Lekki's No Good, Very Bad Birthday
Lekki hums to herself excitedly as she gets ready, fluffing up her dress and adjusting her sleeves. Her parents had told her that they're going out to dinner for a very special occasion, and her birthday is only a couple of days away! She's a bit surprised that they want to have a dinner for her, considering the fact that they don't pay too much attention to her. 'They must really care about me,' she thought to herself. 'I'm not just a disappointment to them after all!' She just hopes it's something she can eat this time. Her parents wouldn't tell her where they're going and they always forget that she's lactose intolerant. 'Well, if it's for my birthday, they would try harder to remember.'
She hops down the stairs and stops when she sees her parents. They're dressed a lot more casually than she is.... Hm. She tries not to think about it. Her father notices her and smiles. "Ah, perfect. We're all ready." They head out to the car. Lekki hesitates before following her parents. She isn't really the type to stand out and she thought they would be going somewhere more formal. 'Whatever, dinner is still dinner. Can't go wrong with food.' She hops into the car with Takayuki already inside, texting his friends. He glances over and raises an eyebrow. "What's with the dress?" Lekki frowns and huffs. "It's my outfit for my birthday dinner." "Oh, is that why mom and dad are dragging us out?" "Duh. What else could it be?" Takayuki just shrugs and goes back to texting.
When they finally arrive, Lekki peeks out the window excitedly, only for her grin to immediately drop. Oh. A pizza place. She can't eat pizza thanks to the cheese. Her parents get out of the car with Takayuki in tow. Lekki stays in the car for a moment. 'What the hell? They can't be serious. This is Taka's favorite, why do I have to eat it?' She takes a breath and exhales slowly. She gets out of the car and follows her family.
Inside, she sees boxes and gift bags that reignite her hope. She sits down with her family and her father clears his throat. "You two might be wondering why we're here tonight. Well..." He turns to Takayuki and smiles. "We're celebrating the start of a new baseball season! We know you need new equipment and all, so we figured that having a dinner could also be all of us wishing you good luck." Lekki's expression immediately changes back to her more serious one. 'What? Is this really happening? It can't really be happening...' Takayuki blinks, surprised, but that look of surprise is immediately replaced with a smile. "Oh, I don't know what to say! Thank you!" Lekki just stares at her plate. She doesn't know what to say.
Once they get their pizza, she just stares at the slice they put on her plate. She considers eating it for a moment. 'If I eat it, I'll end up puking. I can ruin his night. He deserves it.' She silently glares at Takayuki, watching him laugh and eat happily. She hates him. He always ruins everything. She can feel her eyes starting to burn as tears start to well up. She can't do this. She can't be here. Lekki stands up and mumbles. "Excuse me...." She rushes to the bathroom. She locks herself in an empty stall and just starts crying. She just wanted her own special day, and Takayuki ruined it, just like always. She just sobs and sobs until she gives herself a headache. She stays in there until it's time to go back home.