even so Jackson, that hurts. You shouldn't do that."