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The triplets ran into the kitchen, where Aleena and Uncle Chuck were decorating for the triplets’ fifth birthday party.
“When’s Dad getting back with the pizzas?” Sonic asked.
“He only left five minutes ago.” Aleena said, setting out a bowl of chips. “And stop running in the house.”
“Sorry, Mom.” The triplets replied.
Manic looked at the bowl of cookies on the table. “Ew, those weird cookies again?”
“We have them every year, why are you complaining?” Aleena asked.
“I never eat them.” Manic replied.
“Me either.” Sonic and Sonia said.
“I don’t either.” Aleena replied. “We always had them.”
“I like them.” Uncle Chuck said. “Our family always had Mobian wedding cookies at birthday parties.”
Aleena set out the cooler filled with Capri Sun packs and Squeezeits. “Okay, so… we got the food and plates out. The forks and cups are out.”
Uncle Chuck pulled a pitcher of tea out of the fridge. “We have the tea.”
“What about the piñata?” Aleena asked.
“Manic and I stuffed it and hung it up.” Uncle Chuck replied. “You did want the prizes put in gift bags and then stuffed into the piñata, right?”
“Right.” Aleena said. “The last thing we need is the kids fighting over it. I’m sure if that happened, Shadow would win and he’d take all the prizes.”
“No, I’d win.” Sonic protested. “Then give out the prizes to everyone equally.”
“That’s sweet of you, Sonic.” Aleena said.
“Where’s the chili dogs?” Sonic asked.
“We’ve been over this.” Aleena replied. “Since we had to have two different cakes, we did a coin flip on the meal. Sonia won.”
“Why are there two cakes?” Uncle Chuck asked.
“Because Sonia wanted the pawprint cake that they had on Blue’s clues.” Aleena replied. “The Blue’s Clues cake is a little small, so we got a Jurassic Park cake from the grocery store for the boys and everyone.


*
Brenden arrived with the pizzas. “Okay, we got free wings because it took a little longer.” He said, setting the boxes down. “The wings are in the car with the cake.”
“I’ll help you.” Uncle Chuck replied.
Brenden and Uncle Chuck headed outside.
Manic looked over the table. “Can we eat now?”
“The guests aren’t here yet.” Aleena replied.
Manic looked at the gifts. “Ma? Did you get the Jurassic Park toy I wanted?”
“You’ll see.” Aleena said.
Brenden and Uncle Chuck walked in with the boxes along with Surge and Kit.
“Well, hey, you two.” Aleena said, helping Surge with their gift. “Where’s your mom and dad?”
“They had stuff to do.” Surge said.
Brenden set the box down on the table. “They just dropped them off and didn’t wait to make sure they came inside.”
Aleena grimaced.
Uncle Chuck set the cake down on the table.
“Oh, well, you kids can watch a video or play while we wait.”
The triplets led Surge and Kit into the living room.
“Not surprised.” Aleena muttered. “If Manic wasn’t so enamored with Surge, I wouldn’t bother with them.”
“I know.” Brenden said, opening the pizza boxes.


*
The last guests to arrive were Gerald, Shadow, and Maria.
“Here we are.” Gerald said, setting the gifts by the pile of presents.
“Wow, nice to have you here, Gerald.” Aleena said. “We thought we were gonna be the only adults here.”
“None of the other parents stayed?” Gerald asked.
“No, Sally’s dad is the mayor and he’s very busy, y’know.” Aleena replied. “The other kids just showed up on their own.”
Shadow looked at the crowd of kids, then at Gerald. “Do I have to stay?”
“Yes, for a little while.” Gerald replied.
Maria walked Shadow over to the kids in the living room while Gerald followed Aleena to the kitchen. “Come on, the kids are playing Twister. It’ll be fun.”
Sonia hurried over to Shadow. “Hey, Shads.”
Shadow huffed.
Sonic huffed. “No fair.” He protested. “Tangle always wins.”
“Well, you always win races.” Tangle said.
Manic looked at the mat. “How come the dots don’t light up?” He asked. “They’re not hot either.”
Maria giggled. “What?”
“Have you seen the commercials?” Manic asked. “The spots have these wavy lines pop up and the song calls it the hot spot.”
“Oh, that’s just a way to liven up the commercial.” Maria replied. “It doesn’t really do all those things.”
Manic slapped his hand over his face.
Surge put her hand on Manic’s shoulder. “Hey, don’t feel bad.” She said, smiling. “Kit thought Pizza Head was real for a while.”
“I love those commercials.” Maria replied. “I named our pizza cutter Steve after it.”
Shadow chuckled.
“Shadow laughed!” Sticks cried. “It’s the apocalypse!”
“Nah, that’s in the year two thousand.” Whisper replied.
Sonia’s eyes widened. “So… so we won’t grow up.”
“Sonia, don’t worry.” Maria said, kneeling to Sonia’s eye level. “Y2K is blown out of proportions. Grandfather isn’t worried about it and he explained why it’s not a big deal like some people say it is.”
Sticks tilted her head to the side. “So we shouldn’t trust them. Got it.”
“Kids, it’s time for pizza.” Aleena called.


*
The kids gathered in the kitchen at the little plastic tables.
Sonia frowned. “Too bad Lanolin was sick today.”
Aleena looked over at Sonia. “Then we’ll set aside her goody bag for her.”
“That’s a cool paw print cake, Aleena.” Maria replied. “Who made it?”
“Thank you.” Aleena replied. “I did. Sonia and I saw it on Blue’s clues and we both loved it.”
Kit grinned. “It looks like the one on the show, Mrs. Hedgehog.”
“Aww, thanks, Kit.” Aleena replied.
Manic finished his food. “Can we open presents now, Ma?”
“After the piñata and cake.” Aleena replied.
“This will be fun.” Brenden said, leaning closer to Gerald. “I’m not blindfolding them because Manic’s aim isn’t the best.”
“That’s your only reason?” Uncle Chuck asked. “I wouldn’t blindfold kids and give them a stick in general.”
“I was about to say the same thing.” Gerald replied.
“Good point.” Brenden said.
Uncle Chuck lit the candles on the cakes. “Okay, kiddos, come blow out the candles.”
The triplets hurried over to the cake.
Aleena got her camera ready.
“Ready?” Brenden asked.
“Yeah.” The triplets replied.
“Go.” Brenden said.
The triplets blew out the candles as Aleena snapped a picture and the rest of the guests clapped.
Aleena sliced the cakes and served the guests.

*
The hedgehog family and their guests gathered in the backyard where a dinosaur piñata was hanging from the swingset frame.
Brenden handed Sonic a plastic baseball bat. “Okay, you got first because you’re the oldest.” He said. “Then Sonia and Manic. Then we’ll pick the next players at random if you don’t hit it.”
“Okay.” Sonic said. He adjusted his grip on the bat.
“Alright.” Brenden said, holding the pole for the piñata. “Go.”
Sonic swung the bat, hitting the piñata in the leg. He sighed and handed Sonia the bat. “Go on, sis.”
Sonia adjusted her grip on the bat and swung the bat as hard as she could.
The piñata hit the ground.
Shadow’s eyes widened. “Wow.”
“Great job, sis.” Sonic said, patting Sonia on the back.
Manic high fived Sonia.
Brenden checked the piñata. “Okay, Sonia only cracked it.” He said. “Manic, you finish it.”
Sonia handed Manic the bat.
Manic raised the bat over his head and slammed it into the ground next to the piñata.
“Okay… uh… Shadow?” Brenden asked. “You want to give it a try.”
Manic handed the bat to Shadow.
Shadow flipped the handle up and jammed the bottom of the bat into the piñata at the broken spot, punching a hole in it.
“Surge?” Brenden asked.
Shadow handed the bat to Surge.
Surge smacked the piñata in the neck.
The piñata broke.
“You put the goody bags in there?” Surge asked.
“Yes, to keep everyone from fighting.” Aleena replied.
Everyone gathered their goody bags.
Sonia took Lanolin’s bag and walked over to Aleena. “Here’s Lanolin’s bag.”
“Thanks, princess.” Aleena said. “Okay, present time.”


*
Sonia opened the gift from Shadow. She squealed as she pulled a black and red Furby out of the bag. “A Furby!”
Manic sat there, wide eyed. “Shadow… you know I hate those things.”
“It’s not gonna be in your room.” Shadow said.
Sonic opened a box and grinned. “A nerf bazooka!”
“I knew you’d like it.” Tails said, grinning.
Manic sighed dejectedly. He had opened nearly all of the gifts and still no Jurassic Park medical van.
Aleena handed Manic the last present. “I know, sweetie.” She said sadly. “Your dad, uncle, and I couldn’t find that thing to save our lives.”
Manic looked at the present. “Who’s this one from?”
“Me and Kit.” Surge said.
“But she picked it out.” Kit added.
“Thanks, you two.” Manic replied. He opened the gift. “Oh! Thank you!”
“You’re welcome.” Surge said.
Manic held up his present so everyone could see it and Uncle Chuck took a picture.
Aleena leaned closer to Gerald and Maria. “I’m glad she found it for him.” She said in a low tone. “It was all he asked for.”
“We tried to find it too.” Gerald replied. “We couldn’t find it aside from the fact we knew he had asked everyone for that and we were afraid he’d get duplicates.”
Aleena nodded. “So were we.”


*
After the guests went home, the family cleaned up, then gathered in the living room.
“Why did we have to clean?” Sonic asked. “It’s our birthday.”
“If you threw your own party in your own home, then you’d have to clean.” Aleena said.
Brenden ruffled Sonic’s spines. “We have to make sure you three will know how to take care of yourselves when you grow up.”
Manic sat on the floor with his new toys. “Can we start the movie please?”
Brenden played the movie they rented.
Manic grinned. “This is gonna be the best Jurassic movie ever!”
“They’re not scared of that?” Uncle Chuck asked.
Brenden shrugged. “I’m surprised Manic can watch this, but freaks out over Furbies.”
The Furby started talking.
Sonia shrieked as Manic swatted it with a pillow.
“I told you it’s evil.” Manic said, pointing at it.
Brenden got up and picked up the Furby. “It’s not evil, it’s obnoxious.” He replied. “I’ll take its batteries out for the night.”
“Watch your movie, kids.” Aleena said as Brenden left the room.
The triplets settled down and watched their movie.