October,
Tori and I were sitting on the staircase, our laptops out, looking up birthday presents for Trina's upcoming birthweek... yea you didn't hear wrong, I said birthweek.
"No."
"Nope." I said clicking off a tab.
"No! Uch, no! Hey!"
"Wha-"
"No!" She clicked off a tab, not finding what she was looking for.
"Hey Tori, Y/n" "Hi" Cat and Robbie greeted, walking down the stairs.
"Yea, hey, hi"
"Hello." I greeted them, glancing at them.
"Whatcha doin?" Cat asked, looking between us.
"Hey." Tori said again, not at all focusing on them.
"Looking something up." I said, not really paying attention either.
"Hey, what up girls. Ya got a numb tongue?" Rex said, making us glance up.
"Alright, that's a time out mister!" Robbie and Cat smushed him in Robbie's bag as Rex yelled, "No, no timeout! Don't you put me in this backpack! I'm serious Rob."
"Hey what goes on?" Andre greeted coming into the school.
"We were gonna get some iced coffee." Robbie said, smiling.
"I thought coffee made you vibrate?" Andre asked him.
"Sometimes it's nice." He shrugged.
"Oh, a massage helmet! A stylish helmet that massages your head. That sounds fun, right?" Tori asked us, glancing around.
"She already has that Tor." I told her.
"It could be." Cat said as Robbie and Andre muttered out responses.
"Aw, It's awful!" She whined.
"I hate helmets." "It's a bad thing." Cat and Andre commented.
"Awe!"
"Why is she all—"
"Because it's only 3 days until Trina's birthweek." I told them, closing my laptop.
"Her birthweek?" Cat questioned, now sitting by Tori, leaning on her slightly.
"You mean her birthDAY?" Robbie corrected.
"Yeaa, you guys don't know our sister, she thinks one day isn't enough celebration, so she calls it her birthweek! And if we don't get an amazing gift, we're gonna have to listen to her complain about it for the next 6 months." Tori explained.
"Yep." I agreed.
"All right, chill down, we'll help you through this." Andre said, walking closer to the stairs, putting his backpack down.
"Totally" Robbie said sitting by me.
"The perfect present for Trina."
"Something amazing." He said as we all sat thinking.
"Just get the massage helmet!" Rex spoke from inside Robbie's bag, making Tori kick him.
"Ow! My ribs!" Rex exclaimed.
"Ribs?" I muttered making Robbie look at me.
I shrugged.
2 days until Trina's birthweek,
"Hey Oscar!" I greeted, smiling.
"Hey, sweetheart! What can I get for ya today?"
"Chicken alfredo please." I said fishing out my wallet from inside my bag.
"Coming right up, doll." He turned around getting my food ready.
As I waited, I looked around, Oscar's granddaughter wasn't in, so I had no one to talk to while I waited for my food but that was okay. I looked towards my usual table seeing all of my friends sitting there, (excluding Beck seeing as he was in Canada visiting his grandpa) and Sinjin who was sat by Jade... weird.
"Here ya go doll." I turned back around seeing Oscar peek his head out the window, my food in his hand.
"Thank you." I started to hand him money before he held his hand out.
"Osc—" I began to say but a hand from inside the food truck grabbed my money right from my hand, making both of our heads turn.
"Roberto!" Oscar scolded as the unknown person tucked the money away in his cargo capris.
"What? She's paying for her food tio!" He shrugged.
Oscar took a breath and turned to me, "I apologize Y/n, because my Ana isn't here today, I had my sobrino (nephew) help out in the food truck, It's his first day." He glanced at Roberto who was counting the money from the cash register, making me giggle.
"It's okay! You really have to start allowing me to pay Oscar." I playfully scolded.
"No, no, no sweetheart" He shook his head, waving his index finger before we heard a loud sizzle come from inside the truck. We both turned our heads (again) and looked, seeing it was Roberto playing with the knobs of the stove top causing a cloud of fire to go up.
"Roberto!!" He scolded, jogging over to him.
"Bye Oscar!" I said, shaking my head at his nephew.
"Bye doll!" He called, pausing from reprimanding Roberto in Spanish.
"Jade is so pretty..." Sinjin said, gazing at Jade.
"3, 2, 1..." She counted making Sinjin grab his bag and jog away from the table.
"What was that about?" I asked, sitting down in Sinjin's previous spot.
"He called me pretty." Jade said in a monotone voice.
"Ohh."
"Does anyone have a good idea about a present for Trina?" Tori whined, raising her voice slightly.
"You people give me a rash." Jade blurted, grabbing her bag and getting up.
"Rash? What kind of rash?" Rex called as Jade had already walked away. Robbie's phone then started to ring. "Ugh, It's my grandmother again."
"Who else would call you?"
"Shh." Robbie shushed Rex before putting his phone up to his ear.
"Hi mammaw." He paused, "Uch, another computer problem?" He asked, making Cat laugh, looking at him.
"No, mamaw I was not being sarcastic... mamaw, don't...d-... mammaw, don't hang up on me-"
"What's your grandmother buggin about?" Andre asked after 'mamaw' hung up on Robbie.
"She bought a stupid computer, and she can't figure out how to work it and she calls me like every four minutes for tech report!" Robbie explained, talking with one of his hands.
"Oh, that's cute." Andre commented.
"It's not cute! I was at her place for 3 hours last night and I have to go back tonight!" He complained, his face rising as he got an idea. "Oh, will one of you come with me?" He asked, looking at all of us.
"I'll go." I offered, shrugging my shoulders.
"Sure! I love old people. It's so cute how they shake when they pour their juice." She smiled looking down.
"You know what that makes me think of?" Tori asked, smiling at Cat.
"What?"
"Nothing! And Y/n you can't go, you have to help me think of what I'm gonna get Trina and what you're gonna get her for her birthweek." Tori said, raising her voice and whining.
"Mmm, whatever you get her I'll just sign my name on the card. We're twins, it'll work." I smiled.
"Y-" She started saying but got interrupted by Sinjin who was leaning down behind her shoulder.
"You should get her a bobblehead that looks like me?" He suggested, holding a bobblehead that looked just like him.
"My dad's a cop." Tori said, turning to look at him.
"Moving on." He hurried off somewhere, as I finished my food and left to go annoy Jade.
After school ended, Trina and I went to the mall. No particular reason, but Trina did mention some shoes she wanted were on sale, so I just tagged along. I got a new jean skirt though. After we left the mall Trina dropped me off at Robbie's mamaw apartment building because I did say I would come with. Jade was at her dad's house, and her stepmom didn't like me for whatever reason and Beck was in Canada so I just figured I would tag along.
"All right before I take you guys in there; I should warn you."
"About?" Cat asked.
"My grandmother. She can beee critical."
"Alrighty." I shrugged my shoulders.
"That's okay! I take criticism really well."
"No, you don't" Robbie crossed his arms.
"Cat, hon no you don't."
"What's that supposed to mean!?"
"Just that you don't take criticism very well." Robbie said.
"Why don't you just kick me in the face!?" Cat exclaimed, slightly yelling.
"Cat-" I tried.
"Okay, I'm sorry I take it back."
"Okay." She smiled.
Robbie turned around, leaning his head on the door and rang the doorbell.
"I HAVE A GUN!"
"MAMAW, IT'S ROBBIE."
"Hello Robbie." His grandmother greeted in a whole new tone, opening the door.
"Hi, mamaw." He said, giving her a hug.
"These are my friends, Cat and Y/n." He glanced at us as I smiled at her.
"Hi." I spoke.
"Nice to meet you Mrs. Shapiro." Cat greeted.
"You too, sweethearts. You all are so pretty, come in, come in." She gestured inside the room, Cat and I walking in as they stood at the doorway chatting for a bit.
I looked around, noticing her house was so cute, it was like a little cottage fit into an apartment. Even the hallways of the elderly home were cute. I would love to live here when I get all old and wrinkly.
20 minutes later, I was sitting on the couch observing Robbie and his grandmother as Robbie tried teaching her tech stuff. Cat was all smiles sitting by Mrs. Sharpiro.
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, you just... you just click on that little square in the upper right corner to open a window." Robbie explained, pulling down Mrs. Sharpiro's hand that was holding the mouse in the air.
"I don't wanna open a window, it's already too cold in here." She misunderstood making Robbie sigh.
"That's not what I meant."
"MAURY, TURN UP THE HEAT." She yelled, talking to Robbie's grandpa.
"NO!"
"Mamaw a window is just this litt-" Robbie said but got interrupted by his grandmother talking to Cat, holding a strand of her red hair in her hand.
"Why did you do that to ya hair?"
"What? You mean the color?" Cat innocently asked, looking at her.
"Do you hate your mother?"
I quietly gasped.
"I love my mother!" Cat looked at me, making me shrug.
"So how do I email this to my doctor?" She moved on, now looking at Robbie.
"Email? These are your system preferences. Why would you email a doctor your system preferences?" Robbie said, the irritation showing in his voice.
"MAURY, ROBBIE IS SCREAMING AT ME!"
"I'M HUNGRY!"
"TURN UP THE HEAT!"
"NO!"
"Why does he do that to me?" She turned to look at Cat and I as Robbie had his hands under his glasses, groaning.
This was gonna be a long night.
The next day it was officially Trina's birthweek, and because last year I came up with Trina's present It was now Tori's turn. Andre and Tori had written her a song and wanted me to sing along with her. It was going to be our gift to her.
"I'm home." Trina announced, coming in from the garage.
"Happy birthweek!" Mom, dad and I exclaimed. Mom was just getting done lighting Trina's cake.
"Mom! Oh dad! Y/n!!!" She said, giving us hugs as she squealed.
"Make a wish." Dad told her as Trina started blowing the candles out.
"Okay." She paused, then blew the candles making us smile and clap. "Where's Tori?" She asked, noticing she wasn't with us.
"Oh, just over there." I said as dad moved Trina into the rolling desk chair and rolled her into the living room.
"Whoa!"
"You're going to love it." Dad told her, smiling and running over to mom who held the camera, as I ran over to the backup dancers.
"What is going on?"
"Just relax." Andre told her as they all stood up, getting into place. Fog coming out of the fog machine.
"Y/n, you're singing?" Trina asked, a big smile on her face.
Tori jumped from the top of the stairs, making herself known. She started singing as she walked down the stairs.
"I don't wanna make a scene..."
"And you need to know that you're the reason why." Tori and I finished, the backup dancers now on the kitchen counter posing as Trina sat in her chair, smiling.
Trina got up and hugged the both of us,
"Happy birthweek, Trina!"
"Thanks! So, where's my present?" She glanced around, grinning as all of our faces fell.
"Are you kidding me?" Tori asked.
"No where's my birthweek present?" Trina asked in seriousness.
"Mom, dad, Y/n could you please take Andre and everyone outside?" She looked at our parents.
"But it's raining."
"And I'd hope you know by now of our almost 15 years of existence, that I'm not going out in the rain." I gave her a smile, sitting myself on the counter.
She gave me a glare but got over it, going to grab an umbrella.
"Here's an umbrella." She shoved it towards mom.
"This way, everyone." Dad gestured to the back door leading out to the patio as mom took the umbrella, walking with dad. "Don't break anything." He said as Tori turned around, glaring at Trina.
"No promises." She replied without skipping a beat leaving Trina to look around innocently. Tori moved some hair from her face, sighing before she raised her voice slightly. "THE song was your present." She said, hands in the air.
"How much did it cost?" Trina tilted her head, smiling.
"It didn't cost money!"
"Then it's not a present." Trina said in a slightly exaggerated voice, shaking her head side to side.
"Oh, you're unbelievable." Tori said, walking away as I jumped off the counter.
"I'm not the one who didn't get her sister a present for her birthweek." She said following her.
"Trina, she wrote a song for you!" I said, joining the conversation.
"We rehearsed it, with people, I performed it for you!" Tori added.
"Yea, I think you were a little flat on that last chorus." Trina told her, whispering at the end.
"Oh my God." I said, shaking my head before I heard Tori grunting. I looked back and Tori was jacking Trina up.
"Aht, can't hit your sister during her birthweek!" Tori stared at her for a sec, then let go walking away. "I can't believe you're not deep enough to appreciate a gift that totally came from my heart." Tori said, looking back at her.
"A song is not a gift."
"It is too." Tori said in a deeper voice, getting annoyed with Trina's comments.
"Can I wear a song? No. Can I eat a song? No. Can I flaunt a song and make anyone jealous? No. You failed!"
"Here. I am so sorry this is all I got for you." Tori took the flash drive that had the song on it out from her bra and put it in Trina's hand.
"What is this?"
"The flash drive with the song on it."
"How many gigs?"
"I don't know!" Tori looked back at me, not believing our sister.
"Eight?" I said unsure.
"Kinda small..."
"I am going...to kill her." I said slowly getting up, aiming at Trina.
"No, no, no... remember it's her birthweek." Tori said, grabbing me, through gritted teeth, looking at her as Trina just shrugged and went up to her room.
I sat down on the couch, pulling my pearphone out as Tori let in our parents, Andre and everyone else.
"Where's Trina?" Mom asked, getting a towel from a laundry basket that hadn't been put up yet.
"Upstairs." Tori sighed.
"Alive?" Dad added, making Tori and I give him a deadpan look.
"What?" He shrugged off.
Tori walked back over to me, sitting right beside me. "What are you doing?" She asked, looking over my shoulder.
"Setting a reminder."
"For what?"
"Oh, just for when Trina's birthweek is up." I answered.
The next day, I was in class with Jade, Robbie, Cat and Sinjin. Jade was currently presenting her project report and I don't think she was really that into it. Or she was just being plain old Jade.
"But the most surprising part of the play happened at the end when the monster gouged out Pricilla's eyes, which, for whatever reason I found really funny. Questions?"
Sinjin raised his hand, and I did too, just to annoy Jade.
"I have two questions." Sinjin said.
"Okay, no questions. Great, I'm done." She said ignoring him and going to her seat.
"Thank you, Jade, for that disturbing report." Our teacher said, taking a breath at the end. "Robbie! You're up."
"Right." He got up, walking cheerfully to the front of the room.
He opened the laptop that was on the table next to him, greeting the class. "Hello everybody!"
"Hi!" Cat greeted back, waving.
"My report is on vaudeville! Now if you all look at it..." He clicked something on the keyboard as a ringing went off. "Oh, my God." His grandmother was trying to chat him, and because he was presenting, we could see everything on the tv monitor.
"Aww, your grandmother wants to chat!" Cat cooed.
"ROBBIE! ROBBIE. CAN YOU SEE ME NOW?" She asked, waving to the camera.
"Oh my God." I muttered to Jade laughing quietly.
"Hi mamaw, is this important cause I'm kinda in the middle of something no-"
"How do I open the internet?" She asked, making the class laugh.
"Grandma, grandma you're on the internet. We couldn't be video chatting if you weren't on-"
"Hey, Robbie, I see your puppet, are you still taking your puppet to school?" She asked interrupting him again and getting off topic.
"REX IS NOT A PUPPET!" Robbie said, triggered and pointing at Rex. Jade was getting a huge kick out of this.
"MAURY, ROBBIE STILL PLAYS WITH HIS PUPPET!"
"I'M IN THE BATHROOM!"
"DOING WHAT?" She asked with not a care in the world. Robbie started groaning, slowly sinking to the ground.
"Robbie, Robbie, Robbieee!" His grandmother called, waving her hands.
"Hi Mrs. Sharpiro!" I greeted, smiling.
"HI, sweetheart! DID YOUR MOM LIKE THOSE COOKIES?"
"Yes, she loved them!"
After Robbie got off the ground and ended the call with his grandmother, class ended early. I volunteered to take Robbie to the nurses' office because he had gotten himself way too worked up. I had just met back up with Jade as we were walking to our next class when I noticed she had got coffee. That was fast, those lines are usually long.
"The lines weren't long?" I asked as we passed the dance hall.
"Huh?"
"Your coffee." I nodded my head towards it.
She looked down at her cup "Oh. Oh! Yea..." She smirked down at it.
"Mhm." I said, looking at her suspiciously as we approached my sister who was at her locker.
"HEY! Vega, Tori." Jade called.
"What?" She looked over at us.
"Try this coffee and tell me what it tastes like."
"You could've given it to me, I-" I said but Jade shushed me, smiling as Tori took the coffee and tried it.
"Hmm, Hazelnut?"
"I don't know, I found it in the garbage." Jade said nonchalantly, putting gum in her mouth. She offered me some as Tori tried to spit out what she could.
"Jade—, Ooo gum." I tried to scold her, but well, she knows me.
"Hey Tori! Y/n! Tori and Y/n's friend." Trina greeted, rounding the corner.
"Yea, I'm not really Tori's friend." Jade said without skipping a beat, she walked away leaving Trina to smile at nothing. I turned back to my locker not really wanting to talk to her, Tori following my movements.
"So, listen—"
"I'm not buying you a present." Tori shook her head at her.
"Butt ya already did...!" She moved, now standing beside me. "This hat!" She pointed towards the boho hat on her head.
"I didn't buy you that hat." Tori said, confused.
"Did too! Well, indirectly! See, I sold the song and used the money to buy the hat. Most girls can't pull off the whole hat look but my head has the perfect shape you know soo.." She ranted as I whipped my head around to her, taking in the words that just came out of her big dumb mouth. I almost gave myself whiplash.
"Yeah, yeah, whoa, whoa, whoa." Tori turned around also, now thinking about what Trina said. "What do you mean sold the song?!" Tori and I exclaimed at the same time. "I gave you?" Tori finished.
"Well, you know my friend Molly?"
"Little feet?" I asked.
"Big thighs?" Tori added.
"Mhmmm, her uncle from Devolution records, I played the song for him and he, like freaked out over it!" She giggled.
"The song we sang for your birthday?" Tori pointed at herself and I.
"Yeah, he gave me 500 bucks for the rights and get this, he wants me to record it professionally!" She squealed.
"You? You're gonna sing it?" I said, giving Trina a 'really' look.
Let's be real, real quick. My older sister cannot sing. I don't know why my parents lied to her.
"Ah huh, course. He thinks it could be a hit! I turned down your terrible present into a new hat and a great opportunity!" Trina happily said, running off.
"Hey, but, but, but does he know that were the ones singing the song and not you?" Tori said, pulling her back by her backpack.
"Y'know, that did not come up."
"Trina how can you just do that, you can't ju—" The bell rang, cutting Tori off.
"Gotta scamper! Hey, are you going to finish your coffee?"
"No! Jade found this in the-" Tori said before I cut her off, grabbing the cup and handing it to Trina. "Here, Trina!" I said smiling.
She grabbed it and started walking off, sending air kisses to me as she ginned.
"That's right...drink the garbage coffee." Tori said as we watched her walk away.
When school let out for the day, Robbie caught me before I left with my sisters asking if I could go with Cat and him to his grandmother's house to distract her while Robbie worked on her computer. I had nothing better to do on a Friday night than go over to one of my best friend's grandmother's houses to bake to distract her, so I said yes.
Trina was about to leave, something about a celebrity sighting and recording the song Tori wrote, so I asked if she could drop me off and thankfully, she said yes.
I met up with Robbie and Cat outside the elderly home and we made the short distance to Robbie's grandparent's apartment. Cat complained the whole way up, and I didn't blame her. Robbie lied about baby golf!
"Come on!" Robbie told Cat.
"Noo, you told me you were taking me to play baby golf!"
"We'll only be here for a half hour." he said, turning around and ringing the doorbell.
"But your grandmother hates me!"
"She doesn't hate you." Mrs. Sharpiro then opened the door exclaiming, "UHH Why'd ya bring THAT one? Hi sweetheart." She waved at me.
"Hi."
"Byee!" Cat said, trying to round the corner.
"Stay!" Robbie pulled her back towards him, walking inside the apartment. "Who is this?" Robbie turned to look at his grandmother, pointing at the little girl who was sitting in a chair, hugging a teddy bear.
"Robbie, this is Brenda. My friend Rona's cousin's granddaughter. Brenda, this is my grandson, Robbie." She introduced.
"Hi, it's great to meet you." He quickly turned back to grandmother, "Why is she here?"
"So, you don't end up with one of those." She pointed towards Cat, who was in earshot.
"I'm leaving now!" Cat told Robbie as I sat down on the couch, getting comfy.
"No, you're not." He grabbed her again before she could even make it to the door.
"Robbie is so smart, he's here to fix the internet!" Mrs. Sharprio said, talking to Brenda and smiling at me.
"Yea, why don't I go do that." Robbie said sarcastically, walking towards the computer.
"Yea, what's the rush? Spend some time, get to know Brenda!"
"Mamaw!" He turned around as she squished his cheeks.
"Is that a face?" She turned his head looking at Brenda, who was nervously smiling. Poor baby, Brenda couldn't be more than 13 years old, mamaw was trying to get Robbie to catch a case-
After an hour of us being there, the praline cake was in the oven and Robbie was still working on the internet. We were now waiting on the cake, and Mrs. Sharpiro had decided to start a little squabble with Cat. Yay.
"A girl doesn't dye her hair that color unless she has psychological problems."
"My hair has nothing to do with my psychological problems!"
Oh Cat...
"Don't you use that tone with me, young lady!"
"Well, you've said a bunch of mean things to me! My mom thinks it's funny!"
"Why would your mother allow that!? Over my dead body, would I let my grandson ever marry a girl like you!"
"We're just friends!" I started getting a headache from all this yelling, Mrs. Sharpiro's voice didn't help either.
"NO, NO, NO! Oh, this is bad news! Oh no!" Robbie exclaimed, catching everyone's attention.
"What?"
"What's wrong sweetheart?"
"They canceled the internet!"
"Huh?" I said getting up from my spot on the couch.
"Yea, look!" Robbie gave me a look, gesturing to the cut wires and the typed words 'Sorry, Internet Canceled.' In hot pink lettering on Paint. Ohhh.
Cat gasped, "You know, bad economy, low ratings. They just canceled the whole internet. It says right there on the screen." Robbie stated, moving the monitor slightly to the side for his grandmother to see.
"Aww, that's too bad." Cat said, walking over to Mrs. Sharpiro, rubbing her shoulder.
"That's terrible." She said, looking at Robbie.
"Yeah, It's a tragedy. Bye mamaw, let's go Y/n and Cat." He grabbed his bag and both of our arms leading us to the front door.
"WAIT, Robbie. I made you a chicken!"
"Give it to Brenda!" He said, almost out the door.
"Make sure to take the cake out soon!" I told her as Robbie's grip on my hand was hard.
"Bye!" Cat and I said, the door closing behind us.
When Trina picked me up that night, after so-called recording the song she told Tori and I that the producers 'somehow figured out' that Trina wasn't the real singer and wanted the real singers. So as of the next day, Tori and I were in the booth, recording the song.
Suddenly the music stopped, making us stop.
"Uh- What happened? Are we taking a break?" Tori asked, glancing at me. They continued talking and eventually jumping up and down.
"What's happening out there?"
Trina stepped down from the little platform as Andre smiled at one of the producers.
"Hello??" I said in the mic, trying to see what was going on.
The producers grabbed their bags and started to leave the room, leaving all of us to watch them leave and turn off the lights. Tori hit the mic gently, trying to get Andre and Trina's attention.
"Guys!" They finally looked back at us, a speechless look on their faces.
Turns out, the song Andre and Tori wrote, and Trina sold got bought by Beyoncé. That's okay, it was the end of Trina's birthweek 🙂
~
I think this is my favorite one I've written so far.