The Pearl Girls

Pumpkin's Birthday

Volleyball, Pearl, Blue and Yellow has on pink, white, blue and yellow party dresses respectively. Steven had a red suit. "Hey Pumpkin. We got you something." Volleyball revealed a party hat and suit. Pumpkin felt pretty off without it, especially at a formal setting like his birthday, so he had Volleyball help him put it on.

Volleyball helped him get his party hat and party suit on. "You look very grown-up in your suit." His bark was excited.

There was noises coming from Pumpkin's room as him and Volleyball exited the bathroom. He walked to his room to find his family taking his old bed out of the room. "Pumpkin, since you're older now, you need a new bed. So here it is, one of your many gifts this year.", Volleyball told him. Suddenly, they wheeled in a new bed for Pumpkin. It was a simple wooden-frame bed, and it was much different than his race car bed that he liked. He sort of missed his old bed.

"Time for the presents yet?", Blue asked. Volleyball nodded.

Everybody was gathered in the living room. Yellow handed him one of the gifts. "Go on, open it Pumpkin." Pumpkin tore off the wrapping paper, revealing some new Spongebob bedsheets. Immediately, his face went from mild enjoyment to... slightly less enjoyment. "Oh... do you not enjoy them?", Volleyball asked. "I thought you liked Spongebob..." Blue looked at her. "Of course he does, don't you Pumpkin?", Blue asked. He nodded. "Maybe he just feels disappointed... most his age prefer to get toys and such for birthdays." Volleyball looked at him. "Hey, there's something that'll cheer you up. Your cake."

Pumpkin waited for Volleyball to pick him up and put him in his high chair. But she didn't. She simply walked with the others to the table. "Oh, almost forgot." Volleyball carried Pumpkin's highchair to the attic. He appeared sad when she came down. "Pumpkin, you're older now, you don't need it anymore...", Pearl explained. He sadly walked to a chair.

His excitement went a little lower when he saw the cake. In front of him was a one layer vanilla cake with some strawberries arranged in a circle near the center. Around it were five candles, one for each year. There seemed to be no color for characters on it. Not even a Spongebob candle.

Everybody looked at him. Volleyball's smile slowly went to a slightly less happy smile. "Is everything okay Pumpkin?", she whispered. He sadly nodded. "There's one more surprise. I'm sure that it can cheer you up."

Sardonyx, Pumpkin's favorite TV celebrity walked in. "Hello there Pumpkin! I'm sure that you're having a most pleasant birthday!", she greeted. He barked joyfully and ran up to her, his eyes shimmering in excitement. "It's so happy to see you! And how are you on this fun day?"

He whimpered when she asked that. "Oh my, somebody seems to be rather down on their special day. Come on, let's see that little birthday boy smile!"

Pumpkin didn't smile. He just wanted to stay young and do all the things he could do before.

"Hm... perhaps my special birthday song can make that frown turn upside down? I think that would work well, especially in a situation like this."

"Is everybody ready?", she asked turning to the girls and Steven. All of them nodded. "Okay, here we go!"

Happy Birthday to Pumpkin,
Our specialist friend,
Let's hope that the magic
Of today cannot end,
Please blow out the candles,
You get older by the-

Suddenly, Pumpkin burst into tears, crying loudly. "Pumpkin dear, please don't cry, it's your special day!", was all that Sardonyx was able to say before Pumpkin tossed his party hat off of him and ran upstairs. Three seconds later, everybody heard a door slam.

Sardonyx went up to check on him. "Do you think we pressured him?", Volleyball asked Blue as she turned to the cake. "Well, I suppose with everything going on... he was afraid of growing up. Maybe Sardonyx can talk some sense into him... I'm sure that we can have him blow out his candles.", Pearl explained.

Volleyball set everybody out a plate, fork and knife. She was going to set Pumpkin out an grown-up plate, but given the circumstances and the fact that he was still at a young age, she gave him a child's set.

Sardonyx walked up the stairs and turned towards Pumpkin's room.. "...oh no...", she muttered under her breath, rather concerned.

Sardonyx heard the sound of crying and followed it into his room. "Darling?" She slowly peeked into his room. The veggie was sitting down on his bed, crying. "Oh dear... Pumpkin?"

The woman sat down and looked at him. "Pumpkin dear... please don't be down...", she whispered petting him softly.

"Could you please look at me for a quick moment?", Sardonyx requested in a soft voice. Pumpkin did as he was told and lifted his face to see her. He had a face filled with tears. "Oh my..."

"Oh, there there sweetie-pie..." Sardonyx wiped some tears. "What's troubling you on a joyous day like today?" She realized. "Oh goodness, you're just wanting to stay young, isn't that right?" Pumpkin nodded, sighing as he rolled his eyes and looked up at Sardonyx.

"I was just like you once." Pumpkin looked up to her. "Bark?" He was confused. Sardonyx was so big compared to him. "Yes. We all were actually. I was about as big as Steven years ago. Now I'm much bigger." She placed him on her lap. "And that's the point of growing up; you change. You get older, your body changes and matures."

She opened the window and caught a leaf as it fell gracefully from a tree. "Take this leaf for instance. It used to be green. But now, it's orange; like you. It matured too; just like you too."

"Why, you get to do things you couldn't before when you're older... just like me... you get to grow up, go to a higher grade in school, get a a job... you get the idea."

"And chances are, you might even have your own television show, like me.", she explained, looking at him with a playful and reassuring smile. "You're certainly a nice young pumpkin... at least to me. I mean, I don't know many pumpkins, so not much of a choice. Volleyball has to have a miracle to have you, and she just wants to see a smile on your face. She worked so hard to make your birthday the happiest day of your life..."

"So make her proud for me."

Pumpkin smiled and hugged Sardonyx. "Oh!" She blushed and embraced the hug. "Come on darling, let's get you back downstairs. The others are waiting."

She walked with Pumpkin downstairs. "Okay everybody, Pumpkin feels much better now. Oh, and Volleyball, I think he was just afraid of growing up.", Sardonyx explained. "Oh my... is he okay?"

"Yes he is, and he's even better than that! Aren't you?" She gave Pumpkin a petting.

"Okay everybody, from the top!"

Happy birthday to Pumpkin,
Our specialist friend,
Let's hope that the magic
Of today cannot end.
Please blow out the candles,
You get older by the minute,
We love you so much,
That we just have to sing it.

"Make a wish, darling."

Pumpkin blew out his candles in a single puff.

Sardonyx had a little cake and then got a neatly wrapped present. "Oh, almost forgot my gift to you.", she exclaimed, handing it to him.

Everyone formed a circle around him, with Sardonyx in front of him. "Go on dear, open it.", she told him, excitedly.

Inside, it was a DVD of her show. It was essentially a Wayne's World style TV show, themed after comedy instead of music. "I hope you enjoy it, darling."

Pumpkin had his photo taken with Sardonyx. "Well, I have to go now but I hope you enjoy your birthday darling."

She pulled him into a hug, allowing him to cry happy tears. "Happy Birthday Pumpkin..."

That night, Pumpkin was watching the DVD with Volleyball under a blanket. "I'm so proud of you... you're getting older every day... one day you'll be like me... just maybe..."

Snoring was heard. Volleyball looked down to find him asleep in her lap as his belly rose and fell. She carried him to his bed.

"Happy Birthday Pumpkin..."