Birthday Surprise

By Miss Donoho
phone. wrong. Lauren, Im going to be picking you up after school, my aunt told me on the Why? Mom always picks me up, I asked, worried that something was

Your parents are in St. Louis and they want me to drive you and your brothers over there to meet up with them. Your dad has a New York Life Insurance meeting that he would like for you to attend, she replied, patiently. But thats so BORING! Do I have to go? I protested in exasperation. It wont be so bad. Ill pick you up in front of G building. Ill see you soon, my aunt said quickly as she hung up the phone. I turned to my best friend who is standing beside me, with an annoyed look on my face. This is going to be the worst. These meetings are always so boring. I just dont understand why dad always wants us to go. Its not like I want to take over his business when I get older. I want to be a teacher. Well I just hope everything is alright and that they arent lying to you about why youre really going over there, she replied. Her comment made my stomach turn. Surely they wouldnt lie to me about why my aunt was taking us over there. When the school final school bell rang, I headed to the parking lot near G building. I saw my aunts car and headed towards it. I could see that she had already picked up my brothers. At least I knew that they were fine. Mt. Vernon, my hometown, is located 80 miles east of St. Louis. I talked with my aunt the whole way over while my brothers played video games in the back seat. After about an hour of driving, my aunt pulled off the interstate and into a gas station. I saw my parents car waiting in the parking lot. Oh no, I guess I really do have to go to this boring meeting now! At least everyone is okay though, I thought to myself. My brothers and I got out of my aunts car and walked over to my parents. Lets get going! We have an important meeting to get to! my dad announces cheerfully. Do we have to go? I dont care about insurance, I whined. My 15-year-old brain couldnt understand why my parents insisted on taking me to these meetings. Yes, and youll go into the meeting with a smile on your face, my mom said to me sternly, clearly annoyed at my bad attitude. Pouting, I got in the car and refused to speak to anyone anymore. I did not want to be there. I had homework to do. I could be at home watching TV. Or IMing my friends on the computer. Spending my whole evening at a stupid business meeting was the last way I wanted to spend my night. Eventually, I fell asleep with my head pressed against the window and my arms crossed. Lauren, wake up! my little brother, Josh, was shaking me shoulder back and forth. Stop it! Leave me alone, will ya? I glared at him angrily. Lauren, knock it off. Look where we are, my mother told me.

I looked around, and noticed that we had arrived at a car dealership. This is not the New York Life building. What are we doing here? I thought to myself. My dad pointed to a shiny, blue car located at the front of the lot. He asked, What do you think of that blue Camry sitting over there, Lauren? I looked at him, confused. What did it matter what I thought? Its fine I guess, I replied slowly. Oh. I was hoping for a little more enthusiasm than that. Especially since that is your new car, if you think you want it, my dad said, grinning from ear to ear. WHAT?!?!?!? I screamed. THAT IS SO AWESOME!!! I opened the car door as quickly as I could, leaped from the vehicle and ran over to the car and started jumping up and down excitedly. My car?! What an awesome surprise! I felt ashamed that I had had such a bad attitude about the whole trip. My parents were laughing and giving my hugs. Well, I sure am glad I bargained for the lowest price possible before you got here. I dont think I could get the salesman to budge an inch after seeing how excited you are about it! my dad laughed. Six months before my 16th birthday, my parents had decided to surprise me with a brand new car. As I drove the car home with my dad, I felt overwhelmingly blessed. I was so thankful to have such caring and generous parents. And as it turns out, it isnt so bad if they occasionally lie to me, after all.