I am the Skeleton in the Closet

Mae

As soon as I got the money I took my car by and set up a time and date to have it dropped off for repairs. I dropped it off the following Monday and they told me to expect about a week barring any internal issues, but what was supposed to be a week tops turned into three. Once they opened the hood they found another $11,000 in damages that they didn't see prior opening it. This meant that I wouldn't have my car for my birthday that month, much less thanksgiving the next day; but it was my twenty-first birthday I wasn't driving anyway.

Mae planned me an insane birthday party. She spent a little over a week planning it.

"You don't even have to come in on your birthday if you don't want." My boss told me the week of.

"I can't just not come to work. What kind of employee do you think I am?" I joked.

"Well it's your birthday, you're turning twenty-one. You don't want to be here." He rationalized. "Listen, I'll pay you for the day, but you only have to come in for lunch ok?" He amended. "If you really want to come in."

"No she has to come in. I-" Mae butted in and then stopped herself. "I mean, no, go ahead and take the day off. It's your birthday."

"Yeah, Mae?" I asked looking at her sideways. "That wasn't suspicious at all."

"What? I'm just saying, I mean I got some crazy things for you, but it happens on that saturday." She assured me swiveling around quickly in her chair.

"Yeah, just come in for lunch or something." He stretched his arms out big behind him yawning as he did it. "Just do it."

"Ok, I'll come in for lunch then." I shrugged.

Soon enough it was the twenty first. I woke up at ten and headed in to work.

"What is this?!" I asked walking in to see my desk adorned with several bits of party attire.

"I was wondering when you were coming in. We've been waiting." Mae turned around smiling as wide as I was, phone already recording.

"Yeah? I can tell." I laughed picking up a giant black and purple feathered crown. "I have to wear all this now don't I?" I half asked as I slid the head band behind my ears.

"Of course." Mae got up and helped me slip on the sequined sash that proclaimed my twenty first birthday in bedazzled bliss.

"I can't believe you!" I picked up the giant jeweled goblet she had obviously hand made and rested a hand on my forehead. "You have to be kidding me!" I laughed. "My whole head can fit in this thing!" I shoved my fist into it and jiggled it around inside. "Like for reals."

"I know, that's the point, you have to drink out of that all day today too!" She informed me stepping back a minute giggling.

"If the balloons weren't enough." I laughed reaching up and tugging on the strings of the giant 2 and 1 that shined with an over the top flare that only Mae would have thought of. "I can't. This is too much." I beamed at her as she brought her phone up to snap a picture.

"Oh, don't forget about this." She shot forward and snagged a pin off my desk. "Laura picked it out special for you." She explained pinning it to my sash.

"What's it... It's My Fucking Birthday! That is too perfect. It's so me." I took a second to gather myself for a picture brandishing my goblet with pride and tugging down the balloons so they were in view.

"So where do you want to go for lunch?" My boss chimed in with a smile, crossing his arms as he came up.

"How about that one place?"