"Taryn," Charlie sighed, "What. What the heck, are you doing?"
"Um..." Taryn tried to stall, while thinking of something to say. Finally she decided on the truth.
"I'm adding a stain to my collection."
For a moment, Charlie looked like she was going to say something, but she turned and walked away without a word.
Taryn smiled a self satisfied smile, as she took a drink of soda, but then a little seed of worry began to sprout.
"Hey, Lanie." Taryn said, "Do you know what's wrong with Charlie?"
Lanie looked troubled, "Is something wrong?"
"I don't know. She's just acting kind of weird." Taryn shrugged.
"I wonder what's wrong?" Lanie mused.
"Well," Molly interjected suddenly, "It is her birthday. That might have something to do with it."
Everyone looked at her in surprise.
"What?!"
"How do you even know that?" Claire asked, "I've lived with her for way longer than you and I didn't know."
Molly smiled mischievously, "I'm kind of like Drax, I sit here and read, and I just disappear. People say stuff in front of me that they wouldn't normally share."
"So that's how you always know what I got you for your birthday." Lanie laughed.
"But, do you know what Charlie wants for her birthday? A party maybe?"
"Did someone say party?" Afton asked, breaking off her conversation with Amy.
Amy and Afton flopped themselves on the couch, as Afton asked who's birthday it was.
"Charlie's but..."
"Great! So let's throw a party! I'll be in charge, and we can make a cake, and invite all her friends, and... wait does she have any friends?"
"But that's what you want," Molly shook her head, "Not what Charlie wants."
"Who doesn't want a birthday party?" Amy asked, feeling very confused.
Ignoring Amy's question, Taryn challenged, "Well, if you're so smart, what does Charlie want?"
"She wants a break." There was silence.
"From us."
Claire rolled her eyes, "As if."
Everyone fell to talking again, but it didn't sound so far fetched to Lanie.
"OK guys!" Lanie called to get her sisters attention.
"I think I have a plan."
30 Minuets Later
Charlie hummed to herself as carried the plate of fresh cookies.
"Oh, um..." Charlie stopped dead.
All of the dolls were waiting for her, congregated in front of the door.
"Hi Charlie." Lanie began, "We know you've been wanting a break, so we thought, since today is special, you should have it today!"
"What... but...um."
Afton, mistaking Charlie's confusion for shocked thankfulness, said, "No buts. Today is your day. We're going to make it special!"
"I - but - wha - " Charlie stuttered as her sisters all filed out.
"What is today?" Charlie asked as the door closed.
"So," Lanie called to the others, "You guys go ahead to whatever you've decided to do for the rest of the day."
There was a collective 'um'.
"We're we supposed to arrange to do something today?" Taryn looked stunned.
"Well, yes. Giving Charlie a break means not going into the house and pestering her!"
"Did anyone set something up?"
Everyone shook their heads.
Lanie sighed, "Well then, you'll just have to hang out with me."
"I'm going to go to the stable then." Amy declared.
"You can't." Lanie said, "The stable is right in front of the window. If Charlie sees you, any of us in fact, she'll feel bad and call us back inside, and that will completely ruin her birthday break. All of us have to stay away from the windows."
So all dolls began to settle in for a long wait.
"Whew." Charlie sighed.
She surveyed the house proudly.
The house looked immaculate, probably because Charlie had cleaned it three times.
Charlie smiled and looked over at the clock.
"Oh no! It's 11:00 and I forgot to put lunch in the oven!" Charlie panicked.
Everyone was getting hot and bored.
"This songs gonna get stuck inside your hhheeeaaaddd." Taryn sang for the 22nd time.
"Taryn," Kit snapped, "Please stop singing that."
"I can't help it! It's such a catchy song." Taryn sang the last part.
"Taryn if you don't stop I'm going to- "
"OK" Lanie interrupted, "Quiet competition, rules the last person to make a sound, sneezing and coughing excluded, wins five bucks."
So everyone settled into silence.
"Good thing I remembered in time." Charlie congratulated herself.
She set the large roasting pan of meat on the table and smiled.
"Guys, it's time to-" Charlie suddenly realized the house was still empty. She sighed, "I guess I'm eating alone then."
Soon, everyone was out of the quiet competition, except for Taryn and Kit.
The two of them were staring at each other, just waiting for the other to make a sound. Both of them were still silent, but it was becoming harder and harder as the others were trying their best to annoy them into speech.
"It's so catchy, catchy"
"It's such a catchy song. Gonna make you happy, happy"
"Don't try to fight it, sing aloooong!"
Kit and Taryn both grit their teeth, preparing for the chorus.
"This songs gonna get stuck inside your, this songs gonna get stuck inside your, this songs gonna get stuck inside your-"
"That's enough!" They both cried at the exact same time.
"So, who wins?" Ruthie asked.
"Well, they spoke at the same time, so I guess no one."
"What!?"
"No way!"
"Who cares?"
"Alright, that's it! No more stupid quiet competition. Now it's time for war!" Taryn cried.
"Oh yeah! Paintball war!" Kit added.
"Last one standing gets $100." Taryn finished.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Who's paying for that?" Lanie asked worriedly.
Taryn didn't seem to hear Lanie. Instead she pointed, "The paintball guns are over there."
"Um, are they though?" Amy asked skeptically.
Kit rolled her eyes, "They're invisible. You didn't think we were using real guns, did you?"
Ignoring all Lanie's protests, everyone took a gun, made teams, and scattered. Lanie knew this could only go poorly.
Charlie barely moved a muscle.
"Yes?!" Charlie cried as she turned around. She could have sworn she heard someone call her, but still the house was empty.
She sighed.
A groan snapped Lanie out of her thoughts. They were only a few minuets into the game, had someone been shot already?
"Ruthie! Is that you? What happened?" Lanie cried.
"Taryn... she got me." Ruthie gasped, "Now Kit is out for revenge."
"Oh no. This is terrible! They'll destroy each other!"
"I'm sorry, Ruthie. I have to leave you here. I'm the only one who can stop this." Lanie said resolutely.
"Please save Kit! She's not as good at paintball as she thinks." Ruthie begged.
Lanie walked quietly, listening hard for any sound of Kit or Taryn.
As she set her foot down, there was an ominous click. Lanie gulped.
She couldn't see it, but she knew, somewhere above her, a paintbomb had been activated. If see moved, even an inch, the paintbomb would cover her, and anything within a ten foot radius, in paint.
"Aha," Kit laughed, appearing out of nowhere, "I see you have walked into my trap!"
"It was meant for Taryn but you'll do just as well. Taryn will try to save because you are on here team -"
"I wasn't on any team." Lanie interjected.
"Doesn't matter. And I'll shoot her and get my revenge!" Kit cried.
"One problem."Taryn said from above Kit, "I heard everything you just said."
"What! How did you even get up there!?"
Kit scrambled away from Taryn whipping her gun out as she went.
Taryn was already down the tree and they were at a stalemate.
"Guys! You have to stop! You're going to destroy each other." Lanie cried.
Lanie couldn't move without getting soaked, but either Taryn or Kit shot she would get hit.
So Lanie did the only thing she could think of, the thing she should done once things started getting out of hand.
"Charlie!"
Charlie was trying not to worry about her sisters. They would be fine without her for one day.
"Maybe I do need a break." Charlie said to herself, "Maybe this is a good thing."
She jerked upright and listen closely.
There it was again, someone was calling Charlie's name.
She jumped up and ran for the door.
Lanie closer her eyes and braced herself for the impact of the paintballs.
But Charlie was there just in time.
Paint flew everywhere.
Charlie's appearance seemed to have snapped Kit and Taryn out of their momentary madness.
"Are you guys OK?" Kit cried.
"I think we're fine." Lanie sighed.
"Have you guys been out here all day?" Charlie asked.
"We wanted to give a break on your birthday." Taryn said.
"Yeah because we know that's what you wanted." Lanie agreed.
"OK, one, I totally forgot today was my birthday, and two, why did you guys think I wanted a break?" Charlie asked.
"Well, Molly heard you say -" Lanie began.
"One thing you need to know about Molly. Her ears aren't that good." Charlie shook her head, remembering earlier that morning...
"Man, I really need some lemon zest."
lemon zest
emon zest
mon est
est
rest
"You're telling me I've been letting then drive me crazy all day for nothing!" Taryn sighed, "Oh well. At least I get $100."
"What? I totally won!" Kit said.
"Well," Lanie said, a smile creeping over her face, "Neither of you have shot each other, so I guess no one wins."
Before Kit and Taryn could even get their guns up,
They were both hit with multiple paintballs.
"Yes! That's $50 each!" Afton called as she high-fived Amy.
"What in the world is going on?" Charlie asked.
"Um..." Lanie paused, "You don't happen to have $100 on you, do you."
Charlie shook her head and laughed, "Let's go make a cake."
So, I hope you all enjoyed that, and do make sure to wish Charlie a happy B-day!
~ Megan